Further to my newsletter reports of June, July, and September 2007 ( Issues # 115, # 116, & # 118 ), I am pleased to announce that "Transit Transfers" will be incorporated into our Community Transit Service (CTS) starting by mid - December. The pending Metro Transit Strike has been averted because a resolution and settlement has been finalized. Now we can initiate a "Transfer" feature whereby local CTS patrons can access other conventional urban Metro Transit routes. There will be some changes made to the current service route loop. It will now finish and re-start from the Portland Hills Terminal in Cole Harbour. CTS passengers will now be able to access Penhorn Mall, Micmac Mall, Tacoma Centre, and other places with other Metro Transit Buses. (Routes #'s 59, 61, 62, 65, 68, 72, &159). The fares will be adjusted to accommodate this new enhanced service. The CTS Fares are expected to be set at $3.00 / Adult and $2.00 / Senior or Child respectively. Metro Transit Passes, Bus Tickets, University U-Pass, and Metro-Link Bus Passes will be honoured either at "face" value or with a slight "top-up" Transfer fare fee. The CTS Area Tax Rate will also be adjusted up by 4/10th of a cent to $0.038 / $100 assessment. These slight increases are attributed to the wage settlement impact offered in the new Metro Transit Collective Agreement. Further details on the new transfer system and revised schedule will be announced by Metro Transit, with PSA's, information flyers distributed through the CTS, Transit retail outlets and on Metro Transit's Web site. As well by a local information sign blitz, e-mails notices, pamphlets and other community announcements.

On Friday, November 9th, the Orenda Canoe Club in Lake Echo will be celebrating 30 years of paddling, fun and successes at the Lord Nelson Hotel. Congratulations to all !

Effective November 5th, 2007, residents who currently receive municipal curbside garbage collection services who live in a house (single family dwelling), or unit in a semi-detached house, rowhouse or townhouse will be affected by this change. The new bag limit is 6 bags or containers every two weeks. Materials must be curbside by 7:00AM to ensure collection. For more information on our HRM Solid Waste / Resource Management Strategy and services, please refer to: www.halifax.ca/wrms/index.html . And for more precise information about the bi-weekly organic and recyclables collection schedule: www.halifax.ca/wrms/zoneaandb.html#week

As an update to my report of February 2007, Issue #111, Petpeswick Drive in Gaetz Brook has become the first private road in HRM to establish its own maintenance area rate. They have taken advantage of a new policy that I lobbied for as an MLA. Now property owners on any private road can empower themselves to establish a yearly maintenance fee for their own private roadways with the ability to have HRM charge and collect the fee uniformly to all concerned. For more details on this subject, please refer to the report on-line at : www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/070116cow4.pdf or contact Gordon Roussel at 490-6468 or by E-mail at rousseg@halifax.ca . I am sure that there are other local private roads that would want to explore this option on road upkeep.

HRM Mayor Peter Kelly will be hosting a Forum to hear citizen's perspectives about Violence & Community Safety in our area. The public meeting will be on Monday, November 5th at 7 PM at the Porters Lake Community Centre. All are welcome !

Your local Fire Department needs you ! Volunteers are required to help augment and improve our Fire & Emergency capacity for our communities. Please contact your local fire station regarding volunteer recruitment opportunities in the suburban and rural areas of HRM. For more information, go on-line : www.halifax.ca/Fire/RuralVolRecruitment.html or contact Heather McKay at 490-4391 by E-mail mckayh@halifax.ca . Please consider it.

Over the past few years, various community groups have been working with the '14 Days in December - Gentle Ways Are Best' Peace in our Communities campaign. Please see : www.14days.ca .To mark these community peace campaigns, there are various Tree Lighting & Sing-a-Long Ceremonies being held throughout our area. Lake Echo's will take place on Friday, November 30th at 7 PM and Porter's Lake on Sunday, December 2nd at 5 PM.