The Inverness Oran

Trevor Poirier, NDP; Denis Cormier, Liberal; and, Claude Bourgeois, PC.

-by Rankin MacDonald

                The die is cast!

                The first provincial election to be held in the new riding of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay will take place on Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2026.

                The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Dorothy Rice, has received an order from the Governor in Council for a by-election in the new electoral district of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay. The CEO has issued a writ of election for Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay and election day will be Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2026.

                Legislation was introduced in February 2026 to create a new exceptional electoral district called Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay out of the existing Inverness electoral district. Amendments to the House of Assembly Act implement the recommendations of the 2025 Electoral Boundaries Commission, which released its final report January 30^th, 2026.

                Elections Nova Scotia is a non-partisan and independent agency responsible for conducting provincial elections. For more information, please visit https://electionsnovascotia.ca or follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and X @electionsns.

                While Election Day is Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2026, voters can vote early and remotely by write-in ballot.

                In total there will be 24 days of voting available to electors in Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay.

                Early voting will begin on Wednesday, May 27^th, 2026, at the returning office, 51 Old Cabot Trail RD, Grand Étang.

                E-Balloting will be used for early voting in the Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election following the close of candidate nominations at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3^rd, 2026. Before the close of candidate nominations, the write-in ballot will be used for early voting.

                The e-Balloting system is safe and allows voters to select the candidate of their choice on a secure tablet. E-Balloting allows fast and secure counting of early votes when the polls close on election night. This means the results of the Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election will be returned quickly and efficiently.

                Traditional paper ballots will be used for voting on election day. E-Balloting will only be offered during early voting after the close of candidate nominations prior to election day in the Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election.

                E-Balloting is not internet voting. Both are electronic forms of voting, but e-Balloting takes place in-person at a voting location on a secure tablet while internet voting facilitates remote voting using the internet. Internet voting will not be used in the Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election.

                To be eligible to vote in the Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election, voters must be 18 years of age or older on Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2026, a Canadian citizen, have lived in Nova Scotia since November 23^rd, 2025, and reside in the electoral district of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay.

                Following the most recent Provincial General Election, several changes to the Elections Act were made.  Amendments to the Elections Act received Royal Assent on April 9^th, 2026. In accordance with the Elections Act (S.354), these amendments will be implemented six months after Royal Assent.

                Under section 5(r) of the Elections Act, the Chief Electoral Officer may modify any provision of this Act to permit its use at a by-election.

                Modifications to the following provisions of the Elections Act will be implemented for the Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election:

– Subsection 65(2) The candidate’s nomination deposit as set out in clause (b) is not required. For further clarity, all other references to nomination deposit within sections 66, 67, 69, 71, 72, will not apply.

– Subsection 252(2) The tax receipts will be issued to candidate’s official agents from ENS head office.

                In order to cast a ballot in this by-election, Nova Scotians must be 18 years or older, be a Canadian citizen, have lived in the province for six months, and must currently reside in the electoral district of Cheticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay. Election day is Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2026, but voters can vote early.

                “Voters in Cheticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay can count on Elections Nova Scotia to deliver on our mandate by providing a fair and balanced by-election,” said Dorothy Rice, chief electoral officer of Nova Scotia, “We offer a variety of voting options because we want the electoral process to be accessible so all voters can participate in democracy.”

                Early voting after the close of candidate nominations on Wednesday, June 3^rd, 2026, will be done using Elections Nova Scotia’s new secure e-Ballot system. E-Ballot allows voters to cast their vote on a secure tablet in person at an early voting location. Early voting before the close of candidate nominations will be done by paper ballot, using the write-in ballot.

                Write-in ballot is the remote voting option for voters in the Cheticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay by-election. Voters can apply to vote using a write-in ballot. A trusted friend or family member can act as an agent to assist a voter with their write-in ballot application. Returning offices can also make arrangements for a write-in ballot team to visit voters at their home.

                On election day, Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2026, voters in Cheticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay must vote at their assigned voting location or the returns office. Elections day voting will be done on traditional paper ballots. Polls will be open on election day from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

                Three candidates are seeking the new seat which will give Nova Scotia 56 seats in the Legislature.

                Claude Bourgeois is running for the Progressive Conservatives.

                PC Candidate Claude Bourgeois is a local business owner with more than 30 years of experience in trucking, marine services, hospitality and community life. He owned and operated the Doryman Pub & Grill for 10 years, and his company, C. Bourgeois Diesel Services Ltd., is celebrating 30 years in business. Claude has also volunteered on numerous committees, served on local boards and supported the region’s music and culture by hosting talent nights and a weekly fiddle radio show. He is a proud father and grandfather.

                “This by-election is about making sure the people of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay have a seat at the table as our government takes action to defend Nova Scotia jobs, communities and industries from the impacts of Donald Trump’s trade war,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Whether it’s fishing, tourism, small business or local jobs, the decisions being made right now will shape the future of this region. Electing Claude means your community will have a strong voice where those decisions are being made.”

                Houston said the by-election also presents voters with a clear choice between being represented inside government or sending another opposition MLA to a Liberal caucus with only three elected members.

