1. Who are you, what is your role with the LifeShelter?

Rev. Hazzard: My name is Rev. Keith Hazzard.  I am an Associate Pastor with The LifeCenter, and also the Executive Director of the LifeShelter Community Outreach (which includes our 3-day a week community breakfast program and the new emergency shelter)

Photo of main room in shelter.

2.       a) How is the construction coming along for the shelter?

Rev. Hazzard: It is coming along great.  We were significantly slowed down by some fire separation issues that the inspectors required, but with the assistance of a dedicated group of volunteers we have that job almost done.  We are now cleaning up, and getting ready to paint.

           b) Are you open for business now/currently housing people, if not, when will you be open?

Rev. Hazzard: We cannot open until the building inspector gives us the OK.  As I mentioned, the fire separation issues have slowed us down.  We are hoping to be open soon though.

3.         a) Do you still need additional volunteers?

Rev. Hazzard: We have had a very good response to our call for volunteers, but there is still room to get involved.  We especially need male volunteers.

Bob MacPhee, a volunteer working in the shelter staff room.

   b) How can people apply/contact you?

Rev. Hazzard: We can be contacted by email at: lifecenter@eastlink.ca or they can call The LifeCenter at 752-1827. 

4. Are you still accepting donations at http://www.lifeshelter.ca/ and is there other ways people may donate to the project? Do you have a goal you need to reach, if so, how close are you?

Rev. Hazzard: We will gladly accept donations via the website you mentioned.  A donor can print off a receipt right off the website. 

5. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Rev. Hazzard: We really appreciate all of the community support that we have received for this project.  It has been a lot of work, but the community has contributed so much, and we are very appreciative.

Such a noble initiative as this needs to be applauded. It is because of Rev. Hazzard and his team of volunteers and supporters that I am proud to say I live in Pictou County. On the off chance you or a loved one may one day find yourselves down on your luck and without a roof over your head, you can take heed in knowing that it is because of people like these you will not be ignored and left out in the rain.

If you would like to give back to this project, please contact the LifeCenter by emailing lifecenter@eastlink.ca or call 752-1827 to volunteer some of your time. Also be sure you visit their website and like their Facebook page.

Kris

The Samson Trail in New Glasgow has been nominated as one of the Greatest Places in Canada.

Lined with beautiful lamp posts, benches and a great view of the East river to top it off, the Samson Trail is undeniably one of the greatest places in New Glasgow. Now it is in the running to be named the Greatest Place in Canada.

The Samson Trail, which began its life as railroad tracks, has been nominated on a website with the self explanatory name “Great Places in Canada”. At the time of this writing, the trail has 560 votes and is in such local company as Truro’s beautiful Victoria Park and Lunenburg’s King Street.

Lets not be mistaken, 560 are a lot of votes, however it is a long way from the 18,000 + votes enjoyed by the current leader “Woodfield” in London, Ontario. This is where you come in, vote and tell every single person you know to vote. The deadline on February 29th is fast approaching, but Pictou County has proven time and time again that it can be an unstoppable force in online voting competitions.

In my eyes, New Glasgow is one of the greatest towns in Canada. Is it a stretch to believe it is also home to Canada’s greatest place? Vote now and have your say. While you’re at it, why not share this page on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus using the links below to help get the word out.

Kris

There is less than one month to make 5 posts on the New Glasgow Talks message board for a chance to win $100 in Empire Theatres gift cards!

There is now less than a month left to qualify to win $100 in Empire Theatres gift cards. Have you made your 5 posts yet? This contest has sparked many interesting conversations and has attracted many great people to the forum.

The breakdown:

In total there are 47 members, and 27 of those have one or more posts. Currently there are 8 people who have collected enough posts to be entered in the draw. Leading the way is “silentninja” who has 33 posts which works out to 3 entries. He is followed closely by “jcarp” with 3 entries, “Alterego’s” with 2 entries and “jcm27″, “Slothy”, “ZeroYon”, “frosty34″ and “lattergirl” who all have 1.

All of these members have amassed 50 different topics and 188 total posts which means there has been a lot of talking going on.

