Earl midnight update – storm moving eastward landfall east of Yarmouth heading for PEI

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Tropical Storm Earl now off Cape Cod, heading for Yarmouth about 11 AM with 104 km/h winds

Tropical Storm Earl expected landfall east of Yarmouth (image StormPulse)

Earl is picking up speed now moving forward at 25 miles per hour. Winds of 75 miles per hour are expect to reduce to 65 miles per hour (1o4 km/h) as the storm makes landfall east of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Landfall on PEI will happen around 3 PM with the eye of the storm over Victoria, PEI.

Cape Cod got off lightly with heavy winds and drenching rain but no major hurricane damage. There were reports of beach erosion and one home near Chatham may be lost to the sea.

Environment Canada had not updated the 9:09 PM update at midnight and still predicts Earl will land west of Yarmouth, NS. The morning will tell the tale. Continue reading →

Earl 9 PM Update – wind speeds down to 75 mph but moving faster NE

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Tropical Storm Earl picked up speed to 23 mph, now 219 miles from Boston, changing course slightly to the NW landfall of storm eye in Nova Scotia at Church Point

PEI landfall seems to be tracking for the Mt. Carmel to Cape Egmont area about 3 PM on Saturday. Most of PEI is predicted to receive heavy rainfall and winds of 96 km/h.

Hurricane Earl, tracking projected landfall Nova Scotia and PEI

On Long Island, Earl whipped up surf with 55 mile an hour winds that caused rip tides and some beach erosion at Montauk the easternmost part of the United States. Residents consider they got off easy with little damage.

Earl is weakened but could do damage on Cape Cod where boats and vacation homes line the Atlantic coast. Earl will be 60 miles off the coast of Cape Cod when it goes by.

Atlantic Canada is holding its breath, hoping to avoid any real damage.

Earl 6 PM Update – picking up wind speed and direction, hitting Maritimes on Saturday

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Hurricane Earl is 219 miles directly off New York City travelling at 22 mph predicted to pass Cape Cod at 3 AM on Saturday

Rain and thunderstorms expected in Boston, rain has already started in some areas. Hurricane Earl is still tracking to hit land in Nova Scotia west of Yarmouth about 3 AM Saturday morning.

Hurricane Earl, 6 PM Friday with rain radar (image WeatherPulse)

The eye of the storm is expected to pass over the Evangeline region of Prince Edward Island about 3 PM Saturday afternoon. Winds will blow steadily at about 60 mph or 96 km/h over most of Prince Edward Island as the storm passes.

Winds in Halifax, Frederiction and Sydney may be slightly less.

By 3 PM today cloud cover from Hurricane Earl was evident in Fredericton. By 5 PM Charlottetown, PEI was experiencing cloud cover as well.

Environment Canada revised it’s warning slightly at 3:55 PM

It is likely that portions of Southwestern Nova Scotia will have wind gusts reaching or exceeding 100 km/h. Elsewhere along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia…The Bay of Fundy…And portions of the Gulf of St Lawrence wind gusts will likely reach 90 km/h. Gusts of this speed could cause tree branches and limbs to break and some trees to come down. That could result in downed utility lines and related power failures. There could also be some damage to signage..Roofing materials and building cladding. Continue reading →

Earl 3 PM update – still tracking to sideswipe Cape Cod and hit Nova Scotia and PEI Saturday

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Hurricane Earl keeps to the same path, speed and velocity, 80 mph at core will hit Cape Cod before midnight Friday

Hurricane Earl, 185 miles from New York City and Boston

Heavy rainfall and high winds are reported along the US coast from Virginia Beach to Atlantic City. Vacationers on Long Island and Cape Cod are disappointed as plans are changed. Beaches are closed or closing. Boats brought in and buildings shuttered.

Earl has been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane which does not mean the danger is over.

“Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket face the most serious threat from Earl, expected to hit late Friday and early Saturday.

“We still think it will be a hurricane when it passes by Cape Cod,” said James Franklin, the National Hurricane Center’s chief forecaster.” Fox News

There is no change in the forecast for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI. Earl is expected to hit landfall near Metaghan, NS and proceed through to Moncton and Western Prince Edward Island.

Environment Canada has not changed its issued Tropical Storm Warning, Wind Warning and heavy rainfall warning.

Heavy rain…Amounting to 40 to 70 millimetres will likely fall over portions of the Maritimes on Saturday as Earl tracks across the region….With southern and Central New Brunswick and Northwestern Prince Edward Island being the most likely areas to receive these amounts. Over many areas of the Maritimes very heavy downpours are likely…With 25 millimetres or more possible in one hour. Environment Canada

Earl noon update storm tracking Cape Cod midnight Friday 128 mph

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Hits Meteghan, Nova Scotia 9 AM Saturday 112 mph (79 km/h)

Hurricane Earl, Friday noon predicted track (image StormPulse)

updated “Plan for the worst. Hope for the best.” PEI Government

Earl is slowly weakening as it passes over the colder Atlantic Ocean. Top wind speed will be 5 mph less when it goes by Cape Cod and the Massachusetts shore before midnight Friday night. Winds in Boston should be less than 60 miles per hour.

Environment Canada has issued Tropical Storm Warning, Wind Warning and heavy rainfall warning.

Earl will break the heat wave that has warmed up the Eastern continent from Chicago to Washington and from Toronto to Prince Edward Island.

9 AM update on Earl – still headed for Maritimes and PEI on Saturday

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Latest prediction repeats 5 AM warning of hurricane force winds on trajectory for Moncton at 3 PM

(image StormPulse)

With Hurricane Earl bearing down on the Maritimes and PEI, many residents are getting ready. Surprisingly, the Digby Wharf Rats cycle festival with 80,000 in attendance many in tents is going forward.

On PEI, the Évangéline Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival will be held in a tent as well. Abrams Village, PEI is directly in the predicted path of Hurricane Earl.

Let’s hope the festival organizers keep their eye on the weather and use a judicious amount of common sense.

Earl sideswipes NC headed for Massachusetts, Moncton and PEI

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Earl still packs winds of 105 miles an hour of 168 km/h

In Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island last night there was a line up at Peake’s Quay as nervous boat owners trailered their boats and brought them ashore. The damage from Hurricane Juan, which was not predicted until too late, only seven years ago is still fresh in their minds.

All over Atlantic Canada people were getting ready for Hurricane Earl, the first hurricane of the season, heading up the Eastern Seaboard.

New Brunswick gets the drop on PEI

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Marketing and advertising are about consistency not a shot in the dark

Story about PEI's success with Regis and Kelly has NB Tourism ad with two cute kids dressed in Acadian colours.

It’s ironic that a story repeating the canard about our top Google ratings should contain an advertisement for NB Tourism.

Did you notice Magic Mountain in Moncton, NB was buying television advertising during almost every commercial break on Regis and Kelly Monday and Tuesday?

We’ve seen that kind of lazy response from Tourism PEI before. When the ECMA’s were on PEI, the television sponsorship was driving viewers to Nova Scotia.

Successful advertising and marketing means a campaign that builds on events like the Regis and Kelly show. Is PEI expecting to win new tourism customers from one event?

New Brunswick is beating us simply by purchasing Google Adwords when we are the meta tag on a story. The strategy is well thought out and means anytime someone thinks about PEI as a tourist destination, New Brunswick is going to be pitching their product as well.

Case for Cost Effective Home Care

Posted on April 3, 2010 by Byline

Seniors want to stay in their homes

Seniors want to stay in their own homes

NB Special Care Home Association - New Brunswickers want to stay in their homes. The Long-Term Care Strategy published in 2007 highlighted remaining in the home as the number one request made by seniors.

In home care is not only desired & effective but cost efficient Provincial and national reports have proven that home care is the most cost effective care model resulting in enormous savings for government and stronger communities of seniors contributing to their local economies.

The New Brunswick Government wrote in their Long Term Care Strategy Report, published in 2007.

“This long-term strategy is based on a province wide consultation process and the input received from more than 1,000 New Brunswickers. When we asked New Brunswickers what high quality long-term care should look like, the response was overwhelming.”

“Families told us that they need help to continue to provide good care to their seniors at home. Seniors told us that they want to stay at home for as long as possible and need more supports to do that.”

Continue reading →

New Brunswick Man Wins Back Disability Supplement

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Good news as NB government reverses loss of $1,000 benefit over $1.70

New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham

Mike Kennedy had an annual $1,000 disability supplement returned in a common sense decision by the Graham Liberal government of New Brunswick.

Kennedy who is disabled with MS and cannot work lives on an annual disability pension of $ 7,000. When the federal pension went up $1.76 a month or $21 a year, the Province of New Brunswick cut off Kennedy’s annual $1,000 disability supplement that pays for fuel oil and other large living expenses.

“Those New Brunswickers who are living with disabilities, if their income is a few dollars over, we simply reduce the benefit by that number of dollars, but they still get it, and that’s important because they need it,” said Lamrock, who ordered changes to the cut-off policy after hearing about Kennedy’s case. In addition, the disability supplement will now be given out in monthly payments instead of a lump sum, he said.” Continue reading →

Jehovahs Witnesses whisk children away from the law

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Byline

Donna Ryder was part of official Jehovah’s Witness conspiracy to evade the law in child protection and custody cases

Donna Ryder helped spirit sick child from doctors and whisked the child to Mexico

From National Post

The boy was just five years old and desperately ill, but as he crouched in the back seat of Donna Ryder’s car, he became more fugitive than cancer patient.

“If what [Ms. Ryder] says is true, then the Watchtower Society is deliberately attempting to evade the legitimate authority of the state to protect children,” said Ms. Guichon. Continue reading →