JANUARY: Richmond County reaches agreement with former employee

ARICHAT: The Municipality of the County of Richmond reached a resolution in Josette Marchand’s wrongful dismissal case agreeing that her employment was terminated without cause.
Although Marchand could not comment on the specifics, she did confirm that there was a financial component to the agreement.
On January 4, 2019 in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax, Marchand, of Petit de Grat, filed a notice of action against the municipality seeking compensation for the loss of income, compensation for the loss of employment benefits, and damages for the nature of her dismissal and false allegations of wrongdoing.
Upon starting with the municipality in 2011, Marchand’s statement of claim said she was employed as the Director of Recreation, Leisure and Community Relations. Marchand said in her time, net recreation costs were reduced by $100,000 and she secured over $200,000 in funding for the department through registration fees and special grants.
The statement of claim contends, “Marchand was regularly congratulated for her initiatives and was consistently under budget for her department.” The statement also states that “Marchand was never over-budget for travel and routinely made decisions that were always aimed at reducing costs.”
According to the statement, Marchand became ensnared in the spending scandal involving other municipal employees around March of 2016 when she “immediately” repaid a duplicate payment, which she brought to the attention of Richmond’s personnel at the same time.
Then in September 2016, an ombudsman’s report about Richmond expenses was leaked to the media and the report erroneously attributed an expense for attending a strip club in Houston, Texas to Marchand. She said she spent three weeks resolving this error with the ombudsman, without any assistance from Richmond.
After former Chief Administrative Officer Warren Olsen resigned in October 2016, he was replaced by interim CAO Maris Freimanis who advised Marchand in writing around May 1, 2017 that she was terminated for cause.
The statement said Marchand was escorted from the building and told she could not return to her desk.
Marchand’s statement recalls that after being provided with general reasons for her termination, no specific examples were given.
Marchand said all issues with expense reporting were the result of the municipality’s “failure to enforce policy and provide appropriate staff training” and any wrongdoing was caused by other personnel.
Marchand said she was the target of allegations from other employees and some councillors, aimed at removing her from her position.
In the notice of defence, the municipality denied Marchand was wrongfully dismissed or that it did anything that would render it liable for damages. The municipality asserted that it followed proper procedure in terminating Marchand’s employment, and did not rush her from her office.

ANTIGONISH: A month after the COVID-19 outbreak in Antigonish, the province’s chief officer of health indicated the province was no longer paying attention to the individual outbreak, but rather focusing on the Omicron wave across the province.
On Dec. 14, Marla MacInnis, a media relations advisor at Communications Nova Scotia confirmed a total of 344 positive cases being tied to StFX, but later explained the province stopped counting direct numbers on Dec. 15, 2021.
On Jan. 3, the province reported 120 new cases in the Eastern Zone, which takes in the Antigonish Guysborough Community Health Board, the Inverness Victoria Richmond Health Board, as well as the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Prior to the new year, the province announced that it was no longer updating its daily count, nor was it providing a break down by community health board.
With the first media briefing following Christmas, the provincial government took the time to announce an extension to the Holiday Break and public schools would re-open on Jan. 10. Premier Tim Houston also advised that contract tracing in schools would stop.

ST. PETER’S: A Grand River resident who was charged with extortion is also facing firearms charges.
In a press release issued on Dec. 31, the Inverness/Richmond RCMP Street Crime Enforcement Unit announced that they charged 56-year-old Frank Eckhardt with firearms offences after executing a search warrant at a residence in Grand River.
On Dec. 20, 2021 at approximately 4:20 p.m., the RCMP said they received a report of shots being fired near a residence on West Bay Road in Cape George.
Police said they started an investigation which was later turned over the Inverness/Richmond RCMP Street Crime Enforcement Unit (SCEU). On Dec. 23, the RCMP said they arrested Eckhardt in a vehicle stop on Highway 4 near St. Peter’s, and a short time, they executed a search warrant at a residence on Smith Road in Grand River.
During the search of the residence the RCMP said they seized firearms, including handguns, ammunition, gun powder, and cash. Eckhardt was charged with: three counts of careless transportation of a firearm; four counts of careless storage of a firearm; two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm; two counts of possession of a firearm while knowing possession is unlawful; and two counts of possession of a weapon obtained in the commission of an offence, according to the RCMP.