Join the conversation:

If you have not sign up to the message board yet, what are you waiting for? Maybe you have but need a few more posts to qualify, either way, this sampling of topics from the General Discussion board may inspire you to join in the fun:

• What ‘TV Shows’ do you watch?

• This YouTube video is amazing!

• Old school movies that still hold up

• Electronic cigarette users of Pictou County

• Shih Tzu owners of Pictou county

• What is going in the Stellarton Commercial Business park?

Go sign up. Do it now!

Sign up to meet some great new people from around Pictou County. Visit the message board now and don’t forget to make 5 post to be entered in the contest to win $100 in gift cards.

Kris

Sometimes I love to take a photo from a view unexpected, a view you typically wouldn’t see if it weren’t for my camera capturing that view… so on this particular day, I captured that view and have it here to share with you!

Andrea
- Andrea Fuller Photography

Take Our Poll

For those still in the trip planning stage, here are several resources/travel agencies which you may find useful:

• Maritimes Travel (Local Travel Agency)
• Travel Our Way (Local Travel Agency)
• Fraser & Hoyt Travel (Local Travel Agency)
• Sara Thompson Travel (Local Travel Agency)
• Cougar Travel (Local Travel Agency)
• Expedia.ca (Online Travel Agency)
• Trip Advisor (Online Travel Review Website)

If you would like to share your travel experiences, or maybe give people some tips on how to plan a successful trip, let us know in the comment section below.

-Kris

The view in Cancun, Mexico from the balcony of the only trip down south I have made thus far.

Fortunately for the curious amongst us, Nicole LeBlanc (Communications and Fundraiding Manager with the PCWC) forwarded me several progress pictures from the ‘inside’ of the Wellness Centre which she has kindly allowed me to share with you:

The main arena, well under construction.

The Auxiliary Arena

The Pools and Hot Tub taking shape

The Fitness Centre

A very sunny view of the Fitness Centre

The Conference Area

The Gymnasium

To read further about what is going into the Wellness Centre, check out our earlier story; “There is a lot to get excited about with the new Pictou County Wellness Centre”. Also, to keep up-to-date with daily updates and further information, check out the PCWC Facebook page and make sure you bookmark their homepage.

If you would like to help the Pictou County Wellness Centre reach its fundraising goals, you may also wish to vote for them on “Community Cheer”, a website run by Molson Coors to help support community projects. Currently they have 155 Cheers and when they reach 225 they will qualify to receive up to $1 million in funding. Voting takes only a minute and is a great way to show your support for something that will define our community for years to come.

Kris

McCormick Rankin was hired jointly by the Municipality of the County of Pictou and Towns of Pictou, Trenton, Stellarton, and New Glasgow to study the feasibility of providing a fixed route transit system in Pictou County – in other words a bus system that would follow regular routes and a regular schedule. The service area being considered includes all five towns and several rural communities – however it may or may not be reasonable or affordable to service all of these areas with this type of transit system.

Image courtesy: WikiCats at en.wikipedia.org

In this study, we will be looking at characteristics of the population such as demographics to see if they are generally compatible with public transit. We will be examining travel patterns and the distribution of population and employment throughout the County, and identifying key user groups and destinations that could be served well by transit. This information will be used to develop different concepts of transit systems that could be implemented or phased in over time, provided there is adequate financial and political support.

We will be seeking input from our steering committee and from the public on these concepts, and will refine things such as the service area, routing, operating hours, and frequency of service. As a final step we will estimate how many people might use the service, how much it would cost to start up, and how much it would cost to operate on an ongoing basis. This will be a key factor in determining feasibility as the participating Towns and County would need to subsidize the operation financially and this would indirectly come from municipal taxes paid by residents. No transit system in the world is a money-making venture that can be paid for by fares alone; public transit is better thought of as a service that provides mobility choices and education/employment opportunities to residents of a community.

We will be looking at Provincial and Federal funding programs and other revenue sources that could help to subsidize a transit operation. We will also identify infrastructure such as terminals, shelters, and maintenance facilities that would be required and provide recommendations on the best ways to market, administer, and manage a fixed route bus system in Pictou County.

