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HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Sixty-second General Assembly

Second Session

1:00 P.M.

SPEAKER

Hon. Kevin Murphy

DEPUTY SPEAKERS

Mr. Gordon Wilson, Mr. Keith Irving

MR. SPEAKER » : Order, please. Before we begin the daily routine a reminder that there is late debate this evening, as submitted by the honourable member for Clare-Digby, and it is as follows:

Therefore be it resolved that all Parties offer their ideas on how the Nova Scotia Government can best position the province to maximize total economic benefits from the emerging tidal industry.

Late debate at the conclusion of the daily routine today.

We'll begin the daily routine.

PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS

STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Premier.

HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, may I make an introduction before I do my resolution?

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, in the east gallery today we are joined by Sean and James Court, brothers who moved to Halifax from Charlottetown over a year ago. Sean and James moved to Nova Scotia to start a business and are now founders of Beaumont & Company, fabricating sustainable exhibits and displays for trade shows, sporting events, festivals, and other retail locations.

I would ask the House to give the brothers a warm welcome. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Premier.

RESOLUTION NO. 3765

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Sean Court, a 22-year-old entrepreneur, will join his peers from around the globe at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Summit 2016 in Beijing, China, September 7^th and September 8^th; and

Whereas the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Summit is an annual convention of young business owners that was established with the aim of championing the importance of young entrepreneurs to the G20 member nations, and to share examples and practices; and

Whereas Sean received the selection to be part of the team of 22 entrepreneurs representing Canada at the summit after taking part in a rigorous application process;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Sean on his selection to attend the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Summit, and wish him luck on this exciting journey while he will be proud to represent Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

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It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Business.

RESOLUTION NO. 3766

HON. MARK FUREY « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nova Scotia is known across the country and around the world for brewing some of the finest and most flavourful beers you can pour into a glass; and

Whereas from May 6^th to May 15^th the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia is celebrating the province's Second Annual Craft Beer Week with events throughout the province; and

Whereas there are now 33 breweries and brew pubs in Nova Scotia that employ more than 300 people, contributing $16 million in sales each year to our economy, and with the growth rate of more than 30 per cent per year;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly raise a pint this week in celebrating Craft Beer Week, to toast Nova Scotia's craft brewers, and recognize the success and good cheer they bring to our province.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, may I make an introduction?

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MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, joining us in the gallery today we have Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer. Chief Collyer is vice-president of the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association and has been chief of police for the Bridgewater Police Service since December 2011. I'd like for him to rise and to have all members of the House join me in giving him a warm welcome. (Applause)

My second introduction in the gallery today is Trine Lise Good and her friend from Get Prescription Drugs Off the Street. They want people to know that every day should be Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day to continue to fight a diversion of prescription drugs to the streets, where the lives of Nova Scotians are impacted. I'd like for them to rise and for members of the House to give them a warm welcome. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

RESOLUTION NO. 3767

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association is working in partnership with all municipal police agencies, the RCMP, and community pharmacists to support the 4^th Annual Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day; and

Whereas Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day provides a reminder to dispose of all prescription drugs as soon as they become unused so as to avoid misuse or abuse; and

Whereas certain prescription drugs result in serious harm such as addiction, overdose, and death, which can have a devastating impact on the lives of Nova Scotians, whether they come from the medicine cabinet or through diversion to the streets;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly recognize Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day on Saturday, May 21^st, and encourage all Nova Scotians to participate in this important public safety event.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

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Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, may I make a further introduction?

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MR. GLAVINE « » : It's a pleasure to introduce a number of guests in the gallery this afternoon. Joining us from the IWK Auxiliary are Jaqueline Stevens, president; Kelly Cameron, chair of the 70^th Anniversary committee; Jean Menzies-Newton, past president; and Shiva Maychuk, executive member. Also in the gallery is a familiar face, Nick Cox, who is senior adviser of government relations issues management for the IWK.

I'm very happy that they're able to join us today, and I'd like for all members of the House to give them a warm welcome. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

RESOLUTION NO. 3768

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 17, 1946, the IWK Auxiliary was founded to support the work of the region's largest women's and children's hospital; and

Whereas Auxiliary volunteers run Biggs and Littles - the IWK gift shop, operate the successful Kermesse every year, volunteer in patient care areas, and provide comfort items to small patients who need them; and

Whereas the IWK Auxiliary has given countless volunteer hours and over $8.4 million to the IWK Health Centre over the years;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House recognize the 70 members and 22 patrons of the IWK Auxiliary, and congratulate them on their decades of service to families in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

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Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Agriculture.

RESOLUTION NO. 3769

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Ruth Grant has worked with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture for over 31 years in a variety of positions that have allowed her to demonstrate leadership and support of growing appreciation for the agriculture industry's contribution to the unique quality of life enjoyed by Nova Scotians; and

Whereas Ms. Grant, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and currently serves as the department's manager of extension outreach, has spent her career encouraging the growth of agriculture and the benefit of all Nova Scotians in positions such as regional 4-H specialist, agriculture awareness coordinator, senior agricultural leadership coordinator, Select Nova Scotia coordinator, and regional services coordinator; and

Whereas on May 7^th the Nova Scotia 4-H Council recognized Ms. Grant for their Friends of 4-H Award for her numerous and distinguished contributions as a public servant and an advocate for a strong and vibrant agriculture sector;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this Legislature congratulate Ms. Grant on this well-deserved recognition and thank her for an important contribution to agricultural life and the public service of Nova Scotia, and wish her continued success in facilitating agriculture's strong impact on our province.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

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Would all those in favour of the motion please say, Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

RESOLUTION NO. 3770

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Victoria Co-op Fisheries Ltd. of Neil's Harbour marked their 60^th Anniversary in a recent event held in April and has been an active contributor to jobs and economic activity in Cape Breton's seafood sector, by purchasing seafood from six to eight communities, valued up to $20 million every year; and

Whereas the value of Nova Scotia's seafood exports was $1.68 billion in 2015, which is a 33 per cent increase over 2014, with lobster contributing the most valuable export overall, bringing in more than $891 million in 2015, followed by crab at $180 million, scallops $169 million, and shrimp at $131 million; and

Whereas the only active lobster processing facility on Cape Breton Island, a focal point for the community providing jobs and supplying materials and equipment to the processing and harvesting industry, Victoria Co-op Fisheries Ltd. has harvested and processed a significant portion of the East Coast's freshest, tastiest seafood since 1956, and this important milestone signifies six decades of ensuring the future sustainability of an industry on a local and national level;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House join me in congratulating Victoria Co-op Fisheries Limited for helping to ensure that our seafood exports, here at home and abroad, continue to be a long-term prosperity, and the growth of our Province of Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say, Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

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The honourable Minister of Agriculture.

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to make an introduction.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MR. COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I would like to make an introduction. Joining us today in the east gallery is Alexis White, and I'd ask her to stand please.

Ms. White is a student of the Office Administration program at the Nova Scotia Community College Waterfront Campus, and she is working in our department on a five-week work term to complete her studies. Ms. White is from Mineville and we're very pleased to have her helping out in our department, and she's doing a fantastic job.

I would like to ask all members to give her a warm welcome. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg on an introduction.

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I would ask all members of the House to look at the west gallery, where today I have the great privilege in introducing my youngest daughter Jessica, who is in town helping her grandmother, who underwent some operations yesterday at the hospital. She is here today to see how well everybody treats her father in the House of Assembly. I would ask all members to please give her a rousing round of applause. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Well, it's a good thing she wasn't here yesterday.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

NOTICES OF MOTION

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Colchester North

HON. KAREN CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, with your permission before I do my member's statement, I would like to do an introduction.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

MS. CASEY « » : Thank you. In the gallery opposite we have a young student here, Gregg Ellison. Gregg is a student at Citadel High. He is a member of the full IB program. He wrote his math exam this morning and he has chemistry and history tomorrow, so he may not stay with us for the full day.

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Gregg is going on to study International Studies at Mount Allison University, going on scholarship. I would ask him to stand and remain standing while I read my member's statement. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Colchester North.

Ellison, Gregg: Veterans Park (Bass River) - Mem. Serv.

HON. KAREN CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, 158 Canadian soldiers lost their lives during the war in Afghanistan, and April 18^th marked 14 years since the first four deaths in the conflict. Students from West Colchester Consolidated School in Bass River, Colchester North, participated in a special ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Park by laying wreaths made by the students at LeMarchant-St. Thomas Elementary School in Halifax in memory of those 13 Nova Scotians who died in that conflict.

Gregg Ellison, a Grade 12 student at Citadel High in Halifax, organized the ceremony. He said that during his school years the veterans of World War I and World War II were always honoured, and he wanted these soldiers to be honoured and remembered in the same way.

After talking to his MLA for Halifax Chebucto about a special place to hold a ceremony, he decided on the Veterans Park in Bass River. The names of the Canadian soldiers who died in Afghanistan are engraved on a granite monument, and 13 red maples are planted there to commemorate the lives of those Nova Scotians who sacrificed their life.

The parents of three of the soldiers - Private Nathan Smith from Tatamagouche, Warrant Officer Frank Mellish from Truro, and Corporal Christopher Reid from Truro - attended the ceremony. The parents expressed their appreciation and thanks to these young citizens, and to Gregg, for ensuring that the supreme sacrifice made by their sons was not forgotten.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

Roper, Bob/MacLellan, "Big" Jim /Holland, Ray:

Men of the Deeps - Founding Members

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour three founding members of the Men of the Deeps, which is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary this year.

Bob Roper is the only founding member who has been with the Men of the Deeps for the full 50 years and has performed in each season since its inception. "Big" Jim MacLellan and Ray Holland are back with the legendary group after each took a 15-year break because of the demands of their jobs. These gentlemen are very excited about the warm reception the group receives, largely because of its unassuming and honest style. The motto for this fine group is "we are working class people who like to sing a little bit and tell stories."

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I ask all members to join me in congratulating these fine men, and all the Men of the Deeps, as they continue to do what they love to do - sing.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

Dart. City Flags - Dart. Waterfront

MS. MARIAN MANCINI « » : Mr. Speaker, today passengers on the Alderney ferry or people taking a walk on the Dartmouth waterfront will be pleased to see a new addition. Yesterday, five former City of Dartmouth flags were raised over the Dartmouth waterfront honouring the unique community of Dartmouth, within Halifax.

Mr. Speaker, Dartmouth is quickly emerging as the community in the HRM for young people to plant roots and open up local businesses. With summer quickly approaching, I encourage all members to hop on the Alderney ferry and make their way over to Dartmouth to see the new flags and to enjoy some time in the City of Lakes.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.

Singh, Hasmeet et al - Dal. Governors' Awards

HON. LABI KOUSOULIS « » : Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate this year's recipients of Dalhousie University Governors' Awards. Five students were awarded this year's Governors' Awards, the highest honour Dal bestows for student accomplishments. The award recognizes exceptional contributions in the extracurricular realm.

The five students are Hasmeet Singh, Sarah MacNeil, Jeremy Ryant, Aaron Taylor, and Maike van Niekerk. All five of these students are inspirational, ambitious leaders who have been recognized for the various initiatives they've taken on, both on campus and in the greater community. Although their undertakings differ, the impact they've made is already far-reaching, from cultural inclusivity to philanthropic causes. It is clear these are five remarkable individuals who lead by example. Congratulations to all of them.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

Morrow, Jim:

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Victoria Standard/Commun. Commitment - Thank

MR. EDDIE ORRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, Jim Morrow founded The Victoria Standard newspaper. Now, after 24 years, he is retiring and has sold the paper.

For almost a quarter of a century, people have relied on Jim to keep them up to date on news in Victoria County. Jim made the paper a success by connecting all parts of the county. The Standard reflected the communities of Victoria County and highlighted the little stories that make a big impact.

Jim is moving on to new challenges, but The Victoria Standard will still go on. Andrew Brooks bought the newspaper and hopes the paper continues to be a place where the voices of the community are heard. I know we all hope he's successful in that.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Jim Morrow for the Victoria Standard and for his commitment to the community, and I wish him all the best in whatever challenge he takes on.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

Christensen, John - Lower Sackville Physician Shortage

HON. DAVID WILSON « » : Lower Sackville is in crisis when it comes to residents looking for a physician. Real people are being affected by the doctor shortage in our community. John Christensen is a concerned husband whose wife has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. She is concerned about who will monitor her condition and answer the questions once their doctor retires. They have four sons at home, age 15, 13, 9, and 6.

This family joins an ever-growing list of Nova Scotians without a doctor. The Minister of Health and Wellness says there's enough doctors in our province. Will he assure Mr. Christensen that he and his family will have a doctor as was promised during the last election?

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

Jr. A S. Shore Lumberjacks - Well Wishes

HON. MARK FUREY « » : The South Shore Lumberjacks had quite a season. This was the first full season for new owner Larry Creaser, and fans saw many changes to the roster and coaching staff. As the year progressed, the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre began to see more and more fans, and by the time playoffs began, as the first round was under way, the Lumberjacks were playing to sell-out crowds. For the first time in franchise history, the Lumberjacks advanced to the second round when they took the best-of-seven series against the Truro Bearcats. The Pictou County Weeks Crushers proved to be too much to handle and eliminated the Lumberjacks in Game 5 on April 10^th.

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Congratulations to the Junior A South Shore Lumberjacks on a great season. Best of luck to those players who are moving on to other opportunities, and I look forward to watching them again next year.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle-Barrington.

Wickens, George: Work - Congrats.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : I'd like to take this time to recognize George Wickens of Cape Sable Island for providing many years of quality electrical service. George S. Wickens and Sons Limited was created over 70 years ago. In the 1940s, George was mainly wiring houses on the island, but that soon changed to the boatbuilding industry. In 2010, he had wired over 1,000 vessels. George also invented a navigation light panel for fishing boats that is now used on new boats today. The marine store is visited regularly by fishermen who still look up to George for solving their electrical problems.

George is now 91 years young and is still actively involved in his company in every way. He also would like to make it known that his marine store is Toronto Blue Jays friendly. I would once again like to congratulate George for all his years of hard work and wish him many other years of good health.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River.

S. Shore Film & Television Productions:

Loss - Economic Effects

MS. LENORE ZANN « » : On behalf of the member for Chester-St. Margaret's, I would like to acknowledge the many film and television productions made on the South Shore, including Haven, Lizzie Borden, Moby Dick, Cloudburst, Dolores Claiborne, and the Book of Negroes. The communities that have served as film locations have included Lunenburg, Shelburne, Chester, Mahone Bay, and Birchtown.

This changed when the Film Tax Credit was axed in 2015. The Mayor of Lunenburg says that there are no productions lined up in her community now, no inquiries, and no signs of any to come. Film productions in rural towns and villages all along the South Shore generated considerable economic activities for local hotels, restaurants, and shops. The film industry is sorely missed.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Atlantic.

BRAGG, JACK DOUGLAS - BIRTHDAY (1^st)

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MR. BRENDAN MAGUIRE « » : One year ago today, a teacher from J.L. Ilsley and her husband proudly welcomed their first child into the world. His parents decided to name him after his two great-grandfathers. He was given the first name Jack, so named for his great-grandfather Jack King of Digby, Nova Scotia; and given the middle name Douglas, so named for his great-grandfather Doug Bragg of Collingwood, Nova Scotia.

After a successful birth and outstanding care at the IWK in Halifax, Jack Douglas was brought home to his new home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Visitors came to see him, and as time went on, he even became best friends with a close neighbour, Ben Sponagle, who was born not even two months after Jack. This baby boy was born in the early hours of the morning and has shown no signs of slowing down or tiring. He quickly thrived and grew, remaining in the 99^th percentile his whole first year. This strength had him crawling, then walking, and now running anywhere his feet will take him.

Jack has been described as the happiest and most socially outgoing baby that many have met. I have met Jack on several occasions, and I know this to be true. He has made the most of his social ability and has met Prime Minister Trudeau, former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, and our Premier Stephen McNeil.

Despite meeting all these famous names, his lights shine brightest when he's at play group at the Woodlawn Library with his mother; his best friend, Ben Sponagle; and all the other kids he's met.

Please join me in congratulating Jack Douglas Bragg on his first birthday, and congratulating his parents, Angela MacKay and Peter Bragg, on this anniversary of the birth of their son. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Just before we move on to the next member's statement, I want to remind all members that the time limit is one minute. Please adjust your statements accordingly.

The honourable member for Kings North.

Centreville, Commun. (Kings Co.)

- Commun. Groups: Efforts - Recognize

MR. JOHN LOHR « » : Mr. Speaker, Centreville is a family-oriented community located on Route 359, minutes away from the Bay of Fundy in my constituency of Kings North. The community boasts a beautiful park with walking trails, a playground, well-equipped baseball and soccer fields, and a very successful, well-used community hall.

The Centreville District Community Development Association, the Good Neighbour Club, Pins and Needles, the Centre Post, and other community and social youth groups actively participate to enhance the sense of home this community exudes.

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Please recognize and acknowledge the tireless work of residents Merv and Anne Steadman, Ted Davison, George Graves, Mike Sweeney, Minnie Sheffield, Suzanne Trudeau, and all their associates who give effortlessly of their time to enhance the beauty of and pride for their community. Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne.

FORT MCMURRAY: N.S. SUPPORT - RECOGNIZE

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, a company who is currently hiring cleanup crews to begin the work of restoring Fort McMurray says they are overwhelmed with the outpouring of Nova Scotians lining up to help.

There are only 200 positions to be filled in Fort Mac, but the company has received over 1,000 applications from a 902 area code. The outpouring of support and assistance for the people of Fort McMurray shows Canada the true character of Nova Scotians.

Mr. Speaker, as the process of rebuilding Fort McMurray begins, I hope that those families affected will find comfort in knowing they are in good company.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

BAXTER, CHARLES: CAREER/VOLUNTEERISM - RECOGNIZE

MS. PATRICIA ARAB « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the most prominent members of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, and an outstanding Nova Scotian, Charles Baxter.

At this year's Liberal AGM, Charlie was honoured with a Long-Term Service Award. Charlie Baxter has been volunteering for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party for over 60 years. He works tirelessly to promote Liberalism and embodies it in his daily life. He has been a long-time active and dedicated volunteer for the Halifax West Liberal Association and is well-known and well-liked across the province.

Both Charlie's career and his volunteerism have spanned a wide spectrum of institutions, including the Royal Canadian Air Force, Metro United Way, the Port of Halifax, the Dartmouth Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, and Bethany United Church, just to name a few.

Charlie has received numerous awards and acknowledgements over the years, including an induction into the Dalhousie University Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

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Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Charlie Baxter, who has been a mentor and an inspiration to many Nova Scotians, and specifically to Nova Scotia Liberals like myself. Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Inverness.

BOUDREAU, MARC: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

MR. ALLAN MACMASTER « » : Marc Boudreau - I will always remember the excitement in his eyes when he would smile. His positive energy made him a natural performer. "P'tit Marc" was just a little guy when he started entertaining at concerts and dances. He had command of the dance floor at a very early age and became an accomplished violin player.

Mr. Speaker, April 14, 2016, came much too soon as we lost a man before his time. What great passion he brought to music while he was with us.

Marc was a lively, fiery player - talented, with great technical ability - and he was generous, always generous with his talent. The public outpouring of affection for him has reflected the way he and his music have positively affected people.

Let us acknowledge Marc Boudreau here in our provincial Legislature for the mark that he has left on our province.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

Beals, Carlos/Rolle, Mario - CeaseFire:

Work Importance - Acknowledge

HON. JOANNE BERNARD « » : Mr. Speaker, CeaseFire is a non-profit community-based group that works in several HRM communities to stop violence. The CeaseFire model treats violence like a disease and works to interrupt transmission and change the behaviours that lead to violence.

Two members of this amazing team who are well known to our Dartmouth North community are both in new roles. Carlos Beals has been with CeaseFire since 2014. Born and raised in Dartmouth North, Carlos completed his Bachelor of Applied Arts in Criminal Justice in Toronto before returning to give back to his community. Carlos has been promoted as CeaseFire's Senior Outreach Caseworker.

Mario Rolle is a well-known face in Dartmouth North also, after moving here from the Bahamas in 2009. He completed his degree in Sociology and Criminology from Saint Mary's and is currently attending Dalhousie School of Social Work. He is also a new addition to the CeaseFire team, joining last December.

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I want to take this moment to acknowledge the important work of Carlos Beals and Mario Rolle and all the CeaseFire team.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.

TRURO & COL. SR. GAMES: PARTICIPANTS - WELL WISHES

MR. LARRY HARRISON « » : Mr. Speaker, the Truro and Colchester Senior Games got underway this week. This annual event features many friendly competitions, ranging from golf and bowling to cribbage and crokinole and promotes fun, fitness and friendship for everyone 55 years or over.

The games are a joint initiative of the Municipality of the County of Colchester, the Town of Truro, and the Village of Bible Hill and sees 100-plus volunteers from each community lending a hand. These local games were inspired by the 55-Plus Games on both the provincial and national levels.

Team Nova Scotia is currently gearing up for the 55-Plus Canada Games being held in Brampton, Ontario, while the next Nova Scotian 55-Plus Games is slated for Lunenburg County in 2017.

I'd like to wish all the participants in this year's seniors' games good luck and fun times.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Timberlea-Prospect.

Batchilder, Susan: Vol. Activity - Commend

MR. IAIN RANKIN « » : I would like to recognize Susan Batchilder of Prospect. Susan and her husband have three children who are all involved heavily in several competitive sports teams. Susan is on the executive of the St. Margaret's Bay Storm Lacrosse Association as female coordinator. Her job is to promote participation of female players. She also is the head coordinator of Winter Lacrosse, a weekly free lacrosse night where kids can try out lacrosse and play with past team members. She does some teaching and coordinates the pickup games.

Susan coordinates communications with all parents of the players and coaches for one of the league teams that one of her children plays on. Susan volunteers countless hours to help raise funds to get the team to the nationals. She is a huge asset to the Storm Lacrosse Association and especially to female players and the growth of lacrosse for females.

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I would like the members of this Nova Scotia House of Assembly to join me in commending Susan for being such an active advocate for lacrosse and such a generous and valuable volunteer.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou Centre.

Zelda's Flower Studio: Success - Recognize

HON. PAT DUNN « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise in my place to recognize a very successful business. Residents of Pictou County are very familiar with Zelda's Flower Studio in New Glasgow. The studio is known for providing only the finest floral arrangements and gifts, supported by excellent service that is always courteous, friendly and prompt. The pleasant staff are always prepared to go the extra mile to make one's floral gift the best.

Zelda's staff continue to develop aesthetically pleasing arrangements, using their artistic abilities and knowledge of design. Their grasp and knowledge of the floral designs has been very popular in the county and they have been busy preparing beautiful combinations for public events such as weddings, parties, birthdays and anniversaries.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

CHILD POVERTY - RATES

MS. MARIAN MANCINI « » : Yesterday when I asked the Premier about the staggering rates of child poverty in Nova Scotia and his plan to alleviate this disturbing trend, in his response he outlined no plan to address child poverty and that he will be addressing the issue in a long-term way.

Mr. Speaker, to draw from the incomparable Cindy Blackstock, the problem with addressing child poverty in the long term is that children do not live their lives in the long term. Right now across our province thousands of children are living in poverty and their mothers and fathers are in need of urgent support from this government.

Mr. Speaker, Nova Scotians are looking to this government for immediate action.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clare-Digby.

Francis, Ed: Country/Commun. Serv. - Plaque

MR. GORDON WILSON « » : On January 27^th at the launch of African Heritage Month, the Lieutenant Governor and the Premier unveiled the 2016 African Heritage Month's poster. The poster honours the 100^th Anniversary of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, the segregated battalion formed in Pictou when African Canadians were not allowed to serve in other battalions during World War I.

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Years later, during the Korean War, when Ed Francis joined the Army, most of the Armed Services had been de-segregated but discrimination was still prevalent. Despite this, he, along with many others, chose to serve and be part of the generations of trailblazers who would forever change the Armed Services for our country.

For his service to his country and his work in his community, Mr. Francis was honoured at the African Nova Scotian gala dinner. There he was presented with a plaque honouring his valour and service to Canada during the Korean War and his many contributions to the Jordantown Acaciaville Conway communities. I thank Mr. Frances for his service to his country and congratulate him on his much deserved honour.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou West.

Pictou Rotary Club:

Nice Work If You Can Get It - Production Congrats.

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE « » : I am pleased to rise today and congratulate the Pictou Rotary Club on yet another successful performance this year. Nice Work If You Can Get It, is a funny, well-written musical that ran at the deCoste Centre in Pictou from March 31^st to April 2^nd. The musical was directed by Don Hill, with lead roles played by Murray McLaren and Karen Laundon. Thanks to the interest level with our community theatre, the production featured a cast of 30, an orchestra of 18, and numerous other people who contributed to costume, makeup and sets.

Congratulations to the Pictou Rotary Club and everyone involved with this year's musical production. All their hard work has paid off with another stellar performance.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne.

YOUTH: OUT-MIGRATION - INCREASES

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, numbers released by Stats Canada demonstrate that the out-migration of youth in Nova Scotia has increased under this government. The numbers show that compared to this time last year, the population among people ages 15 to 24 has decreased by 1,800 people. It seems that the government has found a way to curb youth unemployment, simply get them to pack up and leave.

Mr. Speaker, this government's austerity agenda runs counter to the hopes and dreams of young people in this province. This government thinks Nova Scotia can cut its way to prosperity - it cannot. These cuts will shrink the economy, leaving fewer opportunities to our youth as they enter the workforce.

