Nova Scotia used car salesman sentenced for almost $40k in fraud

In this file photo, unsold Hyundai Tucson crossovers sit at a dealership in Littleton, Colo.David Zalubowski / Associated Press In this latest episode of Used Car Salesmen Behaving Badly, a metal-moving bloke from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has been sentenced to 44 months in the slammer after being found guilty of excessive financial chicanery. In most cases, it seems Michael David Surette took money for cars that were never delivered.The man was also fined tens of thousands and ordered to reimburse the customers he defrauded to the tune of $38,841. Those offenses took place between 2015 and 2018 during his tenure as a salesman at a place called Used Car Factory 21. To cap it all off, for part of that time he was on probation for previous fraud-related convictions. Lovely.Court records for the case read like a horror story of financial fraud, with person after person listed as being unlawfully defrauded. Not to excuse any sort of fraud, but it is especially galling that most of the incidents were for less than $5,000, suggesting they were targeted actions against people buying cheap used cars. Indeed, one victim was noted by the judge as having a minimum wage part-time job that sometimes began at 500 a.m. After borrowing more than $3,900 for a vehicle he never obtained, the man still had to walk to work 30 minutes each way. The fraud amounts ranged from $12,624 to just $600.In a damning indictment of the privilege from which he grew, the 53-year-old Surette is described as having enjoyed a great childhood in a home where he did not experience abuse nor witness any substance addictions.The author of the pre-sentence report noted that Surette stated he accepted responsibility for his actions. With respect to the offences before the Court, Mr. Surette expressed I guess I had no reason to do it, I shouldnt have done it. I guess opportunity.Considering the credit received for time already spent in custody, Surette will spend another 30 months as a guest of the prison system.Stay vigilant,
Origin: Nova Scotia used car salesman sentenced for almost $40k in fraud

Nova Scotia finishes up repairs to roads after Dorian damage

A toppled building crane is draped over a new construction project in Halifax on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019.Andrew Vaughan / The Canadian Press Earlier this month, summer storm Dorian wreaked havoc across the province of Nova Scotia, leaving a trail of damage and destruction in its wake after moving into the region with Category 2 hurricane-force winds.Trees were uprooted, a crane was toppled, and some infrastructure was ruined. Fortunately, it was primarily just items that were damaged, not people. Stuff, after all, can be replaced.Which is what the Nova Scotia government is doing as we speak. Nearly a month after the storm blew through on September 7th, the clean-up continues, especially on the transportation front.According to a spokesperson with the provinces Department of Transportation and Urban Renewal, road infrastructure actually fared pretty well overall when Dorian decided to make its presence known. The majority of provincial road closures were in Cumberland County in the northwest corner of the province due to culvert washouts, downed trees and busted powerlines.The area of Kings County, closer to Halifax, also experienced a small number of road closures for similar reasons, and department staff responded to one culvert washout in Halifax Suburban. Compared to what residents of the Bahamas endured, your authors province got off rather lightly.Most repairs are now complete, with government spox estimating total infrastructure damage from the storm in the ballpark of $1.5 million. As with all repairs, the crew’s primary concern is public safety, so repairs were prioritized to that effect. In that vein, clean-up of the collapsed crane mentioned at the top of this story has also been taken over by the Nova Scotia government, as public safety trumped financial liability. Harbourside Engineering Consultants and RD Crane are listed as the two companies hired to remove the crane, a decision made by government after it apparently became clear that finger-pointing about potential liability was likely to paralyze the clean-up. With occupied residential buildings nearby, the current focus is getting the thing removed safely. Government will determine who to go after to recoup their money at a later
Origin: Nova Scotia finishes up repairs to roads after Dorian damage

Trans-Canada Highway may be built right over Nova Scotia sinkhole: report

In this file photo, construction continues on the Connecting Link section of Highway 101 in northern Ontario.Len Gillis / Postmedia Network Back in May, this publication wrote about a sinkhole threatening the main road leading into the town of Oxford, Nova Scotia. At the time, your author also included an image from Google Maps, highlighting a trio of areas that seemed to indicate the problem could spread to the nearby Trans-Canada Highway.Now, nearly half a calendar year later, it seems other people including the Department of Transportation have begun to pick up on the problem as well.According to aerial photographs collected by the CBC dating back to the 1930s, there is the potential for sinkhole calamity to rear its head underneath a busy part of the Nova Scotia highway.Looking at the CBC photos, its clear that stretch of highway was built over something whether it was a sinkhole or small pond is currently up for debate. However, the general understanding is that when the link was built nearly fifty years ago, common roadbuilding techniques would have had construction crews simply fill the offending area with rocks and gravel. An animation of aerial photographs of the affected area, compiled by the CBC National Air Photo Library and Brett Ruskin / CBC If the spot is indeed a sinkhole a reasonable assumption given the topographical challenges nearby that decision could spell disaster if the floor of the sinkhole shifts, something sinkholes tend to do.These days, building around or over a sinkhole isnt too much of a problem, as construction of a special bridge will shift the roadways weight away from the trouble spot. This author travels this section of highway several times a month, and can confidently assert there is no bridge of any kind on the main part of the TCH in this area, sinkhole-proof or otherwise.Local politicians are calling on other levels of government to step up and help solve this issue before it becomes a problem. The provincial transportation department has committed to an in-depth geotechnical investigation over the next few weeks, but asserts there has been no significant changes in the topography over the years. Its worth noting that the nearby community of Springhill was a mining town for ages.Alert readers will note there rarely are significant changes before a major sinkhole event, given that the significant change usually rears its head at the moment all the ground gives way. Caretakers at the Corvette Museum can attest to that
Origin: Trans-Canada Highway may be built right over Nova Scotia sinkhole: report