The best information we can get in this study comes from the residents themselves. We have prepared an online survey to help us gauge support for public transit and to help us understand people’s travel needs. We hope that everyone will take a few minutes to fill it out, whether or not they support public transit or would use a bus if it were available. It is available online at [this website] and can also be accessed through the Towns’ and Municipality’s websites or picked up at their offices.

Later this month we will be setting up displays and chatting with people in a public place like the mall to share ideas and to get more feedback. Stay posted for the exact date and time. The study should be wrapped up by the end of March.

So basically if you were too lazy to read all of that and you were waiting for me to sum it up for you, if you want to help then the first step to bring public transit back to Pictou County is to take an online survey to give your opinion. It takes no time to complete and your voice really matters. Visit their website and help out with something that could have a big impact on our growing community.

Kris

A view of the salt truck and house after it was towed out.

A salt truck collided into a house on Chesnut Street in Trenton this morning. New Glasgow Police were called to the scene at around 10:10am and responded along with the local Fire Department and Nova Scotia Power. There was one person in the house at the time, but neither her, nor the driver of the truck were injured. The driver coming down Chesnut lost control of his vehicle and then collided into the front of the house causing extensive damage. The vehicle has since been towed away from the scene by MacCulloch’s Truck Services Ltd. and the police continue to investigate the accident.

Although the the accident is still under investigation, this is another reminder that you need to execute caution when driving in snowy conditions. Take care out there, the roads are very slippery.

Kris

Additional Photos:

KFC

The spot where KFC stood for years is now Beltone Professional Hearing Care Centre.

Zellers/K-Mart

Zellers in the foreground still stands in the same location, however K-Mart in the background has long since closed shop in New Glasgow.

Roseland Theatre

The sign basically looks the exact same, however what is now the Roseland Cabaret, the Roseland Theatre used to be one of two of the main theatres in Pictou County and even featured a balcony.

The old New Glasgow Police Station

The New Glasgow Police Station is now located on Summer Street in a modern building, with modern police cruisers.

Pizza Delight

Before it was located on the east side by McDonalds, Pizza Delight stood for many years down town.

The old road along the East River

This street has since been closed off to make way for Glasgow Square and more recently, the Farmer’s Market.

Millers

A clothing store that featured two levels.

Michaels Hair Salon and Flower Shop

Now the site of The White Lotus

Michaels Hair Salon and Flower Shop

Mia's Pizza

 

 

 

 

 

 

A former staple in down town New Glasgow, one of the few pizza shops that seemed to always be busy despite having a less spicy sauce as competitors.

Joe Stewart Srap Metal & Bottles

You used to exchange your metal and bottles across from Big Al’s. The building has since burned down.

The Irving gas station

You were actually able to get your gas at the top of Provost Street at one time.

The Imperial Building

Although some businesses may have changed, the Imperial Building still stands.

Pete's Cosy Corner

The original Cosy Corner, Pete’s Cosy Corner unfortunately met its end in a big fire.

The George Street bridge

The George Street bridge used to feature a different archway that displayed in large letters “New Glasgow”.

Fendi Clothing

Another building that fell victim to fire.

Export Tailoring

Export Tailoring used to be at the head of town and now is the home to the Beauty Barn.

Dr. Locke's office

Dr. Locke’s old office used to stand where M&M Meats is now located. The building was torn down to make way for Lawtons which eventually moved across the road.

Dandy's

The Dandys building has changed hands many times. Originally a convenience store, it now stands beside the East River as Nova Scotia Legal Aid.

The Coffee Bean

The Coffee Bean still stands where it has always.

The Level 42 Club

The Level 42 Club is long gone, now in its place is Dooly’s.

CKEC 5,000 Watts

Back when CKEC was still 1320AM, it broadcast at a small by today standards 5,000 Watts.

Body Mechanix Fitness Centre

Body Mechanix is long gone, in its place is The Dock restaurant.