                PC Candidate Claude Bourgeois said he is running to ensure Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay has a strong advocate in government to protect local jobs and opportunities.

                “Our communities deserve a representative who is part of the team making decisions about Nova Scotia’s economic future,” said Bourgeois. “People here work hard and want to see their families, businesses and industries protected during uncertain times. I want to bring the voices of every single community in Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay directly to the government table and fight for their future.”

                Denis Cormier is carrying the Liberal flag in this election.

                Denis Cormier is a lifelong resident of the region with deep roots in the community. He began his career working on a lobster boat as a fisherman helper before he went on to receive his teaching degree from the Nova Scotia Teachers College. Denis dedicated nearly three decades to education as a teacher and guidance counselor in the community.

                After retirement, Denis returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher with the Strait Regional School Board and currently serves as a post office assistant with Canada Post. He has also volunteered as the President of the Margaree Rivers Association since 2024.

                “I’m honoured to have earned the support of local Liberals today,” said Cormier. “This community has given so much to me and my family, and I’m ready to work hard to represent the people of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay and be a strong voice for them in the legislature. I truly believe Liberals are the party that will stand up for this region and fight for the investments our community deserves.”

                Trevor Poirier will be representing the NDP in the by-election.

                Poirier works in long-term care at Foyer Père Fiset and is the President of CUPE Local 2031.

                “As a long term care worker, Trevor knows first hand how the Houston government’s choices have created challenges for Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay,” said NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender. “No government can fix health care without supporting the workers who take care of our parents and grandparents across the province. Trevor knows that we all do better when we look after one another and that’s why he’s putting his name forward for the NDP.”

                “People have given the Houston government the benefit of the doubt but instead of helping Nova Scotians they have made serious cuts that disproportionately hurt Acadian culture, tourism, and local jobs. Enough is enough. We need a government that understands the challenges and opportunities of this new riding,” explained Chender.

                “I know this community and am ready to be a voice for our neighbours and families. I’m committed to listening to your concerns, supporting local businesses, and working together so we’re all better off,” said Poirier. “I believe in Claudia Chender and her commitment to a Nova Scotia where everyone can build the life they want here at home.”

Bernadette Shea dropped into the Oran office to share her news of writing a book on a trip to Newfoundland called Thumbin’ the Rock.

-by Beverley Phillips

                What in the world would possess two 60-plus-year-old women to hitchhike for two weeks around Newfoundland with one bag, a guitar, and a Scrabble board on a shoestring budget?

                And yet, that is just what Bernadette Shea and her sister Dolly Pigeon did in 2012, when they were 60 and 72 years old, respectively. Shea has just written a book on their adventure.

                Shea was born in Glace Bay. Her father was a coal miner, but when the mines started closing down, they moved to Onaonaping, Ontario, a nickel mining town, when she was five. Though she didn’t grow up in Cape Breton, she heard stories of the family’s time there from older siblings and knew she was a Cape Bretoner. It turned out that she was the only one who ever moved back.

                Some readers may remember her as Bernadette Goth, the singer who started the regular live entertainment at the Normaway Inn. Though living in Lanesville (near Stewiacke) now, previous relationships had her living in Margaree for three years, and Mabou for nine. “I’m very fond of that whole western coast of Cape Breton,” said Shea. “My mother was from Cheticamp. So right down the coast, that’s where I call home. I’m a Route 19 girl.”

                And while she loves Inverness County and hopes to retire here someday, she also loves visiting Newfoundland and Labrador, as does her sister. They never went there together, but always said they should. But life happens, and the trip never did.

                The idea for the adventure came one evening as Shea was washing dishes and listening to CBC’s As It Happens. A story came on about an 83-year-old woman from Norway who had just hitchhiked across Canada. It hatched her plan. Shea thought to herself, “Well, this woman did it at 83, she crossed Canada. We’re just going to get in the boat and hitchhike Newfoundland.”

                She immediately called her sister and said, “Doll, you still want to go to Newfoundland?” She said, “Yes, and I’m not getting any younger.” I said, “Well, look. I think we should make a trip.” She says, “When do you want to do it?” I said, “Well, could you be here in four days?” She said, “Four days?” And I said, “Yes.” She said, “I’ll do it.”

                And then Shea told her that there was one stipulation – that they were going to hitchhike. “She could have said I’m crazy, or that’s not safe, or a million other things, but we’re cut from the same piece of cloth. She said, ‘I’ll be there.’ And I picked her up four days later. We didn’t save any money. We had a few hundred dollars each and an old grocery buggy we pulled behind us, and I put my guitar in my back, and that’s how we started.”

                Though her sister needed no convincing, her husband Brian did. But he, too, loved Newfoundland and fished and hunted moose there every year and relented, saying, “You know, if it was anywhere else on earth I would really have a problem with this, but I think in Newfoundland you’re going to be fine.”

                Her son and daughter are thrilled about the book, but they didn’t know at the time that she was on such an adventure. She said, “I thought if I could deal with my husband, that’ll be enough. They don’t have to know.”

