Judique Service Centre, located at 5414 Highway 19 in Judique, Inverness County is looking for a mechanic or apprentice. Contact via kijiji ad below if interested:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1703103971

Hi! We're heading to the Cabot Trail tomorrow and I was wondering if there were any shops with tacky t-shirts and other small NS/Cape Breton gifts. I was in halifax today and purchased a few items but I still need to bring back a few things to family home (and I wild rather not have to go back to Halifax). Thanks in advance.

I'm new to Cape Breton and will be voting in my first CBRM election.

I hear a lot of people say that things never change due to corruption and nepotism.

I always find that interesting, because things usually change when different kinds of people get voted in.

I'm curious what people think about Joe Ward and his campaign. I just watched a few of his videos, including the one about fighting corruption and waste in the CBRM. Unfortunately they're on Facebook, but if you can stomach that, here you go: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1224955125392880

I've heard the road can be rough. Any concerns with a sedan passing through? Heading there next week and was wondering as to the current state of the road conditions. Thank you

I’m going to be doing the trail this coming Saturday with my family. I’m wondering if anyone lives on or has travelled the trail in the last few days? Is there much colour in the trees?

I bought an old company house in New Vic earlier this year. Never expected it to be anything but a fixer upper, and it hasn't disappointed. It came with a host of problems related to electrics, heating, plumbing, decor, ventilation etc etc. The basement is a microcosm of the tar ponds. It does have a decent roof, and the foundation is not too bad. Everything else is a work in progress, and fine, as I say, expected. Coming from Ontario, it was a bargain.

It's the unanticipated that is pounding my mind to mush. Underneath our two sheds we have I do not even know how many rats. They have been left undisturbed for a few years, and seem to have become accustomed to overwintering in my and my neighbour's house. It's not too much of a stretch to say my neighbour has rat related PTSD. He says it's been a problem for the last three years; the previous occupants of my house seem to have ignored the issue altogether, although I can't fathom how they managed to; we found rat holes the size of baseballs in the kitchen and bedrooms. All our real estate agent had said to us was that there were signs of rodent incursion on the property.

I understand this is a problem in many of the old mining communities around the CBRM, and I'm wondering how people deal with it. I don't think a pest control company dropping a few traps off is going to solve the problem. I've laid traps which the rats ignore, and dishes of sunflower seeds mixed with poison pellets; the rats eat the seeds and leave the pellets. I can't pull the sheds down because they've got a bunch of building materials in them. I have a couple of cats in the house, but I don't really want them coming into contact with rats, because rat bites can be quite bad, and we haven't been able to secure the services of a vet since we moved here. Last couple of nights we've heard the rats scuttling about in the rather rickety walls.

What I'd really love to see in this situation is one of those guys with ferrets or mink and a few good ratting dogs (I've been bingewatching them on YT) but I don't think anyone round here is doing that. Are they? Otherwise, all I can think of is to berm around the sheds and pump gas in. Any ideas out there? I'm at my rat's end, sorry wit's end!

Hey everyone,

I'm currently working on a YouTube series about the Sydney Tar Ponds, and I'm looking for any video footage or pictures of the area from the 1990s to early 2000s. I've already gone through most of the available footage online, but I'm still missing a lot of shots, particularly of the incinerator.

If anyone has anything they’d be willing to share or point me toward, I would really appreciate it! Thanks in advance for any help.

Hello I am a student at cbu university, is there anywhere near by I can get my hair done that’s not too crazy expensive but still professional. I have blonde hair right now just looking for highlights and perhaps a cut as well. Any recommendations will be appreciated! Thanks.

Since it’s fall, I was wondering if there were any twilight or just book readers here in CB. Are there any social groups where everyone meet up to discuss and hang out? Would love to expand my social circle!

If you don't know what the CAP is, basically when your property value increases for any reason, there is a cap on how much your taxes can increase. So if something crazy happens where your house increases by 5% in value this year, the CAP says the amount you pay in taxes can only go up by say 2%.

Sounds good right? Helps shield people from crazy increases that would make it harder to pay the bills.

The problem is that when this happens over 5, 10, 20 years, etc... people who have been in their homes for a long time are paying taxes on maybe half the value of their home, and therefore the municipality is generating less revenue.

But It doesn't cost less money to pick up garbage, plow your road, or pay the librarian or guys who mow grass around the municipality just because you've lived in your house for a long time. Also living in your house for a long time doesn't even mean you need the help paying taxes.

So this means the municipality has to raise taxes on everyone else, so the young Cape Bretoners who are trying to build careers, start families, generally want be able to live on the island, end up facing much higher tax rates. People who are trying to build new apartments and rent them out are also facing higher tax rates, and then have higher rents to compensate. It's just another example of how our society screws over younger generations to help those that have been around longer.

This also means that seniors are hesitant to, or can't downsize or move, because if their current property has been capped for years, moving to a smaller and cheaper house can result in higher property taxes.

Yes it will suck that some people who've been in a property for a long time will have their taxes go up significantly, but it would allow the municipality to significantly lower the tax rate, by nearly 50%. And if there are vulnerable people out there who need assistance in paying their property taxes, then we can have programs that provide assistance or tax breaks based on their income, not just how long they've been where they are. That way the rich guy who built a mansion 10 years ago isn't being shielded for thousands of dollars.

