December 2019

WEB.COM ANNOUNCES CLOSURE

A company that has been a major part of the Yarmouth County economy for over 18 years – first as Register.com, now as Web.com – announced it was planning to shut down its operation in the Hebron Business Park by mid-2020. There were 198 employees at the centre at the time of the Dec. 4 announcement.

Web.com, which provides a range of internet services to businesses, also has operations in New Glasgow and Halifax. Those operations would continue. On the day of the announcement, the province and the Municipality of Yarmouth, and other partners, said efforts already were underway to seek a new employer to set up shop in Yarmouth County in hopes of keeping those within the Web. com workforce employed.

Yarmouth MLA Zach Churchill noted there had been a similar situation in Cape Breton when a call centre closed there. In that case, a new employer was found within weeks to take over the space and keep people employed. He said he was hoping for a similar outcome here.

For its part, Web.com – which is based in Jacksonville, Florida and purchased the former Register.com – said its business needs are continually evolving, hence the changes it was making, including winding down the Yarmouth operation.

Said Nicole Cassis, Web.com vice-president of communications, “We appreciate our employees’ many contributions to serving our customers with excellence, and we will be working closely with all levels of government and agencies to provide assistance to our employees.”

$14-MILLION FACILITY ON THE WAY

Scotia Harvest Inc. in Digby was gearing up for construction of a $14-million, 43,580-square-foot groundfish production facility in the Digby industrial park. When Scotia Harvest Inc. acquired O’Neil Fisheries in 2012, it included a processing plant, but Alain d’Entremont, president and CEO of Scotia Harvest Inc., knew early on his business plans would outgrow that facility. While his business was able to utilize a plant next door (previously Mariner’s Choice) the last few years, d’Entremont’s intention always was to build a new facility when he was able to. And now he was, thanks to some help from Nova Scotia Business Inc.

The new plant will have more efficient processing equipment and greener technologies and will give the company the ability to improve harvesting and processing times. The new facility will be able to run multiple shifts in times of high raw material availability, which the company couldn’t do in the past. D’Entremont hoped construction of the new plant was viewed as a sign of confidence in rural Nova Scotia and the fishery.

VIGIL HELD ON 30TH ANNIVERSARY

In Yarmouth, the South West Labour Group held its annual Dec. 6 vigil in recognition of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The vigil, held in Frost Park, also marked the 30th anniversary of the massacre at École Polytechnique in Montreal, when 14 women were singled out because of their gender and killed by a gunman.

Citing a recent Global News story, Lisa Potter – speaking on behalf of the South West Labour Group – said while the homicide rate has done down, the overall level of violence against women has not changed substantially over the decades. Stats also say one in three women will experience some form of sexual violence over the course of their lives.

Potter echoed calls that there needs to be a national action plan. “We need to take action to challenge gender-based behaviours and attitudes,” Potter said. “We need to continue to move forward in our society and break the silence and we need to confront any and all violence against all genders to make Canada safe for everyone.”

PROVINCE ANNOUNCES BAN ON FLAVOURED VAPE PRODUCTS

The Nova Scotia government announced it would ban flavoured e-cigarettes and vaping juice by April 1, 2020. The move came after a recent Smoke-Free Nova Scotia survey concluded that 95 per cent of young Nova Scotians who vape said they prefer flavoured juices and over 48 per cent said they would quit if flavours were banned.

“Obviously this decision is in response to our concerns about growth in particular of youth vaping in Nova Scotia so that’s why we’re taking this step,” Health and Wellness Minister Randy Delorey told reporters after the Dec. 5 announcement.

Nova Scotia became the first jurisdiction in Canada to announce a full flavour ban. Studies have shown youth who vape are more likely to try tobacco, Delorey said. The province was planning to roll out a public education campaign in the new year and introduce legislation in the upcoming session to further address vaping.

PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT “BEING VIGOROUSLY PURSUED”

While replacements had yet to be found for two doctors who were leaving or had left the Shelburne Family Practice Clinic, the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) was “looking forward to a possible site visit of a potential new physician early in the new year.” Physician recruitment is “still being vigorously pursued,” said NSHA spokesman Fraser Mooney.

Dr. Ryan Pawsey had left the Shelburne practice in November while Dr. John Keeler was retiring by the end of the year. A number of patients of both doctors were now being seen by other providers in the clinic, Mooney said. While doctor recruitment efforts continued, Mooney said patients of Dr. Keeler and Dr. Pawsey now without a provider were encouraged to add their name to the Need a Family Practice registry.

A third physician at the Shelburne clinic – Dr. Leanne DeLong – is on maternity leave. Mooney said a physician who has been working with the Shelburne Family Practice team would be taking on many of Dr.

DeLong’s patients while she is on leave. Meanwhile, Mooney said the health authority is working with NSHA zone and site leaders to develop plans to support inpatient care and emergency department coverage at Roseway Hospital.

TWIN SISTERS TURN 100

The list of things twin sisters Delphine LeBlanc and Delina Comeau have done together is a long one and now a significant milestone has been added to their list – they have celebrated their 100th birthday together.

Wearing matching outfits and warm smiles, the women were treated to a special open house at the Villa Acadienne long-term care facility in Meteghan, Digby County, on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 19. Family, friends and

Villa residents and staff gathered to help the twin sisters celebrate their special day.

Born Delina and Delphine Theriault in 1919, the identical twins spent their childhood and teenage years growing up in the Acadian community of Concession in the Municipality of Clare. They were inseparable, even after they married – Delina to Bernard Comeau and Delphine to Louis LeBlanc. When they moved from Concession to Little Brook, their homes were close enough that they were still within walking distance of one another. They not only looked alike, they dressed alike too.

“Even after they were married they would call each other up. If there was the picnic in Church Point or some event to go to, they would call each other to see what the other one was wearing because they still dressed alike,” Delina’s daughter Marie Comeau says.