Latest news with #Antigonish
CTV News
6 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Special Olympic Provincial Summer Games set to begin to N.S.
Over 9,000 athletes, coaches and volunteers will gather in Antigonish for the Nova Scotia Provincial Summer Special Olympics. Antigonish and St. Francis Xavier University will be hosting the 2025 Special Olympics N.S. Provincial Summer Games from July 24 to 27. 'I think it just makes me feel even more confident because I'm like, okay, I can do that. I can do anything,' said Ashely Thomas, a soccer player out of the Sackville-Bedford region. Thomas was a member of Team Canada who competed in Germany at the 2023 World Summer Games. She has been playing soccer with the Special Olympics Nova Scotia (SONS) team since 2012, saying she's grown both on and off the pitch. 'Well, I'm faster. I'm stronger. I'm more confident and knowing when new people come into the team, it's just making them feel confident and welcoming.' This is something her coach, Geoff Tyler, agreed with. 'Because it's all about teamwork. And that's not just in sport, that's in life is that we have to have teamwork,' he told CTV News. 'But seeing that progress from the early stages to now, and I've always had ideas of how to teach the game, how I would like to see it played and just to put those skills forward to them and then to see them actually do it and make plays that you've taught them it's a really, really good feeling.' Tyler joined SONS over 10 years ago because of his son Xavier. 'My wife got him involved with Special Olympics, and so I went along one evening to have a look, and it looked like I was interested,' laughed Tyler. 'So they called me down to join in, and the coaching started from there.' For both athletes and coaches, SONS is more than just what happens on the field. 'It's not just about, the sport itself, but the group that you're with. It's about how it affects you in everyday life,' explained Tyler. 'It gave me a lot of confidence and other things in other aspects of my life. I have better skills to be able to cope with different things and then throw that in with the sport that I love and then teaching that people are willing to learn.' 'Because it's fun. It's like another family,' said Thomas. 'You can't really know unless you're there. Like when you're there, it clicks like 'oh, that's what Ashley was talking about.'' In his 10 years, Tyler is impressed by the growth of Special Olympics in the province. 'More and more people are getting more aware of it and when you're involved, you talk about it, because it's trying to get people outside of their own bubbles to realize it is a thing,' he said. 'It is there, and it's fun and it's a good thing to be involved with. So, you know, we always coach people to be involved in some way, whether it's volunteering or coaching or just come along to support your region because they're all proud of playing for their hometown.' This weekend will see four days of competition in basketball, bocce, golf, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, track and field, and soccer. These games serve as qualifiers for the 2026 National Summer Games, which will be held in Medicine Hat, Alta., in August 2026. The weekend will see over 850 athletes, coaches and volunteers. 'You can expect to see lots of really, really happy people,' smiled Tyler. 'They're all having fun. There's lots of different sports going on, so whatever your sport is, just go choose that, have a look, see what's going on, and you'll just see people having fun, having a good time, and competing and competing strong as well.' With growing awareness top of mind. 'My group itself is 25 athletes, and it is pretty big. We only really get six weeks off in the year. Other sports don't do that,' Tyler said of the growth of soccer in the region. 'We're really lucky that we train most of the year, and plus our region itself is big, like the second biggest region has grown as more and more people become aware of it.' Of course, the goal is winning, too. 'We're taking home gold!' shouted Thomas. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
13-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Window box fire sparks warning about dry peat moss, mulch near homes
Social Sharing Michelle Smith-March never imagined the flower box outside her Antigonish County home could nearly burn it down. On a hot June afternoon, Smith-March was away at work. Her husband, Wayne, was doing some yard work when he spotted flames climbing up their siding. "He immediately ran inside and grabbed the fire extinguisher," Smith-March said. "He's a former firefighter, so we always have an up-to-date fire extinguisher, thank goodness, in the house. So he grabbed that and ran outside and put it out." She had no idea how the fire started, as there was no smoking, no fire pit, and nothing electrical near the window box. After searching online she learned that dry peat moss can catch fire. The couple had used peat moss in their wooden window boxes for six years without issue. But after an unusually hot, dry stretch, the dense soil smouldered unnoticed before erupting into flames, she said. The couple has since removed the window box and doesn't intend to replace it. "I shudder to think of what might have happened if he wasn't at home or if he hadn't gone out when he did," Smith-March said. Alarmed by the experience, Smith-March posted about it on Facebook to let other people know about the possible hazard. Robert MacPherson, deputy chief of the Antigonish Volunteer Fire Department, said he is not a fan of window boxes and doesn't recommend them due to their proximity to the house. He said while combustion in window boxes is rare for the area, peat moss and mulch are known fire risks when overly dry. MacPherson said such fires often start from cigarettes or reflected sunlight but decomposition and heat buildup can also ignite dry material. In his 39 years with the fire department, MacPherson said he is only aware of a couple of window box fires but they respond to about five mulch fires every summer. People who have window boxes should ensure they are built out of non-combustible material. He recommends limiting the depth of the soil, keeping it well watered, using smaller plants, and removing any dry or dying plants as soon as possible. Smith-March said sharing her story is about prevention and she has already heard from many people online who were unaware of the potential fire risk.
