Property tax problems plagued the New Brunswick government and created headaches for homeowners. Despite an auditor general's report that put Service New Brunswick at the centre of the assessment blunder, there are new demands for more answers: this time from members of the premier's inner circle. The auditor general found Service New Brunswick’s "fast-track" assessment technology wasn't properly flagged as being high risk.
A young teen from Riverview, N.B., facing ongoing medical challengers is behind the #BeccaToldMeTo movement, which encouraged others to perform random acts of kindness and post them on social media. The request went viral, inspiring thousands to perform good deeds around the world. Though Becca recently received a diagnosis of a new tumour, she hopes her kindness movement continues to heal others.
Canadians celebrated the country’s birthday coast-to-coast this year, but the day was also marred by controversy. Five men who identified themselves as members of a group called the Proud Boys interrupted a protest at the Cornwallis statue in Halifax on Canada Day. Three of the men are members of the navy, one an army member, and another is a cadet officer. The Canadian Armed Forces apologized for the incident, but there were no criminal charges or discharges for the military members.
On Jan. 2, Lionel Desmond – a veteran of the war in Afghanistan – killed his wife Shanna and his daughter Aaliyah, as well as his mother Brenda, before turning the gun on himself in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S. The tragedy was followed by a review of how the province's health-care system dealt with his case before the killings. Details of the confidential review were not made public, but relatives did say Desmond was turned away from the mental health unit of St. Martha's Regional Hospital in the days before the shootings.
E: Energy East
There was disappointment and anger from many as Maritimers came to terms with the demise of the Energy East project. Trans Canada pulled the plug on the $15-billion project, leaving workers mourning the loss of jobs. Civic leaders pointed the finger at Ottawa, even demanding the federal government offset the damage done to the regional economy.
A seven-year-old girl died this summer after being struck by a piece of farm machinery in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis County. The child was on summer vacation visiting her grandparent’s home. She was playing in the neighbour’s hayfield when she was severely injured, later dying in hospital. The community rallied with comfort, care and fundraisers in support of the family.
After a month-long trial, Christopher Garnier was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of off-duty Truro police officer Catherine Campbell, rejecting his claim that she died accidentally during rough sex. The 30-year-old was also convicted of improperly interfering with human remains. His sentence will be handed down in May 2018.
H: Halifax Explosion anniversary
Dec. 6 marked 100 years since a collision between two ships led to an explosion that would devastate the city. The blast left nearly 2,000 people dead and about 9,000 injured in 1917. It remains the worst human-made catastrophe in Canadian history.
The damaging and dangerous ice storm shut down much of northeastern New Brunswick. The ice was so severe that several communities declared states of emergency. Carbon monoxide poisoning even claimed lives. Around 200 members of the Canadian Armed Forces provided emergency relief as repair crews from several provinces and south of the border worked days to restore widespread power outages.
J: Jail fire
Smoldering cigarette butts were blamed for the fire this fall at the Southeast Regional Correctional Centre. The five-year-old jail in Shediac is a non-smoking facility. Some inmates are being housed in trailers on the property, while others were sent to facilities across the province. Repairs could take months and there’s no word on how much it will cost.
K: Tracy Kitch
The former IWK CEO was named one of Canada's Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network. The organization, however, rescinded her award after being made aware of the expense scandal surrounding Kitch from her time with the IWK. Police and Nova Scotia’s auditor general are currently investigating those expenses.
L: Loney Bowl
The game to determine an Atlantic University Sport football champion had been cancelled over concerns about the eligibility of a Saint Mary's player. But after two court battles, a cancelled-then-reinstated game and four hours of play in the bitter cold, the Acadia Axemen came out the winners in this year's Loney Bowl.
Recreation cannabis will become legal in the summer of 2018 and provinces continue to scramble to prepare. The legal age to buy cannabis will be 19 in all three Maritime provinces. However, Nova Scotia is taking a different path when it comes to where the drug will be sold. The province plans to sell it alongside alcohol at existing liquor stores. Cannabis will be sold at standalone outlets in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Some critics question whether Nova Scotia’s plan will work, saying that people won't be comfortable going into a liquor store to buy pot.