(All photos courtesy of Wendy MacDonald-Dewtie)

Looking at these pictures you get a real rush of nostalgia or if you are too young to have witnessed these businesses and landmarks, a lesson in New Glasgow’s history. I urge you to go out and take your own pictures of the town in its current state because you never know how much you will appreciate having a little window in the future to the way things are now.

If you have old pictures of the town you would like to share, I encourage you to upload them directly to the Community Photos section or to the message board so other people will be able to enjoy them as well.

Kris

Burger King as of Sunday, January 29th. Workers are still adding the finishing touches.

Whopper lovers (and in my case bacon poutine lovers) will be happy to know that New Glasgow’s very own Burger King will be opening tomorrow, January 31st. What this means for those of us who are crazy enough, you no longer need to pile in a car with your friends and drive to Truro to get your fix.

If you would like more information, be sure to like the Highland Square Mall Facebook page.

I will see you there.

Kris

Overlooking ice and silence

Andrea
- Andrea Fuller Photography

1. How long have you lived in Pictou County?

Cindy: Born and raised…though my family, like many maritimers, spent a few years in Toronto when Dad needed to find work. Also, as a young adult on my own, I lived in NB for a little over a year and I also lived in Truro for a few years.

2. What did you do before opening the White Lotus?

Cindy: I have a varied background. I spent most of my younger working years in the restaurant industry. I have always been creative, had a few things published, and a bit of training, so I taught night classes on Writing for Children with Professor Sheldon Curry (St.F.X.) at the Community College in Stellarton. I later took over that class for 2 years as the main teacher. Probably due to that, I got a job at CKEC as a creative writer / editor – for commercials and radio content. However, even back then I had a bit of entrepreneurial spirit and decided to leave there and open a place called Wizards Pizza out in Salt Springs. Loved that! Spent about 4 years doing this but my children were becoming older and needed more guidance…and not a mom who worked most nights. In addition, my husband got tired of being alone on the weekend nights. So I sold Wizards and went back to radio, where I stayed for about 10 years before opening the White Lotus.

3. What sort of products do you sell at the White Lotus?

Cindy: Products that are tools for your well-being mentally, spiritual, physically. So herbs for the body, books to open your mind, CD’s for meditation, chakra supplies to help you spiritually, spiritual books, etc.

4. What seems to be your best sellers?

Cindy: Right now I’d have to say the medicinal herbs and natural skin care. People are interested in getting back to natural care that doesn’t leave them loaded with chemicals.

5. What is your customer base like (age, sex, type of interest: health, spiritual, etc)?

Cindy: Big topic here…. age is MOSTLY 40 to 60, but we have all ages interested. People are searching for answers – the younger group especially (up to 40) and there is a lot of interest in crystals. From 40 to 60 there is a big interest in meditation, staying well, looking good, very open-minded and looking to satisfy a wider interest. After 60, there is more of an interest in health.

6. You also have additional services/classes/readings offered at the White Lotus by appointment…can you tell me a little about what you offer?

Cindy: It may be a crystal healing class or a workshop of past life regression or how to contact your angels. Different readers come into the store occasionally to read past lives, tea leaves, talk to spirit, tarot cards, palms, and other means of gaining answers from a more spiritual realm that what we walk in every day.

7. Do you have any upcoming special events or guests coming to the White Lotus?

Cindy: Sometimes these events are short notice but right now, we have Angela coming next week for How to Heal with Crystals and in April there is a man coming from B.C on how to connect with past lives.

8. You have a background in Astrology, how did you get started with this?

Cindy: I was very young when I first became interested in Astrology. It was probably around the age of 12 when I understood what a Sun Sign was. From there it’s been a lifelong love of learning this skill…and it does take a LONG time and lots of patience!

9. How does Astrology work?

Cindy: It’s a bit complicated to explain in a few lines but it depends on what energy the planets were sending you when you were born.

10. What sorts of things can you tell a person via an Astrology reading?

Cindy: Almost everything!

