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April 1 2026
THE PLAY’S THE THING: Award-winning playwright Lindsay Kyte (centre) works with Jenn Priddle’s Grade 11/12 theatre arts class at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School in Antigonish. Kyte is serving as artist-in-residence through April, guiding students as they create an original play for school and public performances the week of May 11–15, before taking it to Dramafest, Nova Scotia’s provincial high school drama festival, from May 20-22. See story in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: Janet Becigneul
‘Layoffs are an inevitability’
SHERBROOKE – One month after the province cut more than 20 per cent of its funding to Sherbrooke Village, the consequences are no longer hypothetical, and neither is York Lethbridge’s worst-case scenario.
Mystery of the stolen bell
CAPE GEORGE – Hurt and anger continue to permeate throughout this Antigonish County community as the theft of a historic bell from St. David’s United Church more than a week ago remains unsolved, although there is word online – which has not been confirmed by police – that it has been destroyed.
Nova Scotia appeals board reviewing Canso tax inquiry
CANSO – The Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board is examining whether it has the authority to act on a request tied to property tax treatment in the former Town of Canso following its 2012 dissolution, The Journal has learned.
March 25 2026
LUCK ‘O THE IRISH: It was a full day of fun for residents of The Maples in Antigonish on St. Patrick’s Day. It included a trip to the Children’s Place Daycare where two residents led a craft session with pre-schoolers. At The Maples, a leprechaun arrived to give out treats at lunch, and John and Jim Hanlon played Irish tunes for happy hour at the pub. Pictured here at the daycare are (from left) Hayley Gillis, Allie Gillis, Stevie Chisholm and Pauline Myatt.
Photo Credit: ContributedLimited tax relief for Canso area
CANSO – After years of controversy, a contentious local tax rate in District 8 — which includes the former Town of Canso — has been reduced, but only for a small group of properties on Durrell’s Island, as the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) approved its 2026–27 budget last week.
St. Mary’s flooding disrupts travel, tests emergency response
SHERBROOKE – Residents in Sherbrooke and surrounding communities were forced to reroute travel, delay plans and adjust daily routines after flooding shut down sections of Hwy. 7 and cut off key routes following a night of heavy rain and wind last week.
A family business — where everyone feels like family
ANTIGONISH – Dylan, age seven, and Rhyan MacDonald, nine, cleared tables and delivered meals as Bonnie MacInnis sat down at a booth with The Journal early Friday morning, the final day of operations of Myers Tea Room in Antigonish. The girls, on their March break, are the fourth generation of the Myers family to greet and serve customers, mostly regulars, here at the cozy café that has felt like home for generations of Antigonishers.
March 18 2026
MASKED TRADITION: Students at École Belle-Baie in Larry’s River prepare to take part in an Acadian springtime tradition, the costume parade Mi-Carême, during French Education Week (March 9-13) in Nova Scotia. According to Principal Nicole Avery-Bell, the event reflects the school’s growing cultural engagement one year after establishing itself as Guysborough County’s first French-language public school. See this week's edition for more.
Photo Credit: Contributed
Ottawa signs $200M deal to secure launch site in Canso
CANSO – The federal government has signed a 10-year, $200-million agreement with Maritime Launch Services to establish a dedicated launch facility at Spaceport Nova Scotia near Canso.
Province restores local transit funding
ANTIGONISH – The province’s decision to reinstate $53.6 million in grants and funding aimed at providing support for people with disabilities, seniors and education initiatives brought a collective sigh of relief across northeastern Nova Scotia last week from operators and users of community transit.
New doctors begin arriving in Guysborough, Sherbrooke
GUYSBOROUGH – One year after The Journal reported that Guysborough and Sherbrooke were poised to welcome new physicians, Nova Scotia Health (NSH) says the first of those recruits is now in place and another is scheduled to begin practising this summer.
March 11 2026
GRASSROOTS MESSAGE: People across the province, including in northeastern Nova Scotia, continue to raise their voices regarding the budget tabled by Premier Tim Houston and the governing Conservatives Feb. 23, which included multi-million-dollar cuts to arts, culture and heritage grants. Thousands took to the streets on March 4, including approximately 400 who made their way to the constituency office of Antigonish MLA Michelle Thompson on Main St., to deliver their protest message. Full story in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: ContributedThe end of an era
ANTIGONISH – Pioneers of healthcare here – across the country and around the world – have decided to end their sponsorship of the hospital that proudly bears their name.
SHOPS funding restored after provincial reversal
SHERBROOKE – Just days after announcing it would close, the Sherbrooke Opportunities Society (SHOPS) has confirmed it will remain open for at least another year following the province’s reversal of proposed cuts to the Disability Support Program.
Upper Afton Wind Project files for environmental assessment
UPPER AFTON – Days after announcing a $240-million financing deal to advance four of its Nova Scotia wind developments, EverWind Fuels has registered its Upper Afton Wind Project in Guysborough County for provincial environmental assessment.
March 4 2026
WARM HEARTS GATHER: Fifty-seven teams with more than 340 walkers bundled up to participate in the Naomi Society’s Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser Saturday evening in Antigonish (Feb 28). Walkers completed either a two- or five-kilometre course in support of the society’s work to help women and children affected by relationship violence. See story on page 7.