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Mr. Speaker, while I am disappointed by the fact that there are 1,800 fewer young people in this province as compared to this time last year, I can hardly say that I am surprised.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Bedford.

Christie, Peter/Organizing Comm.:

100 Bedford Men Who Care - Congrats.

HON. KELLY REGAN « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to tell you about an organization that just got underway in my constituency of Bedford: 100 Bedford Men Who Care held its first meeting last night. I don't think it will come as any surprise when I tell you that this meeting was organized by a former member of this House, a former Cabinet Minister, Peter Christie. It works much like the organization does that was started in Halifax, 100 Women Who Care, Halifax.

The members get together a few times a year; they each bring a $100 cheque and then they vote on what organization they're going to give the money to. Last night they voted to share the money that was raised: $4,000 will go to Fort Sackville Foundation and $4,000 will go to the Sackville Rivers Association.

I want to congratulate Peter Christie and the organizing committee on last evening's success and wish them well in their future deliberations.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland South.

GOLDBERG, JON: ATL. JEWISH COUN. - RETIREMENT

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, after 23 years as Executive Director of the Atlantic Jewish Council, Jon Goldberg will be stepping down. Jon has been an effective and enthusiastic leader of the Jewish community in Atlantic Canada. He is a tireless advocate for the State of Israel and has forged strong and lasting ties between Israel and the Atlantic Region. He has promoted Jewish culture and fought against the scourge of anti-Semitism.

Jon spearheaded an immigration program for Russian Israeli Jews. The result of his work was a 20 per cent growth in the size of the local Jewish community between 2009 and 2014. I want to thank Jon for all he has done for Halifax and wish him all the best with the challenges ahead.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou East.

WOW! READING CHALLENGE - ANNIV. (10^th)

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MR. TIM HOUSTON « » : Mr. Speaker, an initiative that began with one Pictou County school and spread around the world is celebrating its 10^th Anniversary. The Reading Challenge started in Salt Springs Elementary School when RCMP Constable John Kennedy issued a challenge to see how many books the students could finish in a month. From there it morphed into a world-wide reading frenzy and in 2016, 78 elementary schools participated, reading 959,658 books and middle and high school levels perused a grand total of 1,793,449 pages.

The Wow! Challenge was created to encourage kids to read regularly by introducing friendly competition between schools. This program is a proactive approach to fighting crime and part of the Adopt-a-Library Literacy Program. A special thank you to Constable Kennedy and everyone who helped foster this brilliant endeavour.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Antigonish.

LUMSDEN, CHRISTOPHER - EDUC. WK. AWARD (2016)

HON. RANDY DELOREY « » : Mr. Speaker, April 17 to 23, 2016, was Education Week in Nova Scotia. This year's theme, Media Literacy: Empowering Critical Thinking in a Digital Media World, was an opportunity to highlight those who are supporting and teaching students to become respectful, responsible, and ethical digital citizens.

The Strait Regional School Board celebrated Education Week by recognizing four teachers for their contribution to our education system. These educators were recognized for their commitment in integrating and advancing digital literacy in their classrooms and schools.

Mr. Christopher Lumsden of Antigonish was one of four teachers recognized. Mr. Lumsden is the vice-principal of St. Andrew Junior School and has worked in education for 14 years in the roles of teacher, administrator, and mentor.

He is a firm believer that digital literacy is essential to learning. He believes that in order for students to have a better understanding of the world around them, media and digital literacy should be incorporated wherever possible.

To assist with that belief, Mr. Lumsden played a key role in establishing the brilliant lab at the St. Andrew Junior School. This lab is filled with technology including robotic kits, coding opportunities, 3D printing, and more. It is an opportunity for students to experience and learn about technology up close and personal using a hands-on approach.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Assembly to join me in congratulating Mr. Christopher Lumsden on receiving the 2016 Education Week Award.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle-Barrington.

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POTTIER, GREG/CARL'S STORE - COMMUN. COMMITMENT

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Carl's Store in Tusket, locally known as the "friendly general store where the river meets the ocean."

Greg Pottier took over as proprietor of the store from his father, Carl, in 2010. He extended the business by opening a second location in Wedgeport, known as La Shoppe à Carl. Both are grocery stores but also a hardware store, selling gardening seeds and supplies as well as sporting goods, Sears Canada, and an NSLC outlet.

Greg is currently enlarging the property in Tusket to allow for more room for the meat-cutting department and freezer section. He has also chosen to transform the inside and outside of the building to reflect the mid-19^th Century era. He is proud to employ local full- and part-time employees.

Carl's Store is very important to all people of the region, and I stand to thank Greg Pottier for his vision and commitment to our area.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clayton Park West.

Bennett, Lorna - Educ. Wk. Award (2016)

HON. DIANA WHALEN « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an amazing teacher, Lorna Bennett, on receiving a 2016 Education Week Award. Lorna is well known in the community of Clayton Park West. She teaches Grade 9 English at Park West School and works tirelessly to ensure the success of her students.

The theme of the award this year is Media Literacy: Empowering Critical Thinking in a Digital Media World. The Education Week Award recognizes educators who are helping students develop those fundamental skills for critical thinking in a digital media world.

Lorna was one of 23 teachers honoured on April 18, 2016, at an awards ceremony hosted by Minister Casey. She was selected for her commitment to teaching students respect, ethics, and engaged citizenship. She has consistently gone above and beyond the standard curriculum in support of her students. We are all better off because of teachers like Lorna Bennett.

I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating her on receiving this very special recognition and for the positive impact that she makes every day at Park West School.

MR. SPEAKER « » : I would just like to remind the honourable members not to mention other members by their proper names in members' statements.

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The honourable member for Cumberland South.

Bowman, Barry - Mainstay Award

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, the Mainstay Awards recognize Nova Scotians who are leaders in promoting a safety culture at work. This year, Barry Bowman from Oxford Frozen Foods was named the Individual Safety Champion. Barry built an entire forklift training program that reflects the operations of his company. Barry has also designed workshops on fall protection and has single-handedly developed a video series on farm safety.

Barry shines as a safety professional in his ability to keep employees excited and engaged in their workplace safety. Barry's impact has been significant to Oxford Frozen Foods, and I want to congratulate him on his Mainstay Award.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.

SENIORS CARE: NURSES/DOCTORS/STAFF - THANK

MR. BEN JESSOME « » : Mr. Speaker, seniors make up the single largest demographic cohort in our province. It is critical that we continue to make strategic investments to support the services and staff who provide them care. Our government continues to strive toward ensuring seniors will be able to access that help in this year's budget, allocating an additional $4.4 million for home care services and professionals. We have heard clearly from people throughout Nova Scotia that they want to remain in the comfort of their own home, and that is what we are trying to enable.

Together, we can be a healthy population. In particular, I would like to take this time to recognize the diligence of nurses, doctors, and staff who care for our seniors and all Nova Scotians alike. Mr. Speaker, through you, I would like to thank them for their dedication.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney-River-Mira-Louisbourg.

Morrison, Brenda:

N.S.-Nunavut Leg. Track & Field Team - Chaperone

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brenda Morrison of Sydney River, who has been named a chaperone for the 2016 Nova Scotia - Nunavut Legion Track and Field team. The staff was named in advance of the Royal Canadian Legion National Track and Field Championships to be held in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, August 5^th to the 7^th. Thirty-eight of Nova Scotia's top track and field athletes, ages 14 to 17, will compete.

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I stand today to wish Brenda Morrison, and all the athletes, a safe trip and a successful competition.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg.

S. Shore Peewee Ice Sharks Girls Hockey Team

- Season Congrats.

MS. SUZANNE LOHNES-CROFT « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the accomplishments of the South Shore Pewee A Girls Hockey team, who recently captured gold at the 10^th Annual Sweetheart Tournament in P.E.I.

The girls went undefeated in five games and only gave up three goals en route to the championship. With the win, the Ice Sharks completed the triple crown of female hockey this season, winning the largest female tournaments in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and P.E.I.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members of the House join me in congratulating the Pewee Ice Sharks on a wonderful season, and wishing them all the best in the future.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou East.

MacInnis, Nicole - Excellence in Teaching Award

MR. TIM HOUSTON « » : Mr. Speaker, annually the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, together with the Chignecto Central Regional School Board, honour exceptional teachers at the Excellence in Teaching Awards Ceremony.

Nicole MacInnis teaches Primary students at Walter Duggan Consolidated School and is instrumental in shaping the minds of young learners and preparing them for a bright future. During the updates of the Primary to Grade 3 curriculum, she rose to the challenge and represented Chignecto Central Regional School Board and her school at the provincial training session. She also prepared and delivered a training program on the curriculum for her colleagues at Walter Duggan, where she continues to act as a resource to her fellow teachers.

Congratulations Nicole, on this well-deserved award.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL MUSEUM - ANNIV. (60^th)

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MS. PAM EYKING « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck. The museum will be celebrating its 60^th Anniversary in 2016. The museum, whose purpose was to present to the public the scientific research of Dr. Bell and his associates, first opened its doors to the public in August 1956.

Through the displays housed in the museum, people are able to see the diversity and productivity of truly creative minds working to benefit all mankind. There you can explore the amazing worlds of a lifetime that have touched us all. You're in for a pleasant surprise because the telephone was only the beginning of Alexander Graham Bell's lifelong pursuit of knowledge and invention.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the staff and volunteers of the museum for all their hard work and dedication, and wish them well in what will no doubt be another busy season. Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Inverness.

Cornwallis Commemoration - HRM Coun. Decision

MR. ALLAN MACMASTER « » : Mr. Speaker, last night HRM Council voted against a motion to engage the public on a process to consider changes to the commemoration of Edward Cornwallis on municipal assets, including his statue in Cornwallis Park.

This issue is about history, but it is also about humanity. All is not lost, Mr. Speaker, voices are getting stronger; the vote was close. Children are now learning Mi'kmaq history in every school in this province, a history that has been previously ignored and conveniently excluded. Perhaps future Nova Scotians will care more about what happened to the Mi'kmaq people and understand why it is hurtful for the City of Halifax to pay tribute to Cornwallis.

The symbols that we present in our society hold great meaning for us, and for the generations that come after us, we will be their history.

Will we be a society that respects and loves our neighbour, or a society which strives to justify beliefs - that still exist among some - that past actions like genocide, penal laws, and the creation of refugees through the expulsion of the Acadians, were ultimately okay and, consequently, okay to be honoured?

How can our society expect to reconcile with Mi'kmaq people when we acknowledge the wrongs of the past, but fail to stop celebrating them?

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings South.

Milne, Sam: Annapolis Valley - Serv. (56 Yrs.)

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MR. KEITH IRVING « » : Mr. Speaker, today I would like to shine the spotlight on New Minas resident and long-serving firefighter, Mr. Sam Milne.

In 1968 Mr. Milne became a charter member of the New Minas Fire Department, to which he brought eight years of prior service with the Annapolis Royal Fire Department. The Municipality of the County of Kings recognized Mr. Milne at a special dedication of long-time volunteers, on December 3, 2015. Mr. Milne has put the needs of others ahead of his own for more than half a century and now proudly wears a special medal sponsored and administered by the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association.

I ask all members of the House of Assembly to join me and all the citizens of New Minas in thanking and congratulating Mr. Sam Milne for over 56 years of dedicated service to the people of the Annapolis Valley.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou West.

Women Who Care (Pictou Co.): Pictou Youth Ctr. - Donation

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE « » : I rise to acknowledge 100 Women Who Care Pictou County for recently donating to the Pictou Youth Centre. The 100 Women Who Care Pictou County meet quarterly. Each woman donates $100 and listens to three presentations. The women then vote on which organization is to receive the evening's contributions. It is an effective way to give a local organization a large, one-time influx of money.

The youth centre was a very worthy recipient of $12,500. The centre plays a large part in supporting Pictou youth and providing them with a safe space to hang out. This money will assist the centre with renovations and operating costs. I extend my gratitude to the women who belong to 100 Women Who Care Pictou County.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank.

PRINCE: DEATH OF - TRIBUTE

MR. STEPHEN GOUGH « » : On June 7, 1958, a masterful musician was born in Minneapolis, U.S.A. Legendary icon Prince - born Prince Rogers Nelson - passed away suddenly.

Prince was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. This multi-talented man was the first person, singly, to ever grace the cover of Bass Player Magazine, Guitar Player Magazine, Keyboard Magazine, and Modern Drummer Magazine. He knew how to kick it. His groove was one that wasn't mistaken with any other artists. It is not known at this time what the cause of death was, as the investigation is still ongoing. The man behind the music of When Doves Cry, Purple Rain, and Little Red Corvette, which are just a few of his big hits.

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Rest in peace, Prince. Thank you for gracing us with your musical talents for the past four decades.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River.

TWO PLANKS AND A PASSION THEATRE - SEASON (25^th) LAUNCH

MS. LENORE ZANN « » : It's my pleasure to congratulate Two Planks and a Passion Theatre on the launch of their 25^th season. This milestone was celebrated yesterday at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. This award-winning theatre offers outdoor performances at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, near Canning. I had the pleasure of attending some of their shows two summers ago, and it's really spectacular.

This year's line-up includes Liberation Days, a wartime Romance that takes place in the aftermath of the Canadian liberation of Holland; and a new adaptation of the mysterious case of the Mary Celeste, an internationally known ship that was found abandoned with her crew missing but her cargo and valuables left intact. A highly successful fundraising campaign is currently under way to help support the valuable of Two Planks and a Passion Theatre. Let's all try to give generously.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.

12 Wing Shearwater: Commun. Contribution - Recognize

MS. JOYCE TREEN « » : My constituency is fortunate to have 12 Wing Shearwater located within its boundaries. This military base employs slightly over 1,000 full-time and part-time employees. Many of these employees reside in my riding, and 12 Wing Shearwater contributes in excess of $1 billion annually to our immediate local economy. With the new exciting helicopter program that is currently being implemented, that number will increase by $200 million to $300 million annually.

The Military Family Resource Centre is also located at 12 Wing Shearwater and is an integral support to the military families that reside in my constituency. Not only does our military contribute to the economy, but they also give back by volunteering within the communities they reside.

I ask the members of this House to join me in recognizing 12 Wing Shearwater, military families, and all that they contribute to communities.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Thank you very much. The time has expired for Statements by Members.

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ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS TO MINISTERS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

Prem. - Physicians: Licensing Approval - Difficulties

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Family doctors in this province get calls every single day from people looking to find a doctor for them. This is something that the Health Authority now calls a conundrum. Well no wonder, because it's the policies of this very government that's making it difficult for medical practices to recruit new doctors.

When a medical practice wants a new doctor, they first have to get approval to even advertise for the position. That takes months. When a new doctor is hired, they have to get approval to fill the position. That also takes months. In the meantime, families will go without a doctor.

I would like to ask the Premier, when so many families in this province need a doctor, why is his government making it harder for new doctors to set up shop?

THE PREMIER « » : I want to thank the honourable member for the question. I want to thank those health care workers across the province who are doing tremendous work. We see a new health care delivery model in the collaborative practices that are taking place across Nova Scotia. A former Dean of Dalhousie Medical School, Dr. Tom Marrie, brought to this province a rural residency program, which has residents who are working in under serviced areas across our province in rural communities. It has been a great success. We are continuing to see more and more of them staying in those communities.

We know there is more work to do, Mr. Speaker. We're working with our partners to make that happen. We are continuing to always improve the process, and if there's more work to be done to improving the process, we'd be more than happy to do so.

MR. BAILLIE « » : Yes, Mr. Speaker, and yet thousands of Nova Scotia families go without a doctor when there are doctors out there to be hired, but the policies of this government take months and they get in the way.

I'll give you an example, Mr. Speaker. There is a doctor in Beaver Bank who has 1,600 patients. He has already applied to hire a second doctor for his practice, and he has been turned down by this government to hire a second doctor to look after the families in that area that are without a family doctor. They've been told "no" by this government.

This is the same Premier who, in his election platform, promised a doctor to every Nova Scotian. I'll table that and then ask the Premier, why is his government turning down willing doctors after promising that everyone would have one?

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THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the honourable member for the question. I think he is working with outdated information. (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Premier has the floor.

THE PREMIER « » : I encourage the members of the Progressive Conservative Party to be more optimistic about the future, Nova Scotians are.

MR. BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, nothing is more pessimistic than the Premier himself calling his platform an outdated document. It's outdated on power rates; it's outdated on jobs; it's outdated now on family doctors, that is the problem. Here we have thousands of Nova Scotia families wanting to have a family doctor, like the Premier promised them in his platform when he was looking for their votes.

When it takes months and months to approve even willing doctors, well they give up and they go somewhere else. I'd like to ask the Premier, why is his government making it harder for doctors to come and serve the family needs of Nova Scotians after promising to make it easier?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, he is right, it is outdated: power rates are reduced in this province. He is the only Nova Scotian who goes to bed at night hoping power rates go up. We've invested in public education, we're going to continue to do that. Youth retention is up in Nova Scotia; the population is growing in Nova Scotia.

You're right, Mr. Speaker, we're not looking back to 2013; we're looking ahead to 2017.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader in the House of the New Democratic Party.

Prem.: Health Care Strategy - Commun. Inclusion

MS. MARIAN MANCINI « » : With each day that goes by there are more and more questions about this government's health care strategy. When amalgamating the health authorities, the focus was on administrative savings. We haven't seen those yet.

Now, Mr. Speaker, there is a growing concern that when it comes to health care in Nova Scotia, the creation of a single Health Authority has drowned out the voices of communities across the province, so I ask the Premier, what is his response to the concern that communities are being left out of the development of the health care strategy in Nova Scotia?

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THE PREMIER « » : I want to thank the honourable member for the question and I want to thank all those Nova Scotians and communities across this province that continue to work with health care providers to ensure that the health care team their community requires is in place. We're continuing to work with the Health Authority, the Department of Health and Wellness; we are working together on infrastructure across our province.

Do we have more work to do? Of course we do, Mr. Speaker, but I think Nova Scotians made it very clear in 2013 that they wanted the walls to be torn down in their health care system; they wanted to make sure that precious health care dollars that we had were being focused on front-line health care delivery. They also identified that they wanted that delivery model to change to make sure that we're delivering good quality health care in a timely manner across our province in a single system.

MS. MANCINI « » : Mr. Speaker, the Premier continues to give passive responses to health care concerns, and communities are getting tired of it. In Digby, concerned citizens held a meeting in March to discuss setting up their own health coalition. One local resident who attended the meeting said, most importantly, the coalition would be an opportunity for the people of Digby to be heard and to take part in an open, democratic process to make things better - and I'll table that.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier, if this government is engaging with communities about a health care strategy, if they are doing this, why is Digby considering starting their own health care coalition?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the honourable member for the question. I think what she was - the good people of Digby, I must say, have done a tremendous amount of work of ensuring that they have a collaborative practice. We know there have been continued challenges there in terms of recruiting and retention. There has been great work, the member has been a great advocate (Applause) The member has been a great advocate, and I just want to inform the member, I want to inform the Leader in the House of the New Democratic Party, that the good member was at that meeting and what the people were referring to was the former government, not the current government that has been working with them.

MS. MANCINI « » : Mr. Speaker, communities have many issues with this government's health strategy, but of the utmost concern is the absence of a plan to address ER closures. Amalgamating the health authorities has not improved this situation, and as my colleague, the member for Queens-Shelburne has pointed out many times, ER closures are rampant across the province.

Now, Mr. Speaker, in this year's budget we see a reduction in funding for emergency departments, so I ask the Premier, what is his plan to address ER closures under this government?

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THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, there's one thing we're not going to do - follow the lead of the former government when they closed emergency rooms across the province.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to work with our health care providers, we're going to continue to work with the health care providers across the province to deliver services to Nova Scotians. I want to thank the tremendous work that has been doing in communities where (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Premier has the floor.

Order, please. The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid will come to order.

The honourable Premier has the floor.

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, everyone is a bit sensitive today.

The fact of the matter is health care providers across this province are working with government to continue to deliver services to Nova Scotians. We continue to have work to do across the province, Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to work with the health care providers, and we'll do this in a systematic way to ensure that the health care will be there for future generations in a sustainable, affordable way.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: PARRSBORO CEC - PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. The South Cumberland Community Centre in Parrsboro is Nova Scotia's first Collaborative Emergency Centre. The people of Parrsboro and area were promised that this would be the solution to closed ER hours, when it was opened a few years ago.

Well, Mr. Speaker, according to the most recent accountability report on emergency rooms, South Cumberland was closed a total of 108 hours last year, and I know the minister has the report, but I'll table it again anyway. It's closed due to a lack of doctors in the area.

Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister of Health and Wellness doing to get a doctor to Parrsboro to keep that CEC open?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question. It was one that he brought up in estimates. I relayed it to the CEO, Janet Knox, also to Dr. Lynne Harrigan who is overseeing recruitment, and yes that work is in progress, because I know there is a doctor that is currently on leave there, and there is about $2.6 million in the budget for locums to replace such doctors.

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MR. BAILLIE « » : Well, Mr. Speaker, maybe we should get Janet Knox in here to answer these questions. I hate to remind the Minister of Health and Wellness that no matter who he refers to, he is accountable for these things. That's why it's called an accountability report, and the fact of the matter is the community has been asking for a locum doctor and has been turned down repeatedly. The government would rather save the money and leave the people of Parrsboro without a family doctor, even though he is quite correct, it is a maternity leave, something that was known well in advance so he can fix that right now. Will the minister commit to provide a locum doctor for Parrsboro until a long-term solution is found?

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, you know that is an important position to fill for the short term, and the Health Authority is working to recruit and get a doctor there as quickly as possible.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

Health & Wellness: Medical Staff Bylaws - Consultation

HON. DAVID WILSON « » : My question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. In April 2015 the Nova Scotia Health Authority released its Medical Staff Bylaws. I'm hearing from many physicians who have concerns about the effect of these bylaws. This government does not have a strong track record when it comes to consultation. On this issue I've heard from so many physicians with complaints that I'm starting to wonder at what level was there consultation with family physicians here in Nova Scotia?

I'd like to ask the minister, who did the Health Authority consult before implementing its Medical Staff Bylaws?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : As in all major decisions, like replacing the VG, like changing the model of care here in the province, Doctors Nova Scotia and individual doctors have been consulted during the process. It is a considerable change. There really are no major comprehensive team practices here in what was the old central zone. Much work remains to be done and doctors will be part of the process of changing that model.

MR. DAVID WILSON « » : We are all aware, Mr. Speaker, of this government's promise to ensure a doctor for every Nova Scotian, they put it down on paper. There is a concern that these new bylaws will actually have a negative impact on attracting doctors or even keeping the ones we have now practising in our province. Doctors are worried that the Health Authority is trying to restrict the freedom of installation, phase-out the walk-in clinics, and create a duplication in the certification process - roadblocks after roadblocks.

I ask the minister, how will these new Medical Staff Bylaws help ensure a doctor for every Nova Scotian?

[Page 9154]

MR. GLAVINE « » : When the issue of walk-in clinics surfaced this Spring it was very quickly brought to a conclusion in that these doctors were assured there would be a walk-in clinic and their services available to people in the HRM while over the next 10 years there would be a transition to more collaborative practices. I can assure the member opposite that primary care, and it may be a doctor, it may be a nurse practitioner, it may be a family practice nurse, but primary care will be available to Nova Scotians.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg.

HEALTH & WELLNESS - C.B.: FAM. DOCTORS - PROVIDE

HON. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, my question through you is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. I would like to remind the minister that he is the Minister of Health and Wellness for Nova Scotia, not for Disneyland.

Mr. Speaker, he keeps referring to all these different issues that are travelling through and how people are talking about collaborative medicine, nurse practitioners, and yet he and his department will not let those things take place.

We have hundreds of Nova Scotians who have not and cannot get a doctor to look at them, and this minister and this Premier continue to say everything is good, everything is okay. Mr. Speaker, I would like this minister to stand up and tell the people of Cape Breton Island who can't get a family doctor that everything is okay, because it's not.

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : The question is the same as yesterday, only I got his wink yesterday. I want to tell the member opposite and all Cape Bretoners that we're very pleased to have recruited 10 GPs; six will be directly in the CBRM, four will be on the periphery, and 10 more are in the process of being recruited.

MR. MACLEOD « » : You know, when the minister talks about these doctors that are coming to our area, he forgets to mention that it's going to take anywhere from 12 to 24 months for them to come. There are people who need doctors today. I would like this minister to tell the thousands and thousands of people across Nova Scotia and the hundreds of Cape Bretoners who don't have a doctor - he can say yes, I asked this question yesterday, and I'll ask it tomorrow, and I'll ask it every other day after that, because that minister is not doing his job and looking after the people of the Province of Nova Scotia. The question is, when will this government live up to its promise of a doctor for every Nova Scotian?

MR. GLAVINE « » : I remind the member opposite that 3 per cent to 4 per cent of Nova Scotians never ever look for a doctor, so we've got a group that never look. What I can tell the member opposite is that . . .

MR. MACLEOD « » : Tell the truth.

[Page 9155]

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg will not infer that anybody on the opposite side or any member of this House is not telling the truth. I'll ask you to retract that officially.

MR. MACLEOD « » : I'll be happy to retract that officially, when he does tell the truth.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg, I'll ask you once again to retract that.