CBC
12-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Antigonish craft brewery testing health warning labels on beer cans
Most people are familiar with the warning labels on cigarette packages. But a project in Antigonish, N.S., is piloting how similar labels could work for alcoholic beverages. In hopes of increasing awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption, a researcher at St. Francis Xavier University has teamed up with a local craft brewery to test warning labels on beer cans. Kara Thompson, research chair in substance use policy and prevention at St. FX, is leading the labelling project in collaboration with Candid Brewing Company in Antigonish. "This is the last stage of the project where we're actually implementing them in a real-world setting and seeing how consumers, whether consumers notice them, how they understand them and how they use them when they're purchasing and consuming alcohol," Thompson told Information Morning Nova Scotia host Portia Clark. The labels, rolling out on select Candid products over the next several months, inform consumers of the number of standard drinks per container and alcohol's connection to cancer. They also include information on Canada's new national guidance on alcohol and health, which says three to six drinks a week increases the risk of developing certain cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer, and more than seven drinks a week also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Bryan Druhan, co-owner of Candid Brewing, said he was intrigued to be part of a project breaking new ground in Nova Scotia. "It's an interesting first step," he told Information Morning Nova Scotia. "It's nice to be out ahead of it. It's certainly happened in other jurisdictions, so having a chance to be in collaboration and have some input was, I think, valuable so we were happy to jump at the opportunity." Druhan said he views the labels as being important to help consumers make informed decisions. "I think, you know, consumers are smart," he said. "They make choices every day, whether it's about alcohol or other products they are buying. So we just looked at it as an opportunity to give our consumers more information." The pilot will monitor the reaction of consumers who were initially recruited and surveyed as part of data collection prior to the launch of the labels, Thompson said. "The labels will launch for the next four months or so and then we'll follow up with those same people to assess things like has their knowledge of the link between alcohol and cancer changed, is their understanding of a standard drink better, have they noticed the label and talked about the label with peers." Thompson said information in Nova Scotia about the health risks of alcohol is sorely lacking. "We haven't done a very good job in this province about communicating anything about alcohol and alcohol-related risks," she said. "Less than 50 per cent of Atlantic Canadians are even aware that alcohol and cancer are linked or that alcohol is a carcinogen." She said the provincial government should take more of an initiative in educating the public about Canada's drinking guidelines, pointing to provinces such as New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island that have launched wide-scale public health campaigns.
CBC
11-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Health-care providers urge vigilance as more measles cases confirmed in Pictou County
Heath experts encourage awareness when making summer plans as four cases of measles are under investigation in Pictou County. Dr. Cristin Muecke, the regional medical officer of health for the northern zone, said there are three lab confirmed cases and one probable case in the area. "This is still a localized situation," said Muecke. "None of the cases we've seen have been a surprise. They're all connected to each other." Muecke said health authorities have been working to identify potential contacts. Public Health is asking anyone at the following exposure sites to monitor for symptoms and get in contact if symptoms start: Aberdeen Hospital emergency department in New Glasgow on July 5 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. St. Martha's Regional Hospital emergency department in Antigonish on July 5 between 10:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Muecke said people should make sure they are up to date on immunizations before any trips or gatherings this summer. "Measles is one of the most contagious infections, so we see a high proportion of people getting infected if they are unprotected," said Muecke. At first, measles can present like a common cold. People can be contagious with the disease before telltale symptoms start. These symptoms include fever, a red blotchy rash, and small white spots that may show up inside the mouth and throat. The disease is particularly dangerous for those with compromised immune systems, young children and pregnant people. Measles can cause serious health issues and in the case of pregnancy, the disease can be transmitted to the fetus. It can be deadly in severe cases. Measles is a low risk to the general public because most people are protected by vaccination or have immunity due to a previous infection, according to Nova Scotia Public Health. There have been five cases of measles in Nova Scotia this year, according to figures released this week. Muecke said there has been a high uptake of vaccinations in the Pictou County region with measles vaccination clinics in New Glasgow getting a lot of visits.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
Molotov cocktails thrown, fireworks shot at homes in Antigonish, N.S.
The RCMP is investigating two incidents that occurred overnight Sunday in Antigonish, N.S. Officers and fire services first responded to a report that several Molotov cocktails were being thrown at a home and a vehicle on Martin Street around 1:25 a.m. Police say they seized several glass bottles that had fuel in them. Two people wearing black hoodies were reportedly seen leaving the area in a dark GMC vehicle. Police then responded to a report of fireworks being shot at a home on Xavier Drive around 4:15 a.m. The RCMP believes the two incidents are related. Their investigation is ongoing. The force is asking anyone with information about the incidents, or who has video footage of the areas early that morning, to call the Antigonish County District RCMP at 902-863-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
