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HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018

Sixty-third General Assembly

Second Session

1:00 P.M.

SPEAKER

Hon. Kevin Murphy

 

DEPUTY SPEAKERS

Ms. Suzanne Lohnes-Croft, Mr. Brendan Maguire

MR. SPEAKER » : Order, please. Before we begin the daily routine, I'll bring a Speaker's Ruling.

SPEAKER'S RULING:

Gov't Members Voting Down a Motion to Report on Their Own Actions (Pt. of order by Hon. David Wilson [Hansard p.1028, 10/02/18]; Not a point of order

Last Tuesday after my ruling on a point of privilege, the honourable New Democratic Party House Leader rose on a point of order. He stated that it's very challenging to bring forward a report from a committee if the criticism or the trouble the Opposition has is with the majority government members who make up the committee. He complained that the government members will vote down a motion to report on their own actions.

This is simply a by-product of our system of majority rule and the current composition of committees in this House, which leads to a majority of government members on the committees. When there is a minority government it is common to have six of the nine committee members being Opposition members, leading to a different outcome. Consequently, there is no point of order, only a point of difficulty.

We will begin the daily routine.

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PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

MS. ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition, and the operative clause states:

"We the people of Nova Scotia request the Government of Nova Scotia to replace the CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority. We request you to address the problems in our health care system which have led to a lack of nurses, family physicians and specialists across the province of Nova Scotia. The lack of healthcare professionals has created unsafe conditions in our hospitals and in our communities. Someone must be held accountable."

Mr. Speaker, there are 554 signatures and I have affixed my name to the top.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS

STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

RESOLUTION NO. 529

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Bernard Blinkhorn of Sydney Mines was an accomplished horseshoe player inspired to excel in horseshoes by his late father, Kevin, and competed at a high level across the Maritimes during the 1970s and the 1980s; and

Whereas Bernard at one time was the Nova Scotia and Maritime singles champion, won the Maritimes AA doubles championship three years in a row with his brother Robbie, and in 1986 he was awarded with the A Division highest average in the playoffs of 52 per cent by the City of the Lakes Horseshoe Pitchers Association in Dartmouth; and

Whereas Bernard died in 2015, survived by his two loving daughters, Courtney and Jillian, and his loving family;

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Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating Bernard Blinkhorn for posthumously being inducted into the Northside Sports Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Agriculture.

RESOLUTION NO. 530

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame honours members of the agricultural community for outstanding contributions to the industry, community, and farm organizations; and

Whereas the late David Coombes, former manager of the Hants County Exhibition and the Atlantic Winter Fair, is the 2018 Nova Scotia inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame; and

Whereas Mr. Coombes, a local icon in Windsor who recently celebrated his 53 years with the local exhibition, will be remembered for bringing the du Maurier Cup International Show Jumping to Halifax, for being named the Fair Manager of the Year, and for being inducted into the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions roll of honour;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame, which will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, and posthumously recognize David Coombes who will be honoured in the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to Nova Scotia's agriculture industry.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Does the honourable minister have a request for waiver?

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MR. COLWELL « » : Yes, sorry about that. I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Immigration.

HON. LENA METLEGE DIAB: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction first.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MS. METLEGE DIAB: Joining us today in the gallery are leaders of the Lebanese faith community, cultural, and business organizations. I would ask each of them to rise and remain standing until I call their names:

Monsignor Pierre Azzi, Vicar General of the Maronite Eparchy of Canada; Monsignor Joseph Salame; Zakhour Faddoul; Maroun Hage; George Samara; Abraham Salloum; Tony Nahas; Michael Kabalen; Zeina Faddoul; and Anthony Zibara.

I ask members of the House of Assembly to please give them the warm welcome of the House. (Applause)

Mr. Speaker, I believe I am making history today in our Legislature in that I will be reading my Government Notice of Motion first in the Arabic language followed by the English language.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Immigration.

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RESOLUTION NO. 531

HON. LENA METLEGE DIAB: بموجب هذه الوثيقة ، أعلم أنه في يوم لاحق ، سأقوم بنقل القرار التالي وحيث أن الجالية اللبنانية في نوفا سكوتيا قد قدمت مساهمات كبيرة في مجتمعات نوفا سكوتيا والاقتصاد والتنوع الثقافي فهي مثال ممتاز لكيفية مساهمة المهاجرين وعائلاتهم في بناء المجتمع والاقتصاد المحلي بالإيمان والثقافة ؛ و

وحيث تنمو الإيمان اللبناني ، والثقافة ، ومجتمع الأعمال في نوفا سكوتيا بكنيسة سيدة لبنان الكاثوليكية المارونية , وكنيسة مارأنطونيس الأرثوذكسية اللتان تتوسع إلى مباني أكبر ، و الجمعية اللبناني الكندية ، ونادي الاتحاد الديماني الكندي ، وغرفة التجارة اللبنانية في نوفا سكوتيا تحتفل بالذكرى الثمانين والخامسة والأربعون، والخامس عشر على التوالي ؛ و

وحيث أن رئيس الوزراء سيعلن تشرين الثاني ٢٠١٨ كأول شهر للتراث اللبناني في نوفا سكوتيا ، فرصة لتكريم واحترام المجتمع والثقافة اللبنانية النابضة بالحياة في منطقتنا ، وتثقيف جميع المواطنين حول الكنديين اللبنانيين ودورهم المستمر في المساعدة على التوسع و التجديد في جميع أنحاء نوفا سكوتيا.

لذلك لقد قرّرت أن ينضم جميع أعضاء مجلس النواب في تهنئة المجتمع اللبناني في نوفا سكوتيا من خلال الاعتراف بالمساهمات القيمة التي قدموها في النسيج الاجتماعي والاقتصادي والسياسي والثقافي في مقاطعتنا ، ونتمنى لهم النجاح المستمر على مدى الأجيال القادمة

سيد الرئيس أطلب التنازل عن الإشعار والمرور دون نقاش.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nova Scotia's Lebanese community has made great contributions to Nova Scotia communities, economy, and cultural diversity, serving as an excellent example of how immigrants and their families can contribute to community-building and the local economy with faith and culture; and

Whereas Nova Scotia's Lebanese faith, cultural, and business communities are growing, with Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Parish and Saint Antonios Antiochian Orthodox Church both expanding to larger facilities, and the Canadian Lebanon Society, the Newman Association of Canada, and the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce in Nova Scotia celebrating their 80^th, 45^th, and 15^th year anniversaries respectively; and

Whereas the Premier will proclaim November 2018 as Nova Scotia's first annual Lebanese Heritage Month - an opportunity to honour and celebrate our province's vibrant Lebanese community and culture and educate all citizens about Lebanese Canadians and their continuing role in helping to foster growth, prosperity, and innovation through Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Lebanese community in Nova Scotia by recognizing the meaningful contributions they have made to our province's social, economic, political, and cultural fabric and wish them continued success throughout generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

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Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried. (Standing Ovation)

The honourable Minister of Environment

RESOLUTION NO. 532

HON. MARGARET MILLER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 2018 is the 20^th anniversary of the Mobius Awards of Environmental Excellence which recognizes leaders in recycling and waste diversion across the province; and

Whereas this year, organizations including G-Man Waste Removal of Millbrook, IKEA Halifax, YACRO Social Enterprises of Yarmouth, DND 14 Wing Greenwood, and Oberland Agriscience of Halifax have been recognized with Mobius Awards; and

Whereas Kate Pepler of Halifax has been recognized as an emerging environmental leader and Gert Sweeney of Cape Forchu has been entered into the Mobius Awards Hall of Fame;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate the 2018 Mobius Award Winners for their innovation and leadership in recycling and waste diversion.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Justice.

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RESOLUTION NO. 533

HON. MARK FUREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Scott Feener has served the Town of Bridgewater and the community as their acting police chief for more than a year; and

Whereas Scott has demonstrated strength in leadership from almost 30 years of policing with the Metropolitan Toronto Police Service, the Bridgewater Police Service, and Criminal Intelligence Services of Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Scott was sworn in as Chief of Police for the Bridgewater Police Service during a ceremony held at town council on October 4^th;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this Legislature join me in congratulating Chief Feener on his appointment and for his continued commitment to policing, public safety, and service to the citizens of Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Labour and Advanced Education.

RESOLUTION NO. 534

HON. LABI KOUSOULIS « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas October is Canada's Healthy Workplace Month, a time to increase awareness of the need for a comprehensive approach to workplace health that includes healthy lifestyles, workplace culture, mental health, physical environment, corporate social responsibility; and

Whereas the month provides an opportunity for us to reaffirm our shared commitment to help organizations create healthy workplaces with benefits for both employer and employee; and

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Whereas it is my hope that by promoting and celebrating healthy workplaces this month and throughout the year, we can help Nova Scotians improve their physical and mental well-being and make workplace health a priority each and every day;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the tremendous efforts of the Nova Scotia employers and employees who build and create healthy workplaces and encourage all Nova Scotians to help make and keep their workplaces healthy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

Bill No. 82 - An Act to Amend Chapter 1 of the Acts of 1994-95. The Environment Act. (Ms. Lenore Zann)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Ordered that this bill be read a second time on a future day.

The honourable member for Northside-Westmount on an introduction.

MR. EDDIE ORRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, today in the gallery opposite, we have a gentleman by the name of David Johnson, a constituent of mine who is the founder of MindSentinel, which is a start-up mental health app that he's trying to develop. What Dave describes his app as is a check engine light for mental health. He was the recent winner of the Innovacorp Spark competition, which allows him to further develop his app. I would like to everyone to give Dave a warm welcome, please. (Applause)

NOTICES OF MOTION

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STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou West.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: IMPROVING SUPPORTS - RECOG.

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE « » : Mr. Speaker, today is World Mental Health Day. It's a day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. This year's theme is Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World.

World Mental Health Day was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. Today is an opportunity for all of us to learn more about mental illness and its impact on those we know and dearly love. It's a day to think about the supports available in Nova Scotia and how we can, and should, do better.

I know all MLAs will join me in promoting the aims and goals of World Mental Health Day today and every day.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg.

MS. SUZANNE LOHNES-CROFT « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to make introductions.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MS. LOHNES-CROFT « » : I would like to draw everyone's attention to the East Gallery, where I have a group of fine citizens from the New Germany area of my constituency. Please stand as I call your name: Bill Alexander, Mary Alexander, Nancy Veinot, Pat Trobak, Del Trobak, Ande Trobak, and Nils Trobak. Also my CA, Ruth Wawin, who also assisted this committee with their planning.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg.

NEW GERMANY MED. CTR.: 25^th ANNIV. - CONGRATS.

MS. SUZANNE LOHNES-CROFT « » : Mr. Speaker, on September 9^th, the community of New Germany gathered to partake in the 25^th anniversary celebrations of the New Germany and Area Medical Centre. This medical centre is particularly special because it was constructed 100 per cent by volunteers. It was under budget, with no mortgage, and didn't receive any government funding.

The celebration included live entertainment, a corn boil, displays by health professionals, and a video documentary showing the construction of the medical centre. Many members of the volunteer planning committee made this event a success - Nancy Veinot, Terry Meisner, Greg Selig, Bert Brendel, Del and Pat Trobak, and my constituency assistant Ruth Wawin.

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A special thank you to Bill Alexander. Bill was unable to attend the day's celebration after falling and sustaining an injury while setting up the day before the event. Bill spearheaded the planning for the day's celebrations and deserves recognition for all his efforts. Thank you, Bill, for your hard work and for being a leader in your community.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that you and all members of this House of Assembly please join me in congratulating the group of volunteers on the successful celebration of the 25^th anniversary celebrations of the New Germany Medical Centre.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.

FRIENDS OF MCNABS: COM. SERV. - THANKS

MS. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Today, I would like to recognize the outstanding not-for-profit group called the Friends of McNabs Island Society. Cathy McCarthy and Royce Walker of the society put many long hours of hard work and dedication into advocating for such a treasured island.

They can count on sold-out tours year after year, annual cleanups, and maintaining the beautiful gardens, structures, walkways, and paths. All of this would not be possible without the dedicated board members, community volunteers, and a passion for preservation.

I ask all members of the Nova Scotia Legislature to join me in thanking the Friends of McNabs Island Society for its endless volunteer hours helping maintain the wonderful McNabs Island and our congratulations on another successful year.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY: COMPASSION - SUPPORT

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark World Mental Health Awareness Day. I stand as someone whose life has been profoundly impacted by the mental health struggles and triumphs of some of those nearest and dearest to me. I've watched family, friends, colleagues, and so many others struggle.

A common thread of these stories has been the challenge of accessing treatment. Partially due to the lack of resources, but also because mental illness is so difficult to treat, in part due to the continuing stigma surrounding mental illness. I've seen victories - loved ones taking control of their health and their lives and making the hard decisions to seek treatment and stick with it. I've also seen casualties - friends who fell through the cracks some time, long ago, and who never managed to find their footing.

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But mostly, I've seen struggle. The daily grind of getting out of bed and putting one foot in front of the other, showing up for loved ones, and making it work.

On this day, I invite the members of this House to do what they can to extend as much empathy and compassion as possible to those around them who may be hurting. Ask questions. Listen. Look closely. And be kind.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clayton Park West.

MURAD, NADIA: SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVIVOR - COMMEND

MS. RAFAH DICOSTANZO « » : Mr. Speaker, I would like to shine a light on an international hero. Nadia Murad was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in armed conflicts.

Nadia is a Yazidi woman from Sinjar, a town in northern Iraq, west of Mosul where my father was born. On August 3^rd, 2014, Nadia was held captive and subjected to sexual slavery by ISIS. On the same day, 6,500 captives from her community were separated from their families and 5,000 were killed, including her six brothers and mother.

Nadia is the seventeenth woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the second-youngest person ever to receive this honour. Nadia's story struck a chord with me, as many women from the minorities of northern Iraq were also subjected to this sexual slavery.

Would this House of Assembly join me in commending Ms. Murad for her exceptional courage in recounting her own suffering and speaking on behalf of other victims? I hope to meet her one day and invite her to this House of Assembly.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou Centre.

VOL. FIREFIGHTERS: HARD-WORKING/WELL-TRAINED - THANKS

HON. PAT DUNN « » : Volunteers continue to be an essential service to our province. There are many ways to volunteer. There are a few volunteer situations that are extremely demanding, sometimes dangerous.

One example would be the dedication and commitment of our volunteer firefighters. They are people who often have other jobs. They often give up some of their personal time away from their families in order to train and maintain equipment. Volunteer fire departments are an essential part of our rural communities. We would be very grateful to the brave men and women who are willing to engage in life-threatening situations on our behalf.

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Firefighting is a tough business and firefighters need to possess a multitude of skills and talents. I would like all members of the Legislature to recognize and thank all the hard-working, well-trained firefighter personnel who take pride in their work and want to be the best at what they do.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

TRUEFAUX FILMS: FILM, SIX PRIMROSE - CONGRATS.

MS. SUSAN LEBLANC « » : I rise to congratulate John Hillis and Hannah Minzloff who, together, make up Truefaux Films. TrueFaux's latest feature documentary, Six Primrose, will premiere later this fall in Wolfville as part of Devour! the Food Film Festival.

 

Residents of Dartmouth, John and Hannah are dedicated to promoting the work and telling stories of people and organizations that are making positive social and cultural changes in our communities.

The film Six Primrose takes its name from the address of the Dartmouth North Community Food Centre, and the film celebrates the community spirit and the individuals who make the food centre such a vibrant and essential part of the neighbourhood of Dartmouth North. Over the last year and a half or so, I've encountered John at the food centre shooting footage and conducting interviews to be included in this important documentary. Last fall, the community got a sneak peek and last week we got to see the trailer. It's all very exciting.

I'd like to congratulate and thank Truefaux Films for its upcoming world premiere of Six Primrose and encourage all members to look for a chance to see the film as soon as you can.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings South.

DAVISON, CONRAD - CONTRIB.:

GASPEREAU VALLEY GAZETTE - THANKS

MR. KEITH IRVING « » : Mr. Speaker, natural curiosity, deep affection for your community and a general interest in local history is a powerful combination that has led to wonderful stories and historical accounts being told in the Annapolis Valley.

Conrad Davison of Gaspereau has written hundreds of stories published by the Gaspereau Valley Gazette each month since 2008. This is quite an achievement for anyone but especially so considering that he suffers vision loss and didn't enjoy history in his younger days. Conrad has written about everything from the history of local buildings, such as the Wolfville Food Company Building, to local organizations such as the Lions Club, and anyone who hears him put a voice to written word instantly feels the energy, passion and interest he has for the history of his community.

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I invite all members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly to join me in congratulating Conrad Davison on helping to restore stories that otherwise may be lost or forgotten.

[1:30 p.m.]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank.

MR. BRAD JOHNS « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MR. JOHNS « » : Mr. Speaker, in the West Gallery with us today is Kayleigh Hoadley. Kayleigh is a Grade 12 co-op student at Millwood High School in Sackville who is actually doing her co-op hours at our office in Sackville and Beaver Bank. She has 100 hours to complete between now and January so she will be with us every Wednesday, trying to learn the ropes about how to be a politician and is hoping to go on after high school next year to go to do a political science degree.

Mr. Speaker, I'd ask all the members of the Assembly to join me today in welcoming Kayleigh here to the House.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank.

PICRRO, AIDEN & MILLWOOD HS: ORANGE SHIRT DAY - THANKS

MR. BRAD JOHNS « » : Mr. Speaker, as members of this House know, September 30^th was Orange Shirt Day. This is a day created to support residential school reconciliation, raise awareness of the impact of residential schools on individuals, families and communities and to promote the concept that every child matters.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, September 27^th Aboriginal student support worker Aiden Picrro, with the help of the Aboriginal Studies class, student council and the administration at Millwood High School, took this opportunity to learn more through posters and presentations to honour residential school survivors by wearing orange shirts.

I'd like to thank Mr. Picrro and all those at Millwood High School for their participation in this year's event.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Yarmouth.

THE STORE NEXT DOOR: MOBIUS PROJ. OF THE YR. - CONGRATS.

HON. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Divert Nova Scotia recently announced the recipients of the 2018 Mobius Awards of Environmental Excellence. These awards recognize the achievements of innovative and dedicated Nova Scotians who help make our province a leader in recycling and waste diversion.

The Store Next Door Gift Shop, a social enterprise of the Yarmouth Association for Community Residential Options, or YACRO, was selected as Divert Nova Scotia's community project of the year.

I'd like to congratulate YACRO and the Store Next Door Gift Shop on this impressive honour and thank them for their leadership in recycling and waste diversion in our community.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

HANSON, DANNIE: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the late Dannie Hanson who passed away suddenly this past July. This week, at the Cape Breton Partnership's 5^th annual Economic Impact Awards, Dannie was honoured with an award.

Dannie served as the vice-president of sustainability with Louisbourg Seafoods and was a former municipal councillor. Each of the recipients were business leaders who have made profound contributions to Cape Breton Island and deserve our thanks and recognition.

The death of Dannie, who was a good friend of mine, has left a large void, not only in my life, but that of his family and everybody at Louisbourg Seafoods. We will miss his knowledge.

I stand here today once again to extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the late Dannie Hanson and thank him for his many contributions to our communities.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

BOND, KELSEY: ACAD. & SPORTS ACHIEVEMTS. - CONGRATS.

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HON. MARK FUREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kelsey Bond of Bridgewater. Kelsey, who is a defensive specialist on the University of New Brunswick Reds ladies volleyball team, earned academic all-Canadian status for maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher, while participating as a varsity athlete during the 2017-18 academic year.

