Halifax councillor Shawn Cleary’s proposal for a cooling-off period for councillors and senior officials was met with a cool reception at council. The request for a staff report looking into the policy, which would temporarily bar politicians and some staff from taking a job dealing with the city after their terms ended, came up during...
Council votes in favour of report on taxi appeals committee
Morning File, Wednesday, September 25, 2019
News 1. Uranium “After yesterday’s meeting of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development, Nova Scotia’s Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act seems to be safe,” reports Joan Baxter. “At least for now.” Baxter recounts the testimony of not one, not two, but three different representatives of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia […]
We’re about to learn just how subservient Nova Scotia is to the forest industry
Morning File, Tuesday, December 4, 2018
1. Clearcutting “The McNeil government is promising less clearcutting on crown lands through new ‘interim’ harvesting guidelines introduced yesterday in response to a comprehensive report on forestry practices prepared by University of King’s College president Bill Lahey last August,” reports Jennifer Henderson: It’s unclear how much the controversial practice will be reduced until after permanent […]
Halifax council and the Martha Mitchell effect
Morning File, Wednesday, October 17, 2018
News 1. Pardons “The federal government will announce on Wednesday morning that it intends to proceed with a plan to grant pardons to Canadians who have past simple possession charges,” reports CTV: Sources have confirmed to CTV News that the government intends to issue pardons, and not record expungements or amnesty, for cases of possession […]
There’s other stuff happening besides cannabis legalization, but also cannabis legalization is happening
Morning File, Tuesday, October 16, 2018
News 1. Kasian Report on VG Redevelopment “Finally, the province has released a massive amount of information from a consulting firm hired to draw up a Master Plan to replace the Victoria General Hospital,” reports Jennifer Henderson: You can read what Kasian Architecture has recommended the proposed new facilities should look like and what services they […]
Halifax council OKs South Park Street bike lane
Halifax is going to build its longest protected bike lane sometime in the next year on South Park Street. The 1.2 kilometre lane will run from Sackville Street all the way to Inglis Street in the south end, near Saint Mary’s University. With council’s approval yesterday, staff will move on to detailed design, and plan...
Flagging the data
I both love and hate crosswalk flags. I love that they are a cheap, simple, grassroots answer to a classic problem facing pedestrians: drivers who just won’t yield. But I hate that they are essentially one more way to shift responsibility for the behaviour of said drivers onto pedestrians.
You may have noticed the increasing presence of buckets of bright orange flags placed on either end of crosswalks throughout Halifax. Since council passed its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in 2014, community members have been allowed to set up crosswalk flags “with input from HRM staff to help ensure programs are carried out appropriately and […]