Throne speech

The Gallant Government promised to deliver on three priorities in its throne speech…education, economic growth and health care.

The speech focused on education with initiatives to give students more opportunities to learn coding and trades, increasing the amount provided to help people pay for daycare and introducing French immersion in Grade 1 starting next September.

Big boost in tourism numbers

Tourism Minister John Ames says the government’s efforts to get more people to visit the province are paying off.

The latest statistics show the accommodation occupancy rate for January to August was up 5% from the same period last year…including an 18% boost in the number of American and other international visitors. There was also a 9% increase in campsite rentals at provincial parks, which led to the highest number of campers in the province since 2004. Ames says great weather through the summer helped and he hopes fair conditions this fall will continue to boost the numbers.