Kelsey, a third-year student who switched to mechanical engineering from kinesiology last year, says that she is absolutely loving it. It was a tough transition for her - practices, road trips and long days take their toll. But she's proud that she has managed to keep her marks up while playing her favorite sport.

Kelsey's next goal is making the dean's list. She's also looking forward to an exciting season ahead with her UNB Varsity Reds teammates.

I ask all members of the Nova Scotia Legislature to join me in congratulating Kelsey Bond for the impressive achievement of balancing a tough academic workload with the demands of being a UNB Varsity Reds volleyball team member.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne.

WRIGHT, DAVID: ART DONATION - THANKS

MS. KIM MASLAND « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the generosity of and offer my thanks to the talented artist David Wright from Mersey Point, near Liverpool, who recently donated two of his large paintings to the Queens General Hospital Foundation. This is not the first time David has donated his work for the enjoyment of others in hospitals throughout Canada.

Queens General Hospital is truly a community hospital, and David's generosity is another way of making it feel more like home. Thank you, David.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Bedford.

BAGNELL, GLEN: KIWANIS HONOUREE - CONGRATS.

HON. KELLY REGAN « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to congratulate a former member of this House. Last week I was delighted to be on hand as the Dartmouth Kinsmen Club, which was marking its 75^th anniversary as a club, celebrated the Honourable Glen Bagnell for his nearly six decades of service with the club.

The Honourable Glen Bagnell was elected in October 1970 as the member for Dartmouth North. He was a member of the Executive Council from 1970 to 1978. He is one of only two surviving Cabinet members from those years.

After retiring from politics, Glen went on to become the first and only Atlantic Canadian to be president of Kinsmen International. I would note that only one other Canadian has ever been elected president of this service organization that operates in 80 countries and regions. Glen was also named a member of the Order of Canada in 1999. He's been a member of the Dartmouth Lions Club for 58 of its 75 years.

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I would note that at the same event, the former member for Dartmouth South, the Honourable Roland Thornhill, was given an honorary membership, and Vern Clarke was given a distinguished service award. Congratulations to the Kinsmen and all their honourees.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

WALKER, LAUREL: MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE - THANKS

MS. ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Mr. Speaker, on World Mental Health Day, I'd like to pay special tribute to a friend of mine and of many members of this House, Laurel Walker of Halifax. Laurel has been a tireless champion for improving mental health in this province. She has been there for many Nova Scotians.

Laurel has given voice to those who struggle to find a healthier path. I'd like to quote one of Laurel's favourite artists, Jann Arden, who wrote, "Feet on ground, heart in hand, facing forward, be yourself." Laurel, keep being yourself.

Mr. Speaker, on this World Mental Health Day, I invite all members of this House to thank Laurel for her tireless work to serve and help others in need.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Antigonish.

SKATE PARK: SITE DETERMINED - BEST WISHES

HON. RANDY DELOREY « » : Mr. Speaker, Antigonish is one step closer to getting a new skate park. It has taken over 20 years, numerous volunteers, and countless hours, but land has finally been secured. It was recently announced that the skate park will be located on West Street, across from the university, right in the centre of town, making it accessible to everyone.

It has been a collaboration between the Town of Antigonish, the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, St. F.X., and the Antigonish Skatepark Collective. I'd like to highlight the efforts of the many volunteers who have dedicated so much energy over the years to bring this recreation project to this point, and wish them well as they continue the work to build a skate park in Antigonish.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland South.

FIRE DEPTS. & EMO: OXFORD SINK HOLE SAFETY - THANKS

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MR. TORY RUSHTON « » : Mr. Speaker, this week is Fire Prevention Week, and the perfect time to show our appreciation to firefighters and first responders for their dedication to our safety.

I would especially like to take this opportunity to thank Cumberland Regional EMO, the Oxford Fire Department, all provincial departments, and the Town of Oxford for their ongoing dedication to the safety of the Oxford area from August to present regarding the sinkhole in the Town of Oxford.

We realize how much thought and hard work have gone into this process up to this time to ensure that this issue is handled correctly and in the safest manner possible. We thank all of these organizations for their part and process in this.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating these organizations for their outstanding work and thanking them for their dedication to our safety.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Preston-Dartmouth.

CHERRY BROOK UNITED BAPT. CHURCH:

LADIES AUX., 100^th ANNIV. - DEDICATION

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the Cherry Brook United Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary, which was founded in 1918 by President Maude Louise Sparks after the founding of the African Baptist Association's Provincial Ladies Auxiliary in 1917. Maude Louise Grant born in 1892 in Cherry Brook married Frederick Sparks and formed the Ladies Auxiliary to help support pastors, churches, children, and needs of the community.

The Cherry Brook United Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary gives thanks to God to the many women in our community who have dedicated their lives to helping others. I applaud and congratulate Cherry Brook United Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary who, on November 2018, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of their founding and the important work that they do in our community.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.

SEASIDE FM: COM. SERV. - THANKS

MS. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge Seaside FM radio for their dedication to our community and beyond. Wayne Harrett and his team of staff, volunteers, and students find time to host and support all of the many different community events of Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage. Seaside FM has come to be a well-known and well-liked fixture in our community. Seaside FM first aired back in 2002 with Wayne as manager. Many fundraisers along the way - such as book and CD sales and radiothons and dances - keep the station going.

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Today, I ask all members of the Nova Scotia Legislature to join me in thanking the entire Seaside FM team for their dedication to our community and I wish them all many more successful years ahead.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hants East.

WILLIAMS, MORRIS - FIRE CHIEF: 60-YR. MLSA - CONGRATS.

HON. MARGARET MILLER « » : Mr. Speaker, what I'm going to share with you today is a phenomenal example of loyalty and dedication and community service.

So phenomenal, in fact, that it has never before happened in all of Canada. Morris Albert Williams is a firefighter from the Uniacke & District Volunteer Fire Department. He was just presented with a very first in Canada 60-year Municipal Long Service Award medal.

He joined the department in 1958. He has been a husband to his wife, Pearl, for over 57 of those 60 years. She has watched her husband be a Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy, and Fire Chief. Mr. Williams has shared not only 60 years of life as a volunteer firefighter but also shared his strength of character with his family. They have a son, grandson, and son-in-law who all became volunteer firefighters.

The Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association provides the MLSA to the municipal units who want to recognize and honour an outstanding member. I think we can agree that this is the first of its kind and is well deserved. Congratulations and appreciation to Morris Albert Williams.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne.

STEWART, FLOYD - MINIATURE FLOTILLA - CONGRATS.

MS. KIM MASLAND « » : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate Floyd Stewart from Lockeport who, for the past 25 years or so, has been making a miniature flotilla of vessels which he floats in Lockeport's Little Big Harbour each summer.

Tourists from all over the world have enjoyed his tiny fleet of over 200 vessels which includes the Edmund Fitzgerald, a Cape Islander, Theodore Tugboat, and the Beatles' Yellow Submarine to name but a few. I would like to congratulate Mr. Stewart for extending his hobby to become a unique tourist attraction and for becoming a wonderful ambassador for his community and Nova Scotia.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clare-Digby.

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RICHARD ELLIS MEM. GOLF FUNDRAISER: COM. CONTRIB. - THANKS

MR. GORDON WILSON « » : Mr. Speaker, four years ago, I rose to recognize the family and friends of Richard Ellis who organized the first Richard Ellis Memorial Golf Tournament.

Four years later, the tournament raised over $25,000, or more than ten times the amount raised in the first year. It has become bigger and better this year welcoming the CEO of the American Hockey League as its first guest speaker.

Its beneficiary is a charity that was close to Richard's heart, the Digby & Area Health Services Charitable Foundation. With this year's contribution, the foundation was able to purchase a portable ultrasound machine for the hospital. Richard's son, Kevin, and his co-organizer, Mike Bartlett, want to ensure that all of our local hospitals have the equipment they need.

You see, Richard Ellis, who worked for a number of years for charities and community groups was a member of the Board of the Digby General Hospital for 18 years. Richard, Mike, and all the organizers see this tournament as one way to continue Richard's work in our community. I thank them and their team for organizing the tournament and for the members of the community for supporting it.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Guysborough-Eastern Shore- Tracadie.

TRACADIE UNITED BAPT. CHURCH: 196^th ANNIV. - BEST WISHES

HON. LLOYD HINES « » : Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, October 21^st, the community of Tracadie will gather in elation to celebrate the 196^th anniversary of the Tracadie United Baptist Church. This church has been the literal foundation of the spiritual community and still stands proudly today as the second-oldest church in the African United Baptist Association, organized in 1822.

I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the volunteerism of parishioner Katherine Gerro of the Tracadie United Ladies' Auxiliary. For 60 years, she has held the positions of secretary, vice-president, and president, and continues to bring great joy to the congregation through her ministry of music with her beautiful solos each Sunday.

Katherine is an absolute blessing to the community of Tracadie, as is the Tracadie United Baptist Church itself. I would like to wish her and all parishioners a jubilant celebration day and many more wonderful years to come.

[1:45 p.m.]

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland South.

WIDOW'S SON MASONIC LODGE: 150^th ANNIV. - CONGRATS.

MR. TORY RUSHTON « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the lodge that has the honour of becoming the first distinct Masons Lodge in Cumberland County, the Widow's Sun Lodge of River Philip.

In the early days, River Philip was an important community and the seat of local government in that part of the county. It was a staging point in the stagecoach line that ran from Amherst to Halifax and had been for many years prior to 1868. The charter was granted on September 30, 1868, and formal action was taken by Grand Lodge to install its first regular officer on October 10, 1868.

I ask that all members join me in congratulating the Widow's Son Masonic Lodge of River Philip on its 150^th anniversary and wish them many more years of success.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Armdale.

HON. LENA METLEGE DIAB: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MS. METLEGE DIAB: Joining us today in the gallery is Dr. Shashi Gujar, assistant professor at Dalhousie University Department of Pathology and Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Gujar immigrated from India in 2001 and has lived and worked in Halifax since 2009 and is a constituent of Halifax Armdale. May I please ask you to rise and receive the warm welcome of the House of Assembly. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Armdale.

GUJAR, SHASHI – PH.D.: CANCER RESEARCH - CONGRATS.

HON. LENA METLEGE DIAB: Mr. Speaker, through our universities and hospitals, Nova Scotians are contributing to truly groundbreaking research in a number of fields.

Dr. Shashi Gujar is one such researcher. He is currently seeking to develop innovative means to treat cancer through immunotherapy research. Earlier this year, Dr. Gujar and his research collaborators received a $3.2 million grant to study the use of photosensitive metal-based compounds to treat metastatic melanoma. In layman's terms, he's working to teach the body's own immune cells to target specific identifiers that only exist on melanoma and then kill those cells. Metastatic melanoma survival rates are tragically low in Canada, and Dr. Gujar is optimistic his research will result in a few compounds ready to go into clinical testing on humans.

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I ask all members of the House of Assembly to join me in applauding Dr. Gujar for his extraordinary work. (Standing Ovation)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth East.

CURRIE, KYLE: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

MR. TIM HALMAN « » : Mr. Speaker, this morning I attended the funeral of Kyle Currie.

Nova Scotia has lost one of its heroes. Kyle Currie was a Halifax Regional firefighter who served his community with honour, integrity, humour, class, and dignity. On behalf of my constituents, I want to express sympathy and condolences to Kyle's mother, Claudia Currie, and her family, and all of Kyle's many friends. I also want to express my condolences to all firefighters and all first responders, police, EMTs, all those who wear a uniform, all those who bravely serve and protect.

I ask all members of the House to acknowledge the contribution of Kyle Currie to his community and to thank all our first responders for the bravery they demonstrate every day.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Portland Valley.

YAKIMCHUK, CLOTILDE ADESSA - C.M.: ORDER OF N.S. - CONGRATS.

HON. TONY INCE « » : Dr. Clotilda Adessa Coward Douglas Yakimchuk, my aunt, is one of this year's Order of Nova Scotia recipients. She is a mentor, activist, role model, mother, grandmother, aunt, and matriarch to her proud family.

Aunt Clotilda was the first and only Black elected as president of the Registered Nurses Association of Nova Scotia in 1988. She was a founding president of the Black Community Development Organization that focuses on affordable housing in low-income communities, and became a member of the Nova Scotia Black Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1994, she retired as a Director of Education Services at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, and in 2003 Aunt Clotilda received the Order of Canada for her contributions to nursing and her community.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the members of this House to join me in congratulating Dr. Clotilda Coward Douglas Yakimchuk who is receiving the Order of Nova Scotia.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings West.

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CORBIN, BARRY: BOOK, THE GIRL AT THE TOP OF THE TREE - CONGRATS.

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate author Barry Corbin of Berwick, on the launch of his first novel, The Girl at the Top of the Tree.

The novel weaves a love story as it focuses on the generational challenges of running an apple farm in the Annapolis Valley over a 60-year span. It draws on the author's experience growing up in the Lakeville area and working on neighbouring farms.

In addition to his literary talent, Barry has had a distinguished career in education and now serves his community as a Berwick town councillor.

On behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia I'd like to congratulate Barry Corbin on the publication of The Girl at the Top of the Tree and wish him the very best for continued success as an author and dedicated councillor.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Preston-Dartmouth.

ST. DAVID'S UNITED CHURCH: 65 YRS. OF SERVING CHRIST - CONGRATS.

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize St. David's United Church in Lake Echo which is part of the Lawrencetown-Lake Echo Pastoral Charge, Halifax Presbytery, and Maritime Conference. St. David's has been serving as the hands and feet of Christ in the community of Lake Echo for 65 years, offering support in a variety of ministries.

The congregation is inviting the community on Sunday, October 21^st, to join St. David's 65^th anniversary celebration, beginning with a free will offering chili supper at six o'clock, followed by a service and special music at seven o'clock.

I applaud and congratulate St. David's United Church on their 65^th anniversary for serving Christ in the community of Lake Echo.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

HEALTH CARE PROTEST RALLY: CEO CONCERNS - LISTEN

MS. ELIZABETH SMITH-MCCROSSIN « » : Mr. Speaker, many Nova Scotians are upset with the lack of access to primary health care services and specialist services. Many of my constituents have been asking me for months to organize a protest rally, so last summer, along with my fellow Cumberland South MLA, we did just that.

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Health care professionals spoke and shared their concerns for their patients and their own personal health as working conditions are taking a serious toll on many of them. One doctor stated at the rally that she had just finished working 21 days on call in a row, 24/7. Those are inhumane working conditions, Mr. Speaker.

Last week the Premier rose in the House to complain that none of his Liberal friends were permitted to speak at the rally. It was so disappointing to hear that his only comment about a rally that over 600 people attended to have their concerns heard, that that was his response.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to table 383 letters from the people of this province, asking for the resignation of the CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. I'd like to remind the honourable member you cannot use Statements by Members as an agenda item to table any documents, so you can have those back.

The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

THOMPSON, ADA: PROV. HERITAGE PROPERTY - RECOG.

HON. IAIN RANKIN « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Ada Thompson, a long-time resident of Beechville, who accepted a plaque on August 7, 2018, designating a Black refugee settlement located behind Ridgecliff Middle School, Beechville Estates in Munroe subdivision, a provincial heritage property.

The site contains original land plots settled by Black refugees who escaped enslavement in the United States to what was then the British colony of Nova Scotia, during the War of 1812. Preserving and protecting these lands is an important step forward for Beechville and a testament to its residents' resilience over generations when faced with many obstacles and social injustices.

It is important that this special place be protected and its stories be shared for generations to come. The lands are now transferred to the provincial department that has responsibility for special places and preserved with heritage status forever.

I ask the members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly to join me in recognizing these lands as a provincial heritage site, and Beechville and its African Nova Scotia community as having made significant contributions to our shared history.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

CENTENNIAL ARENA: NEW EXPANSION - CONGRATS.

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HON. PATRICIA ARAB « » : I rise today to recognize the Board of Directors of Centennial Arena in Fairview on the opening of the new expansion. Centennial Arena has been a cornerstone of Halifax for 50 years and continues to be a community space for families in Fairview to gather. The rink hosts various events throughout the year, including family skates, concerts and skating lessons, as well as being home to the Halifax Hawks Minor Hockey Association.

Residents all over the city can attest to the warmth and the hospitality of the volunteers at Centennial Arena and, with the addition of this common area, even more organizations will have the opportunity to use this facility. A special thank you to Canadian Olympic hockey team member Jill Saulnier for attending the opening ceremony. Jill grew up playing at Centennial Arena and continues to make our province proud.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the members of this House to join me in congratulating the Board of Directors of Centennial Arena for making this expansion possible.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Bedford.

THORNHILL, ROLAND/CLARKE, VERN:

KIWANIS HONOUREES - CONGRATS.

HON. KELLY REGAN « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to congratulate a former member of this House.

Last week, I was delighted to be on-hand as the Dartmouth Kiwanis Club, which was marking its 75^th anniversary as a club, celebrated the Hon. Glen Bagnell for his nearly six decades of service with the club. The Hon. Glen Bagnell was elected in October 1970 as the member for Dartmouth North. He was a member of the Executive Council from 1970 to 1978. He is one of only two surviving Cabinet members from those years.

After retiring from politics, Glen went on to become the first and only Atlantic Canadian to become President of Kiwanis International. I would note that only one other Canadian has ever been elected president of this service organization that operates in 80 countries and regions. Glen was also named a member of the Order of Canada in 1999. He has been a member of the Dartmouth Kiwanis Club for 58 of its 75 years.

I would note that at the same event, the former member for Dartmouth South, the Hon. Roland Thornhill, was given an honorary membership and Vernon Clarke was given a distinguished service award. Congratulations to the Kiwanis and all of its honourees.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

MEMBERS, ARMED FORCES: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE - TRIBUTE

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HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, one month from tomorrow, Nova Scotians will recognize our annual Remembrance Day celebrations. At this time, I want to pay tribute to all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we in this House and all Nova Scotians can enjoy a way of life that is the envy of many people all over this world.

I also want to thank all Legion members, and Legions across this province, who work tirelessly to ensure that we remember those who died for King and country. These men and women also go to schools to educate our children of the real meaning of Remembrance Day and that it is about much more than a day off from school.

Finally, I want to thank all of the men and women who have been members of the Armed Forces in the past, the present, and in the future, who protect our way of life, our quality of life and our freedom of speech. These men and women serve so we can enjoy a quality of life which is often taken for granted.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's.

N.S. SCHOONER ASSOC.: RACE WEEK - CONGRATS.

MR. HUGH MACKAY « » : Mr. Speaker, this summer, the Chester Yacht Club proudly sponsored the Nova Scotia Schooner Association's annual race week.

The association, founded in Hubbards Cove in 1961 aboard the schooner, Adare, plays a key role in showcasing some of our province's historic schooners. In fact, Adare originally was built as a working schooner in 1905 on Big Tancook Island.

The oldest schooner at this year's race was the Amasonia which was designed and built on Big Tancook in 1935 and is owned and skippered by Lorne Leahey. Another historic schooner, the Wawaloon, owned and skippered by Commodore Harley Schofield, won the first race of the meet on corrected time.

A new trophy was introduced this year for the Lady's Skipper's Race. The trophy is a beautiful carving of Willa Creighton at the helm of the Airlie, a lady racer whom no sailor could beat in the early years of the association.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly to join me in congratulating the Nova Scotia Schooner Association for its work in preserving the history of schooners in our province and to wish them well in their future endeavours.

[2:00 p.m.]

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ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS TO MINISTERS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

PREM. - LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES: STAFF LEVELS - ADEQUATE

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. We have heard time and time again of the troubles facing our long-term care system and its patients.

