This is Erica Butler, filling in for Tim. News 1. Council defers capital budget approval As we know from last December when it first appeared on council’s agenda, Halifax’s proposed capital budget leaves A LOT out, especially just about anything to do with the city’s approved Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP), and the final years’ implementation […]
Proposed city budget pulls the wheels off bike network
I really, really wanted to write part two of the update on bikeway projects this week. But perhaps it is wiser to step back for a moment from documenting the planning progress around bike infrastructure, to consider whether or not this municipality actually has the intention to follow through and build what’s being planned. This...
And the stadium financing cup-and-pea, smoke-and-mirrors game begins
Morning File, Wednesday, October 31, 2018
News 1. Stadium I was thinking that this morning I’d have a lot of details related to yesterday’s council’s discussion of the proposed stadium, but I’m afraid there’s not much new to report — there weren’t too many revelations yesterday. For background, read what I wrote Monday. There were, however, a lot of councillor questions […]
893 city employees make more than $100,000 annually and yet janitors cleaning city buildings are paid poverty wages
Morning File, Tuesday, August 7, 2018
News 1. Oil spill Friday morning, I criticized Nova Scotia Power (NSP) for its press release related to the oil spill from the Tufts Cove Generating Plant. The press release called it a “limited” spill; I wrote: “Limited” is PR spin. Every oil spill is “limited” in some sense — the Deepwater Horizon spill that destroyed […]
Halifax council passes stupid and overreaching cannabis restrictions
Morning File, Wednesday, July 18, 2018
News 1. Government drops effort to deport Abdoul Abdi The news was announced by Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale via a tweet at 9pm last night: The Government of Canada respects the decision filed on July 13 by the Federal Court concerning Abdoul Abdi. The Government will not pursue deportation for Mr. Abdi. — Ralph Goodale […]
Looks like we’re getting a stadium, whether we want it or not
Morning File, Wednesday, June 20, 2018
News 1. Stadium Yesterday, I went to Halifax City Hall expecting to hear councillors discuss cannabis legalization; I was preparing for a hilarious debate about the evils of smoking the ganja. But before that conversation could get going, the Maritime Football Ltd. people showed up and council kicked the public out of chambers so they […]
Understand how Andy Fillmore derailed a plan to demolish the Cogswell Interchange and you’ll understand how we got the Nova Centre
Morning File, Wednesday, May 9, 2018
News 1. The Halifax Examiner and Cape Breton Spectator’s exposé on the security failure Yesterday, the Halifax Examiner and Cape Breton Spectator went to court to ask Justice Gregory Lenehan to unseal a search warrant Halifax police executed on the house of a 19-year-old Halifax man suspected of illegally downloading information from the FOIPOP website. […]
You’re already getting a tax increase because of the convention centre
Morning File, Wednesday, April 25, 2018
News 1. City budget “They flirted with the idea of dipping into the savings account to lower the number, but in the end Halifax regional councillors approved the municipality’s budget for the year ahead with an increase of nearly 2 per cent to the average property tax bill,” reports Zane Woodford for Metro: Councillor Tim Outhit […]
Growing a city where transit works
In August 2016, shortly after Halifax Transit’s Moving Forward Together plan was revealed to all, I interviewed transit planning consultant Jarrett Walker about the route re-design process. Walker makes a living helping cities rethink their bus networks, and has visited Halifax in the past at the invite of local advocacy group It’s More Than Buses....
Majority come out against a Willow Tree high-rise
The public was heard last night on the proposed 20-storey (and still, somehow, possible 25-storey) tower at the northwest corner of the Willow Tree intersection in Halifax. Councillors spent about four hours hearing from the project developer and just over 40 people, with many more people filling up the gallery and an overflow viewing room...