This Nova Scotia man has owned the same Model T truck for 70 years

Randall Pitman is 87 years old, and for the last 70 years hes been driving the same old truck, a 1927 Ford Model T.According to the CBC, Pitman was 17 years old when he bought his truck in 1949, and the pair have gone on a number of adventures since, spanning hundreds of kilometres.To be able to afford the truck, Pitman worked at a gas station earning just 10 cents an hour, equivalent to $1.13 in 2019 money.Eventually, he saved up $50 ($563 today) and went to the auction house to buy the truck.Eventually, I bid $45 and the auctioneer, as auctioneers do, kept saying, Forty-five! Who will give me 50?’ he remembers. I stupidly said Forty-seven fifty, and he said Sold!’The truck is pretty basic in the truest sense of the word. Asking Pitman about brakes elicits a chuckle and a reassurance that they work. Nothing on the truck is done for you; even the ignition timing must be manually adjusted to start it.It doesnt even have turn signals Pitman has to stick his hand out the window and signal like you would on a bicycle.Pitman will put the truck on a flatbed to take it on a 600-kilometre journey to Crapaud, P.E.I for a car show that is expected to attract hundreds of vehicle and enthusiasts. Hes covered journeys longer than that in the past, but said that as the car gets older, the parts become more expensive; roadside repairs would still be possible, but not favourable.Pitmans other vehicle is another 1927 Model T, but a coupe model he bought in the 1960s and has been slowly restoring. Hes confident hell keep both vehicles on the
Origin: This Nova Scotia man has owned the same Model T truck for 70 years

Turo peer-to-peer car sharing expands to Nova Scotia

Nova Scotians will now be able to share their vehicles, as peer-to-peer sharing company Turo has expanded its app into the province. Through the Turo app, car owners share their vehicles with users, usually travellers who want something to drive while they’re in the area. The company has a community of 10 million members globally. It launched in Canada in 2016 and currently has more than 650,000 members and 22,000 cars listed in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Following the move into Nova Scotia, Turo plans to launch next in Prince Edward Island. “There’s strong organic demand for Turo in Halifax and the East Coast,” said Cedric Mathieu, managing director of Turo Canada. “Nova Scotia is an increasingly popular destination on the Turo app, with several thousand searches for cars in the region every month.” Mathieu added that more than 600 car owners in Nova Scotia tried to list their cars on the platform in the past. Turo said that the average Canadian car owner earns $600 per month when sharing his or her car only nine days a month on the platform. It also said that cars in Atlantic Canada sit idle 95.4 per cent of the time, and that 46 per cent of car owners in the region think the cost of having a car is too high. The program provides $2 million in liability insurance coverage for all vehicles listed on the app, and travellers have access to 24/7 roadside assistance and customer
Origin: Turo peer-to-peer car sharing expands to Nova Scotia

This Nova Scotia sinkhole could swallow up part of the Trans-Canada Highway

In this file photo, construction continues on the Connecting Link section of Highway 101 in northern Ontario.Len Gillis / Postmedia Network As a gearhead, most of us have had experience with sinkholes of the automotive variety. Your author has witnessed sinkholes in the form of a Jeep CJ-7 and Chevy Camaro, for example. Maybe it’s more apt to call those financial sinkholes, however. This one that has cropped up in Nova Scotia recently is decidedly more of the physical sort, and has the potential to swallow up some critical roadwork, and perhaps even the Trans-Canada Highway. The sinkhole first appeared last summer in a park near the entrance of Oxford, Nova Scotia, not too far from the Lion’s Club. When first spotted by locals, it was about the size of a good dinner plate. Now it’s grown to the diameter of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, making the ground near the park quite unstable, while also eating into a parking lot. Locals will tell you there are plenty of sinkholes in the area already, some of which are now considered lakes and ponds which can be clearly seen on Google Earth. The red arrows on the image below point toward bodies of water which occurred thanks to sinkhole activity, one of which is adjacent to Route 104. The green arrow indicates the approximate location of this story’s subject. Is the new sinkhole super-close to the Trans Canada Highway? Well, it’s about half a kilometer from the nearest TCH infrastructure, including an off-ramp for Exit 6 of Highway 104. Left unchecked, and given the historical instability of the area’s geography, it could happen. It’ll not escape your notice that it is extremely close, within just a stone’s throw, to the main road leading into town. Fortunately, the federal government is helping out local residents to the tune of about $68,000, hiring a geology team to perform electrical and then seismic testing to map the earth around and underneath the sinkhole. Dan Parker, the team lead, told CBC News that the two sets of data will provide “a good image as to what’s going on in the vicinity of the active sinkhole.” The geological team will be on-site for the next couple of
Origin: This Nova Scotia sinkhole could swallow up part of the Trans-Canada Highway

