I shouldn’t be surprised. Not after Me-too. But I am. Still. It happens more often than you might suppose. I’ll be attending a public event, and someone will come up to me. “Aren’t you the guy who wrote that book, the one about…?” Yes, I am, but it was published 20 years ago. “My sister…...
Forest Confidential
An investigation into Nova Scotia’s biomass harvest data and how the numbers aren’t adding up
A few months ago I reviewed a film that has been circulating the province about the growing use of forest biomass as a form of so-called renewable energy. The film — Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? — reported on how the biomass industry sells itself as green by making two bogus claims: it uses...
The plan to improve Herring Cove Road, eventually
The city's plan for the Spryfield street includes plenty of walking and cycling infrastructure, but leaves transit lanes in the realm of high-cost wishful thinking.
NOTE TO READERS: I’ve updated this story to reflect the cost of the 500 block project, estimated at $2.4 million. My earlier version mentioned only $250,000 in funding related to other Herring Cove Road projects. The city is creating a new functional plan for Herring Cove Road, featuring an “interim” plan with considerable improvements to...
Nova Scotia has a mercury problem
Facilities associated with Northern Pulp Mill's proposed effluent pipe are immediately adjacent to a mercury-contaminated toxic waste site left over from the Canso Chemicals operation
Cover photo: A Mad Tea-Party by Lewis Carroll with the Hatter, March Hare and Alice. It turns out that using a lot of mercury, as human beings have done for centuries — in everything from haberdashery to gold production to medicine — wasn’t such a great idea after all. Although this realization came only in...
Tidal recall: the province says it will pay the estimated $5 million to remove the tidal turbine abandoned on the floor of the Minas Basin, but doesn’t say when
Energy and Mines Minister Derek Mombourquette announced last week the province intends to “eventually retrieve” the abandoned 1,000-tonne, five-storey turbine abandoned at the bottom of the Bay of Fundy near Parrsboro. “Eventually” is the key word in that sentence since there is no timeline and no obvious financial means to pay a salvage bill estimated...
“We are down to our last month’s rent”: naturalists say clearcutting is accelerating
“I worked at the Bowater-Mersey mill for 38 years, and our provincial government makes Bowater look like an environmentalist!” said Brian Muise. Muise, a member of the Queens County Fish and Game Association, made his comment at the annual meeting of the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters in Truro on Saturday. Muise is...
Wilson-Raybould, Churchill? Evidence our legislative committee systems don’t work
The committees don't work, of course, because of the people in charge. But the system itself makes that failure possible, even inevitable.
Quick now, what does Judy Wilson-Raybould v Justin Trudeau, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick et al have in common with Zach Churchill v Tim Houston, Ramona Jennex, Denise Peterson-Rafuse et al? Well yes, of course, both feature all-powerful political bosses — Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of SNC-Lavalin infame and Liberal Premier Stephen McNeil of the Yarmouth ferry...
“8 is NOT Enough”: Disabled adults and their supporters demand more action on community housing from McNeil government
A letter signed by dozens of groups on behalf of more than 1,300 disabled adults waiting for housing called on the McNeil government Thursday to back up its earlier promise to find homes in the community for people who are needlessly institutionalized. Premier Stephen McNeil told journalists the “work is ongoing; we continue to work...
Despite warnings that burning biomass does not address climate change, Nova Scotia Power burned more biomass in 2018 than in 2017
Citizens concerned about the amount of wood harvested (mostly clearcut) to be used as biomass aren’t going to be happy with the numbers contained in the 2018 Fuel Adjustment Mechanism (FAM) report filed last month with the regulator. When used for generating electricity, the efficiency of biomass is only 21-23% efficient. Last year, the biomass...
Stunting 101: The games Bay Ferries plays
Bay Ferries says its Yarmouth ferry service's real problem has nothing to do with the government's over-subsidization or its own over-pricing. Blame it on the "nasty" opposition.
Mark MacDonald knows which donkey to pin the blame on for the fact his Bay Ferries Ltd.’s money-sinking pot of a Yarmouth-Maine ferry service isn’t winning the accolades he believes it deserves from Nova Scotia taxpayers. Forget the $61,187,310 in previously announced subsidies, grants and other goodies those same taxpayers have shovelled into the service...
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