                Shea and Pigeon left their car in North Sydney and walked on to the ferry. They sailed into Argentia and from there had to find rides to St. John’s, around to Twillingate, up to St. Anthony, and down to Port aux Basque to catch the ferry back to North Sydney. They covered the whole island in two weeks, with no car and no reservations.

                The book chronicles their journey from that evening doing dishes to back home again, and a few final stories to wrap up the adventure. Shea is a natural storyteller and a ball of energy, and it translates to her writing. She writes as she speaks, and the book is an entertaining ride as she shares the rides that picked them up, the random places they stayed, and the people they met.

                To stay within their meagre budget, they split meals and stayed in youth hostels when they could, where they were, needless to say, the oldest guests. They depended on the kindness of strangers for just about everything. They were very thankful for every act of kindness, great and small, though perhaps especially thankful when they got rides as they hitchhiked in the rain and wind of Hurricane Leslie.

                The adventure led Shea to become part of Twillingate lore. “I got myself a gig in Twillingate,” she said. “And my son works up in the Arctic, and he called me one day, and said, “The whole of Twillingate is talking about you.” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Well, there’s a young guy who just got on board today from Twillingate. I told him my mother just wrote a book on Twillingate and there’s a great big chapter on Twillingate.” And he said, “Is that your mother? The whole town is talking about your mother, and they’re waiting for the book.”

                Her stories point to her philosophy on life. “When you’re lying on your deathbed,” said Shea, “you don’t want to be saying, ‘what if,’ or ‘if I’d only.’ If you’ve got a burning desire to do something, just do it, do it! Because we don’t know if we’ve got tomorrow. And I don’t want to lie there with those kinds of regrets if I really wanted to do something. Do it. It might not work out, but you can’t say you didn’t try.”

                And as Shea was inspired by the woman who hitchhiked across Canada, she hopes their story will motivate others to believe they can go on such an adventure, too. “We think travel is usually something for the wealthy or the young, or for men,” she said. “But a lot of women, especially if they’re our age, or they don’t have a lot of money, they don’t think that they are capable or have the means to travel. And I think, as we went on, we just may motivate some women to think, ‘I don’t need to be a man. I don’t need to be rich. I just want to have an adventure.’ And you can do it too. We had the trip of a lifetime. It was unbelievable, and it wasn’t just about one ride after another. It was about the people of Newfoundland. The people who stopped, and every one of them had a story to tell, and the stories we heard! Well, they’ll just blow you away.”

                To read more about her adventure and some of those stories, the book comes out on June 18^th and can be ordered through most bookstores and online. The ebook is available for pre-order now from most ebook retailers. If you happen to be in Halifax this summer, copies of the book will also be in stock at the Dartmouth Book Exchange.

                She plans to have a book signing in Inverness. No date has been set yet. Keep an eye out for details at: somewhatgrumpypress.com/thumbin .

Gracie Kenny, of Dalbrae, won the Intermediate Girls long jump with a distance of 4.61m at the Highland Region track and field meet held in Sydney on the weekend.

-by Bill Dunphy

                Led by their Senior Female athletes, the Riverview High School Ravens won the Carly Bunyan Memorial trophy for top Intermediate/Senior school at the School Sport Nova Scotia Highland Region track and field meet.

                The biggest multi-school event in the Highland Region, the meet was held Friday and Saturday at Cape Breton University’s Ness Timmons Field.

                The complete school scores and division results were not available as of press time and the following is based on the limited information that was available.

                Riverview’s Senior Girls won their banner with a score of 117.

                However, the Dalbrae Academy Dragons came away with three regional banners. Both the Intermediate Girls, with 92 points, and the Int. Boys, with 82 points, won their divisions, along with the Senior Boys who had 76.

                The Bayview Education Centre Bears put their name back on the trophy as top Junior school, collecting 132.5 points.

                The Bears were led by their Junior Girls team who took the Highland Region banner with 89 points.

                The Junior Boys banner was won by the Tamarac Education Centre Timberwolves with 62 points.

                Ella Barry, of Riverview, was the top Senior Female athlete and was also the winner of the Joey Mullins Memorial trophy for the top overall athlete of the meet.

                Riverview’s Alex Arsenault was the top Senior Male.

                Scotia Van den Heuvel, of Dalbrae, won the award for top Intermediate Female. She won the triple jump with a distance of 9.87m; tied for first with her Dragons teammate Gracie Kenny in the long jump, each with a jump of 4.61m; and had two third-place finishes, one in the 100m dash (13.77 seconds) and the other in the 200m (28.76).

                Sydney Academy’s Lucas Holloway was the top Intermediate Male.

                Ashton Hawley, of Bayview, was the top Junior Male of the meet. He had four first-place finishes and set new records in the 400m (58.70 seconds) and 200m (25.08); he won the 100m (12.22) and long jump (5.09m), and finished fifth in the 800m (2:34.32).

                And Summer Kersten, of Tamarac, was the top Junior Female. She won the javelin with a throw of 27.93 metres; the 3,000m with a time of 12:35.60; finished second in the discus (21.47m); and placed third in the 1,500m (6:00.29).