My colleagues from the NDP have spoken at length about the need for more beds and more beds are desperately needed. The system today struggles to adequately care for the patients already in long-term care due to shortage of trained staff. My colleague from Northside-Westmount spoke yesterday of patients who are only taken out of bed every other day and nurses in Nova Scotia are now speaking up, too, about this. Their stories are equally disappointing.

Does the Premier believe that the current staffing levels at Nova Scotia's long-term care facilities are sufficient to provide adequate patient care?

HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL » : I thank the honourable member for the question. I believe what the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union talked about is the level of care that has changed over a period of time, causing us to have a look at what's happening in long-term care facilities. This is why we appointed the expert panel, which will come back and bring us recommendations.

MS. MACFARLANE « » : Mr. Speaker, the stories are difficult for anyone who has a family member in care or who may soon be there themselves. Stories of soiled linens that are too long in changing. Stories of patients who can't get a hot meal because staff simply cannot feed everyone fast enough.

Right now, RNs can be responsible for up to 120 patients each with LPNs responsible for 30, and CCAs responsible for 4 to 6 patients each time. I will table those stats. What does the Premier see as the ideal staff-to-patient ratio and what is this government going to do to ensure that level is reached?

THE PREMIER « » : Again, I want to thank the honourable member for the question. That's why we put together an expert panel to bring us back recommendations for how we continue to improve long-term care in our facilities across the province.

MS. MACFARLANE « » : The demands on the system are greater than what the system is actually built to handle and the demographics all point to the demand steadily increasing over the next few decades. Keeping seniors in their homes longer is a great idea, but it only serves to delay and make more acute the services provided by long-term care.

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New buildings: Yes. Beds: Yes. But increases in trained, qualified personnel should be first. Is the Premier satisfied that the long-term care system has the resources needed to adapt to the changing demands of its patients?

THE PREMIER « » : The preamble leading into the question is absolutely right. People want to be home longer - it's why we continue to invest in home care. She's also right that sometimes when people enter a long-term care facility, the acute need is much higher than it would have been otherwise. That's the combination of ensuring that people be able to stay at home as long as possible and, when they really need to be transitioned in to long-term care, that we have the infrastructure there to be able to ensure we provide that service.

That's why we announced an additional 50 long-term care beds in Cape Breton. We're looking across the province; where can we make those strategic investments to deal with some of the wait lists that, by the way, have been reduced by 50 per cent since we've come into power. We're looking forward to this expert panel that will bring us back other recommendations. We continue to work with our partners to provide the care that our loved ones deserve.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the New Democratic Party.

PREM.: LAFARGE TIRE BURNING DECISION - EXPLAIN

MR. GARY BURRILL « » : The world is talking this week about climate change in the wake of the report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel. A report that makes clear that what it calls "rapid and far-reaching" measures are going to be needed from governments to limit dramatic climate impacts. But here in Nova Scotia, what we get instead is today a decision to use recycling money to subsidize Lafarge Cement to burn tires.

The government can call this a green initiative until they turn green themselves, but the fact is the project, which increases emissions from quarrying, releases toxins, and undermines recycling, is an environmentally regressive thing. Can the Premier point to any analysis that says that this tire-burning project will reduce overall emissions for the province and not just the emissions at Lafarge?

THE PREMIER « » : If we reduce emissions at Lafarge, we would reduce them overall across the province. The reality of it is, this process went through a permitting process. They have a pilot to move forward and we'll continue to monitor it as they continue to do a practice that not only is being done here in terms of how we divert tires, but is being done in other Canadian provinces as well.

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MR. BURRILL « » : Mr. Speaker, the government is missing the mark by so many miles. The United Nations report makes it so clear that the whole world has got to be near net zero emissions by 2050. We can't afford to be subsidizing toxic projects like tire burning. We need ambitious reduction emissions targets and we need regulatory decisions to get us to those targets.

Precisely a target of this sort has been placed before us in Nova Scotia with the 2030 declaration. Here's the question for the Premier « » : Will he commit to a target of reducing our emissions to 50 per cent below the 1990 levels by 2030?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the honourable member for the question. This is one of those issues in our province that all three political Parties can take credit, working together collectively since 2008, I believe it was, when Minister Parent brought it into the House, we all agreed. Even though successive times government has changed, Parties who sit on this side of the House have changed, we continue to move forward to ensure that we continue down the road of reducing greenhouse gas in our province.

The honourable member would know that we are already at the 2030 targets that were set by 2025. We'll continue to make the investments and ensure that we continue to reduce our greenhouse gases and continue to improve the environment we live in, Mr. Speaker.

MR. BURRILL « » : The Premier has said earlier that emissions reduction target in his cap-and-trade program will be in the area of 50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030; I'll table his comments to that effect. But this is a level that is not a bit lower than current projections for 2030, without there being any cap-and-trade program.

I want to ask the Premier « » : In what world is it now acceptable that the impact of cap and trade on projected emissions by 2030 will be zero?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, again as I said in my first answer, through successive governments we continued down the same path of reducing our greenhouse gas in the province, continuing to lead the country in that endeavour. We'll continue to do so, continue to make changes.

The issues that we're doing in and around ensuring that individuals reduce their own footprint by the housing grant programs that we have - they continue to make those investments, continue to ensure to green the power grid within this province, at the same time continuing to make sure that we have the capacity to grow the economy of this province and allow the fact that we can have economic growth at the same time that we're protecting the environment.

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The honourable member wants to lead us down the path that does not involve a growing economy. We want to do both.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

PREM. - CANNABIS ACT: LACK OF REGULATIONS - EXPLAIN

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. In the spring, Bill No. 108, the Cannabis Control Act, passed through this House. Part of the bill said that the Governor in Council can make regulations to do things such as define what a private dwelling is, establish rules around the cultivation of cannabis and transporting cannabis.

With legalization just a week away, the implementation of these should be clear to Nova Scotians but they are not. As of 4:30 p.m. yesterday there were no regulations passed for Bill No. 108. Why not?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I'll ask the Minister of Justice to respond.

HON. MARK FUREY « » : The point my colleague makes is a continuation of the legalization of recreational cannabis in Nova Scotia, Mr. Speaker. All of the important elements and essential elements of legislation for the province were completed yesterday with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation announcement of the online opportunities for purchase.

We're very satisfied, Mr. Speaker, and very comfortable with where Nova Scotia has landed in legislation around the legalization of recreational cannabis.

MS. MACFARLANE « » : I'll direct this question to the Premier or the Minister of Justice. For some time, we have worried that this government is not ready for the legalization of recreational cannabis. The fact that regulations regarding cannabis control have been left to the eleventh hour doesn't make us less worried. In fact, it creates a lot of anxiety for parents, teachers, health professionals, law enforcement and so on.

If there are rules around such things as transporting cannabis and growing cannabis, Nova Scotians and law enforcement need more than just a week's notice. As the minister indicated, yesterday there were some regulations made online but by what other means are you going to get the information out there? How are you rolling it out to parents and health professionals?

MR. SPEAKER « » : I'd like to remind the honourable member to keep her questions directed through the Chair.

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The honourable Minister of Justice.

MR. FUREY « » : I appreciate my colleague's question because it does give me an opportunity to further share with Nova Scotians and members of this Legislature the practices that are in place.

My colleague would know we have undertaken a very thorough and exhaustive education and awareness campaign that is seen over multiple streams. It is communicating to the public at large the status of legalization of recreational cannabis in Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia/cannabis website is the most thorough and detailed website in the country as we speak that talks about the very points my colleague has identified, Mr. Speaker.

It's important that my colleague, all our colleagues in this House, and all Nova Scotians take the opportunity to access the website and clearly look at the program that Nova Scotia has implemented. We're very proud of the work we have done.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the New Democratic Party.

PREM. - QEII P3 DECISION: AG OPINION - IGNORE

MR. GARY BURRILL « » : My question is for the Premier. A series of Auditors General over a succession of decades has been reviewing and looking at this question of P3 projects in Nova Scotia.

In 1997, the Auditor General issued a report critical of the P3 arrangement about the 39 schools. In 1998, the AG criticized the government's failure to effectively compare costs of the schools between P3s or the public sector. In 2010, the Auditor General issued a report critical of the government's failure to exercise a duty of care about the P3 schools.

Why, in now choosing a mode of hospital development, has the Premier chosen to ignore 21 years of work from the Auditors General of Nova Scotia?

THE PREMIER « » : If the honourable member would go back and look at those continuing reports, Auditor Generals have made recommendations on how we continue to improve. P3 models are very different models being used in different parts of the country.

As I said to him earlier, we believe this is the appropriate path forward when it comes to the redevelopment of the QEII here on peninsula, ensuring that we have a modern health care system that reflects the needs of today and the realities of 50 years from now. We're going to continue down this path of working with our private sector to ensure the infrastructure is in place.

I also want to say to the honourable member, I was pleased to be able to support his government's decision on the P3 model they chose when it came to the Nova Centre. I want to continue to congratulate his Party for adopting the P3 model. We're going to continue to make sure that we provide that infrastructure for our citizens.

[Page 1483]

MR. BURRILL « » : Evidence still counts for something, Mr. Speaker. The New Brunswick Auditor General reviewed the decision of the government in that province to build two P3 schools, and he found that the government spent $1.7 million more than they would have with a normal building method. The Ontario Auditor General reported that P3 projects cost the province $8 billion more than if the projects had been built by that province. In B.C., the Auditor General found the government was paying nearly twice as much for borrowing through P3s as it would have had it borrowed the money itself.

Mr. Speaker, why should the public of Nova Scotia believe the government's single loan secret Deloitte report when there is a whole country full of auditors general who have come to the opposite conclusion?

THE PREMIER « » : We're continuing to look forward as we continue to roll out our P3 option to deliver primary health care here in the capital region that will provide services to citizens across our province. We believe this is the appropriate model.

We'll continue to do the due diligence we have had since I made this announcement in 2016, following through the next 12 months to ensure we have a contract with the developer that is tight, one that will deliver on the commitments that our health care providers are telling us are required to ensure that we can deliver that, Mr. Speaker. We will expect our contractor to deliver this project on time and on budget.

The honourable member, when he was referring to what's happening in other Canadian provinces, is ignoring the fact in this very province when a former government announced a hospital in Truro for $90-some million, it was more than double by the time it went through. The Auditor General continued to have a comment about those, continued to say that.

We're going to continue to make sure that when we put together infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, it is exactly what we want, it is exactly what Nova Scotians expect, and it is exactly what the health care providers want to work in. We're going to continue to do so with our partners.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou Centre.

[2:15 p.m.]

[Page 1484]

JUSTICE: DRÄGER DRUGTEST 5000 - APPROVAL UPDATE

HON. PAT DUNN « » : My question is for the Minister of Justice. Over the summer, the federal government signaled that it intended to approve the Dräger DrugTest 5000 device to aid in the detection of persons under the influence of cannabis. The Dräger DrugTest 5000 is intended to be a roadside device that is capable of analyzing saliva and determining the intoxication of the subject from either cannabis or cocaine.

There are reports from Statistics Canada that would suggest that almost 53 per cent of Nova Scotians are driving high every day. The need to provide police with effective tools are clear.

My question to the minister is: Does the Minister of Justice know how many Dräger DrugTest 5000 devices are in use in Nova Scotia, and is there a plan to expand that number?

HON. MARK FUREY « » : I thank my colleague for the question. The Dräger technology that my colleague is speaking about is new technology, as my colleague indicated, announced by the federal government just recently. That product is being made available across the country to police agencies, law enforcement agencies who choose to use that as a tool in the fight against impaired driving by drugs.

We leave the decision of the purchase of those to our law enforcement communities who are leading in the area of impaired driving enforcement.

MR. DUNN « » : Unfortunately, the latest data shows that the Dräger DrugTest 5000 may not be an effective tool for such detection. It is reported in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology that the Dräger has a false positive rate of 14.5 per cent. That is 14.5 per cent of the time the device will say that a driver is impaired when they are not.

More disturbing, the device has a false negative rate of 13.5 per cent, which means that 13.5 per cent of the time an impaired driver will not be caught. Moreover, the device becomes less accurate in cold weather. Imagine the problems these figures could cause when put before a judge.

My question to the minister is: Has the minister taken steps to mitigate the potential problems arising from the questionable results of these devices?

MR. FUREY « » : The instrument that my colleague refers to harkens back to my use of the breathalyzer as it relates to alcohol in impaired driving. But what I think is most important for my colleague, all of us in the House to know, and Nova Scotians to know is that Nova Scotia is leading the country in the standard field sobriety tests and drug recognition expert training number of law enforcement officers in the province.

We have the highest number of drug recognition experts in our law enforcement community compared to any other province in the country.

[Page 1485]

What Nova Scotia has done is it has taken a leadership role, and I will say to my colleagues, over multiple governments, to ensure that Nova Scotians and road safety are the priorities. With that in mind, we will continue to expand the number of drug recognition expert trained officers to ensure that Nova Scotians are safe on our highways.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland South.

NSLC: CANNABIS ACCESS - RURAL AVAIL.

MR. TORY RUSHTON « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. This government has decided to only offer cannabis for sale at a handful of municipalities across the province. This leaves many people in rural Nova Scotia unable to easily access cannabis. For some, the nearest physical location is located over 60 minutes away.

The solution for this, according to this government, is home delivery for online sales. Despite recent announcements regarding rural Internet, online purchasing is simply not foreseeable in the future for many Nova Scotians. My question to the minister is: For those in rural areas without reliable Internet, how does the minister propose access to cannabis?

HON. MARK FUREY « » : I thank my colleague for the question. We've had this discussion in the Legislature on a number of occasions and we've spoken publicly to the availability of recreational cannabis in the Province of Nova Scotia.

We initially announced nine stores based on the July 1^st start date. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation being as diligent and professional as it has, reviewed the number of stores when the federal government announced an October 17^th date. It was able to add an additional three stores. In addition to that, we have the online model that was announced yesterday.

This online model will ensure that all Nova Scotians, regardless of where they live, have access to recreational cannabis. I will tell my colleague, as well, that every liquor store in the province will be able to provide the barcode system that Nova Scotians will come to rely on for their access, particularly in those rural communities across the province.

MR. RUSHTON « » : I thank the minister for his response, but it still begs the point that many Nova Scotians still do not have access to the Internet. Most regular cannabis users in rural Nova Scotia will not drive 60 minutes for their pot, nor will they wait for an online purchase to be delivered. They're most likely going to continue to access the black or grey markets for their cannabis.

The NSLC business plan states that one of its priorities is to provide a safe supply of cannabis to Nova Scotians, to help eliminate the elicit market, but this distribution model will not work. Does the minister anticipate the poor access to legal cannabis in rural Nova Scotia will still allow the illegal market to grow?

[Page 1486]

MR. FUREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I've spoken publicly as well about the transition from the elicit market to the legal market. We know that no switch is going to be flipped on October 17^th, that people are going to transition to the legal market. We used Colorado as the example. Colorado has done their research, and over a period of three years, they've seen a 75 per cent transition from the elicit market to the legal market. We will monitor over the next number of months what we see that transition to be.

I have to tell my colleague as well, the last significant weather storm we had in this province in 2014, when Nova Scotians looked for food and water in our community stations around the province, their first ask in coming into those facilities was: How and where can I charge my device? Nova Scotians have access.

We will continue to work in the Internet project. My colleague in the Department of Business - $190 million was committed to that project. We are confident recreational cannabis will be available to Nova Scotians.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

TIR - QEII REDEV.: N.S. LANDS INC. - INVOLVEMENT

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, my question through you is to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. In July, this government announced that because the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal and the Department of Health and Wellness didn't have the expertise, a new division, Nova Scotia Lands Inc., would be given $6 million annually to deliver both the QEII development and the hospital redevelopment in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

In this week's announcement on the QEII project, there was no mention of Nova Scotia Lands Inc., only that the P3 project would be costing upwards of $2 billion. In fact, there is no mention of Nova Scotia Lands Inc. anywhere on the government's QEII redevelopment website.

My question is: Why did the government announce $6 million a year for a new Crown corporation division and then neglect to mention it in last week's fanfare?

HON. LLOYD HINES « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. Nova Scotia Lands Inc. is hardly new. One of its great triumphs was the reclamation and constitution of the so-called tar ponds in Sydney, which has been a tremendous success and shows the usefulness of that particular corporation in terms of being able to come in and do these redevelopments. In terms of Nova Scotia Lands Inc.'s role in the redevelopment of the QEII or the Cape Breton initiative, which is certainly being contemplated by the department, it remains to be seen just exactly what they'll be doing in that instance.

[Page 1487]

MR. MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm well aware of the great work that the people in Nova Scotia Lands Inc. do, but it was his government that announced that there was a special department going to be developed to do the kind of work I just mentioned. I don't know. Now, the government loves to announce and re-announce spending as much as possible, but I wonder if something got lost in last week's fanfare.

The minister and I both know that Nova Scotians need doctors and they need the infrastructure for those doctors and other medical staff to help keep Nova Scotians healthy. But it doesn't help anyone to keep things like cost and process in the dark. Government has already refused to release the report that led them to their QEII redevelopment model and, now, I wonder if they're playing another shell game with Nova Scotia Lands Inc.

Again, to the minister, can you assure this House that all the funding delivered to the health capital delivery branch of Nova Scotia Lands Inc. will be subject to transparency and public scrutiny?

MR. HINES « » : Mr. Speaker, I really thank the member opposite for the question because we've reached a turning point here in this reality. This government announced that we are going to rebuild the infrastructure in Cape Breton, the health infrastructure, and up until this point it was being treated as if it was a fantasy. Now, I see the reality is sinking in and it's so good to see the member recognize that in a very short time the health system, the structures in Cape Breton, will be rebuilt with significant increase in long-term care beds and two collaborative centres that will be the envy of Nova Scotians.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre.

H&W: LONG-TERM CARE - FUNDING INCREASE

MS. TAMMY MARTIN « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. Nursing homes in Nova Scotia need to be adequately staffed in order for vulnerable seniors to get the care they need and deserve. This government's cuts to nursing home budgets means facilities are trying to do more with less.

Jane Meadus, a lawyer at the Toronto-based Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, says there is an indifference towards seniors in care that would not be accepted in other facilities. She says that the attitude is, this is just the way it is and this is what we have to put up with. I'll table that.

Mr. Speaker, does the minister think it is acceptable that seniors in nursing homes can't even get a hot meal because by the time the CCA gets to them, their meal is cold?

HON. RANDY DELOREY « » : Mr. Speaker, in fact I don't agree with the assessment that the member cited of this individual from Toronto. Perhaps that's the way that individual sees the viewpoint in her jurisdiction, but we do take the concerns and the quality of care in our long-term care centres very seriously. These are our parents and grandparents in these facilities. That's why we appointed an expert panel - the three individuals there have impeccable records in their research and their clinical experiences.

[Page 1488]

I look forward to getting the recommendations from them so that we can then move forward on improving quality of care in long-term care in Nova Scotia.

MS. MARTIN « » : Mr. Speaker, one of the consequences of seniors staying at home longer is that they are more frail when they are placed in long-term care. A recent media report quotes the president of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union who says that most of our residents are incontinent, many of them cannot walk or need assistance to walk, the majority of them need help to bathe, and half or more need some help feeding. The requirement for those seniors has escalated and the funding hasn't changed.

Mr. Speaker, I brought that example from a Glace Bay family in long-term care in Glace Bay, the resident needs to call her daughter 50 kilometres away to tell her that she needs to pee or that she has fallen.

We know the addition of more beds, we need time for those providing care with residents to ensure valuable seniors are safe and happy and healthy. Will the minister agree to increase funding to ensure adequate staffing levels are available in nursing homes?

