News 1. Right to “no” week “Happy Right to Know Week!’” writes Stephen Kimber. “It starts today in case you hadn’t noticed. Why would you?” Here in Stephen McNeil’s Nova Scotia — where it is always Their Right Not to Tell Us Day/Week/Month/Year/Mandate/Ever — we should mark the occasion by lowering the flag to half-mast […]
Welcome to the new Halifax Convention Centre! Here’s your $100 fine for smoking on the sidewalk
Morning File, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
News 1. Burnside jail update The prisoners at the Burnside jail have ended their 20-day strike and have issued a statement, which reads in part: Dear supporters, You are commended for your work on our behalf. None of us thought that we would gain so much support by sharing our conditions with the public. The […]
The convention centre is running a $4 million operating deficit this year… and that’s just the beginning of the costs
Morning File, Monday, September 10, 2018
News 1. Mehta Stephen Kimber writes: Last winter, Acadia University said it was investigating [Rick] Mehta “for the manner in which you are expressing views that you are alleged to be advancing or supporting and, in some instances, time that you are spending on these issues in the classroom.” We need to parse that sentence. […]
Bad behaviour everywhere
Morning File, Thursday, August 2, 2018
1. An apology The Halifax Examiner acknowledges that the Armour Group Limited neither hired, nor fired, the janitors previously employed to clean Founder’s Square. Further, The Halifax Examiner retracts, and apologizes for the allegation that Armour Group engaged in racial discrimination in determining to no longer engage with GDI Integrated Facility Services. The original article […]
Why is the city paying for Fred MacGillivray’s superpension?
Morning File, Friday, July 27, 2018
News 1. Retired firefighter sues city, claiming racial discrimination A Black man who is a retired firefighter has filed a lawsuit against the Halifax fire department, alleging that he has been discriminated against because of his race. George Cromwell’s detailed Statement of Claim references incidents that date back to soon after amalgamation of the predecessor […]
Birds of prey and the meaning of life, Shearwater edition
Morning File, Friday, April 20, 2018
1. St. Margaret’s Bay development Last week, Philip Moscovitch reviewed the largest residential development ever proposed for St. Margaret’s Bay — and the divisions in the community it has caused. Moscovitch now follows that up with a report on a meeting held Wednesday night to take public input on the proposal. Click here to read “Talking […]
Polishing a turd: Mayor Mike Savage says the fiscal disaster of the convention centre is a “good news story”
Morning File, Wednesday, April 11, 2018
News 1. Densely calculated density In a Herculean reporting effort, Jennifer Henderson dives deep into the Centre Plan and what it means in terms of the dollar values in the deals the city makes with developers. In particular: In return for “public benefits” — affordable housing units, public art, and the like — the city […]
The convention centre is costing us at least $294 million; what else could that have bought? Morning File, Wednesday, March 7, 2018
News 1. South Park Street bike lane “Halifax is going to build its longest protected bike lane sometime in the next year on South Park Street,” reports Erica Butler: 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 […]