MR. MACLEOD « » : When he tells the truth, I'll retract it.

MR. SPEAKER « » : I'll have to ask the honourable member for Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg to excuse himself for the balance of Question Period.

MR. MACLEOD « » : Out of respect for you, I will, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

HEALTH & WELLNESS - PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT POLICY

MR. EDDIE ORRELL « » : My question is also to the Minister of Health and Wellness. The Opposition is asking hundreds of questions about doctors here in Nova Scotia. Many people do not have a doctor, and many people have not had a doctor for years. We hear a number of different answers to the questions. My question is, who is ultimately in charge of recruitment in Nova Scotia? Is it the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Doctors Nova Scotia, Dalhousie School of Medicine, or the Department of Health and Wellness?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Just to let the members from Cape Breton and all Cape Bretoners know, between July and September, 10 new doctors will be arriving in Cape Breton. That is good news.

The member referred to the fragmented approach that has gone on for a number of years in the province. Having had a very fulsome conversation last week with Dr. Lynne Harrigan, they now have a provincial team that are going to address the hot spots in the province as well as get that inventory of doctors and when they plan to retire, what percentage and how many hours of a practice they currently are in. Those are some of the missing pieces of information for long-range planning. I can tell the member opposite that the Health Authority will have a provincial plan, finally, for doing full recruitment.

MR. ORRELL « » : The Health Authority is going to have the ultimate plan. Will the Department of Health and Wellness have the ultimate say in where these numbers and licences go? In Nova Scotia right now, in Cape Breton especially, we have over 1,000 patients at an orphan clinic who have no family doctor. The family doctors who are working that clinic are working the emergency room and their own practice, and they're getting burned out, and they're not taking any more patients. Assuming we can catch up to the Liberal election promise of one doctor for every Nova Scotian, what is the minister going to do to ensure that doctor recruitment happens in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia and we can do our best to maintain those doctors?

[Page 9156]

MR. GLAVINE « » : As the member is well aware, the current residency program in Cape Breton has provided a number of doctors who came, who weren't from the area, but decided to stay and practise in Cape Breton. The residency program will continue to provide doctors for the area. But certainly doing more long-range planning for doctors who are going to retire or leave a practice is the goal of the Health Authority and some very strong recruiting - 48 for example here in metro - has taken place already this year.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

HOLLETT, JUDY: SURGERY WAIT TIMES - EXPLAIN

HON. DAVID WILSON « » : Judy Hollett has been active her entire life as a runner and a member of the North West Trails Association. However, Judy is in need of a hip replacement and has not been told by the Health Authority when she can expect her surgery to take place, but we know it could take years. Judy says the pain has been getting worse while she waits on the wait-list, and her quality of life is suffering as a result.

I'd like to ask the minister, what can the minister say to Judy, who has not been told by the super board Health Authority when her surgery will be scheduled?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member opposite that it's not up to the board to give a date for surgery. That is the work of her family doctor, the work of the orthopaedic surgeon, to determine when she will have surgery.

I know there are many Nova Scotians who wait too long, but I'm pleased to say that this year we have added several hundred more hip and knee surgeries that have been completed. We're also adding additional dollars and a new orthopaedic surgeon, primarily foot and ankle, will start in July. We have reduced the wait-list, and we'll continue to attack it in that systematic way.

MR. DAVID WILSON « » : What a cop-out, Mr. Speaker. Of course the board doesn't call the patient, but the board oversees the physician and oversees the wait-list, just like this government oversees that wait-list. To play wordsmith is not an answer for Judy. She wants to know when she can get her surgery.

The minister told Nova Scotians that the amalgamation of the district health authorities would mean less waiting for people like Judy. The minister also claimed that now, under one health authority, the walls have been taken down and health services will be improving. Well, I don't see any evidence of that, Mr. Speaker.

[Page 9157]

Can the minister explain to Judy why she's being forced to wait years - years, Mr. Speaker - to have her surgery so that she can return to the active lifestyle that she led?

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. I know as a runner if I couldn't get out on the trail it would be very bothersome, and I can understand her plight. Sometimes too, with young Nova Scotians, they try to push hip and knee replacements off as long as possible, knowing that they will need revisions at some point along the way.

What Nova Scotians really need to take a look at, Mr. Speaker, is that under the former NDP Government they had a little blip called March Madness, to do more surgeries. We have a systematic way of improving, and we've added to the budget year over year - more hips and knees have been done in 2014-15, and again in 2016.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth East.

CCH: CULTURAL SECTOR JOBS - DETAILS

MR. ANDREW YOUNGER « » : Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'm going to give the Minister of Health and Wellness a bit of a break. My question is for the Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

He put out a release this morning regarding Statistics Canada data that showed that jobs in the province's cultural sector increased from 2010-2014. The release attributed these years to 4.7 per cent and the total of 13,874 jobs.

What's interesting to note is the minister chose to quote the period of 2010-2014, and not the year-over-year data, which Statistics Canada's release was about. The year-over-year data actually shows a decrease in the number of jobs in the cultural sector by 1.8 per cent. It's only an increase if you go back to 2010.

Was the minister aware before putting out his release that the Statistics Canada data which he referenced actually shows a decrease in jobs, not an increase?

HON. TONY INCE » : Mr. Speaker, I disagree with the member, and I stand by this release. Thank you.

MR. YOUNGER « » : Mr. Speaker, I'll table the data that his own release links to.

A few weeks ago I asked the minister what he would use as a baseline for the number of jobs in the cultural sector, which he would measure success by, and the minister refused to commit to a baseline. But since he has put this release out today, and therefore presumably endorsed it, will he use this number of 13,874 jobs and the GDP contribution of 2.7 per cent as the baseline for the measure of success?

[Page 9158]

MR. INCE « » : Thank you for that question, and you know, I'm really happy that you're asking this, because do you know what? Culture in Nova Scotia has been very good. I commend and I applaud the craftsmen, the musicians, the artists, and everybody who works in this sector for all their hard work. So thank you for that and thank you to all those who work in the sector, who work hard for Nova Scotians.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou West.

HEALTH & WELLNESS - PICTOU RESIDENTS:

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE - LOCATIONS

MS. KARLA MACFARLANE « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. We need doctors, obviously that is very evident. There are far too many residents in Pictou without a doctor who, sadly, had to rely on the after-hours outpatient clinic, which we all now know closed abruptly on April 29^th.

Can the minister tell us where he now expects these residents to go to seek medical assistance?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, it was an unfortunate development, but we have to remember this was a private arrangement of doctors to be available for some extra hours beyond their daily clinics. They had started out, in fact probably as younger doctors, providing seven days a week, moved it back to six, to five, to four. They were in the process themselves of taking that service out of operation.

Currently Dr. Lowe is looking at recruitment for that area and determining in fact if an after-hours clinic is needed or is it another doctor or a nurse practitioner to the collaborative practice in fact that may be needed most.

MS. MACFARLANE « » : Mr. Speaker, an after-hours clinic is absolutely needed. In fact the other day I had to ask a family member to take a resident from Pictou to the ER in New Glasgow because they didn't have any financial means for transportation. We can't continue to do that.

The list keeps escalating to the point of no return for those who need a doctor. The emergency in New Glasgow is there for people who have an emergency, but what about the people who have a condition that needs to be monitored on a weekly or bi-monthly basis? Will the minister please tell us what steps specifically are being taken to address the lack of doctors in Pictou?

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I know Dr. Lowe is looking at the needs of that whole northern region, including Pictou of course, and whether or not an additional primary care provider, who could be a nurse practitioner, added to the existing clinic, that in fact would allow more patients to be seen during regular hours. That is one of the areas currently being explored, as well as ongoing recruitment efforts.

[Page 9159]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle-Barrington.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: PHYSICIAN LICENSING

- RESTRICTIONS EXPLAIN

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : I know this was talked about a little earlier, but Dr. Saad is a family physician from Beaver Bank and he opened his practice a few years ago. The patient demand quickly outpaced the ability to provide services without hiring an additional family doctor.

The Health Authority denied his request based on the fact that he was not in a geographic area that was in the most need. So not only is the problem in rural Nova Scotia, but we actually have the problem right here in Halifax and in surrounding areas.

My question to the minister is, when thousands of Nova Scotians are without a family doctor, why is the minister restricting those with successful practices from hiring additional physicians to meet the needs?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, to be very direct in relation to the doctor just raised here, his clinic will be provided with another doctor. I've been in conversation with Dr. Lynn Harrigan and we know that in some areas there in fact are sufficient doctors, in other areas of the metro region there aren't sufficient doctors geographically situated.

The practice in the past here has been very much a private entity, doctors setting up a clinic, very often getting their own doctors to fill a clinic. Now there's going to be a larger view of what the nature of the patient workload is requiring for primary care providers, so it is a change. But I am pleased to say that the doctors, one in particular who has seven walk-in clinics, is working with the Health Authority to in fact change the practice.

MR. D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for that answer. The article of course that was on Global was actually from April 28^th. It seems like a lot of things happened in the meantime, you know, thanking the member for Sackville-Cobequid for his interventions in this as well, but it took the Opposition to push on the department to get these things to happen because without that they would not have looked at it.

I want to see what happens here next because if this is going to happen in other places around the provinces, the Health Authority is going to say no you cannot hire a physician because we don't think you need one - I cannot imagine that. So, can the minister table by the end of today the new policy on hiring physicians or how hiring the physicians is going to happen in rural areas because of this change?

[Page 9160]

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, what I can tell the member opposite is that on a continuous basis the Health Authority recruitment team are working with doctors, in particular here in Metro, and across the province. They are initiating a model practice of collaborative care, which we know has worked tremendously in parts of the province.

In fact, Clare is a wonderful example of setting up that practice and getting doctors to come back to the area. Bridgewater, which went through a decade unable to recruit and retain doctors, they now have sufficient doctors. We are going to make this happen across the province and we will see an improvement.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: AVALON SEXUAL ASSAULT CTR./

ANTIGONISH THERAPY SERV. - FUNDING

HON. DAVID WILSON « » : Mr. Speaker, on Friday I asked the Minister of Health and Wellness to explain the government's intention for funding trauma-specific therapy services available to survivors of sexual violence in both Antigonish and through the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre. The response seemed to be positive but I believe the minister may also have been confused about the two programs: the difference between sexual assault nurse examiner program and these trauma-specific therapy services.

Just for clarity, can the minister explain if the funding specific to these therapy services will continue to be provided?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, I will save him part two of a question. Those two positions will be fully funded through the Health Authority for the next year.

MR. DAVID WILSON « » : Mr. Speaker, I can adapt my second question. I have been here long enough. So, I would like to ask, does the minister have any plans to expand these therapy services beyond the two sites? It is much needed in our province, I believe.

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, what I can tell the member opposite - this is an issue that many Nova Scotians have become engaged in looking for better services. For the first time in the Department of Health and Wellness we have hired a provincial coordinator that will look at SANE and all sexual assault services across Nova Scotia. We have really relied upon ERs for much of this work and now getting the right program in the right places across the province is exactly what is going to happen.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: COLLABORATIVE HEALTH CARE

[Page 9161]

- TRANSITION DETAILS

MR. LARRY HARRISON « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. I was talking to family friends the other day, and their son is going to become a doctor. I asked, will he stay in Nova Scotia because he would be an excellent doctor? They were not sure what he was going to do. I understand the Department of Health and Wellness is moving toward a collaborative approach to health care, and I understand that new doctors are really open for this. What happens to the private practices that may go because of retirement or other reasons - what happens to them in the transition period?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, the member who just asked that question, I believe he should be on the front benches. That is a great question, and there are many - there are a number of older . . .

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness has the floor.

MR. GLAVINE « » : There are many older doctors who have joined the collaborative practice. We're all aware of this. In fact, one of the great strengths is their collegiality to mentor young doctors. This has taken place in a number of communities. There will be a period of transition. I'm more than prepared to sit down with the member and go through a number of scenarios that have taken place across Nova Scotia.

MR. HARRISON « » : I thank you for that. As a follow-up, I was just wondering about incentives. The information I got was that if someone took over someone else's practice, the government, or the Department of Health and Wellness, would give them 15 minutes to interview one of the patients. If they started up a new practice, they were given an hour to interview new patients.

I'm just wondering, what kind of incentives are in place to help those folks decide to stay?

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, part of what is in that question, in fact, is now one of the areas under deliberation through the master agreement. One of the areas that I'm very pleased to speak to is that five of the 10 doctors who are going to Cape Breton are going there because of the tuition relief program that we've put in place.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings North.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: NURSING HOME VISITS

[Page 9162]

- DOCTORS' REMUNERATION

MR. JOHN LOHR « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. It's been reported to me by doctors in the Valley that they don't receive compensation for a seniors' home visit on the weekend, while doctors in HRM do receive compensation for a weekend visit to a seniors' home. Clearly having a timely doctor's visit could save ER time, or even save a life.

My question for the minister is, will the minister please explain why doctors in HRM are paid for visiting a nursing home on the weekend, while doctors in the Valley are not paid for the same service? Will he ensure that this discrepancy will be eliminated in the new master agreement?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : I'm glad I got my 40-minute run in before Health and Wellness Minister Day today in Question Period.

What I want to tell the member opposite is that this is one of those areas that was really just taking place here in the old Capital District. One of the reasons for the one health authority, as we all know - yes, it'll save money and it'll get more to the front lines, but having a standard of practice across the province, that's exactly - this was a one-off situation, and this will be changed across the province.

MR. LOHR « » : I'd like to thank the minister for that response, Mr. Speaker. I question whether this is a one-off situation. I can give another example in another area, which is more recent, which has happened in this new health authority regime. That is that we have Syrian refugees coming into our communities now needing medical care, and having a huge barrier toward having care because they need translation services. These services are not always readily available in rural Nova Scotia and can be quite expensive. There's a translation line available, but this line is only available to doctors in HRM. I'll table that document.

Will the minister explain to me why a phone service to call and get translation service for refugee patients is not available to doctors in the Annapolis Valley, but is available to HRM doctors right now?

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, a very important question. As we know that there are Syrian refugees who now have spread out across Nova Scotia. Some have very limited English at this stage. Fortunately, across the province and the area where the member they speak to - I know Port Williams, Wolfville, Kentville, they've been fortunate to be able to have a translator with them on many occasions - but I'll look into this question to make sure that that service is available across the province.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne.

PREM.: HEALTH CARE STRATEGY - FAILURE ADMIT

[Page 9163]

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Today our caucus has again tried to highlight the many health care issues that are going unaddressed by this government. ER closures are up, wait times are up, more and more Nova Scotians cannot - I repeat, cannot - find a family doctor, and rural Nova Scotians are feeling abandoned by the creation of a single health authority.

Two and a half years into this government, things are getting worse. So I ask the Premier, will he admit today that his government strategy around health care has failed Nova Scotians?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I completely disagree with the question and the entire preamble that he brought before it.

MR. BELLIVEAU « » : The people of Queens-Shelburne have had enough - I repeat, enough - of this Minister of Health and Wellness's inability to provide an adequate level of health care services. We were told there was a plan to address the ER closures at Roseway Hospital. I have made many continuous attempts - I talked about the closures at the ER. Certainly it's very well known in this House in this session.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Queens-Shelburne have lost trust and faith in this minister. So I ask the Premier, will he appoint a new Minister of Health and Wellness to try to re-establish the trust and faith of the people of Queens-Shelburne?

THE PREMIER « » : I want to thank the honourable member for the question. It gives me an opportunity to stand up and tell this House and all Nova Scotians about the great work that the Minister of Health and Wellness (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne will come to order.

The honourable Premier has the floor.

THE PREMIER « » : Again, I want to tell all members of this House what a great job our Minister of Health and Wellness has been doing working with our partners across the province. (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne, order please. (Interruptions) I'll ask the honourable member for Queens-Shelburne to excuse himself, please. The honourable member for Queens-Shelburne will excuse himself.

The honourable Premier.

THE PREMIER « » : It gives me an opportunity to answer the question that was asked of me. Again, I want to thank the honourable member for Kings West for the tremendous work he has been doing as the Minister of Health and Wellness, collaborating with our partners across the province.

[Page 9164]

In October 2013, Nova Scotians made the first step, quite frankly, of getting control of our health care system and delivering a unified health care system across this province, and that was getting rid of the New Democratic Party. We've moved forward to bring together, to tear down the walls in the health care system. We're going to continue to deliver health care to all Nova Scotians on behalf of all Nova Scotians, not a certain few.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Inverness.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: PHYSICIAN NUMBERS

- COMMUN. HEALTH SURVEYS

MR. ALLAN MACMASTER « » : My question is also for the Minister of Health and Wellness. I know members are very concerned about this issue. We've seen a couple ejected from the Chamber today. It's a serious issue. When people don't have a doctor, it's something that we hear about.

Community health surveys are used to determine how many people are actually without a physician, without a doctor, in local regions. What is the minister doing to support the community health surveys to determine the numbers behind these concerns?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : First, I want to compliment the member opposite, who went about his inquiry for his community in the right way. He came in and sat down with Dr. Harrigan and officials in our department, to take a look at what the long-range requirements are for his area. That really is what we need to be taking a look at. Just in the last six months, we've had two or three doctors who were practising full-out on one day and they were in a hospital bed the next day. We have those situations that do come along. But what we know is developing a plan for the province, the best information that we have at the moment is that 90.3 per cent do have a family doctor. We are working hard to get so that every Nova Scotian who wishes to have a family practitioner, a primary care provider, will have that available to them.

MR. MACMASTER « » : Mr. Speaker, I can't help but think one of the sources for supply of these doctors that we need in our local communities is right inside those communities. There are many young Nova Scotians who have the marks to get into medical school, but sometimes they don't manage to make it in because of the competition. I know the province does subsidize these seats in medical school.

So, my question, given that we have this resource in front of us, what is the province doing to actually support Nova Scotians coming from these communities to be able to get their education to become general practitioners, so that they can practice in their communities, versus say, subsidies that might be going to physicians whose goal may be more to do research?

[Page 9165]

MR. GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, one of the areas that we know is able to provide doctors for communities is to actually have doctors who grow up in a community. The Clare clinic is probably one of the greatest examples we have in the province, where the majority of doctors recruited to that clinic actually grew up in the area, and are Acadian in descent. They are able to handle the language and culture of the patients they have to look at. However, it's very hard to pin that down for every community across the province.

What I can say to the member opposite is that we have more Nova Scotians at the Dalhousie Medical School, currently, than we have had in a couple of decades, and furthermore we need to keep in mind that the practice of doctors is dramatically changing. They are no longer working 60, 70, 80 hours a week; they are much more in line with about 50 hours a week, so that model that is changing is also providing us with many challenges.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou East.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: NURSE PRACTITIONERS - PLANS

MR. TIM HOUSTON « » : Mr. Speaker, there is a serious doctor shortage across the province. We can clap in here today and thank people, but it's not going to go away just on that. We actually need real solutions. There are thousands of people just in Pictou County, thousands, thousands looking for a doctor just in Pictou County.

Today I heard the minister mention nurse practitioners a couple of times in Question Period, first time I've really heard him mention nurse practitioners, and I actually think they can be a big part of the solution. They do a lot in the Alberta health care system and a lot in the Ontario health care system. We have a few here in acute care. We have very, very, very few in primary care; we should have more. What is the minister's plans to engage more nurse practitioners, and empower more nurse practitioners to be part of the system, because doctors are working their guts out trying to get through patients and it's not working? What is the plan?

HON. LEO GLAVINE « » : Mr. Speaker, really what the member is speaking to is that changing model of care where, yes, doctors are working long hours, going the extra mile, day after day and that's why many of them do want to move to the comprehensive team approach to delivering primary care in their community. It is the model that we know we can make great gains with across Nova Scotia, and I think one of the most pivotal personnel for that kind of model is actually a nurse practitioner.

We have committed to getting more nurse practitioners on the ground in the province. We know that the deputy and I and the Nurses' Union have started to talk about an NP locum that could be available for situations like the one the member opposite …

[Page 9166]

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order please. The time allotted for Oral Questions Put by Members to Ministers has expired.

OPPOSITION MEMBERS' BUSINESS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, would you please call the order of business, Private Members' Public Bills for Second Reading.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' PUBLIC BILLS FOR SECOND READING

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 155.

Bill No. 155 - On-shore Petroleum Resource Development Clarity Act.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : It is a pleasure to get up and talk about something as important as jobs, as important as using the resources that we have around us to give people meaningful employment here at home. I say that because this bill could easily be called a bill to require the government to do its job.

It is very telling that we have to bring in a bill to compel the government to bring in regulations for an Act that it passed on its own almost two years ago. Two years ago in September, the government brought in its own Petroleum Resources Act to ban the development of our onshore resources and the use of high-volume hydraulic fracturing. They actually promised at the time that they would have the regulations to define what high-volume hydraulic fracturing was and what the regulations to protect our environment while allowing jobs to be created would look like. Here we are, almost two years later - that was 2014, this is 2016 - and they're no further ahead. They are dragging their feet; we still don't have a definition.

The industry that wants to invest up to $1 billion according to the Wheeler report in the onshore economy of Nova Scotia has no ability to do so with so much uncertainty. Those Nova Scotians who want to work in developing our resources don't have those jobs, Mr. Speaker. And for all Nova Scotians who believe it's the job of government to create the conditions for a growing economy for new prosperity and for jobs, they are no further ahead.

[Page 9167]

Isn't that one of the most important responsibilities of government? To allow for the unlocking of the wealth of the province, to allow for jobs to flow, particularly as would be the case here, private investment, private sector jobs, no subsidy, no rebate, pure jobs from the private sector. That's a responsibility of government as old as our democracy itself and as recent as the Ivany report, which had a whole section on the need to develop our natural resources and create jobs. That Ivany report is almost two and a half years old, and we're no further ahead.

People are looking for work. There are thousands of Nova Scotians living here at home wanting to stay and work, have meaningful work here in the province so they can buy a home, buy a car, save a little money for retirement, and put their kids through school. These kinds of jobs allow that to happen, yet they're banned, and they've been banned for over two years. There's no end in sight to that ban.

For generations we've had wave upon wave of our fellow Nova Scotians give up on finding work here and move out West to places like Fort McMurray, to provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta, where they do have jobs, where they do get a paycheque, where it does cover the bills, where they can save for their own future. Now, they're coming home in many cases - in many cases even before the disaster in Fort McMurray this week, they've been coming home because of the decline out West. They're trained, they are experts. They are the best in the world at onshore gas development, at onshore mining, at wealth creation.

This week we're all very worried about the thousands of Nova Scotia workers and their families out West in the Fort McMurray area who don't even know if they have a home anymore, or a job, or when that job will be restarting. Hopefully, it will be soon. For some, it may be months. They want to come home to Nova Scotia, and they're facing some pretty big decisions about their own future. Will they go back when their job starts up again, when their house - if it's okay - is repaired and they are allowed to occupy it? Or, when they come home, will they stay? Will they try and put down roots in their home province? Will they want to enroll their kids in our schools? Will they want to buy or build a home here and look for work?

Mr. Speaker, I wish there was a short-term solution that would allow them to work here and stay. I'm sure every Nova Scotian does. In the immediate term there are lots of things we can do; in the long-term the one thing we need to do is to actually provide employment. This is the best thing for our own people who are out West and coming home. It is the best thing for the future of this province. It is a great immigration strategy to have jobs for new Nova Scotians, new Canadians who come here. To leave all of that unanswered and uncertain for two years is unacceptable.

The Wheeler report was done specifically to look at the opportunities in onshore gas. It found that even under the lowest-case scenario, 1,500 new jobs would be created if the government would put in place regulations to safely develop our onshore gas resources. Mr. Speaker, that's 1,500 direct jobs. There is no multiplier; there is no counting of the service jobs and the ripple effect of the other jobs that would be induced by those 1,500. So whether you want to multiply it by two or three or four, the opportunity to employ thousands of new Nova Scotians is obvious, and yet we have to bring a bill to this House to compel the government to put the regulations in place to allow this to happen.

[Page 9168]

It is a case of government negligence of the highest order, in a province that is so desperate to find meaningful work, particularly in rural areas where those jobs are needed the most; where our schools are emptying out because there are no kids; where our roads are crumbling because the traffic volumes no longer attract the attention of the government to repave them; where houses go unsold for months or years because there is no one to buy them; where municipalities are amalgamating at an ever-faster rate because the tax base has eroded to the point that they have no choice; yet for two years we have all waited to see what the government regulations will be for this new industry and they have been silent. They have had nothing to say.

At the same time Nova Scotia actually has a great need for new sources of natural gas, whether it's to generate power, to heat our homes, or even to help as a transition to a more renewable and cleaner emission future because natural gas that is here, where we don't have to pay all those tolls, all those tariffs to bring it here, is a cheaper and cleaner source of fuel for our electricity plants and for our homes. In fact the single biggest benefit that the government could provide to the chequebooks of the people of Nova Scotia, to those families who own homes and heat them every winter, is to help get natural gas to them. Literally hundreds of dollars a month in the winter would be returned to the budgets of Nova Scotia families if they had access to gas, and it would be cleaner at the same time, for our environment. These are very compelling reasons to get the regulations done, Mr. Speaker, and yet nothing has happened.

Since the day that the Wheeler report came out, which said go but go slow on this new industry, we've been calling on the government to do just that. But when Wheeler said "slow" and I know when we said "go, but go slow," nobody meant so slow that all those jobs would have to wait, that all those homes that could be heated cheaper and cleaner would have to wait two years. That is no go at all. That is so slow it is a standstill.

