In March 2020, the Halifax Examiner published the award-winning series, “Port Wallace Gamble: the real estate boom meets Nova Scotia’s toxic mine legacy.” The three articles (available here, here and here) looked at Clayton Developments’ proposed new and massive subdivision for Port Wallace in Dartmouth, and serious concerns about the mercury and arsenic contamination from […]
Public paying the price to clean up old gold mines
Anaconda Mining says the province indemnified it from any liabilities associated with the toxic historic tailings in Goldboro, and plans to mine around them, while Nova Scotians pay to clean them up.
The gold rush in Upper Seal Harbour near Goldboro began with the discovery of gold in 1892 by a fellow named Howard Richardson. For the next 65 years, gold miners dug rock out of the earth in what was known as the “Richardson Belt” on the banks of Gold Brook Lake in Guysborough County. […]
New protected status for Tatamagouche water supply means an end to mineral exploration, mining in the watershed
Sustainable Northern Nova Scotia "delighted" with the decision from the province, but says work continues to stop five other large-scale gold mining projects that are ongoing or planned for Nova Scotia.
It took close to two years, and a change of government, but the province has now approved protection of the French River watershed, which provides Tatamagouche with its water. According to the press release today from Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change: Environment and Climate Change Minister Tim Halman designated the French River watershed as […]
Business and “grouchers” from 1892-1913
Morning File, Tuesday, December 7, 2021
News 1. Benefits outweigh risks when it comes to vaccinating kids against COVID-19, new study says Yvette d’Entremont speaks with Dr. Karina Top, co-author of a new report on risks and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for children. Top says there are a lot of good reasons to vaccinate children, especially with the holidays coming: Children […]
The Examiner quizzed the four main political parties on gold mining issues. Here are their responses.
Nova Scotia is experiencing a 21st century gold rush. Unlike the three previous gold rushes in the province in the 1800s and 1900s, this one involves a whole new kind of destructive extractive industry — open pit gold mines so massive they can be seen from outer space. These mines leave behind mountains of toxic […]
Maritime Launch Services has hired a PR firm to conduct a “push poll” for its proposed spaceport in Canso
About a year and a half ago, a couple of people contacted the Halifax Examiner about a telephone survey they had participated in. The survey concerned them because it seemed designed to convince respondents that they should support open pit gold mining in the province, something they emphatically did not support. On February 5, 2020, […]
The Oblates ignored the stories and abuse at residential schools
Morning File, Wednesday, June 9, 2021
News 1. Gold and silver awards for Examiner contributors at the Atlantic Journalism Awards Congratulations to the members of the Examiner team who won gold and silver at yesterday’s Atlantic Journalism Awards. Rather than being held in-person, of course, the event was online, with winners announced via YouTube videos. Yvette d’Entremont won gold in the […]
Aurelius Minerals is still making false claims to potential investors about its Nova Scotia gold mine
Two months after the Halifax Examiner learned that Aurelius does not have "active and valid" environmental or industrial approval for the gold mine site on Eastern Shore, the company continues to say its site is "one of only two permitted gold mines and mills in the province."
Misinformation about the status of Aurelius Mineral’s Aureus East property on the Eastern Shore is still being circulated by the company and financial publications, even after Nova Scotia Environment confirmed, once again, there have been “no changes” in the company’s permits. Aurelius CEO Mark Ashcroft sees it differently, but we’ll get to that.First, some background. […]
What does the mayor do?
Morning File, Thursday, September 17, 2020
News 1. Mayoral candidates face off for the first time Halifax’s three mayoral candidates debated each other yesterday, at an event hosted by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. Zane Woodford attended, and reports on the candidates’ replies to questions from moderator Norma Lee MacLeod. While Taylor reiterated his stance that he doesn’t care who you […]
Port Wallace Gamble: the real estate boom meets Nova Scotia’s toxic mine legacy
Part 2: the suburb proposed to be built in the shadow of Montague Gold Mines
This is a story about the toxic legacy from historic gold mines in Nova Scotia, which its citizens will be paying many millions of dollars to try to clean up, and how the contamination at just one of these sites — Montague Mines in HRM — is still affecting us today. This, the second in […]