MR. DELOREY « » : As noted previously, we do take the concerns very seriously. That's why we not only appointed the panel, but we didn't wait just for establishing a panel to provide feedback - we've been acting on recommendations that have come in, and previously we've been investing in equipment and technology. We've increased funding for food and recreation budgets, based upon feedback.

We do believe the recommendations that are going to come forward will be positive for the care of seniors in our long-term care facilities and residents of long-term care facilities throughout the province. I look forward to receiving those recommendations and then being able to move forward on them.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou Centre.

EMO: RAILCAR DERAILMENT (STELLARTON) - UPDATE

HON. PAT DUNN « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for the EMO. In 2014, I received an assessment from an anonymous expert concerning the rail lines running through my constituency. After viewing the rail system through the New Glasgow downtown core, I felt an accident due to the deplorable condition of the rail line was forthcoming. Work has occurred to improve this section of rail that is metres away from numerous buildings; however, additional improvements are necessary for obvious safety reasons.

[Page 1489]

A question to the minister: Would the minister update the members of the House with regard to yesterday's derailment in Stellarton where two railcars loaded with carbon black landed in someone's backyard?

[2:30 p.m.]

HON. CHUCK PORTER » : Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the situation. My understanding is they have not reached out to EMO, but we are aware, I guess through media reports actually. The only thing that I can say on that that we've read, they have cleanup under way.

We would expect, as EMO or as government, that that would be done. They seem to be doing that and stated, at the same time, that there was no hazard to the town or to humans there.

MR. DUNN « » : Mr. Speaker, there have been at least four train derailments in Pictou County since 2014, one of which required an evacuation of residents after six containers carrying a butane/propane mix left the track. The rails near Riverbank Street in Stellarton have been a safety concern for some time. Trains are expected to travel at 10 kilometres throughout the community, and even at that speed it remains risky.

My question to the minister is: Does the minister know if a cause has been identified?

MR. PORTER « » : I can say at this time, Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of why that happened. I have not been advised on that. I do know the area very well as the honourable member would know, and I do know how busy it is through there and has been over many years. Not quite as busy these days as it has been in the past. The other piece of that, each municipal unit, as we would know in this House and around the province, is responsible for putting together an emergency management plan when something happens. We, as the EMO, are certainly there to assist whenever required, as well. Again, I'm not aware of the cause of the incident, but hopefully we'll have some information in the days ahead if not sooner.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank.

EECD - STOCK TRANSPORTATION: LATE BUSSING - ADDRESS

MR. BRAD JOHNS « » : Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. On the 27^th of September, the minister announced a $1.9 million additional investment in Stock Transportation to address arrival times of students.

[Page 1490]

Since September 5^th, one bus in my constituency has arrived at school between 20 minutes and a half-an-hour late each morning and continues to do so. This is the accessible bus that carries students with a variety of needs who have now missed a total of 10 instructional hours since the school year has started.

There have been many calls from my office to Stock Transportation, but this hasn't been rectified yet. Does the minister believe that it is acceptable for this bus to be late, given that the school has now been in for over a month?

HON. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : I appreciate the member bringing this issue to my attention. Our expectation, which we made very clear to the region and to Stock, is that our students get to school on time and be returned on time and safely. If that is not happening in specific cases, I do appreciate the member informing me so that we can take a look at those individual cases as they arise.

MR. JOHNS « » : I thank the minister for that. I will provide the bus number later on so that it can be looked into further.

For a long time, the minister stated that 98 per cent of the students getting back and forth to school on time was good. Last month, the minister stated one of his first issues with the new Provincial Advisory Council on Education would be to deal with bussing. This is the same announcement that added the $1.9 million to bussing. I'm left, however, wondering what role the PAC will be playing given that the fact that the announcement came out even before the committees met.

My real issue here today is the students. Can the minister please tell the House how much longer parents and students have to wait before bussing problems will be fixed, totally, in the HRCE?

MR. CHURCHILL « » : To clarify, we did announce interim measures, which was the $1.9 million dollars, 37 new busses to focus on the pressures we have from courtesy bussing requests and those with disabilities. However, we also announced that throughout the course of the rest of the year, we'll be doing an overall evaluation report on bussing in the province.

We'll be working with SACs directly. We'll be working with our principals. We'll be working with our front-line workers, the unions, and the bus drivers. We'll also be working with the Provincial Advisory Council to get feedback from them. We've got folks that are previous board chairs on that committee and I know that their insight will be as valuable to this process as anybody else's.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

[Page 1491]

H&W: SPENDING PRIORITIES - FOCUS

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : My question is to the Minister of Health and Wellness. A white elephant in modern usage is known as an object, building project, scheme, business venture, or facility considered expensive but without any value. Nova Scotia needs new medical facilities and nobody will argue with that. But what it needs more, and what it needs sooner, are doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who provide patient care.

A new hospital without doctors heals no one. An emergency room without ambulance coverage saves no one. So, the question is quite simple: Now that they've announced all the building projects, will the minister please focus on doctors and nurses and not the bricks and mortar? A simple yes or no will do.

HON. RANDY DELOREY « » : In fact, I'd like to advise the member opposite that this isn't an either-or question. The fact of the matter is that we have, and we will continue, to focus on both the people who deliver our health care on the front lines as well as ensuring they have the tools, the technology, and the infrastructure they need to deliver that care for Nova Scotians from one end of the province to the other, for tomorrow and well into the future.

MR. MACLEOD « » : Well, Mr. Speaker, I've got to tell you, this government reminds me of the movie Field of Dreams - they believe that if they build it, they will come. But I don't believe that.

I've heard all kinds of stories that state how bad health care is in this province. We've heard about five-hour car rides for a five-minute appointment in Halifax. We've heard of cascading ER closures. We've heard of people dying while they wait for the services their tax dollars are supposed to pay for. It's not the buildings, Mr. Speaker. It's the lack of staff.

The government says they're redesigning these buildings for health care for the next 50 years. The question: Will the architects design these hospitals with hallways that are wide enough for the gurneys so that the health care of this government will stay the same as it's been providing all this time - hallway health care?

MR. DELOREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I guess in response to the member's question and the information in his preamble, I direct him back to his previous question to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. If I recall that preamble correctly, he made some statement, effectively, about how important the investment in infrastructure was in attracting and supporting our front-line health care professionals.

I'm a little bit confused by the questions the member's bringing here, and the inconsistency of what he's bringing to the floor of this House.

[Page 1492]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

BUS. - LEGAL CANNABIS: LOCAL PRODUCTION - LACK OF

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Business. In a week, recreational cannabis will be legal in Nova Scotia. Cannabis production is an industry that is growing exponentially and will grow more. Unfortunately, compared to other provinces, we're sorely behind on developing local cannabis production.

This year, the NSLC will be importing over 3 million grams of cannabis. That is a multimillion-dollar missed opportunity for rural Nova Scotia, which has the capacity and agricultural expertise to fill this gap. Our government has recognized the value of focused supports to develop local wine and beer, but nothing for local cannabis production.

My question is: What is the minister doing to ensure that the NSLC's cannabis procurement shifts quickly to supporting local jobs and the rural economy? Surprise - we care about the economy.

HON. MARK FUREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation has been public on this very issue. The production of recreational cannabis and the licensing of those producers is the responsibility of the federal government. We know that there are a number of Nova Scotian business entities who are part of that process.

As we speak, three Nova Scotia companies have been approved licences for production. They continue to work on that process with Health Canada to secure their retail licence, but the remainder of those Nova Scotian businesses continue to meet with Health Canada to ensure that Nova Scotia product is available into the future.

MS. CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, with respect, my question was about provincial incentives, not federal licensing.

We know that in 2019, recreational edible cannabis products will also become legal. We know that in Canada, six out of ten cannabis consumers will likely choose edibles. This is another inevitable development that will either be an economic opportunity for Nova Scotians or another imported expense.

My question to the minister is: What is he doing to make sure Nova Scotian entrepreneurs have the information and support they need to be ready for the recreational edible cannabis market?

MR. FUREY « » : Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion that has been ongoing with the producers that have stepped up to the plate to drive the business and the economy of Nova Scotia in this new field. But with respect, Nova Scotians are not limited to the retail sale within the Province of Nova Scotia. These producers are looking beyond Nova Scotia's borders. They're looking to export Nova Scotian product around the world, quite literally.

[Page 1493]

As this process continues to unfold, we will see Nova Scotia producers who are licensed to sell retail cannabis, and it will not only be available within Nova Scotia to the NSLC but also outside of the province and the country.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

H&W - N.S. FAMILY DOCTORS: RATE OF PAY - CONFIRM

MR. KEITH BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, this government promised a doctor for every Nova Scotian, but there are over 100,000 Nova Scotians who are either on government wait-lists or have just given up their search altogether. For these Nova Scotians, access to our health care system means long waits in emergency rooms and no continuity of care because they're dependent on walk-in clinics. These Nova Scotians deserve better.

Last week, the minister took issue when I said Nova Scotian doctors are paid $100,000 less than doctors practising in Prince Edward Island, according to Doctors Nova Scotia. My question to the Minister of Health and Wellness is: Could he inform this House how much more Nova Scotian family doctors are paid compared to those in P.E.I. and New Brunswick?

HON. RANDY DELOREY « » : I believe, just to clarify, the response that I had made last time, in case there was any confusion by the member - in fact, if I recall correctly, what I was stating was that the numbers he was bringing to the floor of the Legislature were outdated information. He failed to take into consideration or recognize the almost $40-million investment that we made to improve compensation for comprehensive family care practices, as well as incentives for family physicians providing that comprehensive care to take additional patients on the family roster.

MR. BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, this government's doctor recruitment strategy seems to have been drawn on the back of a napkin. My constituents are concerned about the recent departure of Dr. Emily Beaton, which I mentioned last week, due to the lack of work-life balance she was promised by this government. New recruits may think twice when accepting an offer from this government because of the stories they have heard from their peers on how they're respected and treated.

When asked last week, the minister bragged about the new doctor they recruited for my constituency. My question to the minister is: If one doctor leaves while another doctor comes, how does that fix the doctor shortage in my constituency?

MR. DELOREY « » : The member may think that it doesn't make an impact, but indeed, for every physician or front-line health care worker that we're adding to the system through our recruitment . . . . (Interruption)

[Page 1494]

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

MR. DELOREY « » : Through recruitment initiatives, Mr. Speaker, new initiatives that we have brought in, whether that be our tuition relief program, our new immigration stream, which is the one that resulted in the physician that I referred to last week in the member's community. Or whether that's the expansion of our collaborative care practices and the fact that government is hiring nurse practitioners, family practice nurses, social workers, and other therapists to support front-line health care providers to provide care for all Nova Scotians.

Mr. Speaker, that member may not think that this is important for the health care of all Nova Scotians, but we do.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

H&W: USE OF TRAVEL NURSES - EXPLAIN

MR. EDDIE ORRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I think the new math initiatives in schools should be taught to the Minister of Health and Wellness. One leaves, one comes - that's not new recruitment.

Mr. Speaker, the government has no idea what they're doing when it comes to health care services in Cape Breton. Time and time again, I have risen in this House on behalf of the great people of Northside-Westmount to bring their health care concerns to the floor of the Legislature to a tone-deaf government. I have highlighted the issues facing our people . . . .

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. I would like to ask the honourable member to retract his statement indicating the honourable minister should take a course. I'll take that as a personal insult.

The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

MR. ORRELL « » : I'm sorry, Mr. Speaker. I'll retract that statement.

The minister boasts about how the new facilities in Cape Breton will attract a slew of new health care professionals from doctors to nurses and everyone in between. My question to the minister: If this is really the case, why are travel nurses being used in the Cape Breton Regional Hospital emergency room when they've essentially closed down two emergency rooms in Cape Breton already?

HON. RANDY DELOREY « » : As the member would know, in fact, his colleague earlier today in Question Period highlighted just that point that I have been making, which is that the new investment in infrastructure is actually an important component for front-line health care providers when they are operating. The member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg made that reference in a question earlier today when questioning the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

[Page 1495]

[2:45 p.m.]

MR. ORRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, it has been brought to my attention that travel nurses are being brought in from as far as Vancouver to work at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital emergency room. I appreciate the work these nurses provide, however, I'm worried that this band-aid solution is costing taxpayers more money because of travel expenses, lodging - and the nurses are allegedly paid a lot more money than our regular nurses.

Now I know the Nova Scotia Health Authority is not worried about taxpayer money, Mr. Speaker, given the recent hospitality scandal, but I am and so are my constituents. So, my question to the minister is: If we need to bring in travel nurses to provide care in the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, what is the minister doing to train and attract our own nurses right here in Nova Scotia?

MR. DELOREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise the member that I have taken the time to actually get out and as part of meeting front-line health care workers, I thought it was important to also get out and meet the students, our future, our next generation of health care workers. I met with nursing students at Cape Breton University, St. F.X., as well as Dalhousie nursing students in the Yarmouth location, and hearing directly from these students in our nursing program, they are very excited about the opportunities that await them upon graduation.

Mr. Speaker, we do hire those nurses in our province, those who choose to stay here. In addition, the nurse practitioner spaces, which is an advanced level of training for nurses, can provide more front-line care, primary care. We've added additional seats to our Dalhousie program and introduced a compensation program to help support those who want to take it.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

TIR: BAY FERRIES MOVE - UPDATE

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, my question through you is to the Minister of TIR. A media story last night indicates that the rumoured move of Bay Ferries from Portland to Bar Harbor is well on its way to becoming a reality. According to the news story the move will bring with it significant costs for both the company and taxpayers, including millions in improvements to the Bar Harbor terminal.

The report says that taxpayers will also be on the hook for a $1 million guarantee of the new lease. My question for the minister is: Will the minister update the House about what the plans are for Bay Ferries next season?

[Page 1496]

HON. LLOYD HINES « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to rise and inform the House and the people of Nova Scotia that although we don't have the final results of this year's traffic on the Nova Scotia ferry, we're very optimistic that it's going to set a new record for Nova Scotia. We are so happy for all the people of Nova Scotia, but particularly for the people of southwestern Nova Scotia and their tourism industry is thriving as a result of this fine piece of work.

MR. MACLEOD « » : I believe, Mr. Speaker, that's what you call a paid political announcement. The question was: What exactly is the cost to the people of the Province of Nova Scotia? We're all happy for them, we just want to know what the cost was.

The Progressive Conservative caucus office has submitted a FOIPOP request to unveil the management fees for Bay Ferries which it receives and this has been in the process for almost two years, and that request is still making its way through the system, Mr. Speaker.

We believe taxpayers should know what their money is being spent on, so will the minister commit today to making public any improvements or other costs taxpayers will be responsible for if Bay Ferries makes the move to Bar Harbor? We know that Nova Scotians will be happy wherever the ship is coming from.

MR. HINES « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. I think this is a classic case of the glass being half empty or half full. We don't look at this as a cost, we look at it as an investment, a good investment for the people of Nova Scotia. It supports our tourism industry, all of our economic development, including Cape Breton because many of those people find their way down to the beautiful Island of Cape Breton when they are here on tourism business, and they spend a lot of money in the economy of this province.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

HON. DAVID WILSON « » : Mr. Speaker, the government has dropped the ball once again, they have really dropped the ball on a very important issue that I think is a serious issue and we need to make sure that we have an appropriate amount of time that they address this serious issue when they dropped the ball here in Nova Scotia.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The time allotted for Oral Questions Put by Members to Ministers has expired.

OPPOSITION MEMBERS' BUSINESS

[Page 1497]

MOTIONS OTHER THAN GOVERNMENT MOTIONS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, we're going to be calling for rounds of 15 minutes each. I hope everybody tries to stick to that amount of time, 15 minutes each.

Would you please call Resolution No. 508.

Resolution No. 508, re N.S. Health Care: System Breakdown - Prioritize - Notice given Oct. 5/18 (Hon. C. d'Entremont)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

MR. EDDIE ORRELL « » : After a good, lively debate in Question Period today about health care and the lack thereof and/or the lack of answers that the people in Opposition are asking, it's very timely that this Resolution No. 508 is brought to the floor of the Legislature today and, if I could, I'll just refresh everyone's memory what Resolution No. 508 says. It says:

"I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the health care crisis in Nova Scotia is having a significant negative impact on thousands of Nova Scotians; and

Whereas this Liberal Government refuses to acknowledge the problem, with some blaming problems in health on the lifestyle choices of Nova Scotians; and

Whereas 100,000 people without a family doctor, deaths from pressure sores, growing wait times, and frequent emergency room closures are all evidence that the health care system in Nova Scotia is in crisis and needs urgent attention;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly urge the Liberal Government to admit our health care system is broken, acknowledge the fear and frustration of Nova Scotians, and make fixing the system a priority."

So, we stand in this Legislature and ask questions on behalf of our constituents, constituents who have problems either navigating the system and/or getting the health care that they deserve in a timely manner. If that's not a crisis, nothing is. When people who've done their community well throughout their lives, when people who have paid their taxes, they've lived in these areas their whole days, when they need a system, they want to make sure it's there.

[Page 1498]

I've heard of stories of people who've come into my office, whose grandmother is 85 years old, she's diabetic, her doctor is now not with us anymore, how does she get her insulin? She's not well enough to go to the emergency room let alone wait 10, 12 hours. When we had emergency rooms open in each community, that wait was a lot less. People in the community knew the people who worked in these places and they, when they entered the building, they would get the care they deserved and not have to wait that length of time. The definition of a crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger; a time when different, important decisions must be made; a turning point of disease when important changes take place indirectly indicating either recovery or death.

Now, we've also heard questions here where people are dying in hallways. They're getting treatment in emergency rooms next to ice machines. They're in nursing homes. They're not getting the proper nutrition. They're not getting out of bed in times when they need to get changed, the pressure on areas of their body. In Collins English Dictionary, it defines crisis as "a situation in which something or someone is affected by one or more very serious problems."

My office is inundated right now, especially with people who need a family doctor. If I can, we had one lady doctor in our area who has practised in our area for probably 30 to 40 years and thought she was going to be able to retire. She retired. One of the other local doctors in the area took most of her patients and everybody thought life was good until the doctor that took those patients developed an illness and he had to give up his practice.

So, there are over 5,000, and I'll say it again, 5,000 people from those two doctors that do not now have a family doctor and I'm getting grown men and women and children in my office crying because they need health care they can't access because they don't have this family doctor. One lady who had an abdominal problem was in my office and had an MRI booked for her abdomen, and they called her from the department to tell her to get the family doctor to send something and she couldn't because her family doctor is now ill and not practising. So, they cancelled her MRI. Can you imagine the feeling of that knowing that you have something going on that the doctor wanted to investigate, that you had the appointment, but you couldn't access it because you didn't have a family doctor?

Another definition of crisis is a time of great disagreement, confusion or suffering; an extremely difficult or dangerous point in any situation.

The situations I am describing, to me, are crises. Our health care system is in a crisis. We're losing doctors faster than we can replace them and our solution is to come in and shut hospitals down.

The way that announcement was made - we found out at 6:00 on a Sunday night that there was going to be a major infrastructure announcement in Cape Breton. Anyone who is home with their family at 6:00 on a Sunday night is not in their office. They don't get that email until 8:00 or 9:00 the next morning when they enter their office. So any doctors or health care professionals who were working didn't get a chance to go to this announcement.

[Page 1499]

So when I made a few phone calls to find out what the announcement might be, one prominent individual in the health care community thought it was an announcement of a new hospice that the Rotary Clubs of Cape Breton had been fundraising for, only to find out that they were going to close two hospitals to replace them with two collaborative practices and one nursing home of 50 beds.

You can imagine, Mr. Speaker, if I can give you a little background - Northside General has 48 long-term care people waiting for nursing home beds; Regional Hospital has about 50 waiting for nursing home beds; and New Waterford Consolidated has another 30 or 40 waiting. We're going to build one 50-bed home to take on 80 or 90 patients.

