33rd Nova Scotia AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH

February 2017 will mark the 33rd year Nova Scotians have celebrated African Heritage Month. This year’s theme is “Passing the Torch—African Nova Scotians and the Next 150.”

The Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs (ANSA) provides event listings. Check out the ANSA website for the calendar of special events and functions at: https:// ansa.novascotia.ca/events-calendar. Events are subject to change. To update a program date or event details contact ansa_newsletter@gov.ns.ca or fax 902-424-7189.

RECREATION NS LUCKY DUCK DRAW

Lucky Duck Lottery is a program offered by Recreation NS that is designed to help nonprofit clubs, groups and organizations raise funds, and it is now in its 37th year!

Who can sell Lucky Duck Tickets? Community organizations like school clubs, sport teams, theatre groups, choirs, garden clubs, senior clubs—any non-profit group can sell! Recreation NS administers the program and supplies the tickets, prizes and seller kits. All you need to do is sell the tickets. Tickets are $1.00 with 70 cents of every dollar going back to the group. Selling period for 2017 ends March 16th.

PRIZES: 1st prize-$3,000 cash; 2nd prize-$500 cash; 3rd prize-weekend getaway; Plus 7 prizes of $100.

For more information go to: https://www.recreationns.ns.ca/lucky-duck-lotto/

ICE THICKNESS SAFETY REPORTS

HRM has an ice thickness testing program during the winter season, but there may still be noticeable thin ice and open water in many lakes across the region. Throughout the winter months, ice thickness reports for lakes tested by the municipality will be available to the public by calling 902-490-3577 or 311 for the HRM Citizen Contact Centre. Reports are updated weekly at this website pending weather conditions: https://apps.halifax.ca/icethickness.

More than 100 lakes, mostly in the urban core, are tested regularly by HRM Parks and Recreation staff. There are 8 tested sites in or near our district area. They are: Lake Loon, Lake Major, Long Lake in North Preston, Nelson Lake in East Preston, Lake Echo by the Community Centre and McCoys Pond by Churchlake Drive in Lake Echo, Porters Lake and Middle Porters Lake. The municipality reminds all citizens to ensure ice conditions are safe and to exercise extreme caution when walking, skating or participating in other outdoor events on frozen lakes this winter season. For more ice safety tips, please visit the Canadian Red Cross website: https://www.redcross.ca/training-andcertification/swimming-and-water-safety-tips-andresources/swimming–boating-and-water-safety-tips/icesafety.

ADJUSTMENT TO BUS ROUTE 370

HRM Regional Council has approved my request to make some modest adjustments to the Rural Express Transit Route #370. My proposal will only add approximately 1.5 kms to a trip, and it is intended to be a “Stop & Drop/Pickup” service with an additional stop at Micmac Mall. Halifax Transit officials have already agreed to incorporate two additional quick stops along Highway #7 at Cherry Brook Road and on Main Street by Smitty’s. I have also asked for another bus stop by the NSCC Ackerley Campus to cater to the student population from our area. The Micmac Mall stop is not only for potential shoppers but for workers trying to get there before the stores open, as well as people trying to get into Burnside and Dartmouth Crossing by using other bus route connections instead of going downtown to the Bridge Bus Terminal. There will be an added benefit of providing direct access into Metro on the deadhead return runs from Porters Lake in the afternoons, which are currently running back empty. This will be a trial run for a six-month period, with the desirable outcome to be an increase in ridership without any significant delay to the commute time itself. More information on these changes will be available once Halifax Transit has had the opportunity to introduce these service adjustments into its bus scheduling program. Stay tuned!