Let's look at a very successful Nova Scotia company, Corridor Resources, a great success story operating in New Brunswick for a dozen years, using hydraulic fracturing to bring out natural gas and create jobs in the Province of New Brunswick, banned from doing the same thing here in their own province. As the technology improves and the safety and the environmental concerns get dealt with, Corridor keeps up with all the latest technology. In fact, now they're using propane for fracturing which eliminates a lot of the concerns about the old methods.

Now, is that new method which is cleaner and safer but job friendly - is that banned in Nova Scotia or not? We don't know because the government has not brought in the regulations to define what's banned. So when you don't do that, everything is banned. All those jobs are banned. All those opportunities are banned. All that wealth that could be created here at home is banned, and it remains banned. All the new ways of safely and cleanly extracting natural gas from beneath our feet, they're banned too.

[Page 9169]

Fifty trillion cubic feet of natural gas is the Wheeler report estimate - 50 trillion. That's more than the entire Sable Offshore Energy Project. Imagine two Sable projects right here onshore that the government bans. That's where we are; that is the reality.

Mr. Speaker, you don't have to look far to see success stories. British Columbia is a great example. They have very strong environmental protections in place and a thriving onshore gas industry and all those jobs at the same time. It has been studied by Ernst & Young who have concluded that they have safe, robust regulations in place that protect the environment and allow the jobs to flow. Why after two years have we not looked to what they have done in B.C. and brought it here so that we can have those jobs too?

In Saskatchewan, where so many Nova Scotians are working right now in onshore natural gas development with the latest, cleanest technologies, building homes in Saskatchewan, buying cars in Saskatchewan, sending their kids to school in Saskatchewan - why are we here two years later talking about this when there's such an obvious success story in Saskatchewan? They care about their environment, too, just like we do. They want their people to stay home just like we do. They want to have a well-financed health care system and school system just like we do, and they've found a way.

In fact, the Premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall, explains very clearly what the incidents have been from their use of the latest technologies in hydraulic fracturing to unlock the potential of their province. He was asked, what are the incidents? He said, here are the incidents that we found: Our kids are coming home, they're starting new businesses, we have jobs being created for young people, we have a broader tax base where we can afford education and health care, our small towns are attracting new people, and schools that were at risk of closure are now opening.

We know that one thing is not going to make all that happen overnight, but when we have such an obvious opportunity, when we have such an obvious need, when we have such obvious examples to go and pick from - whether it's B.C., Saskatchewan, or you name the place - there's a moral duty to go and get that done for the people of Nova Scotia, the ones that are here, the new Canadians that are here, the ones that are coming home from out West. This bill compels the government to do the obvious, take the law that they passed two years ago and put in place the regulations to allow all these good things to happen.

It may seem like it will take years to get it done, once those regulations are in place, but we'd be two years ahead today if the government had just done that in the first place, Mr. Speaker. So let's start the clock to those better times ticking now.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cumberland North.

MR. TERRY FARRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise following the member for Cumberland South across the floor to add a few words to this very important subject. I'm going to quote my colleague, the Minister of Energy, in characterizing the words of the honourable member. When he speaks, I think of the Jed Clampett theory of job creation where we poke a hole in the ground - and I think what he is saying is that money starts to flow out of the hole and then around the money hole an epidemic of jobs breaks out. It's a typical way of thinking for that member and I think it certainly fails to take into account the complexities of this issue and of economic issues in general. Unfortunately that is characteristic of their thinking.

What you've got to look at here, Mr. Speaker, is the premium that our government places on the environment and on building a strong economy and on the needs of business. We have to balance those things. We have to balance the environment with the economy and take into account all factors when moving ahead with an issue as important as fracturing. As members of this House will know, two years ago we put a prohibition in place on high-volume hydraulic fracturing in shale formations. We did this because of the very Wheeler commission that the member for Cumberland South referred to.

The majority of Nova Scotians have expressed strong concerns that fracking is essentially unproven in Nova Scotia and it cannot currently take place in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Nova Scotians need to be absolutely clear about that, Mr. Speaker, before this kind of exploration can be carried out in Nova Scotia. It has to be done in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible.

Nova Scotians who I talk to, as a whole, aren't ready to support the use of hydraulic fracturing and we respect that. If the member for Cumberland South or the member for Pictou East, the proponent of this bill, have evidence that there is a buy-in in their community, that there are communities in their areas that are coming to them, that are coming forward and saying bring fracking to my community, bring hydraulic fracturing into Pictou East or bring hydraulic fracturing into Cumberland South - where's the evidence of that, Mr. Speaker? Show me that. I would listen to that.

It's certainly not what I'm hearing on the doorsteps of Cumberland North. What I'm hearing in my area, which is in fact the focus for any future activity of this type that might take place in Nova Scotia - what I'm hearing is vigorous debate. It's intelligent, caring individuals with well thought out views on both sides of this debate who are coming together and talking about this and there is no clear wish on the part of Nova Scotians to do this type of activity in the province.

It's clear that we need more information and a higher level of comfort with this, Mr. Speaker. So in September 2014 our government introduced amendments to the Petroleum Resources Act that placed a moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing for onshore oil and gas development. The amendments include prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing in shale formations; the authority to make regulations to define the technique and to allow testing or research; and defining the process government will follow before reconsidering the moratorium.

[Page 9171]

This ban on high-volume fracturing in shale remains in place to this day. The prohibition will hold until we're satisfied that the economic benefits to Nova Scotians do not compromise our environment. We need more research to build a better understanding of our resource potential so that government and Nova Scotians can be confident that it can be done safely and with stringent rules and regulations in place. This doesn't just happen. This takes time. This takes research. This takes development. It's complicated.

Since the moratorium, we've been active on two fronts. Here's what we're doing with respect to defining this issue. We know that only about one third of the province has any geological potential for onshore oil exploration. We're preparing an onshore petroleum geoscience atlas to define areas that we consider to have strong oil and gas potential. We need to clearly understand what resources we may have and, if they are there, if commercial quantities exist.

We've invested $150,000 in the last budget year and another $150,000 this year to create this onshore atlas to see what's there, because as of now, the technology has not given us a clear picture of what resources might be there or what the potential of it might be. It's expected that the first draft of the atlas will be ready sometime in early 2017. The geology will determine the technologies that would need to be considered, so this is a very important piece.

We're also preparing regulations which will give effect to the legislation. They are intended to appropriately address current issues around hydraulic fracturing. The work is ongoing and it will engage other departments. It will draw upon other departments for co-operation and coordination and to ensure that the broad economic, environmental, and social challenges associated with hydraulic fracturing are addressed.

We're taking the time that's needed to develop these regulations in a thoughtful way. The work is complicated, and it's multi-faceted. People are working very hard at this; it's ongoing. Staff are actively reviewing current research and consulting on regulatory processes in other jurisdictions to improve our own understanding. Staff have visited other jurisdictions where fracturing is already permitted. Various provinces and states have legislation and regulations. We need to look to those provinces and states with experience to ensure that our regulations are comprehensive.

We hear of problems from other jurisdictions that are experiencing fracking that have been doing it for years, maybe for decades. We have to do the work to look at the situation to make sure that those problems are not just anecdotal, to make sure that those are not systemic problems with the processes that are going to affect Nova Scotians, should we agree at some future time to undertake this process.

[Page 9172]

The idea that it's an easy subject or an easy definition is just not accurate. It's highly technical, and there are many different implications to consider.

It's also new in Nova Scotia, and we want to make sure that we get it right. Nova Scotia is not Saskatchewan; it's not a landlocked province in the middle surrounded by other provinces. We're perched on the edge of the ocean, and we have our own geology. We don't have Saskatchewan geology. We don't have Pennsylvania geology. We are unique, and we need a unique solution. It's not going to come to us overnight. (Interruption) Perhaps if the member for Pictou East is going to speak up, he could bring us some evidence of that social licence that we need.

If we choose to pursue hydraulic fracturing at some point in the future, we need to have a strong regulatory framework in place, a better understanding of our geology, a net benefit to the province, and the knowledge that Nova Scotians are ready to move forward with this development. That is essential. It cannot be done without buy-in from Nova Scotians. That is the right way to proceed.

We're working on identifying a clear mechanism whereby any possible commercial activity proceeds only in a manner that's responsible from an environmental as well as a social perspective, and this takes time. Industry is well aware of this work. They understand the complexities, and they understand that this work is proceeding. They too want us to get it right to ensure we provide the clarity they need in the regulatory environment in which they are working.

Business and industry is not clamouring, and bothering, and pestering government on a regular basis to get this done. They understand, they are involved, they understand the speed that this takes. So, when onshore regulations are drafted, we will share them with Nova Scotians, then Nova Scotians can tell us - do they believe, and do they accept that this can be done in a safe manner? If they do, then they will give us their feelings on that.

On-shore is frontier area, it's new, but in the meantime to listen to the Opposition one would think that we're just sitting around missing opportunities with respect to oil and gas exploration. That is certainly not the case, Mr. Speaker. The work that is going on to continue to build our offshore resources is substantial and we've been successful in attracting major competitors at a time when oil processes are low. This speaks volumes about the potential of our offshore.

So, since 2008 the Government of Nova Scotia has taken a strategic and responsible approach to try and attract new oil and gas investments to our offshore. Our $15 million Play Fairway Analysis, which was released in 2011 and which is provided at no charge to users in the oil and gas industry, Mr. Speaker, suggests an untapped potential of eight billion barrels of oil and 120 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

[Page 9173]

That is perspective, Mr. Speaker, that is potential, and that is something that is actively happening right now as we speak. That's a lot of gas and it's a very significant volume that could support many LNG export projects as well as the projects that the member for Cumberland South referred to in his remarks.

So, since 2011 we've continued to do geoscience and marketing work, and we've attracted over $2 billion in exploration commitments from Shell, with partners ConocoPhillips and Suncor, and from BP with partners Hess and Woodside. Today, we're midway through a four-year, $12 million program, Mr. Speaker, of new geoscience and marketing efforts.

Last year we attracted Statoil to our offshore with another $82 million in work commitments. This shows an unequivocal commitment of this government, of the Minister of Energy, and the people who work in his department, to oil and gas development in Nova Scotia. No question, Mr. Speaker. It also shows a healthy caution with respect to the environment, it shows that we will work diligently to develop the economy of Nova Scotia, to create jobs in Nova Scotia, to make Nova Scotia a major player in the oil and gas industry, to bring those revenues home, but not at any cost.

It also shows from our experience in the offshore, from our long experience and our successful experience in the offshore, it shows that these things don't happen overnight. These things are incredibly complex, they involve incredibly complex safety issues, whether you do that on the water, Mr. Speaker, or on the land, and there's no room for error here. There's no room for chance; there's no room for a mistake. That's why it may take two years - I don't know how much longer it's going to take after the two years, but I can assure you that the work is underway.

It's not being done in a cursory fashion, it's being done in a comprehensive fashion, and if and when the issue is taken to Nova Scotians to determine if this is something that is in their best interest and if they feel that it's in their best interest, then it will be done based on comprehensive science. It will be done based on expert evidence. It will be done based on the hard work that goes into it, not on the instant gratification that some members may be trying to lead Nova Scotians into believing is possible and available. It's not the Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Speaker, you don't just knock a hole in the ground and money comes out, and an epidemic of jobs break out around that.

It's something that, as I say, it's close to me, because it's topical in Cumberland North. The North Shore of Nova Scotia has been identified and there has been interest in carrying out this process there, all along that shore, and I've got to tell you with the knowledge that's out there now, Mr. Speaker, people are concerned. People are not ready to have this happen in their area, with the spectre of the concerns that have been voiced in other areas.

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We are a cautious people, Mr. Speaker, but we're also respectful of science, technology and we want knowledge. We want to know what's going on; we want to know what's happening; we want to know how this is going to affect us both geologically and in every other way environmentally, in order to make a good, solid decision. That's what the government wants and that's what Nova Scotians want. Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Sackville-Cobequid.

HON. DAVID WILSON « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to rise to speak for a few moments on Bill No. 155. It is interesting that we are here today debating a bill like Bill No. 155. No matter where you're at on the issue of fracking, we find ourselves today where the Official Opposition Party of Nova Scotia, the Progressive Conservative Party, feels compelled to introduce legislation to seek clarity from the government.

I have seen many pieces of legislation over my almost 13 years here. Often legislation is criticized by the number of words in it and this piece of legislation is one sentence, but it's an issue that I think the Progressive Conservatives feel it's important to get an answer from. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, I think this might not be the end of this type of legislation; it might just be the start of it.

After Question Period today, quite an active Question Period - often that's the avenue that Opposition Parties use to seek clarity. An avenue to question the government on something the government itself put out in a news release, maybe something the minister has indicated or said in an interview, or a concern from a resident that they want some clarity on what the government is going to do about that specific issue. Of course this issue here talks about the need for a definition of high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the province.

I have to say I don't blame the Progressive Conservatives for bringing this type of legislation forward - maybe not the fracking legislation - but this type of legislation requesting clarity from the government. We know, Mr. Speaker, and I know and our caucus knows that over the last two and a half years we've been asking for clarity on a number of issues. It's frustrating, as an elected official, to have to do that because I would think the government would be very clear, when they stand up in the House and say they're going to do something or they issue a news release that they're going to address this policy issue or change this legislation or improve these services or cut these services, and we find ourselves as MLAs often, over the last two and a half years, doing just what this piece of legislation is attempting to do, that is to seek clarification on what the intention is of the government.

There are a number of more recent issues that have been very frustrating for not only us, as elected officials, but for Nova Scotians. One example where a link, the need for clarification was the attempt of the government to change the Seniors' Pharmacare Program - not a lot of information out there, a lot of questions around the government needs to clarify what their intentions are. I think that's what Bill No. 155 does. I think Bill No. 155 goes at the issue of this government not being clear to Nova Scotians, not getting their message out in a way that people understand what their intentions are or what direction the government is going to take.

[Page 9175]

We know what happened with the Seniors' Pharmacare - they've actually backtracked. We were asking in Public Accounts Committee about information that the government should have brought forward. We asked in Question Period about being more clear on what the direction and what the implications of those changes would be and, eventually, we did get the government to retreat.

There is more than just that one example, and there is more than just the example of Bill No. 155 that the Progressive Conservatives have an issue with the government not being clear on their intentions around fracking and hydraulic fracturing in our province. We know another example, just to tee up, why I said potentially we were going to see more pieces of legislation that are short sentences just asking for clarification on an issue; we look at the amalgamation of the district health authorities. Initially the government said there was going to be millions of savings, immediately. We know now, two and a half years, we are still waiting for those savings, even though the Minister of Health and Wellness is almost ready to tell us how much money the Health Authority is going to save us.

It is interesting to see that we had to ask the government to clarify what they actually were saying before they got in government and, that is why I think the Progressive Conservatives needed to bring Bill No. 155 forward. In August 2013 the government of the day, the Government of Nova Scotia commissioned an independent review of the socio-economic impacts of hydraulic fracturing. That was led by Dr. David Wheeler, the president of Cape Breton University and, I think, all parties would agree that at that time, the issue of fracturing and fracking was relatively new and it was not well understood I think by Nova Scotians, by elected officials - this new concern and this concern that came out of a lot of jurisdictions questioning that practice.

Now we are here, one and a half years after the release of the Wheeler report, and there seem to be many questions about the benefits and the risks associated with fracking. Nova Scotia, and other jurisdictions as well, have struggled to understand the science and thus develop legislation around this issue, but it does not mean the government needs to stall or stop doing the work that I think the Wheeler report pointed to. I think that is why - and I am not going to speak for the Progressive Conservatives - but I think they brought this piece of legislation forward to try and seek some of that knowledge on where the government is going to go into the future.

I was very proud to be part of a government that continued a moratorium on fracking in Nova Scotia. We commissioned the Wheeler report because we knew that we may have a strong stance on one side or the other, but we knew that Nova Scotians needed the opportunity to hear from someone who was outside government, someone who might not be looked upon as being political on this issue. This issue has been politically sensitive. There is no question about that, having both the proponents and opponents to the fracking issue, and we have seen protests not only in our own jurisdiction but across Atlantic Canada and across the country and well into the U.S. around this issue.

[Page 9176]

Regardless of the definition, it is clear that any government wishing to pursue fracking in Nova Scotia, whoever follows this government into the future, will need to establish a social licence to do so. I think that is why it is so important that the current government continue to work towards ensuring that Nova Scotians know the intentions or the path forward, as the government tries to address the issue of fracking here in Nova Scotia.

During the review many Nova Scotians, including the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs, expressed their concerns about the potential negative impact associated with fracking. We need to make sure, and government needs to make sure, when they move forward they are transparent about it; they engage Nova Scotians on what they are going to do.

It has been some time as I said, one and a half years since the Wheeler report was released, I believe, and really very little from the government on what is going forward. I do not know if they are waiting before the next election to maybe come out with the intention and the path forward the Liberal Government has or will have. I'm sure the question will be there, I believe in the last number of elections the surveys go out from those concerned on either side, but more importantly those concerned with the environment, on what the status is of each of our Parties on fracking here in Nova Scotia.

While proponents of fracking may argue against a go-slow approach, it's important that we develop in Nova Scotia, and if it gets developed, that it's supported by Nova Scotians. That's why it's so important to know and to seek clarity, as this piece of legislation indicates on what the current government is going to do. At this point the level of support has not materialized, I don't believe the support for fracking is there yet in our province, but I think the government needs to make sure they have an avenue that they can engage Nova Scotians with. Our caucus will continue to follow the issue and listen to what Nova Scotians have to say.

Mr. Speaker, I really need to emphasize that we've come a long way in democracy when we have an Official Opposition Party introducing legislation just for clarity. I mean, I think that shows, and it tells, a history now, a track record of the current government. Far too often we're standing in our place as Opposition members, trying to figure out what the government is doing, what their intentions are, and seeking clarity on important issues.

These are issues that are important to Nova Scotians and I don't believe we see a true effort to make sure that the current government is transparent, are the most open that we will ever see in the history of Nova Scotia. We heard that so many times, Mr. Speaker, when the members of the government were huddled over here on this side of the House, saying we're going to be the most open and transparent government. Well, I have to say I've been in Opposition when the Progressive Conservatives were in power, I'm in Opposition now with the Liberals in power, and I have to say I've filed more FOIPOPs under this Liberal Government than I did when the Progressive Conservatives were in power, and that's hard to say, because I felt the Progressive Conservatives were a bit of a secretive government when I first walked into this Chamber.

[Page 9177]

I have to say, it's frustrating when you try to get an answer from the government on a serious issue, not only for the residents that I represent in Sackville-Cobequid, but for Nova Scotians as a whole in our critic portfolios, or our roles, to be given a response that doesn't even come close to answering the question, or give any clarity on the issue that's in front of us. I think that's why we see Bill No. 155 in front of us today, because of the track record of the government.

It's not just the Minister of Energy's track record. I think there are ministers in the government that need to really understand that Opposition Parties shouldn't have to bring legislation to seek clarity. If the government is committed to their stance or their path forward, they should be the first ones to stand up and say, this is what we're doing and this is why we're doing it. Nova Scotians deserve to know and it shouldn't take a $5 fee for one of my researchers to put in a request to find out information that I think most Nova Scotians would think they deserve to hear and deserve to know.

So I know we're getting close and I look forward to my colleague's response to Bill No. 155, but I have to say I think the reason we see this piece of legislation today goes directly at an issue that both Opposition Parties and the independent member are facing every day: not getting the information that I think the government should give when they provide changes to policies, when they provide new direction, and when they provide new legislation.

Mr. Speaker, like I said, we're a year and a half now after the Wheeler report - Dr. David Wheeler - on hydraulic fracturing, and we have an Opposition Party bringing in legislation just to kind of kick-start the government into creating some definition on what the definition of "high-volume hydraulic fracturing" is. We're going to be no further ahead in the future if the government doesn't start to ensure that the clarification of the work they need to do is there, and we're going to continue to see bills like Bill No. 155.

I thank you for that, and I look forward to my colleagues' comments.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River on an introduction.

MS. LENORE ZANN « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction. If we all pay attention to the west gallery, we'll see that there's a large class of children from Lockeport Regional High and Shelburne Regional High. I'm doing this introduction on behalf of our colleague the member for Queens-Shelburne.

[Page 9178]

There are 28 exchange students. Please stand up. Their teachers Karen Harris and Rob West are there with them. These kids are from Brazil, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Mexico, Syria, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Spain. Let's give them a warm welcome. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou East.

MR. TIM HOUSTON « » : Mr. Speaker, I also spy my friend Joyce up there.

It's a pleasure to rise to speak to this bill. I was listening to that today, and I was wondering if in other jurisdictions around the world governments pass pieces of legislation and two years later still can't actually define what they've done. I wonder if that's unique to Nova Scotia or if it's something that happens elsewhere.

Today we are here, and it's interesting that the irony was lost on the Liberal caucus, who didn't quite understand what this piece of legislation was about. Perhaps it shouldn't have surprised me and shouldn't have surprised other members of this Chamber, but it does surprise me that it was completely lost on the Liberal caucus what this piece of legislation was about. My colleague in the NDP picked up on it.

What we're talking about today is actually a very short bill. "An Act to Provide Clarity" is how it starts, and it probably could have stopped right there. All we are trying to do is get some clarity on a piece of legislation that this government passed two years ago that it has not only been completely unwilling to define but has laughably been completely unable to define.

Today is not the day to discuss social licences and fracking in general. Today is to discuss what the government was trying to do. What was it that they were trying to accomplish? They passed a piece of legislation back in September 2014 that received hours and hours of debate in this Chamber, with people constantly asking, can you define what it is that you are trying to do? For hours upon hours the answer was, no, we can't.

The hours turned into days, which turned into weeks, which turned into months. Now we are approaching the second anniversary - two full years - and this government can't define a key clause in its legislation. Why? What kind of government passes bills that it doesn't understand?

They've fully admitted by the passage of time that they don't understand what their bill did, because we know that their initial bill hasn't been proclaimed. It was rushed through this Chamber to get done, and yet here we are. It still hasn't been proclaimed because they don't know what they did.

[Page 9179]

Sadly for Nova Scotians, the fact that they don't know what they did is not unique to this piece of legislation. We should all worry as Nova Scotians, and those who join us in this province for however long, we should all worry about a government that doesn't know what it's doing.

I think about a sloppy piece of legislation like the first one that then forces Opposition Parties to introduce a bill - a one-line bill - that says that the Governor in Council shall make regulations defining what they're doing. All we're asking for is a definition, and I find it very sad when I see members opposite stand up and spew rhetoric about other members of this Chamber when they can't even define what it is a law that they've passed does. It's a joke.

It's a joke, and it's not limited to this situation. We have a government that governs often by appearance - this is my perception - by sticking a finger up in the air and trying to decide which way the wind is blowing, as opposed to fully understanding what the issue is.

We saw that with the Film Tax Credit. When there was a campaign going on, we had government members saying, oh, boy, do we ever support the film industry, so much so that we are going to extend the tax credit that we offer the industry. Then, within months in government, they actually passed a piece of legislation to extend the Film Tax Credit. That's maybe a good news story, Mr. Speaker. The problem is that the shoe dropped, and just months after that not only was the credit not extended as they had promised, not only was the credit not extended as they put into legislation, it was completely scrapped without a warning. So another meaningless piece of legislation put through this House that was obviously not well understood by the government and eventually had to be ripped up by them.

I would ask them to do the same thing with their initial bill - rip that up because you don't know what you did with that bill. You probably don't even know why it was done. So that is just two examples.

My colleague from the NDP spoke about the Pharmacare issue. The Pharmacare issue would be a third example of the government not knowing what they're doing. (Interruption) And we just witnessed probably a fourth example of it, but I'll come to that in the fullness of time.

The third example was Pharmacare, where this government, with much fanfare, announced changes to the Pharmacare plan. It sounded nice - oh, boy, did it ever sound nice. But then just with a little bit of scratching and a little bit of prodding, and a little bit of questioning, it completely unravelled. Why did it unravel? Because they didn't know what they were doing. This government didn't know what it was doing. It was saying things that it didn't fully understand. That's a very dangerous thing for a government to do because people put stock in what a government says. They want to have confidence in what a government says. They want to believe what a government says. Yet here we are with the third example.

[Page 9180]

The Pharmacare might well have passed through if not for some vigorous questioning at the Public Accounts Committee. That was the time when the Public Accounts Committee operated very efficiently. I know myself, Mr. Speaker, I was on that committee and I used most of my first 20 minutes to ask one question. I was asking at the time: How much will the changes to Pharmacare cost seniors? For 20 minutes I asked that simple question, and for 20 minutes I received no answer. I don't know why. I guess they didn't know. Maybe they didn't want to say. It's only speculation at this moment, but I think we can see the pattern.

We can see a pattern very clearly developing between this bill here, where we still don't have a definition. We have lots of excuses from the government as to why they don't need to define it. There are lots of excuses from the government as to why they don't need to define it and I would accept those excuses, I just would ask that they would think about those things as a government before they pass legislation in this Chamber without understanding what's happening. It's not productive at all.

