• City Hall
  • Province House
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Investigation
  • Journalism
  • Commentary
  • @Tim_Bousquet
  • Log In

Halifax Examiner

An independent, adversarial news site in Halifax, NS

  • Home
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Commenting policy
  • Archives
  • Contact us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Manage your account
  • Swag

The more things change, the more nothing changes

How is that real estate developers get to do what they want without real consequences? Oh, right. Nothing new to see here, folks.

January 17, 2021 By Stephen Kimber

In mid-April 1999, a Halifax city planner named Gary Porter returned from his vacation to a surprise. He noticed there was now one more storey than the city had approved on an under-construction office building on Brunswick Street. The developer, George Ramia, had been granted a permit to build a 40-foot-high building on the lot...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: City Hall, Commentary, Featured, Subscribers only Tagged With: developers in Halifax, Residential Tenancies

Halifax councillors budgeting for 1.9% increase to the average property tax bill

January 13, 2021 By Zane Woodford

Regional councillors are budgeting for a staff-recommended increase of 1.9% to average residential and commercial property tax bills in the fiscal year ahead. Council’s budget committee met Wednesday to consider the 2021-2022 fiscal framework recommended by municipal finance staff. That framework sets the parameters for councillors’ budget discussions, which will continue over the next few...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News, Subscribers only

Construction companies face supply and labour shortages

January 12, 2021 By Jennifer Henderson

2020 was a boom year for home renovation and new home construction. Renovation companies are seeing an increase in volume upward of 25% . Home building companies have also seen a 25%-plus jump in business, according to Karen Slaunwhite, executive-director of the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association Nova Scotia. “The boom was driven by two key factors:...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: Featured, News, Subscribers only

When is $15 million really $10 million, but actually only $5 million?

Welcome to the world of higher education in which "gift" and "gift commitment" can be parsed so billionaires can claim to give what they haven't, and dictate whatever they want.

January 10, 2021 By Stephen Kimber

On this Makeover Monday, let us pretend — because there will be more than a little smoke-and-mirrors pretend in this column — that it is actually the morning of Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011. On that day, according to Dalhousie News, the official public relations organ of Dalhousie University, this happened: Though it was pouring rain...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: Commentary, Education, Featured, Subscribers only Tagged With: corporate funding for universities, Dalhousie University, economic inequality, Ken Rowe

Appeals court rules for Halifax, against developer in Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes land dispute

January 8, 2021 By Zane Woodford

It’s a win for the municipality and everyone advocating in favour of a park at Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes, but one environmentalist warns it could bring the process back to square one. The highest court in Nova Scotia ruled in a written decision released on Thursday that Halifax Regional Municipality did not effectively expropriate a developer’s...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: City Hall, Environment, Featured, News, Subscribers only

Social workers call for Liberal leadership candidates to back a child and youth advocate office

January 5, 2021 By Yvette d'Entremont

The organization representing the province’s social workers has launched a campaign demanding the candidates vying to be Nova Scotia’s next premier commit to creating a “desperately needed” child and youth advocate office. “We would ideally like to see more robust policy options coming out of these three men wanting to be premier,” Alec Stratford, executive...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: Featured, News, Province House, Subscribers only

Halifax planners won’t let John Risley connect his two south-end mansions. He’s appealing the decision

January 5, 2021 By Zane Woodford

Municipal planners have told John Risley he can’t connect his two south-end Halifax mansions across property lines, and at a hearing later this month, the billionaire will appeal the decision. The two properties are on Emscote Drive, near Point Pleasant Park. They’re side by side, civic 5956 and 5964, with long lawns down to the...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News, Subscribers only

Liberal leadership candidate Randy Delorey made a whack of promises; we unpack them

January 5, 2021 By Jennifer Henderson

Liberal leadership candidate Randy Delorey released a list of campaign promises today, a month before a virtual convention February 6 that will choose a new premier. The Antigonish MLA told the Halifax Examiner these ideas are aimed at helping businesses and people “rebound and thrive” once COVID-19 is behind us. Reporter Jennifer Henderson took a...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: Featured, News, Subscribers only

How Emera is profiting off Nova Scotia Power customers in a questionable scheme for green power

Delays in the Muskrat Falls hydro project meant Nova Scotia wouldn't meet its renewable energy targets. And then the Northern Pulp mill closed, and woodlots lost a buyer for their chips. Just then, in the name of filling the gap in renewable power, Nova Scotia Power was allowed to start buying more biomass power from its parent company Emera, at an additional cost to ratepayers of $7 million — and never mind that scientists and environmentalists say biomass doesn't eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.

