Despite dire warnings from the forestry industry when Northern Pulp shut down at the end of January, not one sawmill in Nova Scotia has closed. That’s the good news. The bad news is that in order to provide replacement markets for bark, woodchips, and sawmill waste, large biomass boilers in the province are running flat-out. […]
The criminal destruction of evidence in the Assoun case by cops should scare the hell out of all of us
Morning File, Friday, September 18, 2020
News 1. Premier calls for criminal investigation of cops “Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil wants police acts in the Glen Assoun wrongful conviction case referred to the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) for a possible criminal investigation,” I reported yesterday: At a post-cabinet meeting scrum with reporters [Thursday], I had the following exchange with McNeil: […]
Keep the travel restrictions
Morning File, Tuesday, September 15, 2020
News 1. Forest health Linda Pannozzo writes: Instead of improving the state of the province’s forests, the Nova Scotia government conducts a survey about improving The State of the Forest reporting. The Halifax Examiner takes the survey. Pannozzo methodically walks us through why it’s wrong to repeatedly ask the public to take part in surveys […]
Clear as mud: How the government’s reports on Nova Scotia forests obfuscate and confuse the data
Instead of improving the state of the province’s forests, the Nova Scotia government conducts a survey about improving The State of the Forest reporting. The Halifax Examiner takes the survey.
In recent days you might have received an email from the Department of Lands and Forestry (DLF) inviting you to answer a survey about its State of the Forest report (SOF), first published in 2008, and updated in 2016. Using data collected by the DLF, the document purportedly describes the changing condition of the forest,...
A fascinating (and disturbing) look at North End Dartmouth, circa 1970s
Morning File, Friday, August 30, 2019
News 1. Politicians respond, sort of, to Greg Hiles’ death This item is written by Jennifer Henderson. Premier McNeil, Health Minister Randy Delorey, and Justice Minister Mark Furey all read from the same script after Thursday’s meeting of Cabinet ministers in charge of the province. There will be no consideration given to any sort of […]
Court papers reveal a previously unpublicized industrial accident at the Moose River Gold Mine
Morning File, Friday, August 23, 2019
News 1. Dartmouth lakes “On a hot steamy night more than 150 Dartmouth residents turned up at a ‘Save Our Lakes’ meeting hosted by Claudia Chender and Susan Leblanc, the representatives for Dartmouth South and Dartmouth North in the legislature,” reports Jennifer Henderson: Top among the concerns expressed at the Micmac Aquatic Club last night […]
Alex Cameron’s “conquered people” brief is odious, but he’s got a good case against the McNeil government
Morning File, Thursday, July 18, 2019
News 1. “Conquered people” secrecy “The Nova Scotia government has won another temporary victory in its attempts to keep court documents sealed relating to a controversial brief that suggested the Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia were a conquered people,” reports Jean Laroche for the CBC: On Wednesday, Supreme Court of Canada Justice Russell Brown sided with the province […]
The Innovation Hub of Nova Scotia: the “biomass” company you’ve probably never heard of
The Innovation Hub of Nova Scotia (branded as the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub) is a non-profit corporation which includes a mix of the largest private companies in the province as well as participation by provincial and federal governments. You have probably never heard of it. Its mission is find and financially assist companies interested in...
The Sydney container terminal and crazed right-wingers: the Polish nationalist connection
Morning File, Thursday, May 9, 2019
Clarification: On May 9, 2019, the Halifax Examiner published a column entitled “The Sydney container terminal and crazed right-wingers: the Polish nationalist connection” that referred to Mr. Barry Sheehy’s role as a consultant to the Sydney Harbour Investment Partners. The column was critical of the proposed container terminal planned for Sydney Harbour as the author […]
Anthony Leblanc is asking the Trudeau government to pay for his stadium
Morning File, Tuesday, March 19, 2019
News 1. Alton Gas This item is written by Jennifer Henderson. “There is no evidence to support the occupation of land near Fort Ellis by Dale Poulette, Rachael Greenland-Smith, and others,” said N.S. Supreme Court Justice Gerald Moir in an oral decision granting Alton Natural Gas Storage Inc. a temporary injunction. The injunction is aimed […]