Those beds will still be done, but Northside General is going to lose their acute care beds as is New Waterford Consolidated. There are 30 extra beds needed alone.

There were 40 acute care beds in Cape Breton that we're told would be moved to the Regional, so the 50 beds that are there for nursing homes are going to be filled with 40 people from the Northside General alone, plus the 30 that are there, so, those 50 beds are now 70. And this is going to improve health care?

When there is no emergency room for someone to go to and you have to either go by ambulance, have a taxi, or get someone in your neighbourhood, a friend or family to take you there, that's a great big burden on the patient, let alone the family or the system.

Then you have to go to an emergency room and wait 10, 12, 14 hours to see the doctor. That is not the fault of the professionals who work there. The professionals who work there are doing a great job. They are doing the best they can, but they are overworked and they are tired. They want to do what's best for the community and when they can't, they get frustrated, as well.

Then they find out, as we heard in this House today and yesterday, that the doctors who work in other parts of this country are making more money than they are making. They are frustrated, they are working twice as hard, and are making less money.

I think that is a recipe for disaster. I think that alone constitutes the definition of a crisis in our health care system.

Then, when we do get people who get into these emergency rooms, they can't get any follow-up appointments. They can't get them because they have nowhere to send the results for testing. They have no family doctors to call to make those tests available; and that's only if the specialists are still around.

[Page 1500]

We had one general surgeon in Cape Breton who had his own medical challenges. He had a fracture in his ankle and in order for him to come back to work to see if he could do the OR time, he was requiring what they call an "ease-back" program. He was told in our community that the Nova Scotia Health Authority didn't do that; that either he would have to come back full-time or not come back at all. So he goes to Truro and they welcome him with open arms. He does his ease-back program, he's back to operating full-time, and he's working in Truro.

One health care authority was supposed to solve all those problems. If that was a policy in Cape Breton, it should have been a policy in Truro, but it's not.

It just gives us an idea of the fracturing in the system that we have. Truro has received an excellent physician, an excellent surgeon, and a generally good all-around person. Our loss was their gain. Since August, our emergency room at the Northside General that's slated to close when a new collaborative practice is built, has been closed 3,100 hours, give or take. That's 129 days of closure. That's announced closures and emergency closures. When you have closures of a building that's supposed to be open, what are people expected to do?

[3:00 p.m.]

When an emergency happens, nobody thinks about where they're going to take their loved one. You take them to the nearest hospital. We've heard that it's a half-hour between the Northside General and the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, but that's a half-hour from the Northside General. When you look at people who live in the community - from Florence, from Alder Point, from New Campbellton - they travel to the Northside General, and that's a lot more than just a half-hour's time to go from there to the Regional. That could be what determines life and death, in some situations.

We've been very lucky; we've got a great emergency health care system. Our EHS system is probably one of the best in the country and has among the most well-trained professionals, but when they're sitting at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten ambulances deep waiting to off-load their patients, they're not out in the field. We've heard stories where they've even brought ambulances in as far as Antigonish because there were no ambulances available on Cape Breton Island. Or there was one available, but it was on Kelly's Mountain to answer a call in Sydney Mines, a good 30 minutes away. That's not health care. That's not the health care our seniors and our children deserve. We've heard stories where children had to travel to Halifax for a five-minute procedure. Tell me that's not a crisis.

As I said earlier, we're going to lose an emergency room. We're going to lose 40 acute care beds. We're going to gain 50 long-term care beds for the whole of CBRM; 80 or 90 patients waiting to fill those 50 beds doesn't solve the problem of long-term care in Cape Breton. When you have wait times in the emergency room, people sitting there with a sick child and they have to sit there all night long, or as we've seen before, a senior who has something in their eye that couldn't be seen because they couldn't get the proper services. They had to take them by ambulance on a nighttime trip. One hospital, another hospital, another hospital, finally having the service done, and then be turned around and sent back home. We don't deserve that. Our seniors don't deserve that. Our children don't deserve that. Health care in this province has great professionals, they just need more of them. But that's just not happening now in Cape Breton.

[Page 1501]

We're hearing the same kind of stories here in HRM. Ambulances are backed up in emergency rooms. People aren't getting timely access because the ambulances aren't there because they're waiting long term in the emergency room to get that care. We've heard a lot of yes, we're bringing in X number of doctors, but we've not once heard how many have left, or better than that, why have they left? When this crisis started to develop, three or four members of our caucus got together with a bunch of the doctors in our area and we asked why. They told us why. We asked the Health Authority to do an exit interview with these doctors so that we know when the new doctors come in, we don't make that same mistake a second time so that they would stay. They were going to do exit interviews; I haven't once talked to one that's left that had that interview done.

As they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We don't know why they're leaving; how are we going to prevent it from happening? I've talked to a few young health care professionals. The Minister of Health and Wellness says the new facilities are going to be the best thing in the world for attracting and retaining new individuals, but those individuals want to come, be able to provide their services, be able to work here, and be able to earn a good living comparable to other areas of this country. That would keep them here and that would bring them here.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's.

MR. HUGH MACKAY « » : Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to rise and have the opportunity to speak to health care, as brought forward by the Opposition, the honourable member for Argyle-Barrington, on Resolution No. 508.

Mr. Speaker, health care is important to all of us. We all want our families and friends, our loved ones, to be able to access the care they need and access it when they need it. There's a great deal of work under way to improve and modernize health care in Nova Scotia. Health care needs are changing and the way we deliver health care is changing.

Mr. Speaker, this week I attended an update on the QEII Health Sciences Centre redevelopment. This development is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to think and rebuild the way we deliver health care in Nova Scotia. This massive, multi-year project is laying out how we will meet the health care needs of Nova Scotians for the next 50 years.

[Page 1502]

For the benefit of the Opposition, who may not have followed some of the progress, I'll review some of the highlights of the QEII new generation redevelopment of the QEII. Several buildings in the QEII centre are aging, including the Victoria, the Centennial, and the Dickson Buildings. These are found on the Victoria General site and these buildings have simply reached the end of their shelf life and they will eventually come down, but the care and services from there delivered at other hospitals and health care facilities that are either being built or renovated, such as the Dartmouth General Hospital.

Speaking of the Dartmouth General Hospital, as a proud son of Dartmouth, the City of Lakes, I am particularly pleased that this government is increasing access to health care services and surgeries for the residents of Dartmouth and surrounding areas. We're doubling the number of operating rooms from four to eight; there will be more than 3,500 more surgeries performed in Dartmouth each year. We're renovating and modernizing spaces throughout the hospital to improve patient privacy and accessibility.

Mr. Speaker, the renovated Dartmouth General will provide health care services to about 300,000 people per year, and Dartmouthians recognize this and appreciate what their government is doing for them.

In addition to the pride I feel for this work the government is doing for the residents of Dartmouth, I'm also proud that this government recognizes the importance of providing timely and easy access to health care services outside the central core of Halifax- Dartmouth. This includes a new community outpatient centre in Bayers Lake. Many of the same types of clinics and appointments currently offered at the Victoria General and Halifax Infirmary sites will be offered at the new Bayers Lake site.

Thousands of Nova Scotians have to travel to Halifax for certain services. As the member for Chester-St. Margaret's, I am particularly pleased that residents of the South Shore will enjoy improved access to a convenient state-of-the-art facility with 17 examination rooms, 24 dialysis units, diagnostic imaging, blood collection, and much, much more - 28,000 clinic visits each year, 30,000 X-ray and blood collection visits each year, easy access off the 100-Series Highways network.

Nova Scotians are thrilled that this government is investing in this new community outpatient centre and in other health care services throughout Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, we are not stopping there. We're renovating the Hants Community Hospital in Windsor. The Hants Community Hospital will have approximately 800 more surgeries done in Windsor each year, nearly doubling the annual number of procedures. Staff are on track to meet that this year.

[Page 1503]

There is improved inpatient care through 28 hospital beds and 32 beds in long-term care facilities. It's gong to be reducing wait times and providing another option, particularly for residents of the Annapolis Valley, where patients can go for surgery and be closer to home.

Mr. Speaker, we are also investing in an expansion of the Halifax Infirmary. This includes construction of an inpatient centre, which is hospital beds and operating rooms; construction of an innovation and learning centre; construction of a new outpatient centre; and, most excitingly, the construction of the new QEII cancer centre, moving all cancer care from various sites to the one location. There will be 33 intensive care units here, 33 ICU beds, 15 intermediate care beds, and 28 operating rooms. That's an increase of 12. Inpatient beds will be increased by 180 to 620 beds. Again, we're improving the access. We're investing in the care for Nova Scotians.

Let me make some comments to the cancer centre. I was particularly pleased to attend the announcement of this last week. The QEII cancer centre is currently located at the VG site, the Dickson site, and it will move to the Halifax Infirmary site. This is going to offer all services for cancer care at one location rather than transferring patients daily back and forth between the two sites.

It will be set up for initial and follow-up visits, including radiation, chemotherapy, surgical oncology; ear, nose and throat, and gynecological oncology; hematology; palliative care; and supportive care. There will be 48 examination rooms, 15 counselling rooms, and 60 chemotherapy chairs.

We're going to be reducing wait times and improving access by providing care and treatment at this one location, eliminating the need to transfer patients between the VG and Halifax Infirmary sites. We will also be improving access to telemedicine by implementing state-of-the-art technology so that patients throughout Nova Scotia can gain care without travelling to Halifax.

By having the one site, we will be allowing teams to work more closely on patient care, improving collaboration between cancer care and other specialities, not to mention improving our research and teaching opportunities on this very, very important health care issue of cancer care.

With the opening of the outpatient clinic centre at Bayers Lake, though, I just do want to remind the residents of peninsular Halifax that this is not eliminating outpatient care on the peninsula. There will still be outpatient care. All the services that have been previously provided will still be provided at the Infirmary site, including urology, dermatology, orthopaedics, cardiac and vascular surgery clinics, dialysis, colonoscopies, oral surgeries, an eye care centre with 33 examination rooms and six operating rooms, diagnostic imaging, X-rays, and ultrasounds.

[Page 1504]

In 2017-18, over 400,000 patients visited the VG site for outpatient care. We will be seeing these now consolidated at the Halifax Infirmary site where nearly 300,000 visits were made in 2017-18.

It astonishes me sometimes when I listen to some of the members of the Opposition speak about the lack of investment in health care services that this government is providing across Nova Scotia. It particularly astonishes me when I hear some of the critics speaking of health care in Cape Breton.

I know Cape Bretoners. Half of my family came from Glace Bay and the surrounding areas. It's a good area, Mr. Speaker. I was listening earlier as the questions were posed to the Minister of Health and Wellness and I certainly heard someone say that perhaps this government is a field of dreams. Well, I know we do build dreams, but I also know we fill dreams and I do know that if we don't build facilities, those doctors won't come here and I know we are building state-of-the-art facilities in Northside and New Waterford.

[3:15 p.m.]

I know the residents of those areas cared for the facilities that were there. They worked hard to build those. They laboured hard. They contributed to the building of those facilities but those facilities, just like those at the VG site, have aged and they're out of date and they cannot provide the services that Cape Bretoners need both in CBRM and across the region. What we're doing is providing state-of-the-art facilities that are going to service Cape Bretoners far better than their current options and I'm proud of what this government is doing in that area in Cape Breton and Cape Bretoners recognize that.

There are a couple of comments I'd like to read here. I think I heard the Opposition speak here shortly about they were amazed on Sunday night to get a phone call about some changes and quickly phoned folks they know in the health care community in Nova Scotia. Well, I don't know who they know because I've got two pages worth of comments here from professionals in the health care sector in Cape Breton who are talking about this and, let me see here, there's a Dr. Rod McGory . . . . (Interruption)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's has the floor.

MR. MACKAY « » : Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you. It's tough to listen to the remarks that are made not from the Rotary Club but perhaps from the health care professionals. Let's see what this Dr. Rod had to say here: This is absolutely fantastic for our patients to get the better care available is nothing but one great positive. That's what this government is focused on. It's on the patient. We're focused on the patient. Dr. Roy, what else does he say here: They're going to get the right care at the right time by the right people and that's really important. Maybe the Opposition doesn't feel that. Maybe the Opposition doesn't feel that getting the right care at the right time by the right people matters, but Dr. Rod McGory certainly does.

[Page 1505]

The benefit to the patient is going to be increased access especially through the new collaborative care environments that are going to be put together in New Waterford and in Northside. So, I don't know who they were listening to on the telephone when they talked to the Rotary Club . . . . (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please.

The honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's has the floor.

MR. MACKAY « » : . . . but they weren't listening to some of health professionals here. Let's see.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. Order, please. The honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's has the floor and will keep his comments directed through the Chair, please.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Chester-St. Margaret's.

MR. MACKAY « » : Dr. Paul MacDonald, head of internal medicine and Cape Breton cardiologist, what does he have to say? He says, "This is a major improvement to help us take care of patients. I have a number of new specialists coming to our community who are going to practise critical care, pulmonary medicine, and if I bring them into a facility that's out of date, that doesn't have the equipment and the resources that they need, they're not going to stay." If we don't build it, they're not going to come. Maybe the Opposition hasn't heard that.

Let's see, what does Dr. Chris Milburn say, ER chief of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Eastern Zone? What does Dr. Chris have to say here? "I think there's an opportunity if we have a collaborative centre or a better family practice centre in New Waterford, in Northside, I think people will actually get better care for the type of problems they have."

So, I ask you, are we focused on the patient or not in this House? Well, I can tell you from this side of the House we are focused on patient care and doing the right things for the patients.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member will table those documents that he was quoting from, please.

The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre.

[Page 1506]

MS. TAMMY MARTIN « » : Mr. Speaker, I was going to stand here and say, you know what, I agree with the Health and Wellness Minister that we need improvements in health care. I agree. I agree that there are some changes that can be made. What I don't agree with is them telling us what we need in Cape Breton, who they've talked to, and how this is going to improve the health care of Cape Bretoners because let me tell you, I have not heard from one constituent who has been consulted for this new plan. I've asked, and I've asked, and I've asked, and nobody can give me an answer.

We are not hard to get along with. We are not people who are not willing to accept change for the betterment of our community. What we need is consultation, Mr. Speaker. We don't need somebody to come in on Black Monday, June 25^th, after a colleague from the Opposition called me Sunday night at nine o'clock to ask me if I knew about this announcement. How dare this government come into our community and not inform us prior. That is a disgrace, Mr. Speaker. You know what? It's just part of this dictatorship we have going on right now . . . .

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. I would like to remind the honourable member for Cape Breton Centre the word "dictatorship" is an unparliamentary term. I'll ask her to retract that.

The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre.

MS. MARTIN « » : Reluctantly, Mr. Speaker, I will retract that remark, but I will look for a synonym. (Interruption) I do respect the Chair.

Mr. Speaker, this province is in a health care crisis. To sit there and think that the members opposite can deny that, I just don't believe it for one second. You can build all the buildings in the world, but when we pay Nova Scotians $100,000 less, they're not going to come. We need to listen to the doctors. We need to listen to the health care professionals. We need to listen to the residents.

By God, there is not one of my residents or constituents who has been consulted. I have asked. Every time I'm at the mall or at Sobeys or anywhere, I say, what do you think about what's going on in health care? You know what? It would have been nice to have been asked. It would have been nice to have had a meeting. It would have been nice to have been consulted. I have asked this House to please provide me with names of those who have been consulted about the closure of my community hospital, and I have not been given the answer. We are not opposed to improvements. We are not opposed to moving forward. What we are opposed to is not being consulted, not being talked to.

This government came in on June 25^th. They made an announcement, and they walked out. They didn't even give the members of our community the opportunity to ask a question. The Premier now refers to those background comments as noise. That's not noise, Mr. Speaker. That is concern. That is scared people who are losing their community hospital. That's all that they know. I've asked the minister several times because my community tells me they know where this new facility is going. They know when it's being built. They know all this stuff. Yet the Minister of Health and Wellness is on record as saying he doesn't have any of those answers.

[Page 1507]

There's quite a discrepancy here on information. We're just looking for the truth. We're looking for some answers. We're not looking to be talked to in such a way that what we have to say doesn't matter because it does. What Cape Bretoners and Nova Scotians have to say about health care, it matters. It's funny enough. Somebody just sent me a message, and I said, how appropriate to receive this right now to talk about this health care crisis.

This person says to me, when I posted about the health care crisis and the problems in long-term care: As a CCA, what you're saying is so true; to spend time with a resident talking and listening to their stories, which are amazing, or helping them with anything else, but care is very rare. Imagine. Talking to a resident is very rare. Some long-term care homes still wake people up at 5:30 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. to wash them before back shift goes home because the daytime staff can't handle it. There is just too many of them. If they're not up by 5:30 a.m. to get washed and dressed, then they don't. Imagine. After working all your life, you're in a long-term care facility, and if you're not bathed and dressed by 5:30 in the morning before backshift goes home, you're in your pyjamas, in bed, for the day.

What a disgrace. This government should be embarrassed by that. They have so much work to do in the afternoon that they may not be able to get to you for the rest of the day. I really don't care what side of the House . . . .

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. I'd like to ask the honourable member to table that document and to reveal the source of the quote.

The honourable member for Cape Breton Centre.

MS. MARTIN « » : Absolutely. Right now?

MR. SPEAKER « » : At least reveal the source of the quote. You can table it when you're finished.

MS. MARTIN « » : Sure. Craig Gatza.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Thank you.

MS. MARTIN « » : Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the decrease in funding for long-term care - and the member opposite can say how wonderful things are in health care and in long-term care, but let's face it: this government cut $8 million, and now the time allotted to care for a resident is six minutes. Six minutes. Let's try it. Let's try to get washed and dressed and ready for the day in six minutes.

[Page 1508]

Three million dollars went back into the budget, so that - and this may be the new math that we're talking about, but eight minus three is five, so I still see a deficit of $5 million. No wonder there are so many bed sores, seriously. I've talked about residents I've visited who are so sore and in so much pain that they can barely move, and through no fault of the staff, because the staff we have, and the employees at long-term care facilities, are doing everything they can. They are remarkable.

It's heartbreaking to hear stories from home care workers now. My grandmother was lucky enough to have a home care worker. She used to do - she called them the trimmings - before the home care worker would come. She'd wipe up the bathroom floor and the hallway, and basically the home care worker would come and sit and have tea. Do you know that they're not allowed to do that anymore? Imagine. And this government sits on that side and preaches to us that everything is wonderful in health care.

The home care wait time, I understand, is now at least two months. People may stay in their homes longer, but when the home care worker does eventually get to your home, they come in, they do their work, and they leave, and God forbid they say "hello" or "how are you today?" because they are not allowed.

Then we can talk about emergency rooms. My emergency room in New Waterford is closing. Of course, the mobile care team unit that we were told was being reassessed month after month after month has been closed for - I want to say well over a year. We were told it was just being reassessed, but we knew what it meant. The residents knew what it meant. The writing is on the wall.

Cape Bretoners, for the most part, believe it or not, are complacent, especially in New Waterford. We're polite. We say please and thank you, and we don't like to ruffle any feathers. Clearly I don't know where I came from.

Regardless, the people of New Waterford are losing their emergency room. As my colleague opposite said, we are losing 26 in-patient beds. We are losing 24 long-term care beds. Yes, we're getting 48, but we have 20 people waiting in an acute-care bed for long-term care beds. When we talk about improving long-term care, we talk about hundreds of beds, not 50, when those 50 are already accounted for. They're already spoken for because there are already more than 50 people in long-term care in Northside, in New Waterford, waiting. How can the member opposite get up and say this is a good thing?

