Premier Darrell Dexter and Health Minister Maureen MacDonald are in Parsborro to celebrate the long-promised (and press-released) grand opening of the province’s first “collaborative emergency centre.”

The South Cumberland Collaborative Emergency Centre has actually treated about 1,000 people since July, so this is a grand opening in the ribbon cutting opportunity sense only. But you can bet your bottom dollar that today is an important step toward Better Care Sooner (*shudder*) for Nova Scotians.

It’s the first of two opening announcements Dexter will give this week. He’s slated to be at the Shelburne Ship Repair tomorrow with representatives from Irving Shipbuilding to announce the yard’s re-opening – and again, if you feel like gambling, smart money would be on it being an important indication that Ships do, in fact, Start Here.

Speaking of Ships Start Here (that strange advertising campaign that has “taken on a life of its own,” meaning we can’t know how much it costs or who it is actually directed at), if you haven’t seen the Star Ships Start Here campaign, you should really check it out. My personal favourite so far has been the above shot of Han Solo and Greedo chilling out at the Economy Shoe Shop – a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than many a Mos Eisley cantina. 

The ever-present Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism and Productivity would like to inform you that the Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program is “open for business.” Really, it’s more “still open for business,” since the government is simply renewing the program for a fourth year. 

The fund provides up to $15,000 for businesses wishing to partner with Nova Scotian universities in areas like applied research, prototyping and field testing. So there you have it. 

On the federal front, Bernard Valcourt, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (whatup, media monitors!), will lead a delegation of 13 companies to one of Europe’s big defence expos – the Defence and Security Equipment International 2011. Which leads me to wonder: why couldn’t they wait until we have our own big expo in November? You know, that one Defence Minister Peter MacKay was talking up last week? The one in Halifax, not London? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason.

Halifax Regional Council (or is it Greater Halifax Council?) will meet tomorrow for the first time in three weeks, and the agenda is huge. More on that tomorrow, I just wanted to give you an opportunity to start reading. 

Judging by the lack of opposition response, I’m guessing the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives are just ducky with the province’s $15 million, seven-point plan to make work for out of work NewPage contractors. Or maybe everybody is just waiting for the start of the week to poke holes in it?

The hearing into the Cape Breton Regional Municipality‘s proposed new polling boundaries begins today – something to keep an eye on if you’re interested in the coming debate in Halifax. The Cape Breton Post currently has a reporter liveblogging the Utility and Review Board hearing, and you can check that out here.

Aside from that, we’re all just anxiously awaiting Finance Minister Graham Steele‘s budget forecast update, scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Bonus points to the reader who guesses how many million we’re up by.

Alright Monday, let’s grab another coffee and remember to care.