11. In addition to Astrology, you are also an expert in crystals, how did you get started with crystals?

Cindy: I don’t know if I’d call myself an expert at anything! I was older when I became interested but I’ve always loved and collected rocks of different sorts. Since then, it’s just a matter of collecting, learning, and loving! Much of this is self-taught and much of it should be, as it is how the crystals tune themselves to you.

12. What do crystals do? How do they work?

Cindy: A bit long to answer but each has a subtle energy that can work within your energy / electromagnetic field.

13. Do you sell crystals at the White Lotus?

Cindy: TONS! Sometimes to geologists because we bring in rare and unusual pieces that they want to see. We sell to people who use them personally and also to people who use them for healing (Reiki practitioners and such). There are also people who just think they are pretty.

14. Do you have a favourite crystal? Why?

Cindy: Oh my goodness, that’s like asking if you have just one favourite person in the whole world. I have favourites in FAMILIES of crystals and even then it’s hard to be too selective. I love lapiz lazuli and you can’t beat just a plain piece of crystal quartz.

15. You are also a Tarot Card Reader, how did you get started with Tarot Cards?

Cindy: I’ve always liked the idea of them and have been to many readers. I used them with my astrology at first as an additional tool but they didn’t really SPEAK to me on their own. It was not until I got the deck that I have now and somehow they just opened me up; I could literally hear them tell me things and give up their secrets.

16. How do Tarot Cards work? What can they tell us?

Cindy: They work on the energy around you RIGHT NOW, so they differ very much from astrology. They can be very accurate but again they have a different parameter depending on YOUR energies, that you are drawing NOW. I guess in some ways you are always shaping your own tarot read.

17. Do you have any new plans or changes coming for the White Lotus that you would like to share?

Cindy: It’s been constantly changing and growing since I opened. I am searching right now – waiting to see what way spirit moves me next in business – a few vague ideas, but nothing concrete yet.

You can locate the White Lotus Store at 166 Provost Street, New Glasgow or contact them at 695-3025. Also, visit their regularly updated Facebook Page or The White Lotus official website for more information. Lastly, you can request (via Facebook message or website) to be part of their emailing list, which will make you privy to announcements on new products arriving, sales, and who/when visitors are coming to provide services at the store.

-Joy

Joel MacNeil, Pictou County's newest rising star.

If you happened to tune into the Pictou County Telethon this year you may have been blown away by the talent on hand. One particular singer that hit all of the right notes was fifteen year old Joel MacNeil. Aside from the telethon, Joel has also been on YTV, East Coast FM and has a large following on YouTube, yet somehow until recently I had not even heard of him.

Check him out on the 2011 Pictou County Christmas Fund telethon singing a cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You”, accompanied by Craig MacEachren and Dan Baird:

The following is a Q&A interview I conducted with Joel to shed a little light on this future phenomenon:

1. First of all, how old are you?

Joel: 15 years old

2. Where do you go to school?

Joel: Grade 10 at North Nova Education Center

3. At what age did you get into music?

Joel: I started singing as far back as I can remember. I started playing percussion in School bands in the 4th grade.

4. When did you realize you had a talent for singing?

Joel: I don’t know when I actually realized, I just sing because I enjoy to sing and really enjoy all avenues of music.

5. Do you play any instruments? How/when did you learn to play them?

Joel: I took piano for 2 years when I was in elementary school and still try and play a little. I started playing percussion in grade 4 and continued through grade 9 playing in School bands. This year I have been playing, Saxophone and Percussion with the NNEC Concert and Jazz Bands as well as I am learning to play guitar.

6. When did you first publicly sing/perform?

Joel: The first time I actually sang a solo was at AG Baillie elementary school in grade 2. Mrs. Miller, our music teacher asked me to sing at a Christmas assembly in front of all the students and staff. I sang “Somewhere In My Memory” from Home Alone.

7. What came first, YouTube or YTV?

Joel: YouTube

a. Briefly tell me about your experience on YouTube (i.e. What kind of reception did you get? Did you gain a following? Has it been a big part of your success thus far?).

