West Prince Graphic

Home, dairy cattle, spared in Unionvale blaze

Thu, 09/02/2010 - 18:53

During the dinner hour Thursday O’Leary residents looking skyward saw a thick plume of white smoke that curled far into the horizon. It was a fire at a Unionvale farmyard owned by Ewen Stetson. The call came through to firefighters at approximately 11:40 am. Throughout the early afternoon hours exhausted firefighters from four departments - O’Leary, Alberton, Tignish and West Point - battled searing heat that topped 32 C and a persistent fire lurking amongst hundreds of hay and straw bales that could not easily be extinguished. All told more than 200 straw bales and about 40 to 50 bales of hay were destroyed, ...

Hot weather closes PEI Humane Society

Thu, 09/02/2010 - 11:02

The PEI Humane Society located at 309 Sherwood Rd, Charlottetown, will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010 due to hot weather conditions. ...

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 18:40

Carol Evans has had more laid-back birthdays. How many Islanders would even think of walking close to 40 km on their 60th birthday? How about walking along the Confederation Trail from one tip of the Island to the other, for eight days straight? Ms Evans finished the gruelling journey she started in Elmira Aug. 25 on Wednesday at 3:30 pm at the Bicentennial Park, in Tignish. At the barrier gate, marking the end of her “Hike for Health” campaign to raise funds for a new echocardiogram machine for Prince County Hospital, all she could say was, “We did it,” followed by, “I’m not doing ...

Gift card legislation takes effect today (Sept. 1)

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 09:58

Justice and Public Safety Minister Doug W. Currie is reminding Islanders that Gift Card legislation passed this spring comes into effect today, September 1. The Gift Cards Act prohibits expiry dates and ...

Chairman Wallace extends olive branch to Tignish

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 05:15

O’Leary Community Chairman Nancy Wallace is hoping she doesn’t see empty chairs in place of Tignish representatives at the next joint meeting of Alberton, Tignish and O’Leary Councils on Sept 21. The so-called ATO meetings became the AO meetings when the Community of Tignish withdrew recently. Tignish Council, in a tie vote decided by Chairman Gerard LeClair, opted out of the ATO over perceived lukewarm support by the other two municipalities for Tignish’s bid for a provincial ambulance depot. Alberton and O’Leary supported the Tignish resolution, but only if the move didn’t hurt their ambulance services. ...

Alberton falls short in land purchase bid

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 05:15

The Town of Alberton is still looking for new digs. Mayor Mike Murphy confirmed Tuesday the town had struck out in its’ bid to purchase the idle Pit Stop buildings on Main Street. Mr Murphy said he was disappointed the deal fell through, considering it had seemed like a sure thing. “Of course it’s never done, until it’s done,” said the Alberton Mayor. “It’s a minor setback.” Another bidder had swooped in at the last moment with a better offer, he said. ...

Roundabout work underway

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 04:15

It may not look like much is going on at the site, but work on the $950,000 roundabout, to be installed at intersection of Route 2 and the O’Leary Road, is finally starting. Stephen Yeo, chief engineer for the PEI Department of Transportation, says Maritime Electric crews and other utility operators were at the site Monday and Tuesday to begin site preparation work, including moving poles and electrical lines. The main contractor, H.I. Construction of Elmsdale, is expected to begin working at the site on Tuesday, Sept. 7 since Monday is a holiday. Mr Yeo said he expects the work to be finished ...

Minglewood to perform at Arts and Heritage Centre

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 04:15

An accomplished guitarist, pianist, singer and songwriter, Matt Minglewood weaves an inspired blend of country, blues, folk, roots and rock. After a dozen recordings and 30 years of touring around the world he has earned the respect and loyalty of thousands of devoted fans. Mr Minglewood is performing at the Alberton Arts and Heritage Centre, 420 Church St., on Friday, Sept. 3 at 8 pm. The North Sydney, NS native joined his first band in his late teens. His early influences included Elvis, Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters and BB King. In his early 20s Mr Minglewood joined the band, Sam Moon, ...

Woman completes walk across Island today

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 04:15

Carol Evans has been on an remarkable journey since Aug. 25, when she left Elmira to walk across PEI along the Confederation Trail. The Kensington woman is trying to raise funds, through her “Take a Hike for Health” campaign, to purchase a new echocardiogram machine for Prince County Hospital. Stressing that staying fit is the first step to good health, Ms Evans says her goal is simply “to get people active.” Today, Sept. 1, Ms Evans will complete her gruelling odyssey, having travelled 291 kilometres. She will finish her hike at the Bicentennial Park in Tignish sometime around 4 pm. The weather has ...

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 04:15

It’s a simple thing to do but it could make a world of difference in protecting something of incalculable beauty and value. The maple trees of Tignish and much of West Prince are threatened by a persistent fungus at the peak of its life cycle. The fungus causes leaves to fall several weeks early and can hurt the tree’s overall health. All residents have to do to protect maple trees is to bag leaves falling in driveways and yards. Don’t give them a chance to get absorbed into the soil where spores can germinate and continue to infect other trees, says Jamie ...

