CBHT - Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 05:00 p.m. (ET) - Segment #2

>>> Well, staying with this story, northern pulp is eyeing the south shore as the location for its new mill. Nicola seguin is bringing us reaction from that community. >> Reporter: for many in liverpool, it was a welcome surprise. >> I think it should be a mill, it always was and it was a good thing and I think that it should be again. >> Reporter: forestry sector workers got the news from a live livestream and hope for new jobs and economic development in their field and saying that a new mill can't come soon enough. >> I say get er built. >> Reporter: and the area has faced economic downturns since an old mill known as bowwater closed in 2012. And when the former northern pulp mill in pictou was shut years ago it hurt the forestry industry province-wide. Some feel that a new mill could breathe life back into the south shore. >> I think it could be a great boom for queens county as well as the western end of this province. It is desperately needed. And we really need jobs in this county, and in this end of the province, and it would be a great thing if it comes about. >> Reporter: but the new paper mill in liverpool isn't a done deal. A feasibility study will determine if it will work and where it will go. But with recent memories of environmental concerns caused by the mill in pictou, officials are swaying this time it would be different. >> New mills are modern, and J.F. spoke earlier about the fact that this would be a state-of-the-art model for canada mills. And the premier in his live press release stated clearly about having environmental rules, etc. So I am confident that a newmill at today's standards is going to be a wonderful addition. >> Reporter: for now details are scarce. And locals will have to wait months to hear more. But the idea of a new mill and what it could bring to the area's economy is keeping some people going. Nicola seguin, cbc news, liverpool. >> Amy: in other news, the union representing approximately 10,000 nova scotia public schoolteachers have ratified a contract with the province. It comes after 10 months of bargaining with the province and it required the help of a risk silliator. It gains include salary increases and more prep time. And the president of the nova scotia teamers' teachers' union got measures to address classroom violence by adding more school counselors. It's effective to july 31st, 2026. ( ) ( )

>>> All right, so a beautiful day today but you -- you're always looking ahead into what might happen. >> Ryan: that's right. And today is notable because it is the day that the national hurricane centre releases its annual outlook for what we can expect this hurricane season. And, in fact, they're predicting the most amount of storms they've ever predicted -- 17 to 25 named storms. And the average year sees about 14. Of and of those 17 to 25 storms they're expecting 8 to 13 to become hurricanes and four to seven of those to becoming category 3 storms or higher. That's a lot of storms -- no doubt about it, in fact, a high confidence as well that this is going to be an above normal season. 85% chance of it being an above normal season. Why is the confidence so high? What are the big factors? Well, most notably, the above normal sea surface temperatures in the atlantic and an above normal western african monsoon season. So a lot of thunderstorm clusters off of the coast of africa and hitting this very, very warm water, already near record levels in the tropical atlantic. So that will help to fuel and to develop those storms as they track westward and into the caribbean and towards towards north america. Currently in an el19o, and el nino is expected to change and a la nina into the later summer and into the fall. That means less wind shear in the tropical atlantic and into the caribbean so that means a more favourable set-up for these storms as they approach atlantic canada and north america. So in terms of atlantic canada, you hear that number of storms and it's going to get folks anxious and nervous, especially given the last couple of years. But it's very important to remember that just because we have a high number of storms doesn't mean that we will have a high number of storms here in atlantic canada. Look no further than 2020. 30 named storms that year and the most on record -- and yet just one post-tropical storm teddy impacted us here. And the second highest named storms was 2005 and we only had ophelia here which was basically a non-event. So, amy, it does not mean that we'll see a tonne of storms here in atlantic canada. There's so many factors and it really comes down to what the atmospheric setup is during the week that storm develops and starts to track towards north america and if that are we for that we have to wait and see. >> Amy: thank you, ryan.

