Roundup: 3 COVID deaths, Stellarton cannabis operation closing, police say more N.S. arrests coming in child-porn investigation, Lionel Desmond inadequately prepared for civilian life
The Simonsens (left to right: Jacob, Dana, Sadie, Jennifer) love hockey, so being Cam Whynot’s billet family was a natural choice. Photo: Bruce Murray
Plus: The home game — how billet families help the Halifax Mooseheads’ rising stars stay grounded
Nova Scotian health officials announced three deaths from COVID-19 in their latest update, all in the Northern Zone: a man and woman (both in their 80s and residents of the East Cumberland Lodge long-term care home in Pugwash) and a woman in her 60s.
“Too many Nova Scotians have lost their lives because of this virus and my heart goes out to the families and loved ones,” Premier Tim Houston says in a press release. “I’m very upset and concerned that we now have deaths and climbing ICU numbers as a result of the current outbreaks. There are people who are more vulnerable to this virus even if they are vaccinated. We can protect them by being vaccinated ourselves. If you aren’t vaccinated this should be a good enough reason to take that step.”
Nova Scotia has 265 known active cases of the disease, with 99 new cases and 109 recoveries reported in the latest update (the first update since Nov. 12).
Health officials report community spread in the Northern and Western zones, “primarily related to ongoing transmission from a faith-based gathering that occurred in late October. This includes secondary transmission to other faith-based gatherings, workplaces, and to East Cumberland Lodge.”
“Public health is working hard to contain the spread, and we expect to see declining cases soon,” says Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.
More child-porn arrests expected
An international investigation into child pornography will likely lead to more charges in Nova Scotia, say investigators.
An international online sting, guided with the aid of U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Internal Revenue Service officials and targeting users of a darknet child pornography website, recently led investigators to search a Queens County resident’s home, sport utility vehicle, and business.
Police say a South Shore man, under the cloak of data-concealing virtual private networks (VPNs), used the digital currency Bitcoin to purchase child exploitation content from a website which, like such sites, is hidden from conventional search engines and designed to be accessed via anonymous internet communications.
Details of the large-scale global investigation are spelled in court records recently released to LighthouseNOW in response to the newspaper’s request for a judge to unseal documents. Keith Corcoran reports.
Desmond inquiry update
The Desmond Fatality Inquiry heard from its final witnesses last week, including a psychiatrist who claimed Lionel Desmond had an inadequate discharge plan to help him transition to civilian life. The former soldier, an Afghan veteran, murdered his mother Brenda, wife Shanna, and 10-year-old daughter Aaliyah in January 2017, before taking his own life.
Scott Theriault, who is employed at the East Coast Forensic Hospital in Dartmouth as a forensic psychiatrist, and has 30 years of clinical practice, told the inquiry on Nov. 1, that he performed a psychological autopsy on Desmond at their request.
Following his review of how the former infantryman’s mental illness affected his decision-making at the time of his death, Theriault concluded Desmond didn’t “fully stabilize” while attending the psychiatric hospital in Montreal.
“Given that a lot of those discharge planning pieces were left hanging, that would suggest a downward trajectory for him,” Theriault said. “In the absence of all those elements being addressed prior to his discharge, that would increase the probability that Mr. Desmond would not be successful in re-integrating into his community.”
Drake Lowthers has more for The Reporter.
Stellarton cannabis operation closing
Ottawa-based Hexo Corporation recently announced plans to close its Stellarton plant, which by February 2022. In a press release on Nov. 9, president and CEO Scott Cooper cites plans to consolidate the company’s operations.
“As part of the integration planning process, we completed a comprehensive evaluation of all Hexo facilities to review their capabilities, capacity, and efficiency, and made the decision to centralize operations at our core facilities,” Cooper said in the release. “This was a very difficult decision, but it is a key component of our integration plan, and one that we believe best positions Hexo for continued growth.”
The cuts also affect two operations in Ontario, jeopardizing 155 workers across the country.
The home game
In July, the Calgary Flames chose Cam Whynot in the third round of the NHL draft, a key step towards a career in the pros. But before his ready to make the big move, the defenceman is in the midst of his third season with the Halifax Mooseheads.
It’s a heady time for the young prospect, but the Kentville native has a surrogate family in Halifax to help him stay grounded. Like major-junior teams across Canada, the Mooseheads rely on local billets to give players a home-away-from-home during the hockey season.
Whynot’s home away from home is with the Simonsen family.
He’s the first player the family has hosted. Sadie Simonsen is 13 years old and plays ringette, while 10-year-old Jacob loves hockey.
“We thought it would be a pretty cool experience for them,” says Dana Simonsen, adding that they had been considering billeting for a while, when the opportunity to host Whynot came up. “It’s a kid from Nova Scotia, an hour away from home and English speaking … If we’re going to do it now, it’s the right fit, so we decided to jump in.”
The Simonsens offer Whynot lodging, meals, and a positive environment.
“It’s having a nice comfy environment for them to live in,” Simonsen says. “I was surprised at how busy their schedule is. We’re not responsible for any driving arrangements, social activities, just food and accommodations. They’re fairly busy, so it’s not uncommon for Cam to get up in the morning and head off to school. And then, by the time he gets home from the rink, it’s usually at 6:00 p.m., and we’ll sit down as a family and have a real nice supper.”
After the family meal, it’s often back to work for Whynot — tutoring or a team event. With a schedule like that, a good billet can be a haven.
Learn more about billet families and the key role they play in helping young hockey talents develop in this recent Unravel Halifax story by Ameeta Vohra.
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