Aside from the consistent ER closures in Glace Bay, in New Waterford, and in North Sydney over the summer, we have an emergency room at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital that is so backed up that we admit patients to Ice Machine 1, Ice Machine 2, Ward Clerk 1, Ward Clerk 2. So if anybody can imagine that, that's exactly what it is. There's a ward clerk desk in the middle of the emergency room and the Ward Clerk 1 patient is here, the Ward Clerk 2 patient is there and there are two patients by the emergency room. The overflow department is filled, as well as the ambulatory care department is full with overflow patients that we have nowhere for these inpatients to go.

[Page 1509]

When the government tells me that we're going to increase the space - where? Where are we going to go? Up? I don't know. Where are we going to go? These 26 patients who are in acute care in New Waterford are typically 80- to 90-years-old. Most of them are waiting for a long-term care bed, with their loved one at home who can't drive. So now we're going to put them God knows where - maybe Glace Bay, who knows - and I guess they'll just never see their loved one again because they can't drive there.

You have no idea, Mr. Speaker, what we are losing as a community. People think I'm just against the new health centre - no, absolutely not. I would love to be included, would love to be informed because it's my constituency and I think that that's only proper, but why be included when something is going on in your own constituency? People like to be informed, as would I, with this new plan and I could help to support. But what I cannot support, Mr. Speaker, is taking away our emergency room. Opening a new facility does not mean that we have to lose another.

Where else in this province are we seeing . . . . (Interruption) Well, we will be soon. I'm sure the member for Queens-Shelburne will be seeing something similar any day soon because this hospital closure is coming to a town near you. Then we can talk about the amount of people in long-term care who are in emergency rooms waiting for placement. No wonder the emergency room is backed up when the emergency room beds are filled with long-term care patients.

At the meeting in North Sydney last week, Dr. Margaret Fraser said, and I quote: A patient came in with pneumonia, he was in his late seventies and because there was no space in the emergency room, I took him into the staff washroom to examine him.

What part of that is wonderful, I have to ask my colleagues across the floor? What part of health care is wonderful that you are examining a man in a staff washroom? There is no amount of rhetoric or lots of words that are going to make this sound any better than it is because it is disgraceful. It's absolutely disgraceful that we are treating the residents of Nova Scotia like this.

At no point should a balanced budget or a surplus budget come at the cost of one person's life. One person's life is not worth a balanced budget. I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, that we have people come to us, and I'm sure my colleague from Northside Westmount has had the same information - we have doctors telling us that people in Nova Scotia are dying needlessly because they can't get the care. They're dying because they can't get an appointment. They are dying because they don't get the proper testing. We have people calling our office telling us, begging us for help because they are afraid their loved one is going to die because they can't get the proper service.

[Page 1510]

Mr. Speaker, I don't even have time to get into mental health but what I can say is for youth who are in crisis, we have nothing here in Nova Scotia. We have nothing. I don't know if any of my colleagues across the way who think health care is so wonderful have ever had a call from a constituent on a Friday afternoon saying their daughter is about to commit suicide, what should I do? So you can call the IWK and you can hope that they call you back. You can get in a car and hope that they don't kill themselves by the time you get to Halifax, or just talk them through it. I said, "You know what? I'm sorry but I don't have the answer to that."

I really don't have the answer to that and that's what I'm looking for, answers. Sunday that's what I'm looking for, answers. Sunday, my constituents are looking for answers - willingly to work with this government to provide these answers but we cannot get them.

It shouldn't have to come to this. I've said it before and I will say it again - I thought when I came here, it would be to work together to find answers for the betterment of Nova Scotians. Mr. Speaker, to say I'm disenchanted or disheartened is an understatement.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I want to say that it is not a pleasure to stand here today and talk to Resolution No. 508. Actually, it's a shame that we even have to have this conversation. Health care in Nova Scotia is probably the most predominant issue that any of us, in any of our constituencies, hear about. I know in my constituency, which is basically a rural constituency, I hear on a daily basis of people that have health care concerns.

I stood and I listened to the member from Chester-St. Margaret's give a wholesale list of buildings, equipment, procedures, all that the government has invested in. Not once did I hear that member talk about an investment in people - skilled physicians, nurses, and health care workers. The very glue that keeps the system alive. Yes, we need health care facilities, there's no question, but we need professionals.

I know you'll find this hard to believe but in my time as an MLA, I have never yet had anyone call me up and ask how to get a brick, but they did ask, "Where can I find a doctor?" Bricks and mortar are only a part of the solution and we need to be working on the whole equation, not just one part. The people I represent - and I'm very lucky and very proud to be able to do so - they're looking for a doctor today. Not a health care facility three years down the road or five years down the road. They need a doctor today.

I had a doctor come to my office not very long ago, who is 82 years old and has been practicing medicine in the Sydney area for 50 years, who said to me: When I came, I came to help patients. At this stage in my life, they're not patients anymore, they're friends. And these friends need someone that's able to at least write them a prescription or refer them to a specialist, so they have some kind of care.

[Page 1511]

That's the reality that people are dealing with. Not about bricks and mortar. Not about being able to say that they have a nice new building. They want to have a doctor who they can go and see, and if they need to go to a specialist, can be referred to them. If they need to have a mammogram that a doctor will be there to receive the report on that individual. But that's not where we're at.

Just prior to the last sitting of this House, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, there are 33 emergency room beds in that hospital. That sounds like a huge number. Do you know that on one occasion, for several days, 27 of those beds were occupied by people waiting for admission into the Cape Breton Regional Hospital? That left 6 beds, 6, for individuals to get emergency room treatment in. What's really the kicker about this? Upstairs in the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, there were over 50 people looking for long-term care beds. Something that this government says we don't have.

They announced they were going to build two new long-term care facilities on Cape Breton Island, and that's a welcome addition. What they failed to tell people is that those beds are already claimed. The people that are in long-term care in New Waterford and the Northside are the people that will be moving into those beds. At least that's the hope, because they're going to tear down the building they're in, so hopefully they're going to put them someplace where there's a roof over their head.

Those are the realities that people are dealing with. We heard in this House about a little girl who had to come all the way to Halifax because she couldn't get an anesthesiologist at the hospital in Sydney. That shouldn't be, Mr. Speaker.

We hear about ambulances lined up and waiting for individuals to get at least triaged so they can be put in the hospital, but as long as those ambulances are waiting, they are out of service, and sickness and accidents don't wait because the ambulances are waiting for someone to get triaged. There is still a need. There is a need today, right now.

When this government talks about, oh, we're building new facilities, good. We're getting state-of-the-art equipment, good. But the real question, at least for me and for the people who I represent is: Who is going to operate those facilities? Who is going to operate that equipment? But, more importantly, who is it that is going to actually refer me to the services that these buildings are going to provide?

My colleague from Northside-Westmount told us the story about the senior who ended up having to come all the way to Halifax, being bounced around to three or four hospitals before they came. In this House just recently, I brought up the issue of a lady who was a perfect match for her brother who needed a liver transplant and said they were waiting on an OR time. After a year and a half, with a perfect match, they were still waiting for that OR time.

[Page 1512]

Mr. Speaker, that is not acceptable. I heard the minister say in response to some questions that indeed there are many factors that come into play, and I don't doubt that, but a year and a half? I think that's not a reasonable expectation for anybody, and for somebody to be sitting there and watching their brother, a loved one, deteriorate right before their eyes, knowing that you are sitting there with the solution in your own body. That's not what we need and that's not what, I'm sure, this government is striving for.

One would say, well, maybe that's the exception to the rule, but we've had several others who have come forward with the same type of problem, with the same issue. Saying they are waiting and not even getting communicated to by the NSHA.

Now, Mr. Speaker, back in the old days before this government "fixed" the problems, we were able to get decisions on a local basis. We were able to find out what was going on and we were able to put an argument forward if we thought that someone was being treated unjustly. That doesn't happen anymore, Mr. Speaker. That doesn't happen anymore.

You know, at the Health Authority over in Bayers Lake, there are some really good people who work in that building. They are excellent people, but they need to be allowed to do their jobs. They need to be allowed to communicate with the people who are on the ground and they need to have the supports that they need to do the groundwork.

Not everybody can afford to get in a car and drive to Halifax for an appointment. People cannot always drive to Sydney if they live in Inverness or north of Smoky or Petit-de-Grat. They might not have the resources to do that, and those are the kind of things that we need to take into account.

The definition of insanity, according to Einstein, is to do the same thing over and over again and to expect a different result. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are doing the same thing over and over again and we are not getting a different result. As a matter of fact, the results are getting worse.

My friend - a very good friend of mine - came to me on Monday evening and said, look, we lost our doctor again. Oh, and by the way, he lives in Myra and he was travelling all the way to Baddeck to get to a doctor. His wife's doctor had been on the north side, got sick, cancelled the practice, and so the doctor in Baddeck took on his wife.

[3:45 p.m.]

[Page 1513]

Everybody would say hey, that's a good thing, but now the doctor in Baddeck is leaving because they are overworked and underpaid because the new doctors, the young doctors who are coming into the system need and deserve to have a life as well. But we, as a province - not government, not Opposition - all of us, have to work at making this an enticing place for them to come.

The minister will stand in the House on many occasions and really be quite proud of the fact that we've added more seats to the Dal medical school - and that's a good thing. The sad reality is there are no guarantees that those seats are going to go to Nova Scotians, and there's no guarantee that those people who get those seats will stay in Nova Scotia.

Now I know there are many different factions between the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Department of Health and Wellness, the Health Authority, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dalhousie University - all of those go into these factors. But you know what, Mr. Speaker? If there's political will to make a difference in how we get doctors to Nova Scotia, how we educate doctors in Nova Scotia, that will make it easier. It will still be a daunting task but it will be a task that we collectively in this Chamber should be working on for the people of the Province of Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, just recently I attended a health care rally on the Northside, one I think that the Minister of Health and Wellness had been invited to but his schedule wouldn't allow him to be there - but I have good news for him, there's another one this Sunday in New Waterford and he would be more than welcome there, as would the member for Chester-St. Margaret's who knows Cape Breton so well. He would be more than welcome to come and hear what the other people are saying, not the handful of people who he read into the public record here in the Province of Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, when we were on the Northside in the George MacNeil Arena, at the Cape Breton Exhibition site, the stands were full. People were there not because they were happy about the fact that there was mortar and bricks coming, and not because the member for Chester-St. Margaret's knows them so well. They were there because they need a doctor.

They don't need a doctor tomorrow, as I've said many times, and they don't need them the next day. They need a doctor now. And for every time an individual in Nova Scotia, regardless of who he or she is or where they live, when they go without health care our whole province pays a price.

This Sunday we have an opportunity to again foist the concerns of the people whom we represent, because I'm here to represent the individuals who elected me, not to represent my Party - to represent the people who put me here. I would suggest to the members of this government that they should think about how they got here, what the needs are of the people who put them here and how are you going to address that - and it is not, my friends, bricks and mortar.

[Page 1514]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 33.

Bill No. 33 - Personal Health Information Act.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle-Barrington.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to stand and speak a few moments to the bill that we introduced a number of weeks ago pertaining to personal health information.

Information about our health is probably the most sensitive information that we have. I'm sure there are some instances where we share maybe too much of ourselves with our friends, but I'm sure there are things that we discuss with our doctors, with our health care professionals, with our pharmacists that of course we want to keep on the record and not necessarily in the public. We share it with very few people and, when we do, we expect that information to be safeguarded and of course treated with the respect that it is due.

Now, in our modern world, delivery of health care is increasingly tied to electronic health records, and that means custodians of electronic health records must take responsibility very seriously and anticipate and plan for breaches and unauthorized users.

It wasn't so long ago - well, many years ago now, I guess, when you look at it - that we as a province have been looking at the issue of electronic medical records, EMRs, so that when we present to different places, when we present to community health clinics, whether we present at an emergency room, whether we present to a specialist that that information should be all captured in one place so that all of those health professionals have access to it.

Quite honestly it is, I would say, incredible to think that we're 2018 and my medical record is still and - God bless my doctor, I love my doctor, I think we've been together for a long time - but my record sits in a binder or in a package on a shelf in her office. That's part of the medical record that belongs to me and belongs to her. There's another chunk of it, of course, that belongs to the electronic world which the pharmacists have access to, and then maybe some other minor pieces that would be contained in another record had I shown up into the emergency room somewhere else. But should I get sick, whether I have a chronic illness or what have you, and I would present to another hospital - let's say, in Vancouver - there is no way for the doctor in Vancouver to know what my medical conditions are.

I remember going to in the EMR conference in Alberta once, and it was sort of like, if you were flying somewhere, and there was no central information system for the airline industry, you would show up to the airport here in Halifax and you would present your information: I want to go to B.C. and the flight. The person at the kiosk would say well, listen, I can't get you that far but I can get you to Toronto.

[Page 1515]

So, you would fly to Toronto. You would have to go back to the kiosk, tell that person: I want to go to Vancouver. That person would say well, listen, I can get you as far as Winnipeg. They would fill that information to get you as far as Winnipeg; and you had to do it again to get all the way to Vancouver. That would be insane. They have central booking systems that we all have access to. We as Canadians actually don't have access to that kind of EMR.

Now from a population health standpoint, there are some huge benefits in having an EMR, and an EMR is able to access names and the incidents of other chronic diseases. We have chronic diseases that other provinces don't face. There are the diabetes, the cancers, the emphysemas. You know, we can go on, but from a public health standpoint there is some information that we should have access to as a Department of Health and Wellness, as a government, that we can make decisions on public health, that we might think that there's some incidents of a different type of influenza or measles has shown up.

There should be ways that an EMR can work on behalf and in benefit of our population, but we don't have one of those. All we have are these fractured systems. Quite honestly, the point that we're really trying to make in this bill is that we have a fractured system that doesn't work, one that someone was able to access and get private information about a number of people.

August is when we found out about this breach of information. August 1, the Information and Privacy Commissioner released a report outlining her investigation on a serious breach. Members will remember that a pharmacist engaged in unauthorized access to sensitive information of 39 Nova Scotians over a two-year period. Now who did she access? This is why it makes it that much more important that these things keep your information safe. She looked at the information of her child's girlfriend and her parents. Of course, she would only basically be able to see the drug side of that information, as she was a pharmacist.

Can you imagine if you do have some kind of chronic disease or you have a mental health issue - those things would show on that medication list. She looked at some of her child's friends and acquaintances. She looked at an individual that she had been involved in a car accident with. She looked at a number of her teachers and former teachers of her child. She looked at relatives, including some deceased relatives. She looked at her family's health care providers. She looked at a former high school classmate who had recently suffered a significant illness. She looked at the personal health information of her co-workers.

That profile contains a lot of information. In this particular case, it holds onto identifier information: name, date, gender, prescription history, prescription monitoring program alerts - if you're on a controlled substance, it goes through a different registry - allergies, adverse reactions, medical conditions, immunization history, services provided by the pharmacist, observation, and notes. We can think of all our own medical histories, most would contain information that we believe is on a need-to-know basis with medical professionals. It's not meant to be available to enquiring minds, a personal information tourism.

[Page 1516]

There's an unwritten contract between Nova Scotians and their government that public health information will be kept private. It shouldn't be available to just anyone with the right initials after their name. There has to be a contract with those individuals on how they access and use our information.

I know a lot of us had the opportunity to do the Take Your MLA to Work Day that the Pharmacy Association did. You can understand the complexity of the system that they use, and some of us maybe saw how that information was filled out. You can only imagine what kind of information was there for you. We know this is a high-pace job. In many cases, pharmacists are filling out hundreds of scripts a day and maybe don't have time to look closely at your information.

We want them to see a little bit of it, of course, as they make decisions around interactions with other drugs, the possibility of adverse reaction, and those kinds of things. But we don't want them to be sitting there and checking out the information with you, such as my daughter is now seeing your son - are there any mental health issues within your family that I need to be aware of?

The commissioner found a few interesting points in her investigation:

"The DHW does not have an adequate or effective breach investigation protocol. As a result, the DHW failed to identify all affected individuals and failed to provide notification 'at the first reasonable opportunity' as required by law.

 

While there are some effective administrative safeguards in place, they were not effectively used and are not sufficient to protect Nova Scotians from this type of 'snooping' behaviour.

 

The DHW has failed to adequately audit the organizations who have been granted access to the Drug Information System.

 

The DHW does not have sufficient safeguards in place to protect the database content of its broadly defined electronic health information systems."

There are a lot of faults within this breach that we found out about. To sum it up, the investigation found that the department doesn't have an adequate protocol when information is breached. The safeguards didn't protect health information and the government doesn't have protection in place for information held in electronic health records. It flies in the face of my first part in that we said we need to have more ways of keeping our information on one side, when on the other side we really can't manage the systems we have today.

[Page 1517]

In our helpful way the Opposition is offering a little bit of help here, to try to help and fix some of the holes and some of the problems that were identified. It requires people to notify the Privacy Commissioner and the custodian of the information when there is a breach. It requires notification of the Privacy Commissioner and the individuals whose information has been breached, whether there is potential for harm or embarrassment of that individual. It gives the Privacy Commissioner the power to require people to produce relevant records when they're trying to do their job.

The Personal Health Information Act does not specify the maximum amount of time between an alleged offence and the laying of a charge under the Act. The default is six months.

In the case of the pharmacists, it was more than six months before the offence was even discovered and investigated. Of course, that causes us concern that we should have a better handle on our system to know when these kinds of accesses are happening.

Bill No. 33 puts Nova Scotia in line with other provinces by specifying that charges must be laid within two years of the offence. These are all common-sense precautions to keep personal, sensitive health information private. Of course, I ask that we do support this bill.

Again, this is an interesting discussion because we continue to talk about privacy issues, we continue to talk about the Privacy Commissioner. Again, through the website that is her identification, that is what the website says. Mr. Speaker, that is what this individual is called in other jurisdictions, except for Nova Scotia.

If there is a secondary ask that I can take in this discussion in the two minutes that I have left, it is that we seriously need to look at the recommendations of the Privacy Commissioner. The basic one is making her an officer of this House of Assembly so that that person can no longer have to filter their thoughts through a minister, that when there are serious problems with a government program, that that person is able to come directly to us in this House of Assembly, not unlike what the Auditor General does.

That is what that individual has been asking for a number of years for and I think we should accord her and her successor, whoever that may be, with that thought, with that power, not only to identify issues but also the information that she needs to do the research on complex issues like we have before us. She is not accorded the full scope of what an Auditor General, for example, is offered from the Act that he or she has in this province.

[Page 1518]

It does beg the question that when we talk about transparency and access to information, that we have to continually bring these kinds of issues to the floor of the House of Assembly to have a fulsome discussion when we do have a Privacy Commissioner in all rights of that, except for that capability to come directly before us here in the House of Assembly, without the encumbrance of a majority Liberal Government.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clayton Park West.

MS. RAFAH DICOSTANZO « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to Bill No. 33, an Act to Amend Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2010, the Personal Health Information Act. I thank the member for Argyle-Barrington for bringing this bill.

I really wanted to start by saying that the privacy of personal health information is very serious and we take it very seriously. It's a very important thing to Canadians and to Nova Scotians. In fact, the first thing I learned as an interpreter was confidentiality and how important confidentiality is when we are dealing with medical information of patients.

For every assignment as an interpreter, I was to speak to the Arabic person and explain to them that if I see you in the street, I will not speak to you or say hello until you smile at me, but I will never - I'm not allowed to do this; I'm not allowed to do that. In our culture, that is being rude, but that is what we are taught here, that confidentiality comes first when you are working in health. It is a very important aspect of all health professionals and they know that very well.

