OTTAWA: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) confirmed the seizures of lobsters, traps, a boat, and a buyer’s truck, as well as arrests connected to the First Nation Food, Social, and Ceremonial Fishery taking place in St. Peter’s Bay.
Lauren Sankey, a spokesperson for the DFO, wrote The Reporter via email to confirm that on Nov. 15, fishery officers arrested, and later released, three individuals and seized a lobster fishing vessel in St. Peter’s.
“Associated lobster traps were also seized due to alleged non-compliance with the Fisheries Act and regulations,” she wrote on Nov. 30.
During an inspection of a lobster pound in Shelburne County on Nov. 16, fishery officers arrested and later released one person, and seized a truck carrying approximately 5,400 pounds of lobster due to alleged non-compliance with Fisheries Act regulations.
Sankey said no charges have been laid in relation to this matter.
In both cases, Sankey wrote that all living lobster were released live back into the ocean but because both matters are under investigation.
PORT HAWKESBURY: Frank Eckhardt no longer faces an extortion charge.
During his appearance on Dec. 6, the Grand River, resident was not present while the prosecution didn’t enter any evidence on his extortion charge. Eckhardt originally pleaded not guilty.
An immigrant couple made the complaint against the property developer but returned to their home country of Germany and relinquished their rights to participate in the trial.
According to Richmond County District RCMP, their investigation into the 56-year-old started on Dec. 1, 2021 after they received a report from two individuals who claimed they were being extorted by their landlord.
In warrant information provided by the Nova Scotia Judiciary, police spoke with Sandra Schmidt on Dec. 20, 2021, and she told investigators that after moving to Canada from Germany in December 2020, she and her family lived with Eckhardt, then later bought land from him in Cape George.
When they opened a gym in St. Peter’s, the couple told officers they leased the building from Eckhardt, but when issues arose in the fall of 2021, that prompted them to end the lease agreement. They said Eckhardt was “not happy” and made threats, leading to the extortion charge.
PORT HASTINGS: A total redesign of the rotary-turned-roundabout project now includes an overpass to Highway 105, multiple traffic lights, and a bypass lane coming from Port Hawkesbury.
In a community information session on Dec. 5 at the Port Hastings Fire Hall, representatives with the province’s Department of Public Works advised the motivation behind the redesign was to make it foolproof.
The province indicated the project now has a price tag around $15 million. Planning and preliminary design work is currently underway, while construction is expected to resume in the spring of 2023 with the completion of the project anticipated by the fall of 2024, the province noted.
Inverness MLA Allan MacMaster said he wants to make sure the redesign is the best it can be.
Dwayne Cross, the department’s manager of highway planning and design, explained the proposed project includes a roundabout that will be constructed near the location of the existing rotary and a new storage lane will be built for vehicles approaching the Canso Causeway from Cape Breton.
Cross said the use of traffic lights on Highway 105 and Trunk 4 is required during busy periods of swing bridge operation, ensuring the roundabout remains open to emergency vehicles and local traffic.
Entering the new roundabout will be similar to the existing rotary, he said, however vehicles entering the roundabout must yield to vehicles already in the circle.
Access points to Port Hastings are being adjusted and updated to improve sight distance and safety when entering and exiting the community. A bypass lane will allow vehicles coming from Port Hawkesbury on Trunk 4 to proceed to Trunk 19 without having to enter the roundabout.
Cross advised this lane is separated by a concrete median to minimize disruptions and allow the continuous flow of traffic during swing bridge operations.
PORT HAWKESBURY: Three people charged for a home invasion that sent four people to the hospital entered not guilty pleas and now have trials scheduled to start in August.
According to the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service (PPS) Craig Edward Ryan, 51, of Mulgrave, Craig Evan Ronald Ryan, 23, of West Bay, and Riley Hoben, 23, of Boylston pleaded not guilty in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court on Dec. 19 to all charges.
Cpl. Chris Marshall said the RCMP still believes a fourth person was involved, but they still have not received a video of the incident, nor any tips from the public.
According to the PPS, the men are each facing charges of: break and enter; aggravated assault; assault causing bodily harm; two counts of assault; and three counts of mischief.
PPS added there is a pre-trial conference scheduled for May 29, 2023, at 1:30 p.m., and the trial is scheduled for Aug. 21 and 22, 2023 at 9:30 a.m., both in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court