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(NL-Que-Churchill-Falls)
A four-day debate is underway in Newfoundland and Labrador as politicians dig into the details of the province’s draft energy deal with Quebec.
This comes after a memorandum of understanding was announced on December 12th which would see Hydro-Quebec pay significantly more for electricity from the Churchill Falls hydroelectric plant in Labrador and the development of additional projects.
Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham says it’s “outrageous” that the debate is happening without the benefit of a review of the agreement by independent experts.
Premier Andrew Furey assured the legislature today that a panel of independent experts will oversee negotiations of a final agreement.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NL-Storm)
Lifelong Gambo, Newfoundland, resident Rick Ralph says he’s never seen anything like the massive waves and heavy wind that hit the coastal community this weekend.
The community is now under a state of emergency following a winter storm that damaged homes and washed away part of a street.
Ralph says he estimates the pounding surf eroded about five metres of land in front of his home, which is about nine metres from the ocean.
He says he and his wife both feel lucky the storm wasn’t worse, despite their home suffering roof and siding damage and trees being uprooted on their property.
(The Canadian Press)
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(PEI-Drug-Bust)
Two men and a woman are facing charges after a traffic stop in P-E-I turned up drugs.
R-C-M-P say it happened on Friday afternoon in Brackley, where a search of a vehicle that had been stopped turned up 30 grams of both cocaine and methamphetamine.
A 37-year-old Cornwall man is facing a possession for the purpose of trafficking charge while a 39-year-old Monticello man and a 26-year-old Stratford woman are facing possession charges.
The Cornwall man remains in custody on breach of a release order while the other two have been released pending an investigation.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Mall-Stabbing)
A murder trial is now underway for a Nova Scotia teen charged in the stabbing death of another teen in Halifax.
The 17-year-old accused has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach, who died after being stabbed near the Halifax Shopping Centre last April.
Crown attorney Sarah Kirby said in her opening statement that evidence will show the accused helped to plan the assault which he knew could lead to Al Marrach’s death.
Kirby also recognized that it was another teen who fatally stabbed 16-year-old Al Marrach after a group attack against the boy that the accused took part in.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Police-Science-Program)
The 2026 Halifax Regional Police Science Program is accepting applications until the end of this week.
The 38-week training program prepares successful applicants to become police officers.
The program is based in Dartmouth at the Halifax Regional Police Training School.
It’s recognized by the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education as a private career college. (The Canadian Press)
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(Atlantic Update by The Canadian Press)