The breach that happened with pharmacy was very shocking in a way because the pharmacists that I know and have dealt with have the highest standards of confidentiality that I have ever come across. I think most of us are very grateful to our pharmacists for the work they do and for how they keep our information confidential.

The ten recommendations that were brought by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner were all wonderful recommendations. The Department of Health and Wellness has agreed on, I believe, all of them - nine out of ten - and are working on number ten.

They are all very good recommendations and most of them we are either doing or we need a refresher to make sure we are doing them.

For example, the first one is the drug information system breach investigation protocol. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner recommended that we: require that the health privacy office of the Department of Health and Wellness lead the privacy breach investigation, and that is what is happening; and ensure that the health privacy office has the authority to determine corrective action; and she was given the authority to determine corrective action. So, a lot of the recommendations are being taken seriously and they are doing them.

[Page 1519]

The second recommendation was the containment of information. That one, also, was very well received. Patient records were reviewed and individuals were notified about the breach. The system was followed and very similar to what the recommendation was given. There was also recommendation number four: the privacy breach notification. She recommended that the notification should happen within days not weeks. That is something the department is working on and making sure that it happens that way, that we shouldn't wait until everybody is identified before we notify. We should almost simultaneously be notifying the ones who we have already identified and continue to find others who we need to identify.

A clear, specific statement about what occurred has to be included and also information about what the individual can do to mitigate potential harm. All this information is provided as part of the notification with a clear and specific statement about steps taken to contain the breach and prevent it from happening in the future.

These are wonderful recommendations and are taken very seriously by the department.

Work has also begun to develop an audit framework that will ensure we have the necessary protocol and resources to support investigations. All individuals whose information was breached were provided with contact information if they had additional questions or concerns. We will connect with them to follow up on the report.

The FairWarning IT platform has been moved from the Nova Scotia Health Authority to the Department of Health and Wellness to allow us to better customize reports, and training has been increased.

We also have the training, I believe is one of her recommendations, as well. She recommends that the drug information system user training. It was confirmed that existing training in privacy and confidentiality does include the following: individual is currently a customer of your pharmacy; all the information is necessary for pharmacists or any health professional who is accessing the drug information system. These are put in place and are already in our training that the health professionals are receiving regarding that system.

We also have other recommendations. We've been auditing the drug information system for over two years and this is the first breach of its kind. It is really a very unusual breach that has happened. I know my daughter, who is a pharmacist, when she found out, she was so upset for her profession. She knows the quality of the people that she has been working with for the last two or three years. This is so unusual for somebody to do what this one pharmacist has done.

We don't want to taint our health professionals who are all very conscious of privacy and confidentiality. This is something that hopefully is one bad apple that has brought forward a few items that we need to make sure of and review.

[Page 1520]

The department is doing a lot of work and they are adding additional resources to increase our capacity to investigate. They have added new staff and a consultant to make sure that this is happening. They're sending a notification to drug information system organizations to remind them of their agreed responsibility under the joint service and access policy.

This is a very important point. I believe all the users of this drug information system have woken up after this incident, and they are using a lot of training within the pharmacies and making sure they have protocols and ways of finding any breaches ahead of time. Things are working both in collaboration between the users of the system as well as the department. They are working very well together to make sure that these protocols and resources to support all investigations are available.

All individuals whose information was breached were provided with contact information if they had any additional questions or concerns. We will connect with them to follow up on their records as well.

There is also other information here that was recommended from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. In 2017-18, there were three reactive audits. All three, including this one, resulted in a privacy breach. Action was taken in each case. In any breach that happened, there was action taken right away on them.

I just want to say, finally, that the privacy of personal health information to the Department of Health and Wellness and to all the government departments here is something we take very seriously. Whether it's in health or community services, this is something that we teach our professionals, in school and in work. I know that it is embedded in them, and I hope this will continue to be something that the department continues to work on and improve the system.

As my colleague was saying, we are trying to get more information online and we're trying to get access to all this information, but we also have to make sure that as we increase access, we have ways to control the confidentiality issue and the privacy issue.

I know when my colleague brought up the fact that the information with his doctor is in a hard-copy file and if he goes to a doctor in Vancouver, it's very hard to access this information. I know with a lot of the patients that I worked with, who moved from one province to another, the doctors would connect. They would tell the patient: once you get there and you find a doctor and have your own doctor, then contact us and we will internally send the information to the doctor who will be looking after you, especially in cases of chronic disease.

[4:15 p.m.]

[Page 1521]

The health departments within the provinces work very hard on this, and I have seen it with my own eyes, as they say, how well this information is transferred in a very confidential manner. They don't give it to the patient, but they transfer it from one doctor to the other, so that the new doctor will be able to have all the records that this patient has.

So, with that, I would like to take my seat and thank the department for all the work that it is doing and I thank my colleague for bringing this bill.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise and speak to the Personal Health Information Act introduced by my colleague, the member for Argyle-Barrington.

In 2010, the New Democratic Party Government introduced the Act that's proposed to be amended here, the Personal Health Information Act. The government did that because it recognized the need for a legislative framework to balance patient privacy and the need for health care professionals to access information in ways that could improve care. I would say that we were somewhat prescient in that regard.

We saw the issues that might be coming forward around health information and we tried to act. Unfortunately, as we've heard in today's comments, there are policy and procedure, there are the good efforts of professionals, and then there's legislation. In order for things to actually function properly, all three of those things need to be in working order. We know that at least two of them were out of whack in the issue with the breach that we were just discussing. So, we see that this is an effort at least to fix that third piece.

From our perspective, the Act is pretty good but, of course, legislation changes and there are always ways to improve it. Part of the reason for introducing this Act was the recognition also that health information is important for research, not just the planning and management of the health care system. A central part of this is the right of each individual to their own information and that information exists in this Act.

In Section 69, it's clear that individuals must be given notice if their information is lost, stolen, or accessed in an unauthorized manner. We know that was not immediately the case in this last situation and breach, but it ought to have been. They also need to notify the custodian in the event of the lost, stolen, or unauthorized access of information. The review officer, as contemplated in this legislation that's before us now, does already have the authority to initiate an investigation, require records to be produced. Again, I think most of the elements of this Act have been contemplated in the existing Act, but we're pleased to have a chance to rise and discuss it further today.

We are lucky here in Nova Scotia that despite the challenges in our health care system, many of which we've talked about today, we do still have some world-class tertiary care centres and wonderful hospitals and a medical school and teaching hospitals. and so this research is important and it's important to talk about what we do with our information. The reality of information and especially digital information in 2018 is certainly different from what it was in 2010 but, nonetheless, I think it is worth noting that we have been contemplating this for quite some time.

[Page 1522]

It is timely because we've seen in the last couple of sittings of this Legislative Assembly a discussion of the myriad issues around privacy that we have in the current government context. We have the breach of people's information by the Sobeys Pharmacy which we have discussed. We have the lax conditions around the FOIPOP site which led to its accidental, unauthorized access and later persecution of a teenager for that access, and in general, sloppy handling of personal information. So, by all means it's important that we talk about how to protect people's personal information, and especially health information.

Mr. Speaker, I had an experience of that myself when I went to register my children for the EXCEL program with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education several months ago. After I logged in I saw another child's information in the fields that I was meant to fill out - their health card number, their allergies, all kinds of personal information that could have been used to identify them. Luckily it was me and not someone else. We do know we have a long way to go in protecting information.

There's another element to this, Mr. Speaker. This situation that we find ourselves in now in Nova Scotia, where we have tens of thousands, maybe 100,000 people without a family doctor, many of those people have records, records that are just floating around in the air - they are orphaned, so to speak, and it's important that we talk about what to do with those records, how those records are protected.

We're proud of the Act that we introduced, but we recognize the need for constant improvement - legislation is a living thing. But as I started with, Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to stand here with the caucus whose government introduced the original Act that we're discussing today. We are happy to be discussing issues of privacy, particularly given the context of the many privacy issues we faced here, and we're pleased that it is being given its day for discussion.

With those comments, I'll take my seat.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.

MS. BARBARA ADAMS « » : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to talk about Bill No. 33, the Personal Health Information Act.

This is a very simple bill with a very serious purpose. For those in the Legislature who aren't health professionals, I want to share something with you that you may not be aware of - it is incredibly easy to access somebody else's health information. If you work in a hospital, charts are left out; you can walk into a nursing station, if you have the right getup on; there are pieces of information in a patient's hospital room; there are things left out in a rehabilitation room.

[Page 1523]

Health professionals are told, as the member for Clayton Park West mentioned, from the very beginning of their training to control and to guard health information with their lives. But as somebody who practised in that field for 34 years, I can tell you it is really easy to access somebody else's health information. When we get trained how to use the computerized health information system at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, we were told that you will get fired if you access somebody else's health information. Well I can tell you that it happened, and people didn't get fired.

So, the threat of what would happen if you access somebody else's health information was not something that people took seriously then, and they don't take it now because there are very few consequences to a health member who accesses somebody else's information. It's as simple as opening up a chart and taking a quick peek - and it happens far more often than any of you want to know.

As the member for Dartmouth South mentioned, legislation is a living thing. Times have changed - with faxes, emails, MyHealthNS. We want greater access. As a physiotherapist, if I wanted to look at your knee X-ray, I had to get my receptionist to call your family doctor to get him to fax the information. I had to submit a consent form to make sure that I wasn't accessing something I didn't have permission to access and then it would be faxed to me. There's a whole lot of potential there for slip-up - the wrong number gets pressed in for a fax number, an email gets sent to the wrong person. There is all sorts of opportunity every single day by every single health professional to inadvertently share the wrong information.

Who cares if nothing happens to the person who inadvertently did it? They may have done it by accident, but there need to be consequences, and Bill No. 33 addresses that. It's a simple amendment. I'm at a loss as to why the government would be opposed to it. I didn't hear them speak in favour of it, so I'm making an assumption. I would be delighted to be surprised that they were in favour of it.

I don't know any Nova Scotian who would understand any opposition to this. All you're asking is that they be notified in a timely fashion and that something happen to the person who broke the rules. If you are somebody who was involved in a motor vehicle accident, maybe somebody who works for the insurance company wants a little information on you that might help in the case against you. Maybe the banking information system wants to know if you would be a good risk for your mortgage or your disability benefits. This is a serious issue that affects every single person in this province.

All we're being asked is to say yes to somebody being notified. Mr. Speaker, I will have a hard time explaining to my constituents why the government didn't support this when it's such an important issue.

[Page 1524]

Again, the member for Clayton Park West raised an important point. She said this was the first really serious breach. I agree with that. This is something that affected a lot of people.

I don't know of any health professional out there who would want to hurt people by revealing information. I know that there are times when any number of health professionals may have inadvertently done so, and they would have been mortified. But there are some people out there who are doing it deliberately, and those are the people we're talking about with this, not the person who left a chart open and somebody noticed.

The other thing that we haven't actually mentioned here, and I want to bring it up, is that there's verbal breach of information. The one that I can think of that was the most egregious was - I'm aging myself now - 33 years ago. I was in London, Ontario, and I was pre-op'ing a patient late at night who was going for heart surgery the next day. The nursing station was right next to the hallway, and the man's wife was pacing up and down the hallway until I was finished.

The nurses were sitting at the nursing station, and one of them said to the other one, "With his health history, there's no way he's going to survive that surgery." They went on to talk about some of the tests that he had done.

Anybody walking down the hall could have heard that, but the wife heard it. She came charging into the room and said to her husband, "You can't have the surgery. They think you're going to die."

We managed to calm her down. They were disciplined right away, because it was horrible. It was a breach of information that was shared in a way it never should have been.

There are lots of breaches. We were actually warned, if you're going to talk to a colleague about a patient, about their condition, maybe looking for some help in managing their condition, you might talk about it - well, you might be talking about it in the elevator or walking down the hall, and you never know who happens to be getting on that elevator with you. There are verbal breaches of information, not just written.

There may be computer breaches, where you meant to fax it to one number, and it went to another. Well, Mr. Speaker, if you happen to fax my medical information to someone other than the person it was meant to be going to, I deserve to know that.

We do want greater access. I would love to see my bloodwork come straight to my cellphone. As soon as it has been diagnosed and sent to the doctor, I would love to have that copy.

[Page 1525]

We know that when there are breaches on Facebook or Amazon, or any bank gets breached, every single person is notified right away. I fail to see why we would not do the same thing for health information. We have the right to believe that our health information is protected, but we are human, and mistakes do get made.

If you come to me two years after the breach was done, and I find out, I'm not going to be happy because I might have needed to have taken steps to protect myself from whatever that information was about. It may have been leaked to an employer who was thinking about hiring me. It may have been leaked to a disability case manager who was reviewing my case. We have no idea where the breaches will occur in the future, but this is a bill that plugs a hole in a living document, as the member previously stated.

[4:30 p.m.]

The purpose of this bill is to increase safety at a time when we are increasing access to medical records. I think it's an important bill and I'm going to encourage everyone in the government, as well as on the Opposition side, to pass the bill. As always, I will allow them to explain it to Nova Scotians if they choose not to support the bill.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Deputy Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, that concludes Opposition business for today.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. GEOFF MACLELLAN » : Mr. Speaker, I move that you do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The House will now recess for a few minutes while it resolves itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

[4:31 p.m. The House recessed.]

[4:37 p.m. The House resolved into a CWH on Bills with Deputy Speaker Ms. Suzanne Lohnes-Croft in the Chair.]

[4:50 p.m. CWH on Bills rose and the House reconvened. Mr. Speaker, Hon. Kevin Murphy, resumed the Chair.]

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on Bills reports:

[Page 1526]

THE CLERK » : That the Committee of the Whole House on Bills has met and considered the following bills:

Bill No. 79 - Motor Vehicle Act.

Bill No. 80 - Traffic Safety Act.

Bill No. 17 - An Act to Incorporate the Kenzieville Cemetery Company.

and the chairman has been instructed to recommend these bills to the favourable consideration of the House.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Ordered that these bills be read a third time on a future day.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. GEOFF MACLELLAN « » : Mr. Speaker, that concludes the government's business for today. I move that the House do now rise to meet again tomorrow, Thursday, October 11^th, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Following the Daily Routine and Question Period, business will include third reading of Bill Nos. 17, 79, and 80, followed by Address in Reply.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The motion is for the House to adjourn, to rise again tomorrow between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The House now stands adjourned until tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

[The House rose at 4:52 p.m.]

NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)

[Page 1527]

RESOLUTION NO. 535

By: Hon. Keith Colwell « » (Agriculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Cherry Brook United Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary was formed in 1918 by President Maude Louise Sparks after the founding of the African Baptist Association's Provincial Ladies Auxiliary, which was founded in 1917; and

Whereas Maude Louise Grant was born in 1892 in Cherry Brook, married Frederick Sparks and formed the Ladies Auxiliary to help support the pastors, churches, children, and needs of the community; and

Whereas the Cherry Brook United Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary gives thanks to God for the many women in our community who have dedicated their lives to helping others;

Therefore be it resolved that on November 2018 we take pride in celebrating the founders of our Ladies Auxiliary and recognizing the many accomplishments of the Cherry Brook United Baptist Church Ladies Auxiliary.

RESOLUTION NO. 536

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 2018 Karate Canada National Championships were held at the Canada Games Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from March 9 to 11, 2018; and

Whereas Karate Canada held its annual awards banquet after the competition, on March 11, 2018, at the Halifax Marriott Waterfront; and

Whereas Star Deveau from Church Point was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Star Deveau on receiving this prestigious award and wish her all the best.

RESOLUTION NO. 537

[Page 1528]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Weymouth Firebirds hosted the Baseball Provincial 2018 Championships; and

Whereas this tournament involved teams from Lunenburg, Diamond Dawgs, New Glasgow, Stellarton, and Weymouth; and

Whereas the host team defeated the New Glasgow Kinsmen to win the Baseball 2018 Provincial Championships, 13U A TIER 3;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Weymouth Firebirds and their coaches for winning the Baseball 2018 Provincial Championships - 13U A TIER 3 and wish them continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 538

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Family Business Atlantic held its 11^th annual Awards Luncheon at Brightwood Golf and Country Club on April 5, 2018; and

Whereas Thian Carman of Meadow's Brothers' Farm was the recipient of the first Young Entrepreneur Award; and

Whereas this award recognizes the significant achievements made by a young entrepreneur;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Thian Carman for receiving the first Young Entrepreneur Award and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 539

[Page 1529]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 3^rd annual WomenActive-NS Trendsetter Awards celebration was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 14, 2018; and

Whereas Cara Sunderland was presented with the Women's Active Nova Scotia Leadership Trendsetter Award; and

Whereas the Leadership Trendsetter Award is given to a women in Nova Scotia who has significantly influenced the sport, recreation, and/or physical activity landscape for girls and/or women in the province;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Cara Sunderland for receiving this prestigious award and wish her all the best.

RESOLUTION NO. 540

By: Hon. Kevin Murphy « » (The Speaker)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Rose and Rooster Café is owned and operated by Sarah Zollinger and is located in the beautiful community of Grand Desert, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Rose and Rooster Café represents everything that is wonderful about small community cafés with a welcoming space, outstanding menu and good, hot coffee; and

Whereas Rose and Rooster Café offers a wide variety of locally sourced menu items, making it one of the culinary highlights of any visit to the Eastern Shore;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Sarah Zollinger on success of the Rose and Rooster Café.

RESOLUTION NO. 541

[Page 1530]

By: Hon. Kevin Murphy « » (The Speaker)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Lorimer Banks was born on November 17, 1928, at East Clarence, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Lorimer grew up during a time in Nova Scotia with limited resources and amenities and your success depended on your own personal grit and determination; and

Whereas Lorimer carried himself with dignity and grace throughout a lifetime of making a living off the land, treating all he met with respect;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in wishing Lorimer Banks a very special 90^th birthday celebration with his family and friends.

RESOLUTION NO. 542

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Alyssa Munro is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Alyssa Munro for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 543

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

[Page 1531]

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Amanda Harris is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Amanda Harris for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 544

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Amber Drew is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Amber Drew for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 545

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Candace Mae Phillips is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

[Page 1532]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Candace Mae Phillips for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 546

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Carrie Kennedy-Oickle is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Carrie Kennedy-Oickle for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 547

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Cassandra Carnell is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Cassandra Carnell for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 548

[Page 1533]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Frances MacArthur is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Frances MacArthur for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 549

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Kaitlin Kenneally is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and to accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Kaitlin Kenneally for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 550

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

[Page 1534]

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Katelyn Zinck is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Katelyn Zinck for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 551

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Lauren Hall is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Lauren Hall for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 552

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Leah Kerr is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

[Page 1535]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Leah Kerr for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 553

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Marissa Jodrey is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Marissa Jodrey for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 554

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Patsy Budgell is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Patsy Budgell for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 555

[Page 1536]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Roy Chapman is to be congratulated on his dedication to learning and accomplishing his goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Roy Chapman for achieving his goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish him all the best in his future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 556

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Stephanie Bradley is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Stephanie Bradley for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 557

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas PeopleWorx offers a Continuing Care Assistant Program for those living in the Annapolis Valley; and

[Page 1537]

Whereas this year 16 students are graduating from their course; and

Whereas student Wanda Marie Harris is to be congratulated on her dedication to learning and accomplishing her goal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Wanda Marie Harris for achieving her goal of completing the Continuing Care Program through PeopleWorx and wish her all the best in her future career.