January 3, 2021 By Jennifer Henderson

Thanks to a provincial government decision, Nova Scotians could be looking at a future power rate increase.  The decision splices together the strands of many competing public and private priorities, and depending on where you sit, you’ll rank them differently. They include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, meeting renewable energy targets, preserving forestry jobs, and —...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: Environment, Featured, News, Province House, Subscribers only

Would you buy a used government from one of these guys?

Don't worry. You don't have to choose. Liberal delegates will pick your next premier for you. All you have to do is live with him... for a while.

January 3, 2021 By Stephen Kimber

Welcome to 2021! In addition to figuring out the appropriate trash folder into which to dump all of 2020 (along with last week’s plethora of pleading emails — Last chance to take advantage of 2020 savings… Last chance in 2020 to donate to this worthy cause… First chance to take advantage of 2021 savings… First...

This content is for subscribers only.
Log In Subscribe

Filed Under: Commentary, Featured, Province House, Subscribers only Tagged With: Iain Rankin, Labi Kousoulis, Liberal leadership 2021, Randy Delorey

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 73
  • Next Page »

The Tideline, with Tara Thorne

Brian Borcherdt. Photo: Anna Edwards-Borcherdt

Brian Borcherdt came of age in Yarmouth in the 1990s. When he arrived in Halifax, the city’s famous music scene was already waning, and worse, the music he made was rejected by the cool kids anyway. After decades away from Nova Scotia, he and his young family have settled in the Annapolis Valley, where he’ll zoom in to chat with Tara about his band Holy Fuck’s endlessly delayed tour, creating the Dependent Music collective, and the freedom and excitement of the improvised music he’s making now. Plus: Bringing events back in 2021.

The Tideline is advertising-free and subscriber-supported. It’s also a very good deal at just $5 a month. Click here to support The Tideline.

Uncover: Dead Wrong

In 1995, Brenda Way was brutally murdered behind a Dartmouth apartment building. In 1999, Glen Assoun was found guilty of the murder. He served 17 years in prison, but steadfastly maintained his innocence. In 2019, Glen Assoun was fully exonerated.

Halifax Examiner founder and investigative journalist Tim Bousquet has followed the story of Glen Assoun's wrongful conviction for over five years. Now, Bousquet tells that story as host of Season 7 of the CBC podcast series Uncover: Dead Wrong.

Click here to go to listen to the podcast, or search for CBC Uncover on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast aggregator.

About the Halifax Examiner

Examiner folk The Halifax Examiner was founded by investigative reporter Tim Bousquet, and now includes a growing collection of writers, contributors, and staff. Left to right: Joan Baxter, Stephen Kimber, Linda Pannozzo, Erica Butler, Jennifer Henderson, Iris the Amazing, Tim Bousquet, Evelyn C. White, El Jones, Philip Moscovitch More about the Examiner.

Sign up for email notification

Sign up to receive email notification of new posts on the Halifax Examiner. Note: signing up for email notification of new posts is NOT subscribing to the Halifax Examiner. To subscribe, click here.

Recent posts

  • The more things change, the more nothing changes January 17, 2021
  • 4 new cases of COVID-19 are announced in Nova Scotia on Sunday, Jan. 17 January 17, 2021
  • 4 new cases of COVID-19 announced in Nova Scotia on Saturday, Jan. 16 January 16, 2021
  • Two new COVID cases announced in Nova Scotia, Strang says people are lying to contact tracers January 15, 2021
  • I wanted to help Public Health assuage people’s concerns about the pace of the vaccine rollout, but they declined to speak with me January 15, 2021

Commenting policy

All comments on the Halifax Examiner are subject to our commenting policy. You can view our commenting policy here.

Copyright © 2021