Joel McNeil and his friend Luke MacDonald after accepting an award

A friend of mine, Luke MacDonald, and I entered a talent show at the Pictou Exibition in September 2010 and we won first place, so just for fun, we put the video of our performance on Youtube and it went over really well, so I decided to set up my own YouTube Channel and post a couple of my own videos.  I have family that live away who never get a chance to see me sing, so YouTube allows them to see some of the Performances that I have done. Overall, the feedback has been very positive and I’ve gotten invitations to perform locally at different events because of someone who may have seen one of my video’s on YouTube.

b. Briefly tell me about what, why, how of being on YTV.

Joel: I heard about “The Next Star” auditions coming to Halifax and thought it would be fun to try it so, I went to Halifax, May 2011 and auditioned for YTV’s “the Next Star” . The Next Star is an open national singing competition for 15 years and younger and I was fortunate to have been called back as a Regional Finalist and was asked to sing Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” for the celebrity judges, who in turn gave me some very positive feedback. There are some clips of my audition and comments from the judges featured on Episode 3 of the TV series,“The Next Star”.

I was also selected as 1 of 6 finalists chosen from across Canada in YTV’s “the Next Star” Virtual contest from an audition tape that I submitted.

8. Briefly tell me about any media coverage, invites to perform, etc you have received.

Joel: I took private voice lessons from Janice Alcorn for a couple of years and she has been a big help with my music, she’s a great teacher. The past 2 years I performed in the annual Music Festival, held here in New Glasgow and both years I was recognized as one of the “Stars of the Festival” and won individual awards for Promising Voice and “outstanding” Junior performer in Musical Theatre. I have performed the past 2 years on the Pictou County Christmas Fund Telethon and a “shout out” to Ann MacGregor, ECFM for inviting me to perform on ECFM Radio Relay and from that I was invited to join the band Mendiva on stage at the outdoor Relay for Life in Parkdale, which was lots of fun. Craig MacEachern has helped me out a lot with my music and anytime I’ve needed someone to play guitar for me, he’s been there , he’s awesome. Dan Baird, John Muirhead and Evan Curley have also given their time to help me out, which I greatly appreciate. I got to join Craig and some of his friends on stage at the New Glasgow Downtown Christmas Tree lighting this year and now I’m looking forward to Craig and I doing a couple of songs at the Heart N’ Home Roots for Youth fundraiser, taking place at Glasgow Square, February 14th. My music keeps me very busy, I’m a member of the NNEC Concert and Jazz Bands as well as the Jazz choir and I am presently rehearsing for my roles in this years NNEC big production of Les Miserables.

9. Do friends your fellow students treat you differently/look at you as a celebrity?

Relay 4 Radio 2011 on East Coast FM

Joel: I don’t consider myself a celebrity and my friends are my friends because of who I am, Joel. A lot of my friends are also in music and we all support each other. I just sing for no other reason other than, I love music.

10. Have you recorded any music professionally/are you working on a CD?

Joel: No, but if I was every given the chance, I would love to.

11. Do you intend to pursue music as a career when you finish school?

Joel: I’m undecided at this time, just having fun with it.

12. Do you write/perform any original music?

Joel: I play around with it but not anything I’m ready to share.

13. What artists do you like to cover?

Joel: Bruno Mars, Adele, Michael Jackson

14. Who is your favorite band/singer? Who is your biggest inspiration?

Joel: All Time Low, Queen are two of my favorite bands. My favorite
Singer and biggest inspiration has to be Michael Jackson.

15. How can people find out more about you?

Joel: Just ask my mother, kidding

16. Is there anything you would like to add?

Joel: Music is only 1 of my interests, I love sports as well. I play and referee hockey, golf, ski and wakeboard.

Joel already has the talent and apparently a good head on his shoulders, so with the support of Pictou County and a little hard work, there is no stopping him on his road to success.

If you would like to hear more from Joel MacNeil, check out his YouTube page and be sure to subscribe.

