More of the same was the theme of the day on Tuesday as the provincial Standing Committee on Community Services met to to discuss “A progress update on phasing out adult residential centre and regional rehabilitation centre facilities.” A 2013 report adopted by the then-NDP government, known as “the roadmap,” called for transforming supports and […]
Early childhood educators rally in Halifax to demand living wage
Dozens of early childhood educators (ECEs) gathered at Grand Parade in downtown Halifax on Thursday demanding a living wage. In January, the province announced an improved wage and benefit package as part of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. But ECEs at Thursday’s rally said they’ve waited long enough. Bobbi Keating was one […]
Nova Scotia Power to burn more biomass to generate “renewable” electricity
Just when we thought the news on energy prices couldn’t get worse, it does. Nova Scotia plans on burning more biomass to generate “renewable” energy. On Saturday, the Examiner reported that Nova Scotia Power revised its request for a 10% increase in power rates to an 11.6% jump over the next three years. A public […]
Millions in public money lost as Dartmouth e-voting company Intelivote restructures debt
Millions in public money invested in a Dartmouth company is lost after creditors approved a debt restructuring plan. As part of the plan, approved at a meeting on Friday, a total of $6.8 million in provincial and federal tax dollars owed by Intelivote Systems Inc. won’t be recouped. Dean Smith founded Intelivote in 2003 to...
Halifax police arrest four people defending Eisner Cove wetland from development
Halifax police arrested four people at the entrance to the Eisner Cove wetland on Tuesday, making way for a developer’s vehicles to get in and clear the land. The property next to Highway 111 in Dartmouth is one of the provincial government’s special planning areas, where it’s fast-tracking development in an attempt to ease the […]
‘Twas the late afternoon before a long weekend, and…
... the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission had its own holiday "surprise." Cst. Greg Wiley, the most consequential boots-on-the-ground Mountie identified in commission investigative documents, will be given "special arrangements" in exchange for his testimony. What that means is that unless you can watch him questioned live on Zoom on September 6, you may never get to see or hear what he has to say. Is this really what we mean by trauma-informed?
I hadn’t planned to write this. It was a long weekend. We had family visiting. In fact, on Friday, I’d written to my editors, Tim Bousquet and Suzanne Rent, to tell them not to expect me to be my usual shocked and appalled this weekend. “Good plan,” Tim replied. “Enjoy the weekend.” I should have […]
Nova Scotia government submits revised plan, still without a price on carbon
In the final hours before Ottawa’s Sept. 2 deadline for provinces to submit proposals around the implementation of a rising federal carbon tax, the Houston government has changed the proposal it submitted two weeks ago. As the Halifax Examiner reported earlier this week, the federal government rejected Premier Tim Houston’s plan to meet federal requirements […]
Nova Scotia’s ‘better-than-a-carbon-tax’ plan gets the boot
The federal government has rejected a plan by the Houston government to postpone implementing a carbon tax on gasoline and home heating oil less than two weeks after receiving the province’s proposal detailing a “better-than-a-carbon-tax” alternative. “You are proposing to end Nova Scotia’s cap-and-trade program, with no replacement that would put a price on pollution,” […]
Strang: Nova Scotians still have to take COVID seriously
The province’s chief medical officer of health said on Friday that Nova Scotians have become too complacent about COVID-19. With the possibility of a fall or winter wave, Dr. Robert Strang is encouraging people to ensure their vaccinations are up to date and is also urging them to continue following public health recommendations like wearing […]
Does the Houston government’s proposed carbon plan make sense?
A Dalhousie energy expert says delaying an increase in the price of carbon today merely pushes off the inevitable.
A week ago the Houston government submitted to Ottawa an alternative proposal to the federal government’s plan to price carbon by means of a carbon tax. Larry Hughes is a professor in the electrical and computer engineering department at Dalhousie University as well as Dal’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies. He has read the […]