Colton LeBlanc, MLA for Argyle-Barrington

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! May this weekend be filled with everything that brings you happiness. We have much to be thankful for! Je souhaite à tous une Joyeuse fête de l'Action de grâce ! Que cette fin de semaine soit remplie de tout ce qui vous apporte le bonheur. Nous avons beaucoup de raisons d'être reconnaissants!

Today is World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is "Mental Health for All. Greater Investment Greater Access". Our physical and mental health are closely connected and both are equally as important to our overall well-being. Let’s make mental health a priority: there’s no health without mental health. Today - and everyday - is a time to talk about mental health.... For mental health, addiction and wellbeing resources, visit: https://novascotia.ca/mental-health-and-wellbeing/.

I picked up my Nourish Your Roots food box this afternoon at Riverview Produce Farms! Nourish Your Roots is a farm-to-school fundraiser created and facilitated by Nourish NS to help schools and non-profit child cares support their own healthy eating programs and initiatives. Boxes of fresh produce from Nova Scotian farms are sold to the greater community. Farmers are paid fairly for their produce and customers enjoy the harvest while providing funds for healthy food programs... in Nova Scotia schools, for example breakfast, snack program, gardens and cooking skills. It’s a win-win-win for schools, farmers and families. There are 116 schools across Nova Scotia who signed up this year to fundraise with NYR. However, due to COVID-19, schools cannot be involved. Instead of cancelling this important program, NYR has re-imagined the program, complete with online ordering and zero contact pick ups at community sites across Nova Scotia. Proceeds will continue to go to participating schools and farmers. Below is the list of Argyle-Barrington schools that had signed up to be part of the program this year: Clark’s Harbour Elementary School École Pubnico-Ouest École secondaire de Par-en-Bas Evelyn Richardson Memorial Elementary School Forest Ridge Academy Plymouth School Pick-up locations in our region include: Wilson's Home Hardware Building Centre in Barrington Passage, Riverview Produce in Yarmouth and Boxing Rock Brewing Company in Shelburne. Visit this link to order your box: https://www.nourishns.ca/nourish-your-roots-1 How do I buy a box? Step 1: Select a pick-up location from the options below, or select the Donate a Box option. Step 2: Select your desired pick-up time from the drop down list, click Add to Cart, and then select a school that you would like to support. If you select No Preference, Nourish will look after choosing a school for you. Step 3: Complete your secure order, and pick up your box at the chosen location/date/time as indicated on your order confirmation email. Please Note: If you don't pick up your box within the stated pick-up time, it will be donated to a Nova Scotia family in need of support.

Join Develop NS this afternoon at 4:00pm for a webinar to learn more details about the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative and projects within the Municipality of Argyle / Municipalité d'Argyle. There will be a question and answer period following the presentation. To register, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_I1335pNTRF2q4Q2Xnci-HQ

Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future: this year’s World Teachers’ Day theme. Today, we recognize the hard work, dedication, collective work and achievements of teachers around the world, especially those here in Argyle-Barrington. We say thank you for all that you do every day as you ensure that everyone has an education and empower today’s thinkers to become tomorrow’s leaders. * * * *... Enseignants : leaders en temps de crise et façonneurs d’avenir : le thème de la Journée mondiale des enseignant(e)s cette année. Aujourd'hui, nous reconnaissons le travail acharné, le dévouement, le travail collectif et les réalisations des enseignant(e)s du monde entier, mais en particulier ceux et celles en Argyle-Barrington. Nous vous remercions pour tout ce que vous faites chaque jour en veillant à ce que tout le monde ait une éducation et donnant aux penseurs d’aujourd’hui les moyens de devenir les leaders de demain.