Kris

Pictou County Wellness Centre on January 22, 2012

The Pictou County Wellness Centre, which is comparable to the Truro Civic Centre and the Lunenburg Lifestyle Centre in size and scope, is really starting to take shape with most of the work being done by Bird Construction. Getting to this phase has taken a mammoth effort by both those under the hard hats, as well as those behind the scenes. Fundraising and donations have been key to securing the funds required to build such a cutting edge complex and as of September 26, 2011, the PCWC Committee announced funds raised to that date totalled $6.6 million dollars! On that date the committee also kicked off their community campaign and in an interview with New Glasgow Talks, Nicole LeBlanc, Fundraising and Communications Manager for the PC Wellness Centre, described the large undertaking:

The community campaign team compromised of Community Campaign Co-chairs George and Shirley Manos; Seat Sale Chair Gerald Green; Community Events Coordinator Suzanne Walsh and representing our Youth Committee is Mike Roper who is the Chair of the Youth Committee. They’ve been focused on promoting the Centre, campaign and awareness. We launched Event-in-a-bag kits where parties interested in hosting a fundraising event for the wellness centre can get one of these kits that includes guidelines, information on our Take-a-seat campaign and other goodies. The Take-a-seat campaign has also been going quite well with the naming rights to seats in the arenas available for sponsorship ranging from $100-$5,000. We also offer gift certificates which have been quite popular as they make a wonderful gift for that hard to shop for person on your holiday list or a nice way to honour or leave a legacy in memory of someone special.

So what does this mean for me?

When you enter the Pictou County Wellness Centre for the first time, you will be presented with a beautiful 30′ high central atrium. This new atrium will be flooded with natural sunlight during the day and will act as a gateway to all of the facilities amenities. You will be able to access the Arena complex through the south side, while the pool, gymnasium and central YMCA administration will be found on the north side. Washrooms, a canteen, ticket sales, as well as a community gathering room will also be accessible by the atrium.

Want more? How does an NHL sized arena with seating for 1,600 sound? During concerts and special events, the floor of that arena can also accommodate an additional 1,175 people. Tack on top of that an additional NHL rink with seating for 144 and you have a world class centre to play sports and watch performances. This twin-pad feature is designed to allow for ice sports to continue while the other surface is used for events and conferences. The ice surfaces will also be served by ten public dressing rooms which include two that are barrier-free, as well as private dressing rooms for the Junior and Midget club teams.

Additionally those who currently have or who have ever considered purchasing a YMCA membership will be happy to know that the “Y” will be relocating within the walls of the Wellness Centre and stocking the place with brand new state of the art equipment. The new YMCA will also be offering a full day licensed YMCA childcare centre that will be capable of accommodating up to 60 children from various age groups. If that wasn’t enough, there will be three new pools for people of all ages including a six lane, 25 meter training pool, a leasure pool, as well as a swirl pool/hot tub. The old facility will be closing and they are currently looking at other options for the location.

In all, it means soon you will have a ground breaking complex available at your disposal to enhance your social, recreational and athletic pursuits. It will be a facility unlike any other in Pictou County and will be a meeting ground for sports, first class concerts, and much more. The Pictou County Wellness Centre committee also hopes it will “further the region’s status as a desirable place to live and work”.

According to Nicole, construction is still on track and the Wellness Centre will be opening in late 2012. If you are not excited yet, trust me, you will be when the doors open later this year. Pictou County is filled with a lot of pride when it comes to our food, our home grown talent, and our community in general. Soon we will have one more thing added to that list to be proud of.

Be sure to like the Pictou County Wellness Centre’s Facebook page to keep up-to-date on construction, fundraising, and more.

Kris

Additional:

Currently there is a large fire taking place at Nova Forge beside the former Trenton Works in the forge building which was purchased recently by Daewoo to construct columns for wind turbines. At one point, flames could be see flaring up from a distant vantage point, and a large black smoke trail filled the air for kilometres.

Large fire at Daewoo/Trenton Works on January 24, 2012

These videos show you the smoke billowing out of the building:

As always, you can listen to the “Pictou County Public Safety” Live scanner online. Please if you are in the area, stay out of the way of the emergency service crews and let them do their work. If an emergency vehicles comes up behind you on the road with their lights on, safely pull over to the side of the road and let them pass.

Kris

Additional pictures: