News 1. When it comes to regulating police use of force, are council’s hands really tied? We’re leading this morning not with a straight news story, but an important commentary from Harry Critchley of the East Coast Prison Justice Society, and the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia. Critchley recaps some key background on police […]
The Halifax police department is going to great lengths to prevent you from knowing how Glen Assoun was wrongfully convicted
With very limited exceptions (national security, for instance), we do not have secret court evidence in Canada. We have the exact opposite: an Open Court Principle. I wrote about the Open Court Principle after the Halifax Examiner, the CBC, and the Canadian Press prevailed in our effort to get court documents unsealed in the Glen […]
Northern Pulp’s environmental assessment “is simply not credible” says EAC
Morning File, Wednesday, March 13, 2019
News 1. Pulp Culture We’ve published Linda Pannozzo’s detailed review of how through the decades the province has oriented forest policies — and purposefully subverted science — to favour the pulp industry over the lumber industry. As a result, overcutting has resulted in smaller trees that provide less lumber, and now the sawmills are […]
Gnawing away at the vitals of this community, since 1970
Morning File, Friday, January 18, 2019
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 […]
Oil spills, protected areas, and the future of the planet
Morning File, Monday, November 19, 2018
November subscription drive I’m really bad at self-promotion, so I’m going to let Trevor Parsons give today’s plug for the November subscription drive: This @HfxExaminer travel mug won't help you survive in #WildNovaScotia, but it will keep your coffee warm on the way to the trail head. More importantly, subscribing to the Examiner helps to […]
Halifax cop accused of using police database to investigate his girlfriend’s ex-husband
A Halifax police officer used a police computer database to improperly investigate his girlfriend’s ex-husband, alleges a lawsuit filed in Supreme Court Wednesday. Terry Atkinson tells the Examiner that he served in the armed forces for 25 years as a medic. As a result of that service, he suffers from PTSD. In his lawsuit, Atkinson […]
Corrections officials came to Province House for questioning; here’s how they answered
On Wednesday morning, I attended the Public Accounts committee meeting at Province House. Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Hudson, Chris Collett Executive Director of Correctional Services, and provincial Director of Correctional Services Sean Kelly were answering questions about the Auditor General report from May, 2018. Among other concerns, the report revealed jails were not following the rules […]
The “breach of privacy” arrest looks like an exercise in misdirection
Morning File, Thursday, April 12, 2018
News 1. “Breach of privacy” Yesterday, the province announced that the Freedom of Information site had been “breached”: Government is working with Halifax Regional Police to investigate a breach of information on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPOP) website. Of the documents that were inappropriately accessed, less than four per cent, about […]
A very tenuous Halifax connection to the Trump-Russia scandal: Morning File, Thursday, March 16, 2017
News 1. Court Watch This week, Christina Macdonald looks at the Kobylanski trial, a Kentville meth lab, and how the Stewiacke election demonstrates why we shouldn’t trust electronic voting. Click here to read Court Watch. This article is behind the Examiner’s paywall and so is available only to paid subscribers. Click here to purchase a subscription. 2. […]
Balancing budgets on the backs of the working poor isn’t fiscal responsibility; it’s exploitation. Morning File, Friday, September 30, 2016
News Views Noticed Government On campus In the harbour Footnotes News 1. George Tsimiklis is the worst landlord in town Halifax landlord and developer George Tsimiklis preys on poor people. That’s his business model: renting out substandard housing to people on social assistance who have few options in life. Yesterday, I detailed the dozens and dozens of […]