CBC Maritimes

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have both set minumum drink prices as a way to curb buck-a-beer and buck-a-shot nights aimed at luring young people into bars and clubs.

The fishing community of Canso, Nova Scotia has been dealt another blow. The call centre established there just 6 years ago with considerable help from the province is closing its doors. Acrobat Research dropped the bombshell on its 48 workers yesterday. We talk to mayor Frank Fraser just before he hit the road to Halifax to try to get an emergency meeting with the premier.

For many university and college students, cracking a cold one is just as much a part of campus life as cracking the books. And with classes resuming across our region this month - many bars will be looking to cash in on the back-to-school crowd. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have both set minumum drink prices as a way to curb buck-a-beer and buck-a-shot nights aimed at luring young people into bars and clubs.

The provinces are worried the cheaper the drink - the drunker parons get. And a new study out of Florida confirms that. We speak with Ryan O'Mara, a PhD student in health behaviour at the University of Florida. He conducted the study.

Tuesday on Maritime Noon we told you about the largest precautionary shut down in the history of the maritime shellfish industry. Two heavy rainfalls in two weeks triggered the move. But some people have criticised the move, saying there was no evidence anything was wrong.
Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea has since said the shutdown could have been handled better.

Students in Nova Scotia are back in school. Those in New Brunswick and PEI start next week.
There are always mixed emotions every new school year.
By and large students are excited to see their school buddies again. Parents are often happy to see their children out from under-foot and back in class.
But there's also a trepidation.
Children wonder if they'll get along with their new teacher and classmates. Parents worry about just about everything else.
Then there's homework. It's the one thing many parents and their children dread most.
Books about the value or uselessness of homework always get plenty of attention.
On the phone-in we ask "what is the value of homework?"
We invite two people who have looked at the issue extensively to take part.
Charles Ungerleider is with the Canadian Council on Learning. His organization recently put out a report entitled, Homework helps, but not always.
Mary Fedorchuk is with the Nova Scotia Department of Education. She's been working on just released provincial guidelines for homework.