RESOLUTION NO. 558

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Aaron Rushton has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for nine years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Aaron Rushton for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 559

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Adam Davidson has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for four months; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

[Page 1538]

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Adam Davidson for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 560

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Allister Lantz has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for seven months; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Allister Lantz for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 561

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Andrew Keddy has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for two years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

[Page 1539]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Andrew Keddy for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 562

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Assistant Deputy Chief Scott Cruickshank has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Assistant Deputy Chief Scott Cruickshank for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 563

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Bob Huntley has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 21 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Bob Huntley for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

[Page 1540]

RESOLUTION NO. 564

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Britt Taylor has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 11 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Britt Taylor for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 565

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Calvin Tupper has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 21 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Calvin Tupper for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

[Page 1541]

RESOLUTION NO. 566

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Captain Blair Steele has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 21 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Captain Blair Steele for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 567

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Captain Bruce Cruickshank has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 19 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Captain Bruce Cruickshank for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 568

[Page 1542]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Captain Dean Corkum has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 27 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Captain Dean Corkum for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 569

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Captain Johnny Greeno has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 24 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Captain Johnny Greeno for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 570

[Page 1543]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Captain Mark Cruickshank has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 29 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Captain Mark Cruickshank for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 571

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Chelsea Cruikshank has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for three years; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Chelsea Cruikshank for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 572

[Page 1544]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Chief Rick Weisner has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 31 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Chief Rick Weisner for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 573

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Chris Roy has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for two years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Chris Roy for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 574

[Page 1545]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Daniel MacNamara has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for eight months; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in many hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Daniel MacNamara for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 575

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Deputy Chief Jeff Skaling has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Deputy Chief Jeff Skaling for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 576

[Page 1546]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Don Batstone has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Don Batstone for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 577

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Eli Ells has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for two years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in hundreds of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Eli Ells for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 578

[Page 1547]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Elizabeth Huntley has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 21 years; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in hundreds of hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Elizabeth Huntley for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 579

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jason Bennett has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for four years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Jason Bennett for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 580

[Page 1548]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jason Silver has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for four years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Jason Silver for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 581

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jeff Smith has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for two years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in hundreds of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Jeff Smith for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 582

[Page 1549]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jeremy Brown has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for five years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Jeremy Brown for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 583

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Kenzie Maclean has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for one year; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in many hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Kenzie Maclean for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 584

[Page 1550]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Lieutenant Jeff Lantz has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 13 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Lieutenant Jeff Lantz for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 585

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Lieutenant John Timmons has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 34 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Lieutenant John Timmons for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 586

[Page 1551]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Lieutenant Noala Lake has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 13 years; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Lieutenant Noala Lake for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 587

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Matt Crandall has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for six months; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in many hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Matt Crandall for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 588

[Page 1552]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mike Greenwood has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 38 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Mike Greenwood for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 589

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Neil Ulhman has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 26 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Neil Ulhman for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 590

[Page 1553]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Pam Kelly has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for four months; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in many hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Pam Kelly for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 591

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Safety Officer Chelsea Uhlman has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 12 years; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Chelsea Uhlman for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 592

[Page 1554]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Sandy Hill has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for nine years; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in hundreds of hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Sandy Hill for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 593

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Steve Ells has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for one month; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in many hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Steve Ells for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 594

[Page 1555]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Taylor Reimer-Arsenault has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for one year; and

Whereas she is a member in good standing and has participated in many hours of training; and

Whereas she has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Taylor Reimer-Arsenault for her dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving her time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 595

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Terry Porter has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 46 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Terry Porter for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 596

[Page 1556]

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Tim Ciappara has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 28 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Tim Ciappara for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 597

By: Mr. John Lohr « » (Kings North)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Walter Huntley has been a member of the Canning Volunteer Fire Department for 21 years; and

Whereas he is a member in good standing and has participated in thousands of hours of training; and

Whereas he has always been ready to serve the emergency needs of the community, any time of the day or night;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in thanking Walter Huntley for his dedication to the northeast region of Kings County and for giving his time and talents for the safety of the residents served by the Canning Volunteer Fire Department.

RESOLUTION NO. 598

[Page 1557]

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas when Sandra MacDonald of Rines Creek heard that China would no longer accept or recycle film plastic from Canada, she knew that she had to find something to use instead of plastic wrap; and

Whereas she came up with her own recipe that she brews and then infuses into locally purchased cotton material; and

Whereas Sandra manufactures her "Breezy Wraps," which come in several sizes, in her kitchen and painting studio and sells them online, at farm markets, and at some local stores;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering their sincere appreciation to Sandra for making a conscious decision to help herself and others to save the environment and wish her well in this endeavour.

RESOLUTION NO. 599

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Enfield Volunteer Fire Department's Auto Extrication team has been competing since 1988 in competitions in both the United States and Canada; and

Whereas this year the team members were Cecil Dixon, John Allan Canning, Luke Guthro, David Dixon, Jeff Goodwin, Josh Jobin, and Tyler Sigurdson, and they competed in the North America Vehicle Rescue Challenge in Long Island, New York; and

Whereas they placed first in the Limited Pit Challenge, third in the Unlimited Pit Challenge, and second overall in North America; Cecil Dixon was named Top Incident Commander in North America, and they won Top Canadian Team and will be competing next year in Paris, France;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating these hard-working and caring men on their wins and thank them and their families for all the sacrifices they make for the residents of their community.

RESOLUTION NO. 600

[Page 1558]

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Morris Albert Williams has been a firefighter for 60 years at the Uniacke and District Volunteer Fire Department and has held the positions of lieutenant, captain, deputy, and fire chief; and

Whereas the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association provides the Municipal Long Service Award medal to municipal units that want to recognize and honour and outstanding member; and

Whereas this year Morris was presented with the very first in Canada 60 Year Municipal Long Service Award medal;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in expressing congratulations and appreciation to Morris Albert Williams for his outstanding dedication to the community of Mount Uniacke.

RESOLUTION NO. 601

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas there are spectacular hanging baskets along the telephone poles of Highway No. 2 in Enfield and Elmsdale this time of year that will be replaced with festive evergreen wreaths to welcome the holiday season, and in between times, inspiration banners are hung; and

Whereas this is all the work of the association called Enfield in Bloom, and they have been busy beautifying the community for over 15 years; and

Whereas Enfield in Bloom is a small group who continually maintain the baskets with daily watering and collect and install the wreaths and banners;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in recognizing the efforts of this volunteer group and in thanking them for creating a warm sense of community and pride among the residents.

RESOLUTION NO. 602

[Page 1559]

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jessica Tibbo and her husband, Rob, purchased an 18-acre farm in Urbania and began growing lavender, an her that hundreds of products can be created from; and

Whereas Jessica gathers and dries the salt-soaked tidal mud from the banks of the Shubenacadie River and infuses it with green tea and lavender to make her Shubenacadie Clay Mask, which offers to detoxify, rejuvenate, smooth, and repair skin; and

Whereas Jessica sells her masks at farmer's markets and her farm shop, where she also sells different types of lavender plants;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in celebrating the initiative of Jessica and Rob Tibbo and congratulating them for their enterprising venture, Homestead Lavender Farms.

RESOLUTION NO. 603

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas breaking one school record in any sport is an impressive feather in your cap, but when an individual shatters four records in four different events, we are talking a superstar athlete; and

Whereas Jamie MacLeod, a member of the HERH girls' soccer team, holds the top scorer title and was voted rookie of the year; and

Whereas in track, her 4x400 team picked up a regional win in in the Provincials, where she earned silver in the 100m and at the district level she broke her fourth school record with a time of 1:02 in the 400m;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Jamie MacLeod for her determination and athletic accomplishments and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 604

[Page 1560]

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas East Hants is proud of Emily Meehan of Rawdon who, along with Emma MacMillan of Glenholm and Megan Parrot of Beaver Bank, made history on the night of August 3 at Scotia Speed World; and

Whereas it was the first time the track every checker-flagged females in all three of the feature races on the same night; and

Whereas the victories of Emily, Emma, and Meghan in a male-dominated sport will inspire many females young and old to step bravely into any arena of competition knowing that the barriers that have stood between them and entrance into a male-dominated field are crumbling one by one;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering congratulations to our own Emily Meehan and her two colleagues for their bravery and historic victories.

RESOLUTION NO. 605

By: Hon. Karen Casey « » (Finance and Treasury Board)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia championship tournament for provincial Under 15 Bantam A Tier 3 baseball was held at the Doug Peppard Memorial Ball Field in Great Village, Colchester North, and the host team, the Great Village Tide, enjoyed a dominant run to post a record of 5-0; and

Whereas then in round-robin play they defeated the Westville Miners 16-2 and the Antigonish Angels 18-6, game 3 saw the Tide dismantle the New Waterford Dodgers 9-3, and thumped New Waterford 11-2 in the semi final; and

Whereas, in the final, Brayden Schmitt pitched an exceptional game to lead the Tide to victory, Tim Porter scored two runs, Cam Myatt laid down a perfect bunt in the third inning to start a four-run rally, and the defence played an error-free game to finish off a no-loss run for the local team to defeat the Windsor Knights 5-0;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Great Village Tide and their head coach, Michael Spencer, for playing such excellent baseball winning gold.

[Page 1561]

RESOLUTION NO. 606

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas, if you are travelling along Route #14, Upper Rawdon, your eye will be drawn to MacPhee's Country Store Museum, which opened its quaint doors two years ago thanks to Marvin and Alfreda MacPhee and their passion for memorabilia from days gone by; and

Whereas their collection is pretty much everything that you would find in an old general store and stepping inside makes you feel like you really have time travelled; and

Whereas Marvin and Alfreda's efforts and love of bygone days is obvious and has delighted many visitors who experience a sense of nostalgia that keeps them lingering in wonder at things they haven't seen in decades;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering our appreciation to Marvin and Alfreda MacPhee for their wonderful museum that offers visitors a trip down memory lane.

RESOLUTION NO. 607

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the East Hants and District Chamber of Commerce's Think Local First Committee has been organizing a huge event for the past three years that brings residents and businesses together; and

Whereas Saturday, May 26, 2018, marked the third annual Open East Hants Day where dozens of business owners opened their doors as usual but with added allure of contests, entertainment, food offerings, and sales specials; and

Whereas, for this popular, well-attended event, the community takes on a festive appearance with signs and balloons adorning businesses and prizes are awarded to local loyal shoppers;

[Page 1562]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in recognizing the work of the committee and congratulate them for their successful and creative initiative of Open East Hants Day.

RESOLUTION NO. 608

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 4-H has been around since 1913 and the Hants East club, Shu-Mil, has been in existence for 54 years; and

Whereas 4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hand, and Health and the club is dedicated to young people and offers programs to prepare them to be responsible, contributing adults; and

Whereas, with the 4-H motto "Learn by Doing" in mind, for over five decades the Shu-Mil club has been providing opportunities for local youth to learn from activities like small-engine repair, working with animals, public speaking, gardening, cooking, food drives for the local food bank, and other charitable efforts;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in proudly recognizing that the Shu-Mil club, which is managed and run by dedicated volunteers and, with over 70 members, this group contributes to the wellbeing of the family, community, and their own future.

RESOLUTION NO. 609

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas breaking one school record in any sport is an impressive feather in your cap but, when an individual shatters four records in four different events, we are talking a superstar athlete; and

Whereas Jamie MacLeod, a member of the HERH girls' soccer team, holds the top scorer title and was voted rookie of the year; and

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Whereas, in track, her 4 X 400 team picked up a regional win in the Provincials where she earned silver in the 100m and, at the District level, she broke her fourth school record with a time of 1.02 minutes in the 400m;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Jamie MacLeod for her determination and athletic accomplishments and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 610

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mr. Stan Slack of Elmsdale was inducted into the International Snowmobile Federation Hall of Fame in Eagle River, WI, last month (September 21^st, 22^nd), just the 13^th Canadian to receive this recognition; and

Whereas this "Gentleman of Snowmobiling" as he is known in Nova Scotia, has been involved in snowmobiling for 40 years and has created or chaired many successful programs; and

Whereas in 2012, Mr. Slack received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and in 2014 the N.S. Trails White Hills Summit Award for his contributions;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in recognizing and congratulating Stan Slack for his outstanding dedication to the development of the Snowmobiling Association of Nova Scotia.

RESOLUTION NO. 611

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the mission of the East Hants Sport Heritage Society, which was founded in 2014, is to recognize and honour sport excellence of both the past and the present in East Hants; and

Whereas since 2014, 29 athletes have been recognized and inducted into the East Hants Sports Hall of Fame, which is a testament to the glory of sports and the level of athletic talent in East Hants; and

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Whereas the Hall of Fame occupies a distinctive place in the East Hants Sportsplex and is hugely supported by the community and local businesses and is run by a dedicated volunteer board of directors;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering our appreciation to the board of directors and community members whose proclaimed mission is to have the best Sport Heritage Society in the province.

RESOLUTION NO. 612

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mason Koch picked up gold, silver, and bronze at the 2017 National Canoe Championships in Welland, Ontario, and was recently awarded the 18 and Under Male Athlete of the Year at the 2018 East Hants Sport Awards Gala; and

Whereas his performance in teams, and individually, earned him a spot to represent Canada's Olympic hopefuls competing against the best in the world and teamed with three other canoers from Atlantic Canada, brought home a bronze medal; and

Whereas Mason trains 8 to 10 times a week while attending school, and travels to Florida for a month where he participates daily in three sessions on the water, combined with dry land training;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in expressing congratulations and gratitude to Mason for his passion to represent our country in the sport of canoeing.

RESOLUTION NO. 613

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas coaching a sports team is a serious commitment; and

Whereas Chris Hopewell of Elmsdale was recently named Coach of the Year at the East Hants Sport Awards Gala; and

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Whereas Chris also manages a local fast-pitch team, and took the initiative to bring in Canada Games team members to help establish Timbits softball in the area for U8 players;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Chris Hopewell on his award and offering him our gratitude for dedicating his time and spirit to coach softball and fast pitch.

RESOLUTION NO. 614

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas you can catch the performance of Ben Good in one of three venues – on the cross-country track, on the ice, and on the soccer field; and

Whereas he is the first athlete from Riverside Education Centre in Milford to win a provincial championship in cross-country running, he is an award-winning goalie for the East Hants Minor Hockey Peewee A team, and an almost impenetrable wall in the soccer net; and

Whereas he was recently named Athlete of the Year in the 14 and under male athlete for the East Hants Sport Awards for his impressive record of athletic accomplishments;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Ben Good on his award and in wishing him success in his future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 615

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Kelly Verge is a long-time volunteer with the Hants North Baseball Association and serves as treasurer, spending countless hours overseeing the finances; and

Whereas Kelly recruits workers for the canteen, applies for grant funding to hire summer students, looks after registration, distributes and collects uniforms, and organizes the end- of- the- year banquet; and

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Whereas she coaches, score keeps, pitch counts, organizes tournaments, and sits on the executive of the Hants North Recreation and Development Association, and pitches in on the numerous fundraisers;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering congratulations to Kelly Verge for being named Volunteer of the Year at the EH Sport Awards Gala and our admiration and gratitude for her time, energy, and dedication to the sport of baseball and her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 616

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the U13 East Hants girls' soccer team picked up a bronze at the Gunn Balderson Tournament, considered the highest calibre female tournament in the Maritimes, followed by a gold at the Bruce Wagner Tournament, and went no to earn silver in the Provincials; and

Whereas the boys Pee Wee A Nationals were skillful and tenacious in making steady gains with a record 34 wins in 45 games, they captured the Provincial Pee Wee A title and have the honour of being the first team to win Provincials in the history of the growing East Hants Corridor Minor Baseball Association; and

Whereas the U13 East Hants girls' soccer team and the East Hants boys Pee Wee A Nationals baseball team shared the award for Under 14 team at the EH Sport Awards Gala;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating both the players and coaches of these young teams.

RESOLUTION NO. 617

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas George Lane, a first-year Pee Wee AAA goalie for the East Hants Penguins, picked up Top Goalie accolade in a skills competition in P.E.I., and Hockey N.S. chose him to play in the Atlantic Challenge Cup and his shut-out performance helped Team N.S. capture the championship; and

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Whereas trading skates for baseball cleats, George was the number-one catcher for the Dartmouth Pee Wee AAA Arrows; and

Whereas his pitching skills saw him strike out 15 of 17 batters in a Provincial Tournament where his team took home 1^st place;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering congratulations to George Lane for being a recipient of multiple MVP and top pitcher awards and being a finalist in the 14U Male Athlete in the East Hants Sport Awards.

RESOLUTION NO. 618

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Megan Sullivan is a consistent leader on the field and a force in the rugby community, bringing her best to every game, scoring 16 times in eight games; and

Whereas she was named the 2017 Most Valuable Player of the Enfield RFC Women and awarded the 19 and over Female of the Year Award at the 2018 East Hants Sport Awards Gala; and

Whereas she has led the Enfield RFC Women rugby team to championship victories in the 2017 Oktoberfest 7's, 2018 Truro 7's, and the 2018 Sweetheart 7's Consolation;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering this dynamic young woman our congratulations for her efforts and accomplishments in the sport of rugby, and wish her all the best in every future endeavour.

RESOLUTION NO. 619

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jewlia Burke jumped into the sport of rugby in Grade 9 and has been an impressive force on the pitch from day one; and

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Whereas she captained her team in the 2016-2017 season and they captured the 2017 NSSAF Northumberland Region Division 2 Championship; and

Whereas while playing with the NS Keltics rugby team, they won a gold at the 2017 Eastern Canadian Championship and a silver at the Canadian Rugby Championships, which is the highest a N.S. team has ever placed at a national level;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in offering congratulations to Jewlia Burke for being named the Under 18 Female Athlete of the Year at the EH Sport Awards Gala and for being chosen to play on the Acadia University Varsity team.

RESOLUTION NO. 620

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Sarah Delorey captured several Player of the Game Awards and Team MVP during various tournaments in the 2017 season, and her team won bronze at the Provincials, where once again she earned a Player of the Game and an All-Star Award; and

Whereas her impressive play on the court garnered her an invitation to train with the Triple Threat Next Level Basketball program as an underage player; and

Whereas she was a starting player for the U15 Provincial Girls team, impressing basketball audiences in New Hampshire, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, for the Canadian Nationals;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in recognizing that Sarah was named as a finalist in the U14 Female East Hants Sport Awards and wish her success in all her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 621

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

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Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Mary Rose from Riverside Education Centre is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Mary Rose for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 622

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Lori Smith Hill from Maple Ridge Elementary is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Lori Smith Hill for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 623

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Cyril Veinot from Hants North Rural High is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

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Therefore be it resolved that we honour Cyril Veinot for his countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate him on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 624

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Sonya Aikins from Enfield District Elementary is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Sonya Aikins for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 625

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Keith Greeno from Shubenacadie Elementary is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Keith Greeno for his countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate him on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 626

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By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Jayne Peters from Central Office is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Jayne Peters for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 627

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Andrea Keeping from Hants North Rural High is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Andrea Keeping for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 628

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

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Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Joan Wood from Riverside Education Centre is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Joan Wood for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 629

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Sylvia Scott from Enfield District Elementary School is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Sylvia Scott for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 630

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Maureen MacIntyre from Hants North Rural High is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

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Therefore be it resolved that we honour Maureen MacIntyre for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 631

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Bernadette Hingley from Kennetcook District is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Bernadette Hingley for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 632

By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Charlene MacNeil from Shubenacadie Elementary is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Charlene MacNeil for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 633

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By: Hon. Margaret Miller « » (Environment)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 22, 2018, the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education paid tribute to dedicated employees; and

Whereas 25 years of service in the public education system is recognized as a commitment to the students and to the values of education; and

Whereas Jill Lake Cutler from Riverside Education Centre is a recipient of a 25-year service award;

Therefore be it resolved that we honour Jill Lake Cutler for her countless hours of hard work and dedication and congratulate her on receiving this well-deserved award.