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 04:15

John Gavin of Norway knows all too well the challenges of blueberry farming. Mr Gavin, assisted by his 135 Massey Ferguson tractor, has been in operation since August, 1980. Prices reached 45 cents a pound back then, compared to 41.6 cents per pound last season. Gavin’s business started small in 1980 - with only eight acres of wild blueberries in production. But it has since doubled to more than 16 acres. As with all agricultural commodities, prices have fluctuated over the years. In 2007, blueberry prices reached a highwater mark of more than a dollar a pound. As the current season progresses there are ...

Children’s Wish Day at the races Saturday

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 11:31

Matinee racing will be held at the Willis Track in O’Leary, Saturday, Sept. 4 at 2 pm. The race card is highlighted by the Wishmaker Pace, with a cooler donated by Dickisons Tire Recovery. Other features include the Boyd Tremere Memorial, the Marne Kennedy Memorial and the Roger Coughlin Memorial. All horsemen are invited to join the Coughlin family in the centrefield after the second race to form a horseshoe in memory of fellow-horseman Roger Coughlin. The Coughlin family will present a cooler to the race’s winner. All gate proceeds will be donated to the Children’s Wish Foundation. Entries must be made by ...

Island's undergraduate arts tuition fees lowest in Maritimes

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 11:17

The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission has released the survey of 2010-11 undergraduate arts tuition fees, ancillary fees and room and board costs at public Maritime universities and PEI’s fees remain the lowest of the three provinces. There is currently a tuition freeze in place for New Brunswick, where the average undergraduate tuition fees remain at $5,423, and in Nova Scotia where the fees remain at $5,922. Tuition fees increased by 3.2 per cent over the last year in Prince Edward Island, but they still remain the lowest at $4,860 for the 2010-11 academic year. ...

Two injured, one seriously, in motorcycle accident

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 07:08

East Prince RCMP are investigating a motorcycle accident which occurred at approximately 8:15 PM on Sunday Aug. 29 at the intersection of Route 1A and Route 171 in Central Bedeque. The initial investigation indicates the driver of a black coloured 2003 Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Tail, who was traveling north on Route 1A, lost control of the motorcycle as a result of applying its brakes, after a blue colored 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix made a left-hand turn from Route 1A onto Route 171 across the on-coming path of the motorcycle. ...

PEI government provides $25,000 to Red Cross for flood-ravaged Pakistan

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 15:43

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PEI Lung Association provides back-to-school tips for parents of children with asthma

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 15:40

With a new school year starting, the PEI Lung Association has issued a “back to school” to-do list for parents whose children have asthma. Parents of children with asthma should be aware of the “September spike” – the annual peak in asthma flare-ups that sends hundreds of school children and their family members to emergency rooms in the weeks after school begins. ...

Historic partnership signed to support First Nation students in PEI

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 15:00

The Government of Canada, the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Mi’kmaq First Nations of Prince Edward Island have signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on education. The MOU will support the province’s First Nation learners from early childhood through to post-secondary education. The Memorandum of Understanding provides a common vision for the educational success of Mi’kmaq learners, supporting them in reaching their full learning potential. ...

O'Leary roundabout construction underway

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 09:59

Beginning today, Aug. 30, the intersection of Route 2 and Route 142, the O’Leary Road, will be under construction. Crews will begin work to construct a new roundabout at that location. Drivers are asked to slow down and use caution in the area. ...

Justin Trudeau visiting O'Leary

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 09:42

Justin Trudeau, a man a number of pundits have picked as the Liberal Party’s next leader, is coming to O’Leary for a community barbecue. The Papineau MP, son of former Prime Minster Pierre Elliott Trudeau, is slated to visit Centennial Park at 4:30 pm on Sunday, Sept. 5. If it is raining he will appear at O’Leary Community Complex instead. Mr Trudeau’s visit is sponsored by the Egmont Liberal Association. The general public is invited. ...

Another ace at St Felix golf course

Fri, 08/27/2010 - 07:23

Talk about lightning striking twice. In the space of less than a month two aces have been recorded at the St. Felix Golf and Country Club, the latest hole-in-one claimed by 12-year-old TJ Shea on Tuesday, Aug. 24. The youngster got his ace on the 160-yard No. 7 green, using a five-wood. He was playing with a friend, Brendan Shea. Golf club owner Claude Gaudette also witnessed the event. On Aug. 2 Paul O’Connor, of Cascumpec, got his ace on the 136-yard No. 4 hole. TJ Shea’s hole in one is the second this year and the 14th since the club opened in ...

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NFB Documentary on Jim MacNeill of the Eastern Graphic filmed during the 1974 Provincial Election

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