Nova Scotia trying to get ahead of the future of driving

Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.Handout The last time Nova Scotia made major changes to the rules of the road, William Lyon Mackenzie King was shuffling around the Prime Minister’s office and World War II had yet to begin. While it has been amended many times, Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act hasn’t been rewritten in nearly a century. A new government bill aims to change that fact. Introduced as Bill 80 in October, the Traffic Safety Act uses flexible language so government can update it in the future, responding to changes in how roads are used. For example, in planning for the eventuality of fully autonomous vehicles or vehicles with autonomous-like driving aids, the new Act has included provisions dictating drivers must be ready to grab control of the vehicle at all times. From the legislation: “A (driver) must be positioned at the controls of the vehicle and, at all times while a vehicle is being driven on a highway, the person must be able to personally drive the vehicle, irrespective of whether the vehicle is capable of operating autonomously or in an autonomous mode. (S.153)” The replacement for the old Motor Vehicle Act also clamps down on the use of devices which are a major contributor to distracted driving. The old law only specified texting as a moving offense, creating legal issues such as people beating distracted driving charges in court by claiming they used a cellphone for something other than texting. In those cases, the onus was on the cops and prosecution to prove the activity. These new regs cover “hand-held communication/entertainment device” and any other “prescribed electronic device” including a GPS, so scofflaws planning to use that old defence are out of luck. Fines for this infraction have jumped, too. Still, the snazzy new Traffic Safety Act doesn’t entirely leave the old world behind. One section refers to the mishandling of a “beast of burden” on a highway. We doubt they’re talking about the Rolling Stones song, but maybe they’re referring to semi-trailers. The revised language also recognizes roadways as shared spaces and that pedestrians, cyclists, and those who respond to roadside emergencies deserve extra protection from motor vehicles. A government spokesperson said it will take about two years from passage before all new regulations and the new law are in place. Check out the new Traffic Safety Act at this link:
Origin: Nova Scotia trying to get ahead of the future of driving

GR8 PL8S: Nova Scotia introduces new specialized license plates

Alert drivers in the Bluenose province will notice a raft of new specialized license plates on the back bumpers of some vehicles in Nova Scotia. In addition to personalized vanity tags and plates which show support for protecting animal species at risk, plates honouring Gaelic and Mi’kmaq cultures are now available as well. In partnership with Gaelic Affairs, the Registry of Motor Vehicles has developed a new Gaelic licence plate celebrating the Gaelic language, culture, and identity of Nova Scotia. The plate features the symbol of the Gaels in the province with the words ALBA NUADH at the bottom. That phrase means ‘Nova Scotia’, by the way. The registration fee for a Gaelic plate will be the standard vehicle registration fee associated with the class and weight of the vehicle plus a $50 donation directed to the Gàidheil Air Adhart (Gaels Forward) Special Purpose Fund. The RMV in Nova Scotia has also partnered with the Nova Scotia Office of Aboriginal Affairs to develop a new licence plate celebrating the Mi’kmaq language, identity, and culture in Nova Scotia. The plate features the image of a Mi’kmaq petroglyph and the words “MI’KMA’KI Land of the Mi’kmaq” at the bottom. A $24 donation will be collected at the time of issuance of the plate and upon renewals which will be directed to the Mi’kmaq Youth Special Purpose Fund. The funds will be used to support youth sport and recreation projects. Applicants can replace their current passenger licence plate with a Gaelic or Mi’kmaq plate by paying the donation and giving up their present tag. This way, applicants do not have to wait for their normal biennial renewal. Both plates can be issued to passenger and light commercial vehicles up to 5,000
Origin: GR8 PL8S: Nova Scotia introduces new specialized license plates

Nova Scotia man fights to have his ‘offensive’ plate reinstated

Lorne Grabher displays his personalized licence plate in Dartmouth, N.S. The controversy over Lorne Grabhers licence plate, which reads GRABHER, could be settled in court after the Nova Scotia government refused a request from a group of lawyers to allow Grabher to resume using the now-banned plate.Andrew Vaughan The latest installment in the battle between a Nova Scotia man with a contentious personalized licence plate and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles has seen the victim put up a large billboard to raise awareness for his cause. According to The National Post, the controversy began when Lorne Grabher purchased a personalized licence plate for his father in 1991 with his last name on it to express their Austrian-German heritage, when his father died he received the plate back for use on his own vehicle. The Registrar of Motor Vehicles revoked the plate in 2016 for complaints for being a “socially unacceptable slogan, and supports sexual violence against women, which Grabher said violates his constitutional rights. He is now seeking to have the plate reinstated. To help aid in his battle, the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has decided to back him up by funding the billboard erected in Northern Halifax, and selling stickers that go toward his cause. Grabher’s hearing will begin on Wednesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court and is expected to wrap up by
Origin: Nova Scotia man fights to have his ‘offensive’ plate reinstated