This piece of legislation, the initial one that's still undefined, has gone nowhere. The Film Tax Credit - we know what happened there. It was a very unhappy ending for many people in the film industry, an industry that has been completely decimated by the short-sightedness of this government, and the lack of understanding of this government. The Pharmacare - same thing, a little different result. Finally, our government had the good sense to pull their horns in and stick their hand up and say, well, maybe we should do a little bit of homework now. It's a lesson that has been slowly learned, but maybe we take some optimism and maybe it is being learned.

This bill is asking the government to do one thing: define what it is it based its legislation on. Just give a simple definition, a very common definition mind you. Numerous jurisdictions around the world have defined this exact thing. Not good enough for this government, I guess. They are content to not have a definition.

So we have one case where they reversed tracks, one case where they pulled ahead, another case where the government is just on its hands, completely a deer in the headlights, no real clue what to do, and maybe if we do nothing it might go away. Now, isn't that a fine way to govern, Mr. Speaker? Isn't that a fine way to govern? We are seeing more and more examples. There has been a lot of talk in this Chamber about the doctor shortage. The doctor shortage is very real in this province, certainly very real in the area of the province that I come from, and why are people up in arms? People are up in arms because you can't trick a person who doesn't have a doctor into thinking that they have one.

There are lots of things - people might read the paper and read that the economy is going great and all this stuff that really doesn't have a meaningful impact directly on their life per se, but will give them an overall impression of how things are happening. Maybe they have a sense of security in that; maybe they have a false sense of security in that - who knows? It's just around their world - but not having a doctor, that's very cut and dried. People know: they either have a doctor, or they don't and I can tell you from the number of people that I'm hearing from, it's very scary to me. It's very scary to me.

[Page 9181]

We have a government that says a doctor for everyone. Today we heard the minister say, well there are 3 or 4 per cent of Nova Scotians who probably don't want a doctor - he actually said that. So presumably what they meant to say then was, well a doctor for those 97 per cent of the people who want one, I don't know. I don't want to put myself into their heads as to what they're trying to say, but they've made a statement. This government has made a statement that it is slowly retreating from, but that in and of itself is not an issue. What is an issue is making the statements, setting the expectation without properly understanding what it is you're saying - like the Pharmacare, like the film, like this situation here, like doctors, and people can start to see through the talking points.

We can talk away things and we can clap in this Chamber, and pat each other on the back, but there are certain realities to life that people are experiencing, and they're being let down. They're being let down by a government that passes legislation that it doesn't even understand. If 90 per cent of the caucus didn't understand it, I wouldn't even be that offended. I would expect the Cabinet would understand it; I would expect the Cabinet should define it; I would certainly expect the minister should be able to define it. But in this case we don't have anyone who can define it, and worse than that, we have members who gleefully say there's no need for a definition.

It's not helpful. It's a scary pattern that we see over and over, but we will do our job, fulfill our responsibilities as Opposition. In some cases, as sad as it is, we have to introduce legislation to actually find out what the bills mean. Even when we introduce legislation to find out what the bills mean, we get nowhere. Today we heard a government member - I'm going to use the word "speak"; I had some other ones in mind - we had a government member talking for 15 minutes, and there was nowhere around what the definition was. Nothing about that.

They've had their opportunity to think about it. I would ask that if they can't define it at this stage, two years on, they do with this initial bill what they did with the Pharmacare: rip it up and start over again. That's what I would implore them to do.

With those few words, I'll take my seat.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 179.

[Page 9182]

Bill No. 179 - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Act.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Northside-Westmount.

MR. EDDIE ORRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to rise to speak to this bill today, Bill No. 179, an Act Respecting Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness. This is not a large bill, not a long bill, but it's a bill that has great importance to a lot of families in our province - a lot of women who have gone through pregnancy loss, a lot of families who have had the unfortunate incident of having to live through this type of medical situation. It's very important to these people in order to deal with that emotional and medical stress. The bulk of the bill basically states:

The Minister of Health and Wellness shall

(a) assess the services available to women and families who experience the loss of a pregnancy or the death of an infant; and

(b) develop a plan to provide or improve the provision of such services to women and families in any region of the Province in which no such services are available or in which the provision of such services is insufficient to satisfy the needs of the women and families for whom the services are provided.

Anyone who hasn't experienced this type of loss probably doesn't completely understand the need for such services. The bill itself seems like a short bill, but the lasting and lengthy effects of bringing forward such a bill will touch numbers and numbers of people in our communities. It's not a bill about anything but doing the right thing for people who need such services.

It wasn't long ago that the loss of a pregnancy simply wasn't talked about - not discussed among family members, not discussed amongst friends. No one knew the exact extent of the need of this discussion. The stress and the medical implications were sometimes unbearable for the families. The hope is so high when we think we're going to bring a new life, a new person, into this world, and to have something happen medically or otherwise to cause this to terminate can be devastating.

I think the fact that we are discussing it here openly in the Legislature is the right decision. We're going in the right direction. Families need to know that they'll be looked after and can move on from such a tragic incident. Imagine having to live through this and not trying to have children again because of what could happen again. Mr. Speaker, how do we repopulate society? How do we bring more people here if this is what people may start to think?

[Page 9183]

Statistics tell us that one in four - 25 per cent of the pregnancies are lost. That is a frightening statistic, but it is more than just that. All of us who have children know that for the first three months everybody tries to keep it quiet because of what can happen - the dangers of the first three months. We try to keep it to ourselves, but the excitement, the joy around this happening - I don't think there is anyone in here that can really do that. To know what could be coming, the joy that we could bring to our families, the first-time pregnancy is amazing.

What effect does that have on the family and the expectant mothers when something happens to that? We tell our family, our friends. We flip through baby names, we flip through magazines, we look at furniture, we start getting a room prepared, and then to have that gone is devastation to that family. All those hopes and dreams are dashed. It is devastating, and for some women and families in our province, there is nowhere for them to turn.

I live in rural Nova Scotia, as do a lot of the people in this Chamber, and now we have had the big discussion about loss, but we are having problems with just general practitioners, specialists, mental health specialists, to access those types of services, and this on top of that would be devastating. When a woman or a family experiences the loss of a child, really for most of us, it is impossible to know what that family, what that female is going through unless you have actually been there yourself. Heaven forbid that anybody would have to go through that.

Most people suffer in silence but thankfully, today, we are talking about this. Thankfully a lady approached someone in the Legislature about her hardship, what she went through, and this bill surfaced. Thanks to the member for Pictou East for bringing this here; to Ms. McPherson, the lady who had the troubling experience, for the courage to come forward and speak about this to a friend but also to a legislator, to have this developed so that people in the future, and people in the past who have had this happen, won't have to suffer in silence.

I call on the government to do the right thing for this, the right thing for the women in Nova Scotia, the right thing for the families in Nova Scotia, the right thing for Nova Scotians in general.

When a pregnant woman experiences this loss, it is something that many would agree is a unique and horrible experience. Whether it be during the pregnancy or soon after, it is devastation for anyone close to that family and for a community, if people know about it.

As our talented health care professionals endeavour to avoid these tragic incidents, we cannot prevent every bad outcome. All involved suffer emotionally and sometimes physically, when this happens. As a result we must ensure that every woman and family in this province, from one end to the other, has access to the supports they need to overcome the overwhelming grief and be properly counselled on the next steps. So often we speak of access to mental health services only if it applies to individuals in their own life but this is a sad and personal experience felt by families and communities. All across the province women and men grapple with the loss of a pregnancy or an infant.

[Page 9184]

This bill will ensure that during these hard times there are services available regardless of geography. From one end of the province this happens, not just in the most populated areas. I am willing to think that in a rural area, where the communities are so close, there would be more devastation to the family, more devastation to the community.

This bill will require the minister to review the availability of services across the province and to further review the programs that we already have available to make them stronger. The hope is that the minister will further expand these programs and allow health care professionals to provide these important counselling and health services across the whole province.

Ontario recently passed a bill, unanimously, which will provide a similar service to the women and the families of the province who are struggling with such a loss. It is time for us as Nova Scotians to do the same - step up and help these families regardless of where they live in our province.

You know, Mr. Speaker, when this bill was introduced I listened to a lady on the radio, on one of the talk shows, speak of her experience. She felt alone; there were no support programs. She thought the doctor might send her to see somebody; obviously there was nobody available. She said it was one of the hardest times in her life, emotionally. If someone in your family had a heart attack or stroke and is put into a rehab centre, we have counselling there for the families and for the patients to understand exactly what's going on with that illness, to make it easier for them to get on with their rehab - to make it easier for the family to understand what happened and what the steps will be, and knowing each step along the way.

This lady said her whole world was turned upside down and she had nowhere to turn. Fortunately for her, Mr. Speaker, she didn't suffer in silence. She spoke about it and that's when she found out in her community that there was more than just her. People who were very close to her who had the same type of problem, were suffering in the same way and they started to speak about it. You know, they came up with a simple solution to this, that if they had the people to speak to, it would be a lot easier on them.

Now, if they didn't have that, what would be their fear? Well, their fear would be if I try to get pregnant again, what is the guarantee that this is not going to happen? Not knowing what caused it, not knowing what they might have done wrong, they blame themselves, they blame the health care system. All these things would factor in to the reasons of what happened and be factors in deciding if you were to try again - and if the one in four women who have experienced this type of loss decided not to try again, what would happen to our population? How would we do this in society, Mr. Speaker?

[Page 9185]

I know having my own two children and not having had to go through this, the joy of having a child at home is immense. There are days, Mr. Speaker, you wonder what you're going to do, but the joy of that is far outweighed, and to have that opportunity that these people don't have is huge. So we want to make sure that they understand what happened and why it happened. When it happened, at what stage, and what went on, so that they know that the chances of it happening again may not be there, or that if something was wrong they could get it fixed before they did it again, or before it might happen again. Pull them through this difficult time, break that silence.

So, Mr. Speaker, we think that this legislation is necessary, so that we see the services that these people need, these families, these women, are provided. It will take a lot of stress off our medical system, it will take a lot of stress off our health care system, off our mental health system, and it will provide a valuable necessary service to families to be able to carry on.

So, Mr. Speaker, our province is a good example of prenatal health, but we can always do more. We want to make sure that we have the best prenatal health care, the best paediatric care, and now the best care available for those who may suffer such a tragic loss. Many, many women experience post-traumatic stress syndrome and we need to ensure that these services are made available to them.

We try to make sure these services are made available to our firefighters, to our paramedics, to our people who are providing emergency care throughout the province, to a number of different people who work in our military who see tragic and drastic things. But I question, Mr. Speaker, if this is not more important than that, when you actually experience the loss of something that you haven't gotten to know yet.

So, for women who have experienced this loss, whether it be during pregnancy or afterward, we need to make sure that the Province of Nova Scotia expands on its incredible health care system by providing a team so that everybody, regardless of where they live, can receive the services they need, the counselling they need, to know what comes next, how to deal with this tragic loss, and how to move on from it.

This is just a piece of the larger picture - the picture of a path to better mental health and helping everybody cope with the challenges of their mental health by giving them the strength and support they need to get through this tragedy.

I think the strategy to come up with a person or a team of people to provide the counselling for this type of incredible loss is very important. I call on the government to do what's right: to bring this bill here, to pass it, to make sure the women and the families in this province get the care they deserve to be able to move on, to experience life as we all know it, and to provide the population of this community and this province to make this province great and keep this province great. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

[Page 9186]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Lunenburg.

MS. SUZANNE LOHNES-CROFT « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure if I appreciate the opportunity to speak about Bill No. 179, because it's about the hurt of parents and families who have suffered the unimaginable loss of a child or a pregnancy. When this bill was first passed around to our caucus, I said, "I'm not speaking to this bill." And guess what? I ended up speaking to this bill.

I applaud the honourable members of all Parties who get up here today and speak on this sensitive topic. It is an important issue. It's one that is never comfortable to talk about, and it's one that stirs a great deal of emotion, whether you have suffered the loss or know someone who suffered a loss or even can imagine how someone has suffered this kind of loss. I thank the honourable member for bringing this bill forward as a Private Member's Bill.

It recognizes that there is much more we can do to ensure that parents and families are well supported as they cope with the loss of a child or pregnancy. My heart goes out to every mother and any parent who has experienced the loss of a pregnancy or a child in infancy. My own mother suffered many miscarriages; I've had family members who have had negative results, with infertility. That is a grieving process on its own. I've had many friends who have suffered losses as well.

I know many of us know and have shared in the emotional pain that accompanies such a profound loss. There is often physical discomfort as well for the mothers who endure premature end of pregnancy. But for most parents, Mr. Speaker, it's the emotional impacts, and they are much more profound and longer lasting.

The loss of a pregnancy or infant loss is not only sad, it's scary and it is a lonely experience. It is, quite simply, a tragedy that really never goes away. Of course friends and family mean well, and they express the appropriate words of sympathy - and many can't even visit people after such a loss because they are at loss for words.

Even the language we use is somewhat inadequate. We talk about the loss of a young life like it's an inanimate object we've left behind, but of course it's much more than that. Even in the case of a pregnancy that has ended early, we know that the mother has carried and nurtured and loved that baby for weeks or even months. More than that, these parents have built dreams and developed expectations for that infant, maybe dreams that even started before conception, as they planned to be married or planned to start a family. There are so many hopes and dreams that go into a pregnancy. Like the member across the aisle said, people start making plans for nurseries, start saving money, and thinking about colours. It's so important to young couples and their parents and aunts and uncles; everyone in the family gets excited about a pregnancy.

[Page 9187]

While we talk delicately of loss, the parents are dealing with deep grief and devastation. Everyone grieves differently. No two people grieve the same way, and there's no time limit on grief. There is no wrong way, nor is there a right way to grieve. The fact that they are not alone is cold comfort, of course, for any family experiencing such a loss.

Rates of early miscarriage in Canada, before 20 weeks of pregnancy, are somewhere between one in five or six pregnancies. In later pregnancies the rate of stillbirths may be as high as one in 200. Nova Scotia's rate of death in newborns, according to Statistics Canada, stands about 4.6 per 1,000 live births.

While this is better than the national average, we must accept that this is still too high a number. It reflects a significant number of Nova Scotians who must cope with this life-changing reality. There are many people here in Nova Scotia who are dealing with this loss It reflects a significant number of Nova Scotians who are dealing not only with the infant death but also the socialization afterwards, the loneliness, the fear of having to meet people and talk about this loss.

We have significant advocates and resources available here in Nova Scotia. It's something that I'm really pleased to say we have here in Nova Scotia, and that is with the Reproductive Care Program of Nova Scotia. You may know about this program, Mr. Speaker, as it is a leader in Canada when it comes to reproductive, prenatal, and newborn health. In April, as part of the redesign of the Department of Health and Wellness, the Reproductive Care Program moved to the IWK Health Centre.

The Reproductive Care Program has been around since 1973, and it works closely with all Nova Scotia hospitals and health professionals in communities across the province. Its mission is to foster excellence in reproductive care for all Nova Scotians - that would have to be women, though, I would say, not all Nova Scotians. The RCP has taken a leadership role in prenatal care by facilitating the interpretation and implementation of national standards of practice at local levels; responding to the educational and professional needs of care providers across the province; and by facilitating the use of health information to improve outcomes for women and newborns. The program is supported by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics at Dalhousie University.

When families are coping with the tragedy of a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or an infant death, social workers from the IWK are there to meet the families and provide follow-up and bereavement counselling for losses greater than 20 weeks' gestation. The IWK also provides memory mementos, including foot and handprints and photos for families. Spiritual care is also available for families.

[Page 9188]

If a family elects to have blood work or an autopsy done or if they are awaiting a pathology result, the follow-up appointment is booked with the attending physician to review the results and provide counselling for the next pregnancy. Genetic counselling is also offered if needed.

The IWK staff also facilitate group bereavement follow-up two or three times a year for families that have experienced this loss. This is not offered throughout Nova Scotia, unfortunately, but hopefully, with the one health authority that has now been created, programs like this can be set up all over Nova Scotia as satellite programs in other health centres. I look forward to further discussion on this possibility, Mr. Speaker.

In the case of miscarriage under 20 weeks, the early pregnancy counselling clinic offers counselling for treatment options, including medical management of the loss. A bereavement package is given to all families that go into the operating room. A social worker's contact information is always given to families, but remember, privacy and the wishes of the family are always respected by the health care professionals and families are contacted by social workers only at their request.

If a family is receiving home care, the nurses from the early pregnancy counselling clinic contact the patient for follow-up care as needed. Psychiatrist referrals are also provided if there is a need. Bereavement loss education sessions and palliative care are offered by expert program staff.

These are all examples of evidence-based care provided by the Reproductive Care Program and the IWK Health Centre staff to families all across Nova Scotia. I believe the supports provided to parents and families in need in our province are exceptional, and I have witnessed these supports. I had - I say "the pleasure" now - of making a pastoral-care visit to a family who had delivered a child who was not going to have much time on this earth. I must say, it was one of the most difficult things I have ever encountered, but I can only say how professional the IWK staff were from the beginning right to the end for this family.

We can always do better. Together with the Health Authority, we have embarked on a path of health system planning, including planning for mental health services. Moving forward, we will continue to look at ways to improve the delivery of reproductive, prenatal, and newborn health. As a result of that planning, we may well determine that this bill does not go far enough. The planning process may identify further programs and measures that are needed to support parents and families. Of course, our government will continue to work with the Health Authority to put the health of families and parents first.

I want to take this opportunity to express my thanks, on behalf of the government and the people of all Nova Scotia, to the dedicated health professionals and the legions of volunteers who support these families and provide excellent care at the IWK and all of our hospitals and health care centres across Nova Scotia.

[Page 9189]

We have had some discussion around all of this with our caucus. This sensitive topic has brought out that there is a walk every year on the Sunday closest to October 15^th where families are invited to participate. It is a time to remember and acknowledge loss of pregnancies and infant death. It is open to people from all over Nova Scotia. Up to 500 people will attend this walk every October, and I think that is a wonderful way of remembering and bringing these families together to support one another. It is so important for these parents to know that this is a significant loss and that their grief continues even well after time has passed.

I said earlier in my speech that there is no time period on grief and there's no proper way to grieve; everyone will grieve differently. This walk, this special day, this special gathering allows families to talk to one another, get support, and make contact with people. Like the member opposite found out, people aren't alone in their community. They're alone in their grieving, but they're not the only people grieving. By bringing groups together like this, you find that you are not alone and that there is support.

After talking about this with the Minister of Health and Wellness and other members of my caucus, we've decided that we need to talk more about this bill. We will be taking it back to our caucus and we will be having further discussion on what we can do here in Nova Scotia to improve the care for parents and families who are suffering pregnancy loss and early infant death. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River.

MS. LENORE ZANN « » : Mr. Speaker, it has been good to listen to everybody here offering their words about this very sensitive bill. I am pleased to rise to my feet and speak a few words to this Bill No. 179, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Act. This is an issue that far too many women do have to think about. This is often an issue that is dealt with behind closed doors.

We know this is a loss experienced by countless women across Nova Scotia and the NDP caucus welcomes any legislation that works to support women who have experienced such a loss. This bill does not actually ask for very much, Mr. Speaker, in fact it doesn't ask for much from government at all. At a very basic level it asks the government to look into the current services available to women and families who have experienced a pregnancy loss and also to develop a plan to fill in the gaps. This would be only a modest cost to the government but most likely it would mean a lot to those who have actually suffered through such losses, to the women themselves and to their families.

In addition, this Bill No. 179 would enshrine October 15^th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. I see no real reason why government should not support this. New Brunswick, currently, is the only province in Canada that recognizes this day and we would join with our neighbouring province in this.

[Page 9190]

I hope that the government would at least see this bill pass to Law Amendments Committee so that those of us in government on the Law Amendments Committee will have the opportunity to hear from those who are impacted by this issue. With that, I'll take my seat.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou East.

MR. TIM HOUSTON « » : Nearly every extended family I know has experienced the loss of a pregnancy. I think if the members think about their social circles and their family circles, they would be quite surprised at how many people this impacts. The statistics would say that as many as one in four women in Canada will experience a miscarriage, a pregnancy loss, a stillbirth or an infant death. It's a lot; it impacts a lot of people, and every single one of those is a devastating loss. All too often people are left to their own devices, to do their own research to try and deal with it on their own, or with their friends and family who are certainly not prepared to help them deal with it.

Now, I accept the member's comments about the services that are available at the IWK; pretty phenomenal services at the IWK. Problem is, they don't help the people at the Aberdeen, they don't help the people in Cape Breton, and they don't help the people in other parts of the province, in rural parts of the province. This is a simple bill. It's a simple bill that asks that the minister assess the level of services that are available, and then develop a plan to provide services where they don't exist, or to improve them where they do. Those are simple things, and yet in the face of that we have government that says we'll talk about it more, but there are plenty of services.

Now, those services weren't there to help my friend, and they're not there to help many, many people, and it's an absolute shame that this government doesn't understand that, because what happens in the face of the devastating loss is people turn to their keyboard. They retreat to their homes, or to their own private places and try to research on their own to try and understand why - what happened? Where do I go? Why do I feel this way? - and all the emotions that would come with that, that everyone experiences. We're content as a province to say if you live in a rural area, deal with it - and maybe sometime we'll talk about it, and maybe sometime we'll get to it.

So, that's what I heard today from this government and I will say that the subject is one that people in many cases simply don't talk about. I can certainly remember, even when we were pregnant with my children, the people who would approach you then to talk to you then about well, maybe congratulations, but we have also been trying and experienced these difficulties, or this has been our experience, and you will hear women who talk about this and families that talk about this shared experiences once they know they're in a common ground. It's a silence that, maybe the private nature of people, added to that silent environment is okay, but that doesn't mean that they don't need some assistance to deal with it.

[Page 9191]

So I was happy when my friend Raylene came to me to break the silence. She had been doing her own research and she found a piece of legislation in Ontario that Ontario passed, and she said maybe this is something that we could look at here in Nova Scotia, to help women, to help families, to help people better get through these situations that they're faced with. Ontario passed that legislation and we'll see what happens here, Mr. Speaker.

We know that when people experience a pregnancy loss, there's a lot of stress on the family unit. They'll often feel like there's no real professional place to turn for help and I know my friend said to me that as good as the medical care that they received was, they would've wished that their doctor had some advice to send them out of the hospital with, other than here's some pain medication, and come back if you experience some physical pain. This is all within the span of an hour in this case, arriving at the hospital, and an hour later being sent home with pain medication and the devastating news that the happy, joyous event you've been celebrating for months, and everything that goes along with that, discussing names and picking out cribs and all of that stuff, and then in a turn, you go to the hospital and an hour later you're on your way home with some pain medication and a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of confusion. You turn to look for help, professional help. Obviously, the caring support of a family and friends is comforting but when you need a little bit more and there is nowhere to turn, then it is a sure sign that we have to do better.

Today we heard that the government will discuss this more, and that is a good thing - but when? Because there is a piece of legislation right here and they could show how serious they are about looking at this issue and developing a plan to treat people more fairly across the province, to show more support for more people across the province. Maybe this would be the piece of legislation; maybe this is the piece right here that they could say yes, you're right, we do need to make a definitive effort to assess the services, and yes, you're right, we will make a plan. Instead we hear: we will talk about it some more. But the opportunity is right there today, the opportunity is right there to do better, to make more services available to people when they experience these significant losses and when they need the help. That opportunity is there today.

That is what this bill does. This bill is a simple bill. It requires the Minister of Health and Wellness to examine our system and to find out where there are insufficient services for families who experience the loss of a pregnancy or infant. That is it. Examine the system is all we're asking, and then design a plan to provide those services where there aren't any or where there aren't enough. There is a whole multitude, there is a whole range of options that that could be. It could be support groups; it could be counselling; it could be peer groups. But I think at a minimum, at a minimum today, the opportunity is to tell people in this situation that as a province we care and as a province we understand that people in rural areas, where there is no support, are being let down and that as a province we are going to work to change it, to fix it. That is the opportunity today.

[Page 9192]

The other element is to proclaim October 15^th as the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, and we do know it is no coincidence that that is the day for the walk that the member recognized, just to put a period on that and say this is what we're remembering on this day for those people that they are.

I am proud of my friend Raylene for coming forward with this. She has shared her story and she has shared the number of people, women and families she would consider to be close friends that she did not know had been through a similar experience, and she had shared how they have come forward. I know in talking to people about this bill, I have learned a lot about a lot of people that I thought I knew and did not know went through this. I will tell you that there are people from all political stripes who have reached out to me and said this is a good piece of legislation. Unfortunately, they are not sitting in the right chairs today to make that acknowledgement more formally, but people know this is an important issue and it is a good issue that this government has a chance today to stand up on.

I am proud of Raylene for bringing this forward and I am proud of this piece of legislation, because it can improve the lives of Nova Scotians and it can move our system forward. It can modernize our system, and it could just provide the services in this province that are available in other provinces - not only in other provinces, but are available in Halifax. They are available right here in Halifax, but not available to those in the rural areas.

It's important that we do this. It's important that we do this not only to break the silence, but also to provide the supports because they're not there. The supports are not there for the people who need them, when they need them in all instances. They are if you live in metro, but they're not elsewhere. So they're just not there.

If we say this isn't the bill, but we're going to do something else, then just tell us when because today there's an opportunity right here to do the right thing. This government has an opportunity today to do the right thing with this bill. We don't need to wait for another day. We could put a marker down today that says yes, we're going to assess the services, and we're going to develop the plan. That's the opportunity that sits before this government today. I hope sincerely that the government takes that opportunity.

If not this piece of legislation, then by all means bring your own forward, but do it because the people need it. It's a shame that it's not there already, and it's a shame that it comes to this. We will wait and see; we will wait and see how serious the government is about addressing this issue. I'm hopeful that they will talk to members opposite and talk to constituents and see what they say about it.

I think you'll find that it's a very important issue to many Nova Scotians. You'll hear the same stories that I've heard if you ask for them. If you give people the opportunity, you will hear those same stories.

[Page 9193]

So with those few words, I will take my seat. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.

MS. PATRICIA ARAB « » : I'm not going to take up too much time. I actually wasn't going to speak on this bill, but hearing the conversation, hearing the discussion that has been going on, I do want to get up and say a few things.

Primarily, I wasn't going to speak on the bill because I don't have a first-hand experience with this issue. I try to stand up when I can make a personal connection either with myself or with individuals whom I work with and I represent, and this hasn't been a topic that has come up in my role as MLA.

But as a girlfriend, I've had a number of friends who have struggled with fertility issues and who have had miscarriages early on in their pregnancies, and even late-term miscarriages, and have been a friend to them to try to help support them through that. Again, I remember having a conversation with one of my friends saying I don't know; I don't know what you're feeling; and I don't know how to help you.

I understand, as my colleagues have said, how difficult this is to talk about. I want to applaud and congratulate Raylene McPherson for coming forward with this. I think anybody who is a supporter of bereavement and the importance of working through grief knows how important it is that all of us need to share our experiences, the good experiences and the bad experiences. The way that we can have a system that helps support people through their grief is by hearing the good stories and the bad stories.

I want to talk about a specific friend who lives in rural Nova Scotia and one who lives in rural New Brunswick and their interactions with the IWK, which is the hospital that we are talking about right now. The IWK is a world-renowned hospital. It services not just metro; it services not just our province, but the entire Maritime region and beyond. I don't want to believe that the intent of the member opposite was to criticize that institution. I have a specific girlfriend who had a late-term miscarriage. She lives in rural Nova Scotia, and she was brought in to the IWK, and she had a wonderful experience with that hospital - or as wonderful as you could possibly have for the situation. There was counselling provided to her; there was bereavement given to her and her partner. It wasn't just "here's the medication and go."

I believe everybody's story to be their truth. I just don't believe - I think it's very dangerous to paint an institution as important as the IWK with the same brush. To me, Mr. Speaker, we need to really recognize that, again, this is always going to be a learning process. When you're talking about the good practices, the good experiences, the bad experiences, we're always going to be changing. We're always going to need to reflect and to watch and to see how we can be better, and we need to talk about it.

[Page 9194]

Again, I belong to a community where we don't really like to talk about miscarriages. There's a shame, there's still that stigma and that shame attached to a mother when a pregnancy is either viable or it is not. Gone are the old wives' tales of what you did or didn't do to cause a pregnancy to be a successful, viable pregnancy or not.

Fertility issues are another thing that nobody in my community specifically wants to talk about, because there is this shadow that falls over a woman in that she is a failure, for some reason, because she is unable - and again, as I say it out loud, it's so old-fashioned. It's so inane to think that in 2016 these are still conversations that are going on, but they are conversations that are being had in my friends' homes - or actually are not being had, because there is that shame and that stigma.

I do applaud the Opposition for bringing this bill forward and I do think that it needs to be a continued conversation that happens. I feel strongly that we need to have as much support put in place for our women and our families that are going through these traumas. We need to make sure that, in what is already a difficult time and what is already hope that is lost, that we don't add to that conflict or add to that pain in any way.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I'll take my seat.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle-Barrington.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, it was not my intention to stand today and speak to this at all, but I thought it would be good to maybe put the personal experience in on this one as well.

As you know, I have two beautiful boys. Well, they're not boys anymore - they are two beautiful men. "Beautiful" is the wrong word; two handsome men. But in between, together with my wife, we did suffer a miscarriage.

I can tell you that there is nothing more heart-wrenching than that happening to you, because you are spending those three months - we are of the belief that you don't tell until three months hits. You get through that first trimester, and then you see where it goes, and then you tell everybody, hey, look at what's happening.

I think it was in 2000, Anne did get pregnant and she carried for the three months, and we went off to - I remember going camping at Keji and hanging out with a whole bunch of friends, and people starting to notice that she didn't have a beer with her or she didn't have a drink. Of course the questions started to happen. People were thinking it's coming along, and of course we were excited that here's the three months, we can finally start telling people that Anne is expecting once again, so we're going to have our second child.

[Page 9195]

Well, someone of a higher power made a decision that that pregnancy was not viable. I remember getting the phone call and being completely devastated, and I can only imagine how devastated she was.

As much as we talk about it together - and we are a pretty strong couple - I know it took a long time to get through that one. Luckily within two years we did have our second child without too much problem, but can you imagine those people who not only go through it once but go through it twice and three times in a row?

I know that the service that we received back in Yarmouth, even though they're great folks, there really was no service that way. There really was no grievance, or way to grieve, or any mental health service, or anything like that. We were lucky; we're a very strong couple, but again it's a tough thing to go through, Mr. Speaker.

So, if we can all stand here and say, we need to do better, I think that we need to do better. If there is any way that the government can consider this bill, consider it with even amendments is fine, but I think that we as good politicians - concerned about our communities, concerned about our families, concerned about our partners - should be able to provide that help when they so much need it.

Again, I'm not calling for a vote here. I do hope the government considers it. I know I've spoken to the Government House Leader on this one, so if somebody could speak to the Premier for me on this one as well, this is one of those things that I think we all can come together and approve. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable House Leader for the Official Opposition House Leader.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, that concludes Opposition business for today. I'll pass it off to the Deputy Government House Leader to call hours and business for tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. TERRY FARRELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I move that we adjourn for today and resume tomorrow between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Tomorrow for Government Business, we will call Public Bills for Second Reading: Bill Nos. 174 and 177; Public Bills for Third Reading: Bill Nos. 149, 152, 154, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 162, 165, and 168; and Committee of the Whole House on Bills, for Bill No. 176.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move the house do now rise to meet again tomorrow from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The motion is that the House now rise to meet again tomorrow between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. that's Thursday, May 12^th.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say, Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

We have reached the moment of interruption. The Adjournment motion was submitted by the honourable member for Clare-Digby:

"Therefore be it resolved that all Parties offer their idea on how Nova Scotia's government can best position the province to maximize total economic benefits from the emerging tidal industry."

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION UNDER RULE 5(5)

MR.SPEAKER: The honourable member for Clare-Digby.

TIDAL IND.: ECON. BENEFITS - ALL-PARTY IDEAS

MR. GORDON WILSON « » : Mr. Speaker, it's always a privilege to rise in the House. Late debate is an interesting opportunity. Sometimes we bring forward things that are challenging, sometimes we bring forward opportunities. I think the opportunities are the things that we're here to talk to today. So, immediately what I'd like to do is throw out the challenge to the Opposition Parties on listening and hearing their views on how we can best optimize our position in this industry, and I'll be very encouraged to hear what they have to say.

I must also throw things out there right off the bat that I am a bit discouraged that I have not heard an awful lot of discussion from the Opposition Parties in this House in regards to tidal, in particular when it is at the heart of Cumberland South, Pictou East, Pictou West and Pictou Centre. Those are the key areas right now where that industry is occurring and I would challenge them to take more attention and to take an opportunity.

To start, it wouldn't be appropriate to stand here today if I didn't recognize the good work that has gone on. Certainly I'll start off in my home area. I'm very proud that this initiative has been one that's been on our radar for a while. The municipal government in both the town and the municipality have acted in a very responsible way. They've invested in this. They've seen the visioning that's needed to move this forward, Mr. Speaker, and I'm very proud of all the work that they've done.

[Page 9197]

Also, I am very proud of the work of our government, our Minister of Energy, in bringing forward the Marine Renewable-energy Act. I've had the chance a couple of times to mention how I think it's probably one of the most visioning Acts in one of the most challenging areas and I think the work that has gone on within the Department of Energy will bear fruit at some time.

Lastly is also our renewable energy plan that was brought forward November 9^th last year and how that coincides with the work we're going to see in the opportunities out of the Marine Renewable-energy Act.

So how do we best position ourselves in this province to optimize our opportunities in this industry? First I think it's so important to understand the industry. It is a very complicated, a very speculative and a very challenging, emerging new industry. It's very technical and it demands a lot of challenges. I think everybody knows that the attempts that were made some years ago to put a turbine in the Bay of Fundy certainly didn't go well but that's probably not the right way to look at it. I know the industry doesn't look at it that way, they think that was a very successful deployment because they learned an awful lot.

The challenges in that industry can be mirrored to what the wind industry was 20, 25 years ago. The research and development is not only tough on the industry with the major amounts of money that need to be spent but it's tough on the regulatory world to try and understand how they can position themselves as government. That's our role and that's one of the things I'd like to point out that I think we need to do better. I think we're doing an excellent job on it now and I would be interested in hearing some other ideas on how we can step out of the way of this industry and make sure that it flourishes here for the province.

I'll remark also on a point that I think is extremely important, the fact that the resource of the Bay of Fundy is our resource, it's the resource of the Province of Nova Scotia, it's the resource that we've invested in as Nova Scotians, it's a resource that our communities have invested in and it's a resource certainly that our people have invested in. Because of that, it should be a resource that we get the fruit from. By that, I mean we should be the ones who bear the most economic opportunities in the jobs, in the support for our companies and for the returns we will see in rural Nova Scotia.

The value proposition around this industry is very challenging to understand but I'll just throw a few numbers out there quickly. There are several different scenarios that are looked at, that the potential is to go to, but if it gets to a commercial phase where we see 300 megawatts, we could potentially be looking at a range of around $1,000 billion - that got your attention, Mr. Speaker - in 2050. This is estimated to be in the world one of the largest opportunities for energy growth that we can see. We're on the verge of being the entity that could be the one that's developing it. They're talking somewhere in the vicinity of the GDP for Nova Scotia could be as high as - there's so many numbers they throw at me here - $36 million a year. That would just be the average direct impact on the income for Nova Scotians.

[Page 9198]

Without getting into too much of what we know is going to be the opportunities, quickly I'd like to talk about what our challenges are. This is an industry that has two different streams - there's large scale and there's small scale. The small scale I'm very proud, also in my community we have a CDIF company that is leading the charge there. The challenges they have with Fundy Tidal Inc. to address the technical, the fundraising, they're talking a $60 million project there, is huge. I cannot say enough on how supportive this government has been to them and their ability to bring it forward, on how supportive we've been around a Marine Renewable-energy Act to help that industry in my riding and the small scale go forward.

There's two different spins when you look at the large scale and the small scale. There's the direct development, deployment and maintenance opportunities and again, Digby is well positioned as the port of choice for this. There are also the intellectual properties, and those are the areas where we could bear a lot of fruit down the road as a leader, not only in this province but in the world. We're seen as a leader.

We've also had some very positive comments from a lot of different areas around the environmental aspect. I'm sure that we'll hear a few comments, probably from the Opposition, around what concerns there are in the environmental areas. We have the Marine Renewable-energy Act, as I had mentioned. Interestingly enough, the World Wildlife Fund has supported that approach very much, calling that legislation ground-breaking. We also have the support of FORCE, which is not only an environmental monitoring opportunity; they also collect all the baseline information of data and they have a very good environmental monitoring program.

The third and last piece that is very important for the environmental side is the Offshore Energy Research Association. They are a key player, and to date, they have distributed more than $3.5 million toward funding research projects relating to marine renewable energy, including strategic environmental assessments. I'm very comfortable that we've done a lot of good work to position ourselves.

I'm very comfortable that we have fought off all of the problems that we would see in not allowing this industry to move as fast as possible. Our challenge is to keep ahead of the industry. Our challenge is to educate, to promote, and to support. As one of the major berth holders that's heading up the project at Minas right now with OpenHydro told me once, this province needs a champion. This province needs somebody who continues to talk on the opportunities and to keep everybody aware of what this could potentially do.

The Opposition talk about what the onshore fracking industry could bring to the province. That would be pale in comparison to what this industry could bring to the province, yet I hear very little said by the Opposition. I challenge them today to bring forward their good ideas, to hear the positive optimism we have around this.

[Page 9199]

Again I would also like to take this time to thank all of the good people who have worked very hard to keep this in the forefront: my colleagues in the Municipality of Digby, the Minister of Energy, and the Minister of Business, who has also supported us in a working group to bring all levels of government together.

I thank you very much for the opportunity to stand here today and speak on behalf of the tremendous opportunity that Nova Scotia has.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Kings North.

MR. JOHN LOHR « » : It is my privilege to speak on this late debate item, the tidal power potential in Nova Scotia. I would suggest to my colleague from Clare-Digby that one of the reasons it hasn't been debated is, I don't believe it's a matter of controversy. We all in this House and, I think, most people in Nova Scotia, would be excited about the potential for tidal power.

The amount of power that flows through the Bay of Fundy every day is staggering. It's considered one of the best sites, if not the best site, in the world for tidal power. I know that these statistics get bandied about. Apparently at mid-tide, the amount of water flowing in the Bay of Fundy is equal to the discharge of all the freshwater rivers and streams in the world. Take the Amazon, the Mississippi, the Nile, the Chinese rivers - all these great rivers - and there's more water flowing in the Bay of Fundy at that moment than all the rivers and streams in the world. The amount of power that is available there to access is staggering.

I was told that apparently when the tide is flowing into the Bay of Fundy, the water heaps up in the middle. It's not flat; it actually heaps up in the middle. When it's going out, if it were not for the characteristic of water - when it beads on the hood of your car, it has a certain amount of adhesion. It's a very small amount, but it's enough to make water bead. If it were not for that characteristic, the water could not be - the water's actually pooled out of the Bay of Fundy, so it's higher on the sides and lower in the middle of the bay when it's flowing out, there's so much power there.

If you've ever had the privilege of being on the bay around Cape Split when the tide is moving, and I've only been there at - not at mid-tide, but on the edges of near high-tide - and you can actually see the ocean sloping away from you. The tide there moves at 10 or 11 knots. I know that one of the sites in England that I was just looking at recently, one of their best sites had 6-7 knot tides. So, there's a vast amount of power there.

I can tell you that we had a few really dry years when I was farming and I was irrigating all summer. I would go and look at my pond and I'd have a 70-80 horsepower tractor, and we'd be pumping for 8 hours. I'd have a little pond the size of this room maybe, and I could see it drop about an inch in 8 hours of pumping. I could go out to the Bay of Fundy, I could see the Bay of Fundy, the Minas Basin on a Sunday afternoon when the tide was going out, I could see that drop an inch in about 15 minutes, and I would think - I worked that hard to drop that little pond, and this whole thing is dropping faster than I can drop the pond. You can't imagine the amount of power there.

[Page 9200]

That's there for us to access as a province and it's our great hope that that will be the case. One of the things we all know about the tides is that the amount of tides is highly predictable, and we know we can predict out 500 years, or as long as we want, which days of the summer will be the highest tides, or the winter, or in the yearly cycle. This power source is very predictable. Another thing that people don't realize is that, even though at any given spot the tide will turn, in fact, it's always moving. You can watch high tide in Halls Harbour; you can watch it start to go out for a half an hour, and you can just drive over the mountain, which takes 10 minutes, and be in Kentville and watch high tide all over again. So, in fact, high tide is one hour later in the Minas Basin than it is in the upper ends of the Bay of Fundy, and presumably it's already turned further down. So, the potential to have what is the equivalent of a windmill type collector, and having numerous sites, we'd have constant power out of that.

Are there environmental concerns? Of course there are environmental concerns. Obviously if you are putting underwater turbines in, fish kill is an environmental concern. If we look at the Annapolis Royal site, there were environmental concerns out of that too and in fact, until you do it, some of these things you can't really know until you test it. So, that's one of the reasons why, of course, it's good that we have the FORCE project on and we have these sites that can be tested. I know that when the Annapolis Royal site went in, one of the unanticipated environmental concerns that occurred there was the unexpected erosion of the Annapolis River. If you think about it, when the tide had come in and gone out, the water had not stayed at any one level very long. It was moving so fast up and down, but as soon as you trapped that water in that tidal barrage there of the Annapolis Royal River, you had water staying at one level for quite a while, and it would start to erode the bank pretty significantly.

There are going to be unanticipated effects and obviously you have to test these things to know them and you can change the design as you go along. I know my colleague from Clare-Digby referred to the fact that there was an "unsuccessful" test a couple of years ago. In fact, I agree with him. I wouldn't call that unsuccessful at all. In fact, what I understand happened was they put in a unit in an area of pretty strong current, based on the numbers that they were given and in fact, what happened was the amount of flow of water was several metres per second faster than they anticipated in that site. Several metres per second doesn't sound like a lot, but apparently a metre per second of water flow is a vast amount more energy in that water. So, as you speed water up you put a huge amount more power in it, so that amount was enough to almost within one day, destroy that underwater turbine, took the blades right out of it. It just told them they had to make these units far stronger than they were, so they went back to the drawing board, but it maybe in fact had the effect of encouraging people in tidal power to want to be on this site.

[Page 9201]

We have one of, if not the, best site in the world, we have a market next door in New England for as much electricity of this type as we can produce. We can use it ourselves. It's highly predictable. It is of great interest to us. I don't know if everybody is aware, but one of the things that has been discussed in Kings County for the last couple years is a, what was called the Halcyon project.

I do not believe that has any legs to it right now, but that was a proposal of a structure the size of the P.E.I. bridge to go from Baxters Harbour to Cape Split and create a tidal barrage where there were 304 turbines and it was going to hold the water of the tide up by one hour - and this would produce electricity for 120 years. Twice a day it would produce no electricity and, the rest of the time, it would produce a vast amount of electricity - and, apparently, in fact twice a day it would use electricity but, apparently, the people proposing this believed that the New England market was so good for renewable energy that this could be done.

The problem with that project was that it was non-incremental; in other words, you either had to have it all in for it work at all, or nothing. So, you could not just do it little by little - and this is one of the benefits of the stand-alone turbine thing that we are looking at currently, with FORCE, is that you can put one in and see if it works and take it back out, and if you have unanticipated effects, you can always change it. As I said, the Halcyon project, the issue for the community and for us is that it was non-incremental, you could not put it in little by little - you either had it or you did not have it and, once you put it in, it was non-reversible. There were a lot of issues.

One of the questions that came out of that was, what would happen to the tides if you put that unit in? Basically the Bay of Fundy, because of its shape, has a natural resonance with the tides, and that is what creates our high tides. It is like a child being in a bathtub and swinging their rear end one way and the water flows up the other way and then washes right out - it is the same effect, but there is a natural resonance to the bay.

My colleague likes that analogy, but that is what it is. If we do change things, we could change the resonance of the bay and could in fact change the tides. And it is of concern because we know that in the Minas Basin there are dykes all around. There are several hundred kilometres of dykes protecting homes, protecting farmland, protecting communities, and if we start to change the resonance of how the Bay of Fundy functions, that is a serious concern.

Obviously, one unit collecting electricity is not going to change the resonance of the bay to an appreciable amount, but a project like Halcyon could - and, possibly, if there were hundreds of these electrical generating things, that could too. But, that is something that remains to be seen one way or the other.

[Page 9202]

The potential for clean, renewable energy for a revenue source for the province is all so staggeringly immense that we can all agree very much that we want to see tidal energy go forward in the province. Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River.

MS. LENORE ZANN « » : Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise to my feet to talk about tidal energy in the Province of Nova Scotia as well. You know I come from Truro, Nova Scotia, known as the "Hub of Nova Scotia," and one of the other things we are famous for in Nova Scotia and, hopefully, around the world at some point is the tidal bore. We kind of joke about it a little bit in Truro because you know tourists come from all over the place to see the highest tides in the world, and they come to Truro, and there is a lookout place and you can see the highest tide the world, and it is called the Tidal Bore, and you wait for it to come in, and it is in the newspaper what time it comes in and everything, it is really a trickle. It starts as a trickle; it is not exactly like a big wave and people are expecting to see this great big wave of water come crashing in.

So, we kind of joke and say, it is a little bit of a bore when you are expecting something more. But, it is amazing to stand there along the sides of the bank and watch it because it does not take that long before the whole area is full of water, where you go from zero to nothing and then it is full.

There are other parts of the river further down in the Bay of Fundy where it rises more quickly, and it actually is deeper; but we still get it in Truro and, yes, it is on the map as the Tidal Bore of Nova Scotia.

Growing up, I was always aware of that. And I have always been somebody who loves water. I usually have lived by the ocean in Sydney, Australia, or we moved over here to Nova Scotia and we lived in Truro. We have a cottage up on the North Shore and we get to see the beautiful beaches up there on the northern shore of Nova Scotia that has the warmest water north of the Carolinas.

I've always been fascinated with the power of the waves. As a child in Australia you do learn very quickly to become respectful of the ocean and all its creatures. Even just on the beaches where I grew up, Manly beach, Bondi beach, Bronte beach, Newcastle beach, even up in Queensland where some of the best surfing that you can find in the world, those waves are huge and they are very powerful. As a young kid I remember being dunked a few times. You can drown very easily and do a face plant and get tumbled and not be able to catch your breath. It happens to tourists a lot and people can die from that.

I've always been fascinated with the power of water. Then when we moved to Nova Scotia and started hearing about the Bay of Fundy and then seeing it, I became even more curious. Now all these years later, when I did live away, outside of Nova Scotia, again I started thinking again about green energy and the idea of tidal power really intrigued me. When I started thinking about moving home to Nova Scotia, I looked at Nova Scotia as it juts out as this little peninsula on the east coast of Canada in the Atlantic Ocean and I thought what a perfect spot that is to create energy from the wind, the waves and from the rivers and streams.

[Page 9203]

When I thought about moving home, I thought I'd like to try and get involved in things that would help with the environment and help turn people's minds to taking them off fossil fuel energy and helping to mitigate climate change and talking to the different generations, the younger generation as well as the older generation, about these possibilities.

When I was asked to run for the NDP in 2009, one of the first things I wanted to do was talk to the Leader of the Party, Darrell Dexter at the time, and ask him what his opinion was about green energy, about the Muskrat Falls, which was being talked about a lot in the newspapers at that time, and also about tidal energy. I was very pleased to hear him say that he was very much in favour of going in this direction and that if he became Premier of Nova Scotia, the first NDP Premier of Nova Scotia, that he would indeed be pursuing renewables in a big way, and tidal energy and tidal power and wind power would be part of that.

I was proud to be part of the first NDP Government of Nova Scotia and go down that path and see the various things we were able to contribute to and one of them was the tidal power. I believe that one thing all the Parties here can agree on is the importance of maximizing our potential to develop green energy sources. Nova Scotia, as I said, is situated in a prime location to explore tidal energy and development. The Bay of Fundy has more than 160 billion tons of water flowing in with each tide and flowing out with each tide, delivering a commercial potential of approximately 2,400 megawatts of power.

Now while Nova Scotians want to see the benefits of tidal development, it's important that we do so in a responsible manner that will allow for maximum benefits with minimal environmental impact. So in 2012 our NDP Government released our first Marine Renewable Energy Strategy as part of our Cleaner Energy Framework. Today our NDP caucus truly hopes that the momentum built by that government, regarding the development of renewable energy sources, will continue well into the future.

Our government recognized the need to develop an integrated, long-term research plan that brings key players together. It introduced a new research body, the Tidal Energy Research Forum, to contribute to the sharing of information. Our government also invested in the FORCE site, which has become a global leader in the push to develop tidal energy. I plan to go visit that place this summer, actually, Mr. Speaker, to see for myself how they're doing.

[Page 9204]

Building on the work of the NDP Government in this area, the current government has introduced the Marine Renewable-energy Act in an attempt to lay out the regulatory framework for tidal development.

So now we have seen successive governments attempt to make the proper investments and lay the regulatory framework for future success. Moving forward, it will be important to continue to manage expectations, because harnessing the power - the wild power of the highest tides in the world - will not and cannot happen, and has not happened, overnight.

It will be important to perform ongoing monitoring of impacts on the environment and on our ocean life. It will be important to maximize local benefits as well, and I know this work is ongoing as the Department of Energy assesses what type of work can be done by Nova Scotians. It will be important to continue to develop the infrastructure necessary to bring tidal energy ashore, and it will also be important to continue to work with our municipalities, that are trying to benefit from tidal development.

In conclusion, our caucus is supportive of the ongoing push to develop tidal energy in a responsible manner that maximizes benefits for all Nova Scotians and for all life. Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Thank you very much. That concludes the late debate for this evening.

The House now stands adjourned until tomorrow.

[The House rose at 5:17 p.m.]

NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)

[Page 9205]

RESOLUTION NO. 3771

By: Ms. Marian Mancini « » (Dartmouth South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Dartmouth Seniors Service Centre provides a whole array of services and programs for seniors and their families in the community, from Meals on Wheels to medical transportation, physical fitness, painting, bingo, and much more; and

Whereas volunteers are the life and the very heart of the Dartmouth Seniors Service Centre, providing their many talents to make the centre a vibrant part of the downtown Dartmouth neighbourhood; and

Whereas Barbra Carrington has volunteered in the centre's dining room and has done laundry for the centre for over 20 years;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House of Assembly join me in offering sincere congratulations and a big thank you to Barbra Carrington for all the hours she has given to helping Dartmouth seniors, and the comfort she has brought to so many.

RESOLUTION NO. 3772

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Digby Regional High School Robotics Club participated in the 2015-16 robot programming competition, Robofest, at Acadia University on Saturday, February 13, 2016; and

Whereas Robofest included schools from all over the province and involved the designing and programming of a Lego robot to complete a number of tasks; and

Whereas the Digby Regional High School Robotics Club finished second and qualified for the World Robotics Championships in Southfield, Michigan, May 13 to 14, 2016;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Max Hampson, Jinwon Ko, Jayden Macdonald, Rachel Creighton, and their coach Tim Mollins, for their second-place finish and wish them all the best in the upcoming World Robotics Championships in Southfield, Michigan, May 13 to 14, 2016.

[Page 9206]

RESOLUTION NO. 3773

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on February 24, 2016, students from across the province received, at the Spatz Theatre in Halifax, the 2016 Respectful Citizenship Award; and

Whereas this award recognizes young people who take the initiative to make positive changes and address the difficult issues facing their schools and communities; and

Whereas Rachel Creighton, a student at Digby Regional High School, is one of the recipients of this year's award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Rachel Creighton on receiving this prestigious award for outstanding contributions to her school and community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3774

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Metro Boston Pizza Midget AAA Hockey Team participated in the 2016 Atlantic Midget Female Hockey Championships in Charlottetown, P.E.I., from March 31^st to April 3^rd, 2016; and

Whereas the Metro Boston Pizza Midget AAA Hockey Team defeated the Moncton Rockets 4 - 0 to win the Atlantic Championship; and

Whereas the hockey team will represent Atlantic Canada at the 2016 Esso Cup National Midget Female Hockey Championships April 17 to 23, 2016, in Weyburn, Saskatchewan;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House congratulate the Metro Boston Pizza Midget AAA Hockey Team and their coaches for winning the 2016 Atlantic Championships and wish them all the best at the upcoming 2016 Esso Cup National Midget Female Hockey Championships.

[Page 9207]

RESOLUTION NO. 3775

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Beechville Lakeside Timberlea Rails to Trails Association is a volunteer-run organization that manages and maintains the 13-kilometer trail from Lakeside to Lewis Lake near Upper Tantallon; and

Whereas the mission of the BLT Rails to Trails Association is to promote and encourage physical activity and harmonious relations among all user groups in the communities we serve for the benefit of this and future generations; and

Whereas Catherine Klefenz has long served as a dedicated chairperson for the BLT Rails to Trails Association, putting in countless hours and being a constant advocate for safe and inclusive use of this phenomenal community asset;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the contribution of Catherine and the BLT Rails to Trails board of directors: Lindsay Gates, Kevin Cody, Bob Conrad, Beverly Dellapinna, Beverly Carlson, David Dellapinna, Tom Musial, Jill Campbell-Miller, David Miller, and Ben Hovinga as well as the volunteers and wardens responsible for patrols and maintenance.

RESOLUTION NO. 3776

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Burke and Burke Design, an award-winning husband and wife creative partnership marketing firm, has grown to provide comprehensive strategic marketing and creative solutions for an ever-widening clientele, which run the gamut from local mom and pop start-ups to publicly traded nationals in the Maritimes, across Canada, and around the world; and

Whereas Burke and Burke has been recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally for their successes in business to business, business to consumer, retail marketing, branding, and web design; and

Whereas Burke and Burke, against some of the region's largest firms, took home top honours in the Web Design and Logo categories in the 2014 Canadian Regional Design Awards in Toronto and last year they were finalists in the 2015 Canadian Shopping Centre Awards;

[Page 9208]

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Kelly and Larry Burke of Shad Bay, owners and operators of Burke and Burke Design, on their creativity and their successful business.

RESOLUTION NO. 3777

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Resource Opportunities Centre (ROC) was successful in their application for funding from the Democracy 250 Youth Engagement Legacy Trust to form the Prospect Road Youth Council made up of the following individuals: Jonathan Duru, Jessica Duru, Judy Guru, Anna Gaudet, Jillian Caya and Logan Henderson; and

Whereas the goal of the program is to empower junior high and high school students to bring about social change through democracy with activities that focus on learning about the various levels of government and their roles and responsibilities; and

Whereas Nicole Slaunwhite, a Halifax lawyer and Chair of the ROC, volunteers her time as a mentor with the program and as support for Hadeel Rushdi, project staff;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly join me in commending all of the projects participants for becoming actively engaged in their community and democratic system and special recognition to both Nicole and Hadeel for their supervision of the program.

RESOLUTION NO. 3778

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Chanuen Flint opened his business May 2015 located at the 5926 Hillside Avenue; and

Whereas Divergence Tattoos has now been chosen to officially be sponsored by StarBrite Colors; and

[Page 9209]

Whereas close to 3,000 likes have accumulated on their Facebook page along with tremendous reviews from happy clients;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating Divergence Tattoos on its success and wishing Chanuen Flint, Mirian Heaton and their staff all of the very best in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3779

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Rosborough Boats has been a builder of custom and semi-custom vessels meeting the needs of the professional marine community in variety of sectors for 59 years; and

Whereas established in 1955 by James D. Rosborough, Rosborough Boats has evolved from designing and building fully custom wooden sailing yachts, through pleasure and commercial boats, to the current signature offerings of the RFV HammerHead and Rough Water™ Rigid Hull Inflatable lines; and

Whereas all the products built by Rosborough Boats are built to high quality standards and the company has a strong reputation for superior products in fiberglass and specialty high tech materials at home and around the world;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating Rosborough Boats on all their past successes and wish them the continued success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3780

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Cheryl Rafuse was ordained as Vocational Deacon, on Monday, January 26^th, 2009, at St. Timothy's Anglican Church in Hatchet Lake, NS.; and

Whereas Cheryl has many spiritual gifts, including coordinator of Baptismal preparation, pastoral visiting, and worship leadership; and

[Page 9210]

Whereas Rev. Cheryl and her colleague have been granted a special ministry license by the Bishop, they work under the supervision of the Anglican Hospital to be an official Hospital Pastoral Visitor on behalf of the Diocese;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in thanking Rev. Cheryl for her service to the community through her work for the Church and wish her well for the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3781

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Woodens River Watershed Environmental organization is a non-profit organization made up of volunteers who have been carrying out action projects to protect and improve human and natural environments throughout the Woodens River watershed since 1995; and

Whereas this watershed includes all land, habitations and streams that drain into the Woodens River system, a total area of approximately 65 square kilometers, including the very popular Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail; and

Whereas volunteers of WRWEO have concluded their valuable volunteer service on the board at this year's AGM: Hildi Konok, Nanci Lee, Linda Moxsom-Skinner, Moe Abdo and Jessi Fillmore;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in wishing WRWEO all the very best for the future for the new board under the leadership of the Board Chair Kimberley Berry.

RESOLUTION NO. 3782

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Route 333 Refugee Sponsorship Association has a goal of bringing Syrian families to live in the safety of the metro Halifax area; and

Whereas volunteers have stepped up to donate money and offer support to help the newcomers integrate into Canadian society by providing assistance to navigate the system and to welcome an support the new families by hosting events, sharing food, and building community with them upon their arrival; and

[Page 9211]

Whereas Allison Lawlor, Darren Millett from the New Life Community Church in Hatchet Lake, Laura O'Hearn, and Doug Pass all accepted roles on the executive for the Route 333 Refugee Sponsorship Association, providing leadership and direction to the larger community effort;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Route 333 Refugee Sponsorship Association and everyone in the community who has donated to this most worthwhile cause for opening their arms and hearts to welcome our newest Canadians.

RESOLUTION NO. 3783

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Sarah MacLeod of Shad Bay is an accomplished and gifted young lady who encapsulates the meaning of giving back through her commitment to serve her community; and

Whereas Sarah is a Synod Youth representative at St. Timothy's Church (Hatchet Lake) and St. Paul's Church (Terence Bay), serving on the church and parish councils, and she and two others, Kendra Mahar and Jessie Bower, are youth leaders who run monthly youth events for 13- to 18-year olds as well as hosting family events like the astronomy night where everyone is welcome; and

Whereas Sarah uses her natural talent for organization, communication, and creative design generously, and she is a gifted speaker, giving sermons, leading adult Bible studies, and providing leadership to TEC (Teens Encounter Christ):

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Sarah, who last year was a Page in this House, for her ongoing commitment to her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3784

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 9212]

Whereas the Timberlea Baptist Church refugee sponsorship (BLT Refugee Sponsorship), in partnership with the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches (CABC) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, have achieved success in bringing two Syrian families to the metro Halifax area; and

Whereas volunteers have stepped up to donate money and contribute needed household items, as well as to help the newcomers to integrate into Canadian society by providing assistance to navigate the system; and

Whereas the volunteers behind the BLT Refugee Sponsorship group - Michel Lechmann, Brian Schwartz, Colleen Schwartz, Linda Crilley, Shelly Lechmann, Catherine Baillie, Chris Churney, John Churney, Lesley Fraser, Dennis Nickerson, Louise Knowles, Ben John, Marina Johannessen, Hadeel Dalloul, and Abidi Catherine - have gone out of their way to welcome and support the new families by hosting events, sharing food, and building community with them;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating the BLT Refugee Sponsorship group and everyone in the community who has donated to this most worthwhile cause, adding great value and diversity to the place we call home. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3785

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Community Monitoring Committee (CMC) have been the eyes and ears of the communities of Beechville, Lakeside, Timberlea, and Prospect with respect to the operation of the Otter Lake Landfill since 1999; and

Whereas the CMC comprises 15 members, including the Mayor of Halifax, Councillor Reg Rankin, Councillor Steve Adams, and Councillor Barry Dalrymple, and volunteers Jack Mitchell (Chair of CMC), Scott Guthrie (Vice-Chair of CMC), Bob Angus, Mike Becigneul, John Cascadden, Lindsay Gates, Andrew Giles, Murray Power, Tom Robertson, and Rany Ibraham; and

Whereas CMC has worked tirelessly toward their mission of ensuring that the environmental standards and expectations are met and that the public have been actively engaged in ongoing consultations;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in offering our thanks to members of the CMC, in particular Jack Mitchell, CMC Chair, for his deep commitment and long service to the CMC and the larger community. Thank you.

[Page 9213]

RESOLUTION NO. 3786

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Canadian School Counselling Week will be held February 1 to 5, 2016; and

Whereas this week is to recognize the contributions of the school counselling profession to the personal, social, educational, and career development and the mental health and well-being of all students in Canada; and

Whereas Canadian School Counselling Week is organized by the School Counsellors Chapter of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and supported by the Nova Scotia School Counsellors Association;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly laud and commend the goal of Canadian School Counselling Week in its attempt to increase the public's awareness of the scope of programs and services that characterize the school counselling profession in Canada and highlight the role of school counsellors in supporting student success. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3787

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Junior and Senior Elementary School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

[Page 9214]

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Junior and Senior Elementary School this past school year: Wallace MacAskill, Tracey Quinn, Patricia Leger, Michelle Andrews, Collee Mahoney, Debbie Supple, Carol Young, Martina Hughes, Jennifer Prosper, Jenn Priske, John Eisnor, Peter Mann, Jeff Worth, and Ian Angus;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Junior and Senior Elementary School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3788

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Brookside Junior High School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Brookside Junior High School this past school year: Joanne Kirkpatrick, Craig Nelson, Julie Mills, Lisa Mansfield, Lisa MacKay, Cameron Debaie, Terri Oakley, Marcia Gunn, Suzanne Stevens, Kim Hansen, Tracy Blackburn, and Evelyn Lamplugh;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Brookside Junior High School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3789

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 9215]

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Ridgecliffe Middle School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Ridgecliffe Middle School this past school year: Jamie Moore, Sohael Abidi, Allan Greening, Christina Muise, Ann Slaunwhite, Candace Allan, Mckenna Purcell, Liam Maclean, Nick Deal, Brenda Mcnutt, and Carol Ann MacNeill-Rolls;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Ridgecliffe Middle School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3790

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Halifax West High School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Halifax West High School this past school year: John Nisbet, Tim Simony, Sherry Robinson, Lori Welsh, Trish Belliveau, Scott Guthrie, Dolly Hayden, John Keith, Angela McCarthy, Ken Smith, Brad Chisholm, Sandra Starratt, Jen Fougere, Ray Anjoul, Jessica Blades, and Rob Jollimore;

[Page 9216]

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Halifax West High School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3791

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Five Bridges Junior High School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Five Bridges Junior High School this past school year: Darlene Mossman (Chair), Sue Griffith, Dana Power, Keir Davy, Mitchell Aguinaga, Ramona Joseph, Rona Chisholm-Cleary, Karen Dobbin, and Valerie Meers;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Five Bridges Junior High School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3792

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Prospect Road Elementary School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

[Page 9217]

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Prospect Road Elementary School this past school year: Kelli Burgess (Principal), Bab Shortliffe, Danette Ryan, Margo MacLeod, Patrick Wood, Julie Mills, Kim Gilfoy, Jessica Morrissey, Pauline Hatch, and Amanda Burns;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Prospect Road Elementary School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3793

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Atlantic Memorial - Terence Bay Elementary School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Atlantic Memorial - Terence Bay Elementary School this past school year: Lana Smith, Michelle Browne, Allison Lawlor, Amy Weedon, Norma Hennebury, Jane Flinn, Nancy Smith, Jackie Bourget, and Melissa LeBlanc;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Atlantic Memorial - Terence Bay Elementary School. Thank you.

[Page 9218]

RESOLUTION NO. 3794

By: Mr. Iain Rankin « » (Timberlea-Prospect)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the School Advisory Council for Sir John A. Macdonald High School is a group made up of school staff, parents, and community members whose main responsibility is to advise the principal on educational issues in the context of the greater community; and

Whereas School Advisory Councils (SAC) receive their mandate through the Education Act of Nova Scotia and through the Halifax Regional School Board's Policy on School Advisory Councils, and they bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems and have a role in the preparation and implementation of the school improvement plan and for establishing a School Discipline Committee, all in the best interest of student learning; and

Whereas the following people have served on the SAC at Sir John A. Macdonald High School this past school year: Steve Gallagher, Trina Canavan, Randy Pulsifer, Scott Farmer, Charlene Tasco, Cheryl Avery-Williams, Randy Boudreau, Belinda Mahaffey, Lisa Zwicker, Alexa Bordage, Sydney Rankin, Patti Cook-Warner, and Karen Williams;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the above-named individuals for their service on the SAC at Sir John A. Macdonald High School. Thank you.

RESOLUTION NO. 3795

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships were held in Richmond, BC, from January 29 to January 31, 2016; and

Whereas Alex Comeau, a member of the Bushino Ki Karate Club in Church Point, competed in the Kumite Individual male Cadets-63 division in this tournament; and

Whereas the hard work and dedication Alex has displayed was rewarded with a bronze medal in his division;

[Page 9219]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Alex Comeau for winning bronze at the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships and wish him continued success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3796

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships were held in Richmond, BC, from January 29 to January 31, 2016; and

Whereas Tyler Deveau, a member of the Bushino Ki Karate Club in Church Point, competed in the Kumite Individual male Seniors-84 division in this tournament; and

Whereas the hard work and dedication Tyler has displayed was rewarded with a silver medal in his division;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Tyler Deveau for winning silver at the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships and wish him continued success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3797

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships were held in Richmond, BC, from January 29 to January 31, 2016; and

Whereas Riley Deveau, a member of the Bushino Ki Karate Club in Church Point, competed in the Kumite Individual male Cadets-57 division in this tournament; and

Whereas the hard work and dedication Riley has displayed was rewarded with a gold medal in his division;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Riley Deveau for winning gold at the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships and wish him continued success in the future.

[Page 9220]

RESOLUTION NO. 3798

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 2016 Karate Canada National Championships were held in Richmond, BC, from January 29 to January 31, 2016; and

Whereas Trysten Deveau, a member of the Bushino Ki Karate Club in Church Point, won gold in the Kumite Individual female U21-55 division, silver in the Kumite Team female Seniors, and bronze in the Kumite Individual female Seniors-55 division; and

Whereas in addition, for her commitment to sport, she was presented the Senior Sportsmanship Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Trysten Deveau and wish her continued success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3799

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Clare Digby Hanna Midget C team participated in the 2016 SEDMHA Honda Minor Hockey Tournament from March 31 to April 3, 2016; and

Whereas the SEDMHA Honda Hockey Tournament is one of the largest and most respected multi-level hockey tournaments in North America; and

Whereas the team played against the Westville Miners in the Civic Division Final;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Clare Digby Hanna Midget C hockey team and their coaches for winning the Civic Divisional Final during the 2016 Annual SEDMHA Honda Minor Hockey Tournament.

RESOLUTION NO. 3800

[Page 9221]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Digby Ravens Bantam C team participated in the 2016 SEDMHA Honda Minor Hockey Tournament from March 31 to April 3, 2016; and

Whereas the SEDMHA Honda Hockey Tournament is one of the largest and most respected multi-level hockey tournaments in North America; and

Whereas the team played against the Clare-Digby Acadians in the Civic Division Final;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Digby Ravens Bantam C hockey team and their coaches for winning the Civic Divisional Final during the 2016 Annual SEDMHA Honda Minor Hockey Tournament.

RESOLUTION NO. 3801

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Clare Digby Clare Pyne Midget C team participated in the 2016 SEDMHA Honda Minor Hockey Tournament from March 31 to April 3, 2016; and

Whereas the SEDMHA Honda Hockey Tournament is one of the largest and most respected multi-level hockey tournaments in North America; and

Whereas the team played against the Dartmouth Huskies in the Accord Division Final;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Clare Digby Clare Pyne Midget C hockey team and their coaches for winning the Accord Divisional Final during the 2016 Annual SEDMHA Honda Minor Hockey Tournament.

RESOLUTION NO. 3802

[Page 9222]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteers are the backbone of every community in Nova Scotia, and the people of the Town of Digby are proud of the many dedicated individuals who give of themselves each day to make our town a better place to live; and

Whereas this year the Town of Digby has selected one of its outstanding citizens as Volunteer Representative of the Year and this individual has given much in the way of time and energy to various organizations; and

Whereas through this individual's genuine warmth and caring toward others she has become a valuable asset to the organizations that she has been involved in;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Charlotte Sabean for being named Volunteer Representative of the Year for her outstanding contribution to her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3803

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteers are the backbone of every community in Nova Scotia, and the people of the Municipality of the District of Digby are proud of the many dedicated individuals who give of themselves each day to make our municipality a better place to live; and

Whereas this year the Municipality of the District of Digby has selected one of its outstanding citizens as Volunteer Representative of the Year, and this individual has given much in the way of time and energy to various organizations; and

Whereas through this individual's genuine warmth and caring toward others, he has become a valuable asset to the organizations that he has been involved in;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Richard Robertson for being named Volunteer Representative of the Year for his outstanding contribution to his community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3804

[Page 9223]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteers are the backbone of every community in Nova Scotia, and the people of the Municipality of Clare are proud of the many dedicated individuals who give of themselves each day to make our municipality a better place to live; and

Whereas this year the Municipality of Clare has selected one of its outstanding citizens as Volunteer Representative of the Year, and this individual has given much in the way of time and energy to her community; and

Whereas through this individual's genuine warmth and caring toward others she has become a valuable asset to the organizations that she has been involved in;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Nancy Comeau for being name Clare's Volunteer Representative of the Year for her outstanding contribution to her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3805

By: Mr. Andrew Younger « » (Dartmouth East)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nic Merry is a 21-year-old from Dartmouth; and

Whereas Nic learned how to fix his first iPhone 3G in Grade 7; and

Whereas Nic owns and operates Geebo Device Repair, a full-service smartphone and tablet repair shop on Gaston Road, which employs six people;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Nic on his entrepreneurship and wishing him well with his growing business.

RESOLUTION NO. 3806

[Page 9224]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many local volunteer firefighters provide a vital and outstanding service throughout rural Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Digby's volunteer firefighters were honoured on February 13, 2016, at the department's annual banquet; and

Whereas Steve Savory, Jr., was recognized for his dedication and service beyond the call of duty in helping preserve the security of our town, municipality, and surrounding communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate firefighter Steve Savory, Jr., for his 10 years of service as a dedicated volunteer firefighter.

RESOLUTION NO. 3807

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many local volunteer firefighters provide a vital and outstanding service throughout rural Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Digby's volunteer firefighters were honoured on February 13, 2016, at the department's annual banquet; and

Whereas Jonathan Riley was recognized for his dedication and service beyond the call of duty in helping preserve the security of our town, municipality, and surrounding communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate firefighter Jonathan Riley for his five years of service as a dedicated volunteer firefighter and for being chosen Firefighter of the Year.

RESOLUTION NO. 3808

[Page 9225]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many local volunteer firefighters provide a vital and outstanding service throughout rural Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Digby's volunteer firefighters were honoured February 13, 2016, at the department's annual banquet; and

Whereas Drew MacLean was recognized for his dedication and service beyond the call of duty in helping preserve the security of our town, municipality, and surrounding communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate firefighter Drew MacLean for his 10 years of service as a dedicated volunteer firefighter.

RESOLUTION NO. 3809

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many local volunteer firefighters provide a vital and outstanding service throughout rural Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Digby's volunteer firefighters were honoured February 13, 2016, at the department's annual banquet; and

Whereas Ralph Cummings was recognized for his dedication and service beyond the call of duty in helping preserve the security of our town, municipality, and surrounding communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate firefighter Ralph Cummings for his 30 years of service as a dedicated volunteer firefighter.

RESOLUTION NO. 3810

[Page 9226]

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many local volunteer firefighters provide a vital and outstanding service throughout rural Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Digby's volunteer firefighters were honoured February 13, 2016, at the department's annual banquet; and

Whereas Harold Dugas was recognized for his dedication and service beyond the call of duty in helping preserve the security of our town, municipality, and surrounding communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate firefighter Harold Dugas for his 35 years of service as a dedicated volunteer firefighter.

RESOLUTION NO. 3811

By: Mr. Gordon Wilson « » (Clare-Digby)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many local volunteer firefighters provide a vital and outstanding service throughout rural Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Digby's volunteer firefighters were honoured February 13, 2016, at the department's annual banquet; and

Whereas Richard Robertson was recognized for his dedication and service beyond the call of duty in helping preserve the security of our town, municipality, and surrounding communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate firefighter Richard Robertson for his 30 years of service as a dedicated volunteer firefighter.

RESOLUTION NO. 3812

[Page 9227]

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas Elizabeth (Beth) Spratt has been volunteering with Bedford Players for seven years, filling nearly every support role in the theatre as well as being a member of the executive, always fulfilling her duties with her considerable talent, common sense, and support; and

Whereas Beth is also treasurer of the All Saints Church Anglican Women, volunteers at Basinview School, and in the past has volunteered with the 342 Air Cadet Squadron;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Beth Spratt on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for her extensive contributions to the Bedford Players Community Theatre, and thank her for making a difference in the lives of her fellow citizens.

RESOLUTION NO. 3813

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas Warren Ervine has been an active and valued member of the Fort Sackville Foundation, researching the provenance of artifacts and documents, photographing and cataloguing maps, and conducting research; and

Whereas Warren also is a devoted member of many other organizations, including (but not limited to) All Saints Anglican Church, the Diocesan Lay Readers Association, the Atlantic GeoScience Society, the Christian Council for Reconciliation, the Titanic Society of Atlantic Canada, several trails associations, and helping students on science and engineering fairs, and in 2015 was awarded the Citizenship Award by Engineers Nova Scotia;

[Page 9228]

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Warren Ervine on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for his extensive contributions to the Fort Sackville Foundation and many other worthy organizations, and thank him for making a difference in the lives of his fellow citizens.

RESOLUTION NO. 3814

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas Heather Carlin has been volunteering with Scouts Canada for fire years as a Beaver Scout Leader and Group Registrar, utilizing her training and knowledge to provide a high-quality experience for youth and adults alike; and

Whereas Heather also volunteers at Bedford United Church as a Sunday School teacher and with fundraising events and outreach programs, and also helps in the library at her local public school and with playground planning;

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Heather Carlin on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for her extensive contributions to Scouts Canada and the young people of Bedford, and thank her for making a difference in the lives of her fellow citizens.

RESOLUTION NO. 3815

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas Brad J.R. White has been volunteering with the various age levels of Bedford Sackville Minor Football since 2007, sharing his considerable knowledge of the game in a fun, dedicated and reliable way; and

[Page 9229]

Whereas Brad also volunteers at his church, his school, and with local seniors, helping the latter with their computers and their yard work;

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Brad White on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for his extensive contributions to Bedford Sackville Minor Football, and thank him for making a difference in the lives of his fellow citizens.

RESOLUTION NO. 3816

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas John Henderson has volunteered with the Bedford Players for three years as a technical assistant and then technical lead, always displaying outstanding initiative, dependability, and maturity beyond his years; and

Whereas John is also active in Sea Cadets, tae kwon do, and is a member of the AV club at his school, and is an excellent role model for other young people to follow;

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate John Henderson on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for his extensive contributions to the Bedford Players Community Theatre, and thank him for making a difference in the lives of his fellow thespians.

RESOLUTION NO. 3817

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

[Page 9230]

Whereas Penny Campbell has volunteered at Sunnyside Elementary School for four years, working with students who are experiencing difficulties with language, often spending many hours creating phonics games and activities that focus on each child's individual needs; and

Whereas Penny cares deeply for each student she works with, making them feel valued and competent, always employing her delightful sense of humour to reach students and make progress in very little time;

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Penny Campbell on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for her extensive contributions to Sunnyside Elementary School and its students, and thank her for her devotion to those learners whose needs are not always met in a traditional classroom.