ANTIGONISH: Five years to the day Cpl. Lionel Desmond rocked the small tight-knit community of Upper Big Tracadie for his role in a triple murder-suicide, his sister, who has been the face of the family’s fight for justice, was charged with attempted murder.
Following a late night stabbing in Antigonish on Jan. 3, the RCMP said 30-year-old Cassandra Jane Desmond was charged with a single count of attempted murder.
According to Public Information Officer Cpl. Chris Marshall, at approximately 11:45 p.m., Antigonish RCMP responded to an assault at a bar on College Street that resulted from an altercation between two groups of people.
When police arrived on scene, a 21-year-old male was found to be suffering from an abdominal stab wound and was taken to hospital by ambulance, the RCMP noted in a press release.
On Feb. 16, 2021 Cassandra took the stand at the Desmond Fatality Inquiry, providing emotional testimony on her knowledge of the support, or lack thereof, her brother and his family received from the Canadian Armed Forces transitioning back into normal, everyday civilian life.
On March 2, Desmond was arraigned on four additional charges relating to the Jan. 3 incident; assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, uttering threats, and aggravated assault.
Appearing via phone in Antigonish Provincial Court, Robert Jeffcock, Desmond’s defence lawyer, indicated his client was electing to be tried in Nova Scotia Supreme Court by a judge alone.

ST. CATHARINES, ONT: A number of Strait area residents assisted the search for a Canadian Forces veteran.
According to the Niagara Regional Police Service, 37-year-old Katrina Blagdon was last seen in St. Catharines, Ontario at around 6 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2021.
Crime Stoppers of Niagara issued an urgent appeal to find the retired military veteran, who retired in 2016 as a Master Corporal after serving 14 years, including a tour in Afghanistan.
Blagdon lived in West Arichat as a teenager and graduated from Richmond Academy in 2001.
Hyson and Holly DeCoste drove to Ontario from Port Hawkesbury on Jan. 6 to help with the search.
After Blagdon’s disappearance was first reported, people from around the Strait area and beyond shared information and sent messages of support on social media.
Remains later found in that area were identified as Blagdon’s.

GUYSBOROUGH: The company looking to build the Goldboro Gold Project committed $100,000 in annual contributions within the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG).
The agreement, according to a press release, establishes a framework for a long-term relationship between Anaconda Mining and the MODG, over the life of the Goldboro Gold Project and confirms the municipality’s support for the project.
One portion of the community benefit agreement reveals Anaconda Mining Inc. will provide annual grants for community groups, organizations, and community projects within the municipality.
Until commercial production of gold begins, the company will provide $15,000 to community organizations, and once Anaconda is in full production, that contribution will be bumped up to $100,000 annually for the duration of the project.
Warden Vernon Pitts advised Anaconda is also committed to targeting measures for local recruitment and employment at both the construction and operational stages of the project by collaborating to assess local labour market training and employment opportunities.
He suggested they will also work with contractors and suppliers to identify opportunities to hire locally and support businesses activities in the municipality, including procurement and service opportunities with the Goldboro Gold Project.
Another aspect of the agreement establishes bursaries for local high school students and the development of co-op work term opportunities students and apprenticeship placements.
Like the money for community groups, the warden highlighted the financial contribution towards education and the creation of five bursaries for local high school students will start at $5,000 in 2022, then increase to $10,000 in 2025 when commercial production is expected to begin.
A final incentive offered by Anaconda will be towards their employees, as they will provide them with $5,000 to purchase or build a new home throughout the MODG, something Pitts suggested would be great for them to add families to the municipality.

HALIFAX: The federal government announced that its Canada Nature Fund Target 1 Challenge fund will provide $1.5 million to the provincial government, conservation organizations, and other partners, according to a press release issued on Jan. 20. The province said it will use the federal funding to buy land to be protected.
Nova Scotia received $14.3 million in January 2020 from the Target 1 Challenge fund and used about $1.2 million to buy about 526 hectares (1,300 acres) of land, which will eventually become parts of nature reserves, wilderness areas, provincial parks or other protected areas. They said this includes 100 hectares (248 acres) in Forchu, and 23 hectares (58 acres) in Mulcuish Lake, both in Richmond County.
The province said in Antigonish County, 60 hectares (148 acres) in Marshy Hope and 40 hectares (100 acres) in Glen Bard are also included.