>>> In southwestern nova scotia opposition has sprung up over plans to fast track approvals of shellfish and aquaculture. The province called for proposals in six locations in argyle after the municipality had pre-approvals from federal authorities. >> Reporter: argyle was one place in nova scotia where shellfish aqua aquaculture had social licence but not everyone is on board. >> Now they want to extend it and have 52 sites and I don't think that the development should be here. Put your identify oyster cages where there's no home it is am. >> Reporter: they say they were caught off-guard when they created the aquaculture development area last month. Under the pilot project, it's subject to a paper hearing and not the quasi regulatory process that would shave the years off approval time because they identified dozens of sites as suitable. Six are now up for grabs including an oyster farm expansion at salt bay where some neighbours are not happy. >> I just found about it last week because somebody posted sm something on facebook. It's been a waterway forever and people come and fish and you see kayakers and water sports going on and it's going to restrict it. >> Why should one or two businesses profit at the expense of all of the citizens that boat and enjoy recreation here in the beauty of it? >> We stand by what we did. >> Reporter: he acknowledges that some were unaware and concerned, but he's not backing down. >> We had a public engagement, tftionit was comprehensive. We probably did more than what protocol asked for. I mean, we were on the radio and we were in the newspapers and we had -- we had pamphlets handed out. It was in our newsletter. >> Reporter: the warden says that is a case of "not in my backyard." >> I think is the biggest problem, people don't want to see that in their backyard, because that's some of the questions that I got, if this wasn't in your backyard, would you be as concerned? And the answer was I'd be concerned but not half as much as I am now. So it tells you that it's the unsightly part of it that I think that is the biggest concern. >> Reporter: he says that it will be up to the province to take local opposition into account. But that process will not include a public hearing. Paul withers, cbc news, tus get. >> Amy: we told you that the province of nova scotia is now acknowledging that it won't be barrier free by 2030, but it is planning to enact new rules for public buildings and spaces some time this year. Many public institutions have started to lay the groundwork in anticipation of this new standard. For some, the costs could be in the millions. Shaina luck has that story. >> Reporter: professor linda campbell's office in the science building of st. Mary's university has been modified with accessibility in mind. She is deaf, and has given much thought to the way that design can include people, or exclude them. >> In a beautiful world it means that everyone can be included. >> Reporter: down the hall there's a spot that stops some people in their tracks. >> They pause and they want to make sure, hey, is this flat. >> Reporter: someone with low vision, the rectangles can look like stairs -- a tripping hazard. >> Obviously, with installing the floor, they didn't consider the accessibility aspect. It will be expensive to fix this. But it is challenging. >> Reporter: three years ago, this architect was hired to do what is called an accessibility audit for most of the provincial universities. She also surveys many other types of buildings. Cbc obtained the audit through access to information. It covered 15 buildings and the cost estimates for each building ranged between $117,000 and $742,000. These are only high level estimates. She says that this should not be taken as a hard total and prices have risen a lot in recent years. When she did the university's project, she was a bit taken aback at the cost. >> I was somewhat surprised, and I think that most of the clients were very surprised. >> Reporter: she declined an interview with cbc but it's far from the only public institution facing extensive across accessibility modifications. We asked the province what happens if the institutions say they can't afford to make modifications? >> If it is communicated that, um, that there is something that is non-compliant, the director

will have education and compliance officers to work with them. >> There were some washrooms -- >> Reporter: according to the architect ann st. Claire it's typical to have accessibility upgrades with other necessary renovations. This spreads the costs out over time. Linda campbell says that people with disabilities must have input so that money is well spent with good results. And in an aging province with the highest rate of disabilities in canada, she says that people should understand why this is worthwhile. >> There's a phrase in the disabled community -- they use it often. "everyone will become disabled sooner or later -- everyone." >> Reporter: shaina luck, cbc news, halifax. >> Amy: halifax regional council has passed major zoning changes linked to ottawa's $73 million housing accelerator fund. Over the past two days, the council heard from more than 80 people on the accelerator fund, both for and against the zoning changes. The changes could allow for more than 200,000 new housing units to be built in the coming years. It would also allow four housing units on the lot within the service boundary and up to eight units within most parts of the urban core. Taller buildings would be allowed on transit corridors and the changes passed without any amendments. >>> More than 50 years after tearing down the former african nova scotia community of africville, the city has a project about its future. The public meetings are going to take place over the next few days about the long-term vision for africville. As we report, people who used to live there have high hopes for the project. >> When you came to africville, everyone welcomed you with open arms. >> Reporter: the two women are sharing fond memories of their childhood in africville. And they're leading a school tour of the community and they remember leaving when they demolished homes of 80 families and about 400 people. And they wanted the views of those who lived in africville to be front and centre at the public meetings. >> They'll tell you what it was, and what it could be and what it should be. >> Reporter: it's a three-phased multi-year project to look at transportation, land use, and other possibilities for the area for the historic site. And she wants to ensure that it it's used for worship again. >> People come out here and be there for the people. A church for the people. >> Reporter: both think that a new interpretative exhibit should be built to allow the church to reclaim its significance as a gathering place. There's also the issue what happens to the land created in front of the museum. >> I thank it could be a lot of things and we're already looking at the africville waterfront, you know, development. And what are the things that people love? People love biking and they love trails and they love being able to be connected from one part of the city to the other. >> Reporter: there are others who used to live in africville who want to see even bigger changes. >> Africville park would be moved from its current location to that landfill. The lands remains would be given back to the people of africville for them to decide what kind of development they want to see. >> Reporter: the councillor who has been working on the project sees it as another key reconciliation step for the city. >> You know, if it comes to the prospect is that the ask that the city return land, then we should figure out a way to support that in the future. And support it in a way that sets everybody up for success. ( ) [ singing ] >> Reporter: they're sending off the students with a song they used to sing in the church and they're hoping to again. Gareth hampshire, cbc news, halifax. [ singing ] ( ) >> Amy: the U.S. justice department is filing anti-trust lawsuit against the owner of ticketmaster.

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