A sure sign that Spring is is the unforgettable sound of ” The Peepers “(Pseudacris crucifer)

If you live close to a pond or a swamp you can hear them loudly in the early spring. I live close to 2 ponds I can hear them in the evening, their mating call is a loud sign of spring ” They are that loud ”

‘They can be heard up to a kilometer away so it’s quite a loud call’ CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

 (Pseudacris crucifer) is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern United States and Canada. They are so called because of their chirping call that marks the beginning of spring.

Fyn Kynd / CC

Spring peepers are small tree frogs. Their bodies have smooth skin in shades of tan, brown, green, or gray, with lines that form an X-shaped pattern on their backs. Their bellies are white to cream-colored, and they have dark bands on their legs and a dark line between their eyes. Spring peepers are well camouflaged to look like tree bark and have some ability to make themselves lighter or darker in order to better match their surroundings. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Last month, the soft-launch of the new Seacaps Playground in Lockeport was held.

It came months after the previous wooden structure was deemed no longer safe to use.

A fundraising group helped secure over $350,000 in grants toward the new playground.

Lockeport mayor Derek Amalfa says the community came together.

“In true Lockeport fashion, a problem arises, the community rallies together, pulls up their boot straps and says okay, how are we going to fix this? And that’s what they did,” said Amalfa.

He says the second phase should be ready by the start of summer.

“It’s been quiet over the last year, the playground is the heart of Lockeport, you can hear the children laughing and playing again.”

Taber, Alta., was the lucky winner of this year’s Kraft Hockeyville competition.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the winner Saturday during Hockey Night in Canada.

As a reward for winning the nationwide vote, Taber will receive $250,000 for arena upgrades the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game.

Tumbler Ridge, B.C., was the runner-up. They’ll receive $100,000 for arena upgrades.

For the 20th anniversary of the event, the competition announced a winner from each province and territory, each guaranteed $50,000 for arena upgrades.

Those included the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre in Sackville, N.B., the Blackstock Arena in Blackstock, Ont., and the Ivor MacDonald Memorial Arena in Thorburn, N.S.

The band announced Sunday morning they would be cancelling the remaining dates on their Canadian tour.

That includes shows in Halifax and Moncton, scheduled for April 10 and 11, respectively.

According to a post on the band’s social media, the cancellation was necessary due to an illness for singer and guitarist John Rzeznik.

“John was diagnosed with pneumonia and has not fully recovered,” the band said in the post. “We are very disappointed and can’t wait to get back to Canada as soon as possible.”

The post said all tickets would be refunded at point of purchase.

Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre has posted to their website about the cancellation.

The site says all tickets will be automatically refunded by Ticketmaster tot he original method of payment in 14 to 21 days.

The Avenir Centre in Moncton posted about the cancellation on social media, but had not said anything about refunds on Sunday morning.

Premier Tim Houston is slamming protestors for blocking a few Nova Scotia highways late last week after a cannabis raid in a Cape Breton First Nation.

In a lengthy post on social media, Saturday, Houston said blocking highways is unacceptable and RCMP are doing their job to uphold the law and keep Nova Scotians safe.

“They deserve respect, not confrontation,” said Houston.

RCMP say it was around 7:30 a.m., Thursday, when officers searched an illegal storefront on Highway 4. Two men were arrested.

In response to this, protestors blocked access to Highway 4 in Potlotek.

Officers then left the scene on foot leaving behind their cruisers.

Seven RCMP vehicles left in Potlotek were damaged. RCMP say they had “broken windows, dents, deflated tires, removed tires, and urine-soaked interior surfaces.”

In a statement, Potlotek First Nation said it’s not a matter of enforcement but rather, jurisdiction.

“Time and time again Mi’kmaq are forced to respond when provincial laws and enforcement actions are imposed on our communities without respect to our rights, our leadership or our authority.”

One protestor told our newsroom officers took fridges, shelves and signs.

Two other highways were blocked in solidarity – highway 105 in Whycocomagh and 102 in Shubenacadie.

Crackdown

In December, Nova Scotia announced they would be increasing police enforcement around concerns about safety and that unregulated market. This sparked disappointment from First Nations, one who even threatened legal action.

On March 13, Sipekne’katik First Nation created its own law on the matter, which is in effect, now.

In a post on social media, Chief of Sipekne’katik First Nation Michelle Glasgow says it’s not about “weed shops” getting raided. “It’s about the government asserting jurisdiction over Our Communities and over Our Unceded Mik’maq Lands.” “If we allow this to continue then we are allowing the assimilation of Mi’kmaq into a society that was meant to destroy us.”

More to come…

Environment Canada has issued yellow-level snowfall warnings for some northern areas of New Brunswick, with yellow-level freezing rain warnings for the other northern regions and the southeastern part of the province.

Freezing rain warnings in the southwest were lifted late Friday afternoon.

It’s much the same for Nova Scotia, with yellow-level freezing rain warnings in effect everywhere except the southwestern part of the province.

Precipitation is expected to change to rain in the afternoon or evening, depending on the location.

Speaker Danielle Barkhouse restricted visitor access after singing protestors in the gallery disrupted a vote on the budget on March 24.

Those who were in the gallery that night are still banned.

Visitors are now not allowed to use cellphones, or read, write, sketch or speak during debates.

Reflecting on her decision to close the House, Barkhouse said some staff and MLAs told her they felt unsafe.

“We didn’t want to do this, but as we all know, it was more than just singing. It was personal. It was attacks, and then it became something outside. It was also weeks leading up to that,” said Barkhouse.

“I have to think of everybody in here, and everyone in the gallery, so it was a hard decision.”

The singing interrupted a midnight vote on the ‘Appropriations Act.’

Barkhouse said there were incidents, including an MLA being ‘blocked’ from leaving that night, and objects being thrown at windows.

The act passed third reading the next day while protestors demonstrated outside the legislature.

When asked if it was people voicing frustration, Barkhouse said the protestors took it too far.

“They can be frustrated, and that’s normal. But that’s meant for emails and phone calls, there are longstanding rules, and I’m a guardian of those rules. I’m trying my hardest to keep those in place.”

Barkhouse said the new rules are in place ‘for now,’ and a committee will be formed to study how other galleries in the country operate.

Opposition leader pleased with decision

NDP leader Claudia Chender says she’s glad Province House is open once again for the people.

But she didn’t agree with the closure in the first place.

“A shooting on Parliament Hill didn’t result in this kind of closure. Why was it closed? Because government rushed through a deeply unpopular budget close to midnight while Premier Tim Houston was in Texas,” Chender told reporters.

She says people should be able to travel freely once they are scanned through security.

“It’s the people’s house, and they need to be here to see business being done.”

In a unanimous vote, Tuesday, Council passed a motion for Mayor Andy Fillmore to write a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs John A. MacDonald, asking for the changes.

It was tabled by Councillors Trish Purdy and Kathy Deagle-Gammon in January to ask the province to control legislation around dangerous dogs, seizing animals after a serious attack and implementing stricter penalties for owners who lack control.

They will also ask that dangerous dogs not be moved between jurisdictions.

According to the report, it comes after a Council meeting November 18 when a local family who survived a severe dog attack shared their experience and outlined the above requests.

The fatal dog attack in January when a 13-year-old boy was mauled by two Cane Corso’s and a Rotweiller in Shelburne County was also a contributor.

“I think this report gives us everything we need to ask the province to help our municipalities strengthen our dangerous dog legislation in an effort to help victims feel more supported [and] feel safer,” said Purdy.

“So that people across Nova Scotia will have improved safety and security from dogs that have passed history in attacks.”

Purdy added that according to a dog behavior specialist, if dogs attack and feel skin in their teeth, “it’s not a matter of if they will attack again, it’s a matter of when. Once they get that instinct in them, it just doesn’t go away.”

The 2024 Congres mondial acadien brought thousands to Yarmouth, Argyle and Clare for events, concerts and more.

That included a Tintamarre parade through downtown Yarmouth, and a nationally televised concert from the Yarmouth Airport.

A report is being released about the benefits of the event to the region, it’s being presented in Argyle and Clare this month.

It was done by Le Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ).

The first session will be held at the Salle-Pere-Maurice LeBlanc theatre in Tusket on April 11.

The second is at the Clare Veterans Centre in Saulnierville on April 18.

The sessions will feature a question and answer period, and community members are invited to share their experiences.

Police responded to a report of a masked man outside a restaurant on Cow Bay Road at around 8:40 p.m. on March 31. It was later determined that he was known to an employee.

The HRP Canine Unit located the man, who was wearing gloves and appeared to be hiding a weapon in his pants. During the investigation, officers found a loaded rifle, ammunition, and a prohibited magazine, which were seized.

When the man attempted to escape, police dogs caught him, and he was arrested with assistance from RCMP officers.

A search warrant was later executed at a residence on Romkey Drive, where officers seized a loaded handgun with a prohibited magazine, two long guns, ammunition, two RCMP patches, and body armour.

RCMP Sgt. Mark MacPherson said, “Given the weapons involved, this incident had the potential to be much more serious, and the teamwork on scene played a critical role in preventing harm.”

In addition to 15 firearms-related offences, the man is also charged with possession of body armour without a valid permit and possession of police shoulder patches. He also faces charges related to incidents in December and January involving the same victim.

The man remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on April 23.