RESOLUTION NO. 3818

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas Paige Lane has been volunteering with Bedford Untied Church for six years as a Sunday School helper and leader, as a singer in the teen worship band and, most recently, as a member of the Church's mission to The Gambia to lead a children's literacy program there; and

Whereas Paige is kind and gentle and fun, completes her volunteer work humbly and quietly, and has a lovely singing voice - making her a great favourite with the children of the congregation;

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Paige Lane on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for her extensive contributions to young people in Bedford and The Gambia, and thank her for sharing her unique gifts to make a difference in the lives of others.

RESOLUTION NO. 3819

[Page 9231]

By: Hon. Kelly Regan « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception annually recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many volunteers who work to make Bedford a terrific place in which to live; and

Whereas Krista Vining has been a valued member of the Eastern Star for 13 years, holding many offices, volunteering readily, so much so that she volunteered for the Order before she was old enough to join; and

Whereas Krista has volunteered her services with many other organizations as well, including the nursery at All Saints Church, the Girl Guides of Canada, Bedford Days, the Classic Chevy Club of Nova Scotia, Habitat for Humanity, and Bedford-Sackville Minor Football;

Therefore be it resolved the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Krista Vining on being honoured at the Bedford Volunteer Recognition Reception for her extensive contributions to the Order of the Eastern Star and many other groups, and thank her for making a difference in the lives of her fellow citizens.

RESOLUTION NO. 3820

By: Hon. Lena Diab « » (Immigration)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas my constituent Besim Halef, a successful commercial and real estate developer, has a passion for building Halifax into a world-class city and saw a great opportunity when the former Exhibition Park went up for sale; and

Whereas Besim's vision has helped to transform this floundering facility into a refurbished, rebranded, and improved events venue; and

Whereas I was pleased to attend the new Halifax Exhibition Centre grand opening in January 2016, which hosted a large crowd to celebrate the achievement, including politicians, business people and the general community who witnessed a wonderful showcase of services and possibilities the venue can now provide;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Mr. Besim Halef and his family and wish them continued health and success.

[Page 9232]

RESOLUTION NO. 3820

By: Hon. Lena Diab « » (Immigration)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas my constituent Marj Neill, a dedicated nurse and local volunteer, has been organizing Nurses' Week celebrations in May for over 10 years; and

Whereas Marj begins volunteering many months before the May celebrations by recruiting prizes for giveaways, party planning, making poster boards about nurses for hospital walls, and getting Dalhousie University nursing students involved; and

Whereas in addition to her volunteer work in support of nurses, Marj makes quilts for cats and dogs at the SPCA and, more recently, has begun a quilt-making drive for nurses affected by the Alberta fire disaster;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Marj Neill and wish her continued health and success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3822

By: Hon. Lena Diab « » (Immigration)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 3^rd, during Mental Health Week, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia hosted, Let's Keep Talking, with keynote speaker Margaret Trudeau; and

Whereas Mental Health Week is designed to start a candid discussion about mental health and wellness and to once and for all put an end to stigma around mental illness; and

Whereas we honour all those Nova Scotians living with mental illness or addiction who have courageously shared their personal struggles and those who provide support in the mental health community helping to create a conversation based on compassion and empathy;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate the Margaret Trudeau for striving to keep the conversation going and continuing to share the vision of seeing Nova Scotians with mental illness thriving in our communities.

[Page 9233]

RESOLUTION NO. 3823

By: Hon. Lena Diab « » (Immigration)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 3^rd, during Mental Health Week, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia hosted, Let's Keep Talking, with keynote speaker Margaret Trudeau; and

Whereas Mental Health Week is designed to start a candid discussion about mental health and wellness, and to once and for all put an end to stigma around mental illness; and

Whereas we honour all those Nova Scotians living with mental illness or addiction who have courageously shared their personal struggles and those who provide support in the mental health community helping to create a conversation based on compassion and empathy;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and its President and CEO, Starr Dobson, for striving to keep the conversation going and continuing to share the vision of seeing Nova Scotians with mental illness thriving in our communities.

RESOLUTION NO. 3824

By: Hon. Lena Diab « » (Immigration)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 3^rd, during Mental Health Week, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia hosted, Let's Keep Talking, with keynote speaker Margaret Trudeau; and

Whereas Mental Health Week is designed to start a candid discussion about mental health and wellness, and to once and for all put an end to stigma around mental illness; and

Whereas we honour all those Nova Scotians living with mental illness or addiction who have courageously shared their personal struggles and those who provide support in the mental health community helping to create a conversation based on compassion and empathy;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate keynote sponsor Bell Alliant and Dan McKeen, Bell Atlantic senior vice-president and vice-chair, for their commitment to keeping the conversation going and continuing to share the vision of seeing Nova Scotians with mental illness thriving in our communities.

[Page 9234]

RESOLUTION NO. 3825

By: Hon. Lena Diab « » (Immigration)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas I saw first-hand the outstanding and compassionate care the staff at Best Western Plus Chocolate Lake hotel delivered to the 450 Syrian refugees who first began to arrive at the hotel on December 29, 2015, throughout a 77-day period; and

Whereas the hotel assisted ISANS to create a stable home environment for our newcomers and a central point of contact for meals, daily meetings with respect to resettlement activities, and health services in conjunction with Capital Health Services; hotel staff went above and beyond in assisting the families with their day-to-day activities such as recreation, laundry, and transportation; and

Whereas General Manager Phyllis Stephenson played an integral part in orchestrating this remarkable and unprecedented milestone not only in the hotel's history but indeed our province's;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly commend the dedicated staff at Best Western Plus Chocolate Lake hotel, an icon in Armdale, and wish them continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3826

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dan Melkert has retired from service at Halifax Regional Fire Station 50 in Hammonds Plains after 27 years; and

Whereas he started with the station on September 1, 1987, and while in service became Volunteer Deputy, then Acting Chief, and was then appointed Volunteer Chief in 2010; and

Whereas after re-organization in 2014 Dan became Station Chief and remained in the role until December 31, 2015, and while at Station 50 he held lead roles as Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief, and Chief;

[Page 9235]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Dan Melkert on his many years of excellent service at Station 50 in Hammonds Plains and the continued commitment to Station 50 while in service.

RESOLUTION NO. 3827

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas with the many refugees who are settling in Nova Scotia, there is an increased need from communities to show their support in welcoming and supporting new refugee families in their journey to a better life in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas in Hammonds Plains, the Kingswood Refugee Project is making progress in their efforts to support a family for one year, with community support to reach a fundraising goal of $30,000;

Whereas this project is bringing out volunteers and helping to teach everyone the importance of community and giving back to those in need;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Kingswood Refugee Project, led by great volunteers, on all of their hard work to raise money for a refugee family in need to help a family start a better life here in Nova Scotia.

RESOLUTION NO. 3828

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nick Hasey is a Grade 12 student at Sir John A. Macdonald High School; and

Whereas Nick has completed and passed his CAT test to be accepted to NSCC; and

Whereas Nick has demonstrated continued enthusiasm toward pursuing his goals and never giving up on his dream to study and apply his skills in post-secondary studies;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Nice Hasey on passing his CAT test and being accepted to NSCC for the September 2016 semester and for the hard work and enthusiasm that he puts forward every day.

[Page 9236]

RESOLUTION NO. 3829

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Greater Hammonds Plains - Lucasville Veterans Memorial Committee has been very active in supporting, fundraising, and managing the Hammonds Plains Cenotaph project; and

Whereas the need for a veterans memorial in the Hammonds Plains community and surrounding areas has been vocalized and now realized as our community continues to recognize our servicemen and -women; and

Whereas the memorial has been erected with the help of local businesses, donors, the Acadian First Nations, and all levels of government;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the efforts by the Greater Hammonds Plains Veterans Memorial Committee for their hard work and determination to see this project through and for making this memorial a reality.

RESOLUTION NO. 3830

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Garridan Porter is a Grade 12 student at Sir John. A. Macdonald High School and lives in Upper Tantallon; and

Whereas Garridan has been awarded the Horatio Alger Association of Canada scholarship of $5,000 for his post-secondary education; and

Whereas the Horatio Alger Association of Canada scholarship is awarded to deserving high school students who overcome significant adversity while demonstrating strength of character, strong academics, and a commitment to contribute to society;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Garridan Porter on receiving this prestigious scholarship, one of 85 given out across the country, and in wishing him the best in his post-secondary schooling and hoping to see great things from his accomplishments in the future.

[Page 9237]

RESOLUTION NO. 3831

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 59 per cent of Canadian children and 96 per cent of adults have experienced cavities and 21 per cent of Canadian adults have experiences periodontal (gum) issues; and

Whereas research shows a direct link between oral health and overall health and well-being, such as periodontal disease being linked to a number of serious illnesses including lung disease, diabetes, and heart disease; and

Whereas promoting the importance of the issues and celebrating the successes of the profession and contributions of dental hygienists will lead to increased public awareness;

Therefore be it resolved that all members recognize the important work professionals like Marilyn Cummings of All Smiles continue to do throughout our communities.

RESOLUTION NO. 3832

By: Mr. Ben Jessome « » (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas RRFB Nova Scotia each year hosts the Nova Scotia Recycles Contest from September to February for Grade Primary to Grade 12 students across the province; and

Whereas Molly DeBay, a Grade 3 student at Hammonds Plains Consolidated School was recognized as a runner-up in the Grade 2 and 3 Advertisement Design contest; and

Whereas Molly is recognized out of hundreds of student for her excellent work and will continue to do great things in her years at Hammonds Plains Consolidated School and into her future as a student in Hammonds Plains;

[Page 9238]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Molly DeBay on her recognition as runner-up for the advertisement design she submitted to the Nova Scotia Recycles Contest and her interest in spreading awareness of ways to keep our province clean for years to come.

RESOLUTION NO. 3833

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Anthony El-cid is a talented young fashion designer and resident of Fairview-Clayton Park; and

Whereas Anthony El-cid, Halifax raised, Lebanese born, completed his BA at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and, in 2015, opened his own design house; and

Whereas Anthony El-cid's locally designed and constructed evening wear consists of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing that has been featured in fashion shows and on television;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Anthony El-cid for his extraordinary and breathtaking designs and his stellar entrepreneurship in our community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3834

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Duc d'Anville Elementary School and Mount Saint Vincent University have formed a partnership to teach English to Syrian students; and

Whereas volunteer students who are enrolled in the psychology program at the Mount began a special weekly tutoring program for 39 Syrian students from Duc d'Anville; and

Whereas the Syrian students are able to transfer their new language skills to their families at home;

[Page 9239]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the Mount and Duc d'Anville for teaching English to new Nova Scotians and bringing our community together.

RESOLUTION NO. 3835

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Janice Keefe, a Professor of Family Studies and Gerontology at Mount Saint Vincent University, received the 2015 Progress Women of Excellence Award; and

Whereas the annual Progress Women of Excellence Award honours 19 inspirational women who play important roles in our communities; and

Whereas Dr. Keefe is also the Lena Isabel Jodrey Chair in Gerontology, Director of the Nova Scotia Centre of Aging, and volunteers with provincial, national and international committees;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Janice Keefe and congratulating her on this prestigious award.

RESOLUTION NO. 3836

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Charles Baxter, a prominent member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party and outstanding Nova Scotian, was honoured with a Long-Term Service Award; and

Whereas Charlie has tirelessly worked and volunteered for over 60 years to promote liberalism with the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, and is well liked and known across the province; and

Whereas Charlie Baxter's career and volunteer experiences have resulted in Charlie receiving numerous awards and acknowledgements over the years;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Charlie Baxter for being a mentor and inspiration to many Nova Scotians.

[Page 9240]

RESOLUTION NO. 3837

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dr. Randi Warne, a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University, was honoured with the 2016 Bronze Award in The Coast's 2015 Best of Halifax Awards; and

Whereas Dr. Warne is a coordinator of Cultural Studies, coordinator of Women and Gender Studies, and is a member of the Media and History Committee of the Canadian Historical Association; and

Whereas Dr. Warne's research involves religion and culture, gender theory, and the politics of knowledge;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Dr. Randi Warne for her passion for education and her ability to mentor and motivate her students as they progress in their studies.

RESOLUTION NO. 3838

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Saad Ibrahim Issa, a hard-working, much-loved family man, suddenly passed away on March 21, 2016, at the age of 67; and

Whereas Saad Ibrahim Issa, born in Lebanon in 1949, served in the Lebanese Army before immigrating to Canada in 1995; and

Whereas Saad Ibrahim Issa owned Issa's Saj House and was a friend to all who were fortunate to cross paths with him;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Saad Ibrahim Issa's contributions to the community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3839

[Page 9241]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Quake Matthews of Fairview is a talented rapper who first made his name in the underground battle rap scene; and

Whereas Quake Matthew's fourth studio album has become the No. 4 spot on iTunes hip hop chart, as well as received coverage from a host of major outlets; and

Whereas Quake Matthews this winter released a catchy donair anthem, called Down with the King, in response to the donair being named as the "official food of Halifax";

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Quake Matthews, also known as Matthew Arab, my constituent and my cousin, and thank him for demonstrating how musically talented Nova Scotia can be to the rest of the world.

RESOLUTION NO. 3840

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Tyson Cave, a Fairview boy and professional boxer, became the World Boxing Union Bantamweight Champion in less than two rounds in November 2015; and

Whereas Tyson Cave became the first Nova Scotia-born boxer to win the world title on home soil since 1888; and

Whereas Tyson Cave's competitiveness, athleticism, and determination is an inspiration to all young Nova Scotian athletes;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Tyson Cave for his athletic ability while representing Nova Scotia on the international sporting stage, and congratulate him on his victory.

RESOLUTION NO. 3841

[Page 9242]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the YMCA of Halifax has played a pivotal role in helping new immigrants, specifically those who need to build professional connections in order to obtain work in Halifax; and

Whereas many immigrants already have skills and training when they arrive in Halifax, however sometimes they will be working in a role that does not match their skills; and

Whereas YMCA of Halifax acts as a connector to help new people fit into networks that match up with their area of expertise and education, thus ensuring the entire family becomes successful;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the YMCA of Halifax for the important role it plays in the success of newcomers in Halifax.

RESOLUTION NO. 3842

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Monique Fares, a young woman who had a dream of working in health and wellness, and owning her own business, recently launched Signature Health; and

Whereas Monique Fares, who completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology and a Master of Business in Administration, used her medical and entrepreneurial knowledge to open Signature Health; and

Whereas Signature Health provides corporations with the opportunity to help their employees pay as much attention to their health as they do to their business;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating Monique Fares on her new business, Signature Health, and wish her every success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3843

[Page 9243]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Sandra Starratt, a teacher at Halifax West High School, received a 2015 Progress Women of Excellence Award; and

Whereas the Progress Women of Excellence Award annually honours 19 inspirational women who play an important role in our community; and

Whereas Sandra Starratt is the department head and student government adviser, overseeing 19 committees that fundraise $50,000 to $100,000 annually

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Sandra Starratt for her passion for education, her impact on young people, and congratulate her for her well-deserved award.

RESOLUTION NO. 3844

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Stephanie Young, a Fairview native, recently won a grant through the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative's FILM5 Program; and

Whereas the FILM5 Program allows aspiring filmmakers with gifted artistic abilities to develop and produce five-minute short films; and

Whereas Stephanie Young has done several artist residencies leading to the creation of short films such as Masculins and Limitless and also works on graphic novels;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Stephanie Young for her creativity and determination, and encourage her to continue making films in our province.

RESOLUTION NO. 3845

[Page 9244]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Lisa Sullivan, manager of Freeman's Little New York in Fairview, organized and executed two successful events, Fairview Family Fun Day in June and a tree lighting event in December; and

Whereas Lisa Sullivan's restaurant is a wonderful establishment that brings the community together for a variety of events; and

Whereas Lisa Sullivan's events consist of donations collected by Feed Nova Scotia and a book drive, as well as raffles for turkeys, delicious snacks, and a surprise visit from Santa Claus;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Lisa and her team for going above and beyond for our community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3846

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on August 27, 2015, Saida Grazie organized a back-to-school event for the children of the Bayers Westwood community and received donations such as school supplies and other items she could hand out to the children; and

Whereas Saida Grazie continually works with groups in the community and has a passion for new ideas and programs; and

Whereas the back-to-school event helped families with a very tight budget give their children the opportunity to excel in school the same way people helped Saida Grazie when she moved to Canada many years ago;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Saida Grazie for the back-to-school event and wish her continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3847

[Page 9245]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nicole Mensour, a home stager, interior designer, and professional organizer, was selected to speak at the Interior Designers Talk Series at the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council Designer Craft Show last winter; and

Whereas Nicole Mensour was one of three top interior consultants who spoke at this annual event, sharing her passion for design and organization with others; and

Whereas Nicole Mensour's company, Maddex Interiors, is a professional home staging and organizing company that provides clients with tasteful and well-organized interiors;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Nicole Mensour for being chosen to speak at this important event and wish her every success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3848

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mike Kennedy, an Acadia University alumni and outstanding Nova Scotian, has been honoured as the Young Alumni Award recipient; and

Whereas Mike Kennedy received his BBA in 2005, MPACC and CA in 2008, and his career has encompassed business, volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and social activism; and

Whereas Mike Kennedy is co-founder of Awesome Halifax, and has received numerous awards including Nova Scotia's CA of the Year in 2010 and Halifax Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Mike Kennedy for being a mentor and inspiration to many Nova Scotians and wish him continued success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3849

[Page 9246]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Melissa Gaudet from the Dunbrack Soccer Club does outstanding community work as a soccer player and coach; and

Whereas Melissa Gaudet joined our community soccer match on August 23 and was a huge asset with her expertise on the field, ensuring the game was both safe and fun; and

Whereas Melissa Gaudet's positive and energetic attitude made for a very fun, family-friendly, and successful event;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Melissa Gaudet for her outstanding expertise during this event and hard work in the community to ensure our children remain safe while playing the game they love.

RESOLUTION NO. 3850

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Libby Rofe, a six-year-old young leader, gave up her birthday gifts so she could raise money for Bryony House; and

Whereas Libby Rofe raised $200 and purchased seven double movie passes with snacks for anyone who needed to enjoy a special day; and

Whereas Libby Rofe's generosity resulted in two carloads of women and children's clothing and Easter gifts for donation to Bryony House;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Libby Rofe for her kindness and generosity to those less fortunate in her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3851

[Page 9247]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Troy Bennett, a Fairview-Clayton Park community member and the manager of Atlantic Acura, provides great opportunities for young apprentices in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Troy Bennett hosted the Premier, the member for Bedford, myself and many others on July 28^th for the special celebration marking the anniversary of the Nova Scotia Youth Apprenticeship program; and

Whereas Troy Bennett's positive attitude and outgoing personality helps create an encouraging work environment for many youth apprentices at Atlantic Acura, where his employees speak highly of his work ethic, leadership and mentorship;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Troy Bennett for giving young mechanics an opportunity to pursue their careers, and wish him every success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3852

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mark Chedrawe, a constituent of Fairview-Clayton Park, recently reached a huge milestone in his life by purchasing a new home; and

Whereas Mark Chedrawe is a dedicated, hard-working member of our community and commits much of his free time volunteering at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church; and

Whereas Mark Chedrawe's volunteer experience also includes fundraising with Easter Seals;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Mark Chedrawe for his outstanding community involvement and achieving this huge success, and we wish him every success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3853

[Page 9248]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Friends of Fairview, a community group, recently hosted an event with the goal of sharing pictures, maps, and stories of Fairview with others; and

Whereas Friends of Fairview, a group of residents, is eager to learn more about the history of their community and share it with others; and

Whereas the event was a huge success and the brain child of Devonna and Don Edwards, genealogy expert Gerry MacLeod, and Wayne Kelly, a Fairview historian;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Friends of Fairview for their hard work, and wish them every success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3854

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Kate Sullivan expanded her Clayton Park Neighbourhood Watch Program to include Fairview; and

Whereas Kate Sullivan's program encourages great discussions of how community members can work together to keep Fairview and Clayton Park safe; and

Whereas Kate Sullivan's passion for keeping Fairview and Clayton Park safe is shown through her involvement and determination in seeing this program succeed;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Kate Sullivan for her hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm for keeping our neighbourhood safe.

RESOLUTION NO. 3855

[Page 9249]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Erin Coates, a Grade 5/6 teacher at Burton Ettinger Elementary School, posted a time of 2:57:38, the third-fastest time among Canadian women in the Boston Marathon; and

Whereas Erin Coates, a member of the Fairview-Clayton Park constituency, is known for her kindness, dedication, and positive spirit; and

Whereas Erin Coates showed her family, friends, and maybe most importantly her students, how pushing yourself towards personal goals can be truly rewarding;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating Erin Coates for her achievement and ask that she continue being an inspiration to our children.

RESOLUTION NO. 3856

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the staff at ISANS play a pivotal role in helping new immigrants, specifically those who want to become entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas ISANS provides newcomers with tools, networks, and steps to become an entrepreneur, ensuring they know how to obtain permits, licences, and resources available to them; and

Whereas ISANS ensures that entrepreneurs and their families become successful in Nova Scotia and provide workshops that help settle the entire family;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly recognize ISANS for the tireless dedication of its staff to ensure that newcomers remain in Nova Scotia.

RESOLUTION NO. 3857

[Page 9250]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Donna Sutton Lahmar, executive director of Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre, hosted a community barbecue on August 8^th; and

Whereas the community barbecue successfully brought the entire community together and strengthened multicultural ties; and

Whereas Donna Sutton Lahmar's passion for the community and leadership within the Bayers Westwood area are just two of the reasons why the Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre is so successful;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Donna Sutton Lahmar for her outstanding role in the community and wish her every success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3858

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Janice Ainsworth, co-chair of TEAM Work Cooperative and a key member of the Ability Employers Board, is a major voice in these organizations; and

Whereas Janice Ainsworth is hard working and dedicated to educating employers on hiring and working with people with disabilities through the Ability program; and

Whereas the Ability Employers is a fantastic program that educates and certifies employers to ensure they are fostering an inclusive workplace for everyone;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Janice Ainsworth for her hard work and dedication and wish her continued success in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 3859

[Page 9251]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Fairview Family Resource Centre and its staff recently started a new program entitled Parenting Journey; and

Whereas Parenting Journey, a part of Stronger Families Nova Scotia, is a provincial expansion of support for parents and children; and

Whereas the Parenting Journey program is important to the Fairview Family Resource Centre because they can now work with families earlier to identify problems, strengths, and solutions before more serious situations develop;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing the Fairview Family Resource Centre for the vital role they play in the community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3860

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Kim MacAulay and Anthony Power of Interfaith Harmony Halifax attended a ceremony in Amman, Jordan, and accepted a third-place prize out of 83 submissions; and

Whereas Adoption World Interfaith Harmony Week was passed by the United Nations General Assembly in October 2010, making the first week in February World Interfaith Harmony Week; and

Whereas the World Interfaith Harmony groups and other groups of goodwill show the world what a powerful movement they are a part of through thousands of events;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in recognizing Interfaith Harmony Halifax for their win and for their important contributions to our community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3861

[Page 9252]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Laurel Walker helped found the annual Halifax Suicide Prevention Walk; and

Whereas the Halifax Suicide Prevention Walk, with over 200 participants, is a way for people to share stories, support families and friends, raise awareness for mental health, and show people suffering from mental illness they are not alone; and

Whereas Laurel has helped others since her teenage years while trying to deal with her own mental health, and her fight for more resources was spurred from the suicide of a close friend and her own suicidal thoughts;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in recognizing Laurel Walker for battling mental illness while advocating for others in her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 3862

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Cathy Lane, Chair of the Fairview Community Association, took the lead on organizing the annual tree lighting event at Titus Smith Memorial Park in Fairview; and

Whereas the annual tree lighting had live music, warm drinks, delicious snacks, a visit from Santa Claus, and a great family atmosphere; and

Whereas Cathy Lane is a volunteer who puts the interests of the Fairview community in the forefront of her mind;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Cathy Lane for her passion in community-building and for her fantastic work bringing Fairview together.

RESOLUTION NO. 3863

[Page 9253]

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the staff at Atlantic Superstore on Joseph Howe Drive support their local Chinese community; and

Whereas Atlantic Superstore celebrated Chinese New Year, the biggest holiday in the Chinese lunar calendar, by hosting a reception to showcase traditional Chinese cuisine; and

Whereas Chinese New Year is all about family, and many of the families in the Chinese community attended and enjoyed a variety of traditional dishes and quality time together;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in recognizing Atlantic Superstore and their staff for hosting this event and being an inclusive community partner.

RESOLUTION NO. 3864

By: Ms. Patricia Arab « » (Fairview-Clayton Park)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Brian Jessop, Vice-President at Mount Saint Vincent University, hosted the Premier and myself for a fantastic tour of the Margaret McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research; and

Whereas the McCain Centre, named after Margaret Norrie McCain, is a student-oriented building that is technologically advanced, environmentally conscious, and accessible; and

Whereas the building on the Mount's campus is dedicated to the accomplishments of women and celebrates their contributions to education;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in thanking Brian Jessop for hosting the Premier and me and for all the contributions MSVU makes to our community.