N: Natal Day Parade with Sid the Kid
Crowds swelled by the thousands for this year’s Natal Day Parade as Halifax also celebrated Sidney Crosby's second-straight Stanely Cup win. He is only the ninth player ever in the NHL to win two cups and two Olympic gold medals. But the beloved hockey hero had some fans divided when he attended the annual champion visit to meet President Donald Trump at the White House.
In the first six months of 2017, in New Brunswick alone, there were 25 overdose deaths due to opioids. In response, 2,500 naloxone kits were distributed throughout the province. Naloxone kits are used to reverse overdoses of some opioid drugs, like fentanyl and heroin. The health department also revealed a first overdose death attributed to fentanyl, an especially potent drug that can been lethal when met with human contact.
P: Party gone wild at Dalhousie
Police were called in for an off-campus Dalhousie homecoming bash in October. The street party ended in multiple arrests and various fines. The president of Dalhousie issued an apology for the action of some students.
Q: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
The Queen and Prince Phillip celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary. Seventy years ago this year, Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the event as "a flash of colour on the hard road we have to travel." The Second World War had just ended and the British people were still living on rations. Still, there was euphoria in the streets as 21-year-old princess married a 26-six-year old naval officer. And 2017 ended with a royal engagement between Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle.
2017 was a deadly year for the mighty and majestic North Atlantic right whale.Thirteen of the animals died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with another three lost in the waters off New England. It is believed they died due to vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglement. The species is in great danger, with only about 100 breeding females remaining.
Hilton the great white shark cruised Maritime waters and transmitted locations all along Nova Scotia's south shore. The mature male was tagged by OCEARCH's global shark tracker back in March. Their founder says one shark’s extended stay on the province's south shore could be a sign more are headed here to mate. The research group hopes to land an expedition in the area in 2018. Hilton left Canadian waters in early December, heading south for the holidays.
It seems Nova Scotia’s rendezvous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta had people and dollars sailing in as well. The tall ships visited 10 ports between June 30 and Aug. 16. An economic analysis says the event generated $14.4 million in new money for the provincial economy and $3 million in additional tax revenue. The study by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance puts attendance at 663,000, with some people taking in multiple events and about $94,000 of those visitors coming from outside Nova Scotia.
U: Unanswered questions in Sandeson trial
William Sandeson’s murder trial wrapped up this year, with the former medical student being found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of fellow student Taylor Samson. But family members of the 22-year-old victim still don’t know where his remains are. Sandeson has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Sandeson is appealing that decision and will be back before the court of appeal on Aug. 1, 2018.
Viola Desmond was one of six people inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in a ceremony in Toronto. Seventy-one years ago, Desmond was arrested for refusing to sit in the balcony of a segregated movie theatre in New Glasgow. Desmond 's niece and nephew accepted the honour on their late aunt's behalf.
W: Work-to-rule
A long and drawn-out labour dispute that started in 2016 between the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and the McNeil government ended after the Liberals imposed a labour agreement in February that restricted wage increases. The Liberals then went on to win another majority government.
X: Xander Rose
Xander Rose is a full-status aboriginal that was the target of racial slurs. He says he has been told to kill himself, and other violent threats. The young man had hundreds of bikers back him up and escort him to school to take a stand against bulling. The gesture went viral all over North America.
The Nova Scotia Minister of Transportation says Bay Ferries has chosen to renew its option on the lease for the high-speed ferry for next year. He says the government will likely support that decision. One of the vessel's four engines failed in late June, causing Bay ferries to cancel some runs. Ridership numbers were up by about 17 per cent this season, with just over 41,000 passengers.That's still well below the target of 60,000.
This time 12 months ago it seemed destined to close. But 2017 has witnessed a surprising turnaround, and it now looks like the zoo has a long-term future.