Photo Credit: Janet Becigneul
Funding cut jolts Historic Sherbrooke Village
SHERBROOKE – A special council meeting of the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s will convene Wednesday, March 4, to address a 20 per cent provincial funding cut to Historic Sherbrooke Village – a reduction that threatens local jobs and deep programming cuts at one of Nova Scotia’s most iconic cultural sites.
Record-breaking demand at Antigonish Community Food Bank
ANTIGONISH – The Antigonish Community Food Bank is seeing a significant rise in demand this winter, resulting in a record-breaking day of service last week.
Mulgrave deputy mayor warns of resignation over online attacks
MULGRAVE – Mulgrave Deputy Mayor Jane Tate says she has sought legal advice and is prepared to resign if what she describes as ongoing defamatory social media attacks against her continue.
February 25 2026
COLD-WATER DRILL: Members of the Three Top Volunteer Fire Department plunge into icy conditions during their annual ice-rescue training in Whitehead on Sunday, Feb. 22, taking turns entering the water in full gear and practising emergency recovery techniques. On the ice were Chief Tino Winter, Roger George, Val Cashin, Johnathan Dort, Duncan Bellefontaine, Robert Bellefontaine, Corrine Munroe and Sandy Winter. Volunteers Marg Rhynold and Donna Rhynold prepared lunch for participants following the exercise.
Photo Credit: Contributed
Funding sought for Antigonish arts centre study
HEATHERTON – Supporters of a proposed Antigonish arts and culture centre are seeking $30,000 in combined municipal funding to launch a feasibility study for a project that could ultimately carry a $40-million price tag.
No tax cut recommended for Canso
GUYSBOROUGH – A recently completed review of Canso’s disputed local tax structure – under which some residents pay as much as three times the annual levy paid by counterparts elsewhere in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) – does not recommend reducing the additional area rate applied to properties there.
A new chapter in local journalism
GUYSBOROUGH-ANTIGONISH – The separation of the Guysborough Journal and Antigonish This Week is no more, with the merger of the two papers in this week’s edition.
February 18 2026
A GRANDFATHER’S STORY: Ainlee (left) and Langston Van Sickle, daughters of Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy vice-principal and African Nova Scotian community organizer Tera Dorrington, shared the story of their grandfather “Poppy Jimmy” and the legacy of schooling for Black children in Sunnyville at the Municipality of the District of Guysborough’s African Heritage Month ceremony, Feb. 11. See this week's edition for full coverage.
Photo Credit: Hilary Hendsbee
Aulds Cove Wind Project clears environmental review
AULDS COVE — For proponents of a proposed 147-megawatt wind energy project near Aulds Cove – billed as power “for Nova Scotians to be used by Nova Scotians” – Friday the 13th proved anything but unlucky.
The long road home
ANTIGONISH — It’s 1944. You live in a house that’s drafty and damp. You use an outhouse, even on the coldest of nights. One of your children has just died – William. One year old. Pneumonia.
Future of French whales at proposed sanctuary uncertain
PORT HILFORD — Despite France’s December declaration that two captive orcas were “destined” for the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) in Port Hilford, their relocation remains uncertain after high-level talks in Paris have failed to produce a final agreement.
February 11 2026
SWEET REWARDS: Siblings Yvonne Clyke and Gerard Fougere stretch tamarin — a traditional Acadian candy — during the Festival du Tamarin celebration at the Chedabucto Lifestyle Complex in Guysborough on Saturday. See story and more pictures in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: Hilary Hendsbee
Regional library asks councils for cash to buy books
GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY — Facing what it calls a “complex and uncertain financial outlook,” Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) has issued an urgent call to municipal governments in Guysborough County and parts of Cape Breton for money to help it buy books.
Residents press consultants over Canso tax
CANSO — An estimated 80 area residents crowded into the Canso Fire Hall last week for a public open house to share their views and provide feedback on a long-standing area tax they say is roughly three times higher than what residents pay elsewhere in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG).
Water restored after outage shuts hospital in St. Mary’s
SHERBROOKE — Water service was restored Feb. 3 after a four-day disruption caused by multiple leaks in Sherbrooke’s water main system, affecting about 40 residents, businesses and the local hospital during a weekend snowstorm.
February 4 2026
DOWNHILL DAYS: Families were out on the weekend enjoying the exhilaration of sledding at a groomed to perfection Lily’s Hill in Sheet Harbour, including Brad Atkinson and his grandsons, Cian, four, and two-and-a-half-year-old Aodhan.
Photo Credit: Rachel Atkinson
Morien set to proceed with Lazy Head quarry
HAZEL HILL — Barely five months after going public with the idea, a Nova Scotia company and its U.S. partner say they have made a “final investment decision” to build an aggregate quarry and marine terminal near this seaside community that could generate up to 100 construction jobs and nearly as many permanent full-time positions in the area.
Canso tax review open houses scheduled for Wednesday
CANSO — Residents of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) will get a chance to ask questions and learn more about the ongoing review of the Canso tax rate structure at two open houses in Canso and Guysborough on Wednesday (Feb. 4).
Family curling story gains national attention
CANSO — A story rooted in family and decades of curling tradition has propelled a Canso team into the national spotlight, as members of the MacDonald family await the outcome of a Curling Day in Canada storytelling contest this weekend.
January 28 2026
ON THE GO: The St. Mary’s Association for Rural Transit (SMART-GO) has added a second wheelchair accessible van, which increases the size of its fleet to four vehicles. Team members Wendy Shelly (office manager and driver), Jason Collingwood (driver), Heather Kreffer (executive director) and Doug Fleet (lead driver) say the increase will better enable them to serve the ever-growing needs to the communities they serve. Story in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: Joanne Jordan
Municipalities call for second road to St. Martha’s
GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY — Guysborough County’s three municipalities have lined up behind a call to provincial and federal governments to address what local officials describe as a growing public safety risk at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish: the lack of a second, permanent access road.
Groundwork on new housing strategy begins
GUYSBOROUGH — A grassroots housing organization in Guysborough County has begun work on what it describes as the region’s first locally driven effort to develop a housing strategy focused specifically on the needs of African Nova Scotian communities.
The show must go on
SHERBROOKE — With filming of The Great Amherst Ghost Haunting now wrapped, officials at Sherbrooke Village say the experience has renewed their interest in attracting more film and television productions to the historic site.
January 21 2026
READY FOR THEIR CLOSE-UP: Anya Nowakowski of Country Harbour and two-year-old Mac Benoit from Cape Breton are among the cast members for The Great Amherst Haunting — a docudrama about a paranormal event in the late 1800s — which wrapped up production in Sherbrooke Village last week. Nowakowski played one of the main characters, Olive Teed, while Benoit played her son, Georgie. The picture was taken by Benoit’s mother, Sarah McDougall. More photos in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: Sara MacDougall
Canso bank closure, one year later
CANSO — It does not amuse Harold Roberts, president of the Canso and Area Development Association and a local resident, that a routine bank deposit recently took him four hours and 15 minutes – most of which was spent driving round trip from Canso to New Glasgow after the closure of his town’s only bank branch last summer.
Into Africa
GUYSBOROUGH — She holds the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and her name proudly adorns the Dr. William P. Oliver Wall of Honour.
Some climate change upsides flagged for Guysborough
GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY — A newly released provincial climate change risk assessment outlines increasing risks from stronger storms, flooding and pressure on infrastructure across Nova Scotia, but it also identifies Guysborough County as one of a small number of areas that may experience some potential benefits alongside those challenges.
January 14 2026
PROUD PARENTS: After making her debut for Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Hockey Championship - a one goal and one assist performance in a 9-0 victory over Switzerland - Kendall Doiron of Boylston shares a post-game moment with her parents Shauna Brymer and Fabian Doiron. Read more about Kendall’s early experience in the international spotlight in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: Contributed
Public meetings begin on new wind project
UPPER AFTON — EverWind Fuels is launching public consultation on a proposed Upper Afton wind project this month, hosting four open houses as the company begins early planning and community engagement on the development.
New bridge work ahead for St. Mary’s
ST. MARY’S — Two bridges crucial to public safety, access and economic development in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s are slated for major overhauls or replacement with key work to begin as early as next year, according to the provincial department of Public Works.
Canso spaceport gears up with new operations chief
CANSO — With a new operations chief now in place, Maritime Launch Services says Spaceport Nova Scotia has reached a “pivotal moment” in its bid to become Canada’s first and only commercial rocket launch site.
January 7 2026
CANSO DIVES IN AGAIN: Participants in the annual New Year’s Day polar bear dip, including Melissa Theriault (back, left), Josh O’Leary, Mike Geddes, Cory Mackenzie, Brian Sangster (middle, left), Charlene Mackenzie, Na tasha Feltmate, Breanna Peters, Luella Baker, Kevin O’Handley, Lucy Avery, Brendan Geddes, Melissa Richards, Carma Taylor, Evan Richard, Taylor Boudreau-Richards, Blake Myatt, Holden Rhynold, Jude Baker, Julia Murphy (front, left), Janna Mackenzie, Nikki Boudreau and Maverick Sangster, gathered at the Canso Marina beach following their plunge into the North Atlantic. See more in this week's edition.
Photo Credit: Sheri Geddes
Sea of change and challenge
CANSO — On a quiet afternoon just before the end of the year, Bill Bond and Ken Snow sit together by the shore in Canso, talking and watching, doing what fishermen have always done when the boats are tied up and the weather allows a pause. There is food on the table. There is time to talk. There is no rush in their voices.
Goldboro-based energy park draws close scrutiny
GOLDBORO — In an era when major energy projects often trigger ideological flashpoints, public reaction to Nova Sustainable Fuels’ proposed renewable energy park in Guysborough County ranged from broadly supportive to sharply critical in the weeks leading up to its provincial environmental assessment approval last month.
Guarding the river, building the future
SHERBROOKE — Despite uncertainty around federal conservation funding, the St. Mary’s River Association is heading into the new year “cautiously optimistic,” with several major initiatives underway aimed at protecting the river and restoring its salmon population.