Wonder which, if any mayor candidate, is going to talk about this in the coming election. Or is the idea just political suicide?

I have a small leak in metal roof and have done all I can to stop it myself with no luck, I just can't seem to catch the problem......looking for recommendations on reliable and reasonable company to come have a look. Le me know what you think please,

I will keep it simple. Move it. The shit I saw last weekend walking around during a busy cruise ship day was embarrassing as a citizen and taxpayer. The amount of drugs, and indesent acts I seen in the afternoon was shocking. Sydney is a complete shit hole and I blame the lack of leadership on all levels of government. Total disgrace.

Hello. We are looking to retire in NS and are seriously looking at building a year round home on Cape Breton Island. Originally we had wanted ocean front but have been warned off due to weather (and wanting a dock for the boat). Consequently, we are looking at Bras D'or, but have also been warned off due roads frequently being impassable in the winter.

The question is, to the wintering residents...is it really so bad? Should we give up and go with North Umberland or south east? Thanks.

My wife thinks our power bill is higher than it should be. It’s averages around $450 every 2 months.

$550 (for 2 months) in the winter and $350 (for 2 months) in the summer, so let’s say $225 per month over all.

We live in a bungalow with semi finished basement with a wood stove and burn 1.5 cord last winter and only use 1/2 tank of furnace oil per year.

We have:

• Heat pump which we use all 4 seasons and is almost always running. Dehumidifier setting May-October and heat from November to April.
• 2 fridges (one for overflow in the basement).
• Dehumidifier in basement which runs continuously.
• Electric hot water tank.
• house is fairly well insulated
• high efficiency dryer, but hang most our laundry to dry in the room with the dehumidifier.
• We always keep lights off when we’re not in the rooms.
• I work from home 2 or 3 days a week.

I don’t think this is bad, considering how little we spend on oil, but she thinks it’s higher than it should be.

What are people’s thoughts on this? I don’t see how we can cut back on anything, but she’s telling me the average Nova Scotia household power bill is well under $200 per month. I said maybe in the 90’s, but she’s living in the past. What are people paying?

Hello! We're looking for a property management company or individual who could manage our cottage in White Point.

We'd be building a cottage ideally for year-round use but primarily May-October.

So far all of the ones we've contacted are not servicing that area. Does anyone have any recommendations or know someone who would be able to help?

We'd primarily require support with cleaning/maintenance.

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

Does anyone have a double sized mattress that they want to give out for free? Anything will help.

Thanks in Advance ❤️❤️

Incase there is anyone who wasn’t aware, we have a small community of competitive Super Smash Bros. players here on Cape Breton with both Melee and Ultimate players! Whether you just enjoy the game causally or have been playing for years you can have a place in our community, we’re always looking to new faces to come around and show off what they can do. All ages, genders, and ethnicities are welcome, we have a very welcoming group. If you’re interested in learning a little bit more consider joining our discord server! We have an upcoming tournament on the 6th of October and hopefully more to come in the future.

If you have any further questions, message one of us in the discord or comment below and we’d be happy to help!

Permanent Discord server link - https://discord.gg/QpAsUXnXHC

I'm watching the movie "Watchers" tonight if anyone is interested!

I inherited a discord meetup server dedicated to Cape Breton, but I've been trying to engage with making this a community server.

SFW server for friendly people mainly based in Cape Breton, but all Nova Scotians are welcome!

https://discord.gg/uwc5X4Ja

Hi everyone!

As a newcomer to New Waterford, I’d love to give back to the community by offering free assistance with any IT-related issues you may have. With over 10 years of experience as an IT professional, I can help with a variety of issues, including slow computers, Wi-Fi problems, or setting up smart home devices. If you need help, feel free to message me. I can provide online support, or arrange for an on-site visit if necessary.

Please note that this service is completely FREE of charge. However, there may be occasional delays if I’m busy, and I appreciate your patience and understanding.

If you think this might be helpful for you or someone you know, feel free to bookmark and share this post. Looking forward to helping you out!

Potentially moving to the Sydney area with a soon to be 17 year old who is on the spectrum.

Wondering if anyone has any idea of any potential support with the area. 17 year old is very high functioning, on IPP at school currently and would complete grade 12 there.

Heading to Cape Breton in a couple weeks for a wedding, and planning to take a few days after to drive the Cabot Trail. We’d like to do some hiking and are all very experienced backpackers and hikers, but prioritizing views over long difficult hikes for this trip. Our biggest caveat is that we’ll have a couple dogs with us and one is an 8 month old puppy, so not doing super long hikes yet. Would love some recommendations for the best hikes for views and hopefully some fall foliage that are dog friendly. But if there are any longer/more difficult/non-dog friendly hikes that are absolutely can’t miss then feel free to throw those out too and maybe we’ll find someone to watch the dogs for a bit.

Thanks for the help!

Hi! I recently moved to Sydney and I am looking to get back into fishing. I used to fish a long time ago, but haven’t in about 10 years. Any advice on fishing in CB would be greatly appreciated! (I already got a general fishing license)

Also, what are some good spots to fish in Sydney?