Last week, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development released water test results for Nova Scotia schools. A total of 397 water samples from schools in Argyle-Barrington were tested. 263 samples (66%) exceed lead limits and 235 samples (55%) exceed copper limits as established by Health Canada. Schools continue to receive bottled drinking water, but I will be communicating to the Minister of Education that completing remediation of unsafe drinking water in ou...r schools be a priority for his department. CSAP Results: https://www.ednet.ns.ca//files/docs/watertestresults_csap_ TCRCE Results: https://www.ednet.ns.ca//f/docs/watertestresults_tcrce.pdf * * * * * La semaine dernière, le ministère de l'Éducation et du Développement de la petite enfance a publié les résultats des tests d'eau pour les écoles de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Un total de 397 échantillons d'eau provenant des écoles d'Argyle-Barrington ont été analysés. 263 échantillons (66 %) dépassent les limites de plomb et 235 échantillons (55 %) dépassent les limites de cuivre établies par Santé Canada. Les écoles continuent à recevoir de l'eau potable en bouteille, mais je communiquerai au ministre de l'Éducation que l'achèvement de l'assainissement de l'eau potable dans nos écoles soit une priorité pour son ministère. Résultats du CSAP: https://www.ednet.ns.ca//files/docs/watertestresults_csap_ Résultats du TCRCE: https://www.ednet.ns.ca//f/docs/watertestresults_tcrce.pdf (en anglais seulement)

As of today, instead of calling 811 as a first step, people can now do a COVID-19 self-assessment online. This will reduce the wait time to be screened for testing from 12 hours to about 10 minutes. If the online assessment determines that a person requires a test, the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the IWK Health Centre will call them within 24 to 48 hours to book an appointment. 811 will continue to take calls from people who cannot access the online tool or who wish to speak with a nurse about their symptoms. The COVID-19 self-assessment is available at https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/

Halman: All schools should have safe water taps For immediate release October 1, 2020... DARTMOUTH, N.S. -- Parents will be alarmed by just how many water taps fail to meet Health Canada guidelines in schools across our province. That was the reaction from Progressive Conservative Education Critic Tim Halman to the government’s assessment of drinking water in Nova Scotia schools. Providing safe water taps in all schools needs to be a priority for this government. Yesterday, the government published the results of the testing done to measure the amount of lead and copper found in water taps in schools across the province. More than 1,900 taps within the Halifax Regional Centre for Education alone did not meet Health Canada standards. Amanda Lawlor, whose children attend Ian Forsyth Elementary School, is concerned about not only the condition of the school, but the lack of communications about the unsafe taps. I expect that when we send our kids to school, that we are sending them to a safe environment. And we expect that if there are health and safety concerns at a school, that the government would communicate that clearly to parents, says Lawlor. It’s concerning that we don’t know how long the water at my childrens’ schools has been unsafe to drink, or when these taps will be fixed. Last year, the government was forced to test the water for dangerous levels of lead in all Nova Scotia schools after it was revealed that many had not recently, or ever, been tested. Governing is about priorities. And I don't know any priority higher than getting lead out of drinking water for children, says Halman. The Liberal government initially promised to share a centralized database, but instead released eight separate documents, with no running tally of how many water taps are unsafe, nor for how long they have been contaminated. A count by the PC Caucus found a total of 5,968 unsafe taps, or approximately 20% of all school water taps in Nova Scotia.* It appears that the Liberals released these documents with the intent of making the full picture difficult to see, says Halman. Parents expect the government to release a full breakdown of how many total taps are contaminated, with regional breakdowns, and more importantly -- when they plan on fixing them. For lists of water test results from across Nova Scotia, visit: https://www.ednet.ns.ca/water-test-results

The Barrington Museum Complex has added to the Nova Scotia Webcams Family! The newest camera is mounted on the Barrington Woolen Mill Museum and overlooks the... historic Barrington River/ Kiack Brook where you can watch the tides ebb and flow and local photographers snapping their seasonal portraits and in the Spring, the locals dipping for kiacks! They will be adjusting the angles and zoom periodically, to find the image that best suits the time of year or occasion. Check out the awesome view here: https://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/barrington/ Nova Scotia's South Shore Nova Scotia Museum Discover Shelburne County Nova Scotia

Join Develop NS this afternoon at 2:30 for a webinar to learn more details about the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative and projects within the Municipality of Barrington. There will be a question and answer period following the presentation. To register, visit: ... https://us02web.zoom.us//regist/WN_yizGyjSqRvOxxG50TrSLWg See more

Today is Medic Monday! On behalf of the constituents of Argyle-Barrington, I would like to thank all the dedicated, caring and highly-skilled paramedics who strive to provide the best care each and everyday. Thank you! Merci!

Statement on the situation in St. Mary's Bay

Many have expressed their concerns regarding current visitation restrictions in long-term care facilities. Earlier today, I sent a letter to the Minister of Health and Wellness on this matter.