News 1. Hospital parking garage Councillor Waye Mason says he’s “optimistic” that a “win-win” compromise over the parking garage for the new QEII hospital is possible after the city and province met on Friday afternoon. Yesterday, council voted to start the process of closing a part of the west side of Summer Street to co-locate […]
Who killed the electric bus? Halifax Transit turns down electric bus funding, opts to stick with diesel instead
City staff are “mothballing” an electric bus pilot project for which council had already approved $1 million in funding, in the process turning down another $2.25 million in federal funding secured to help fund the project, according to documents obtained under a Freedom of Information request. An electric bus generates about 62 fewer tonnes of […]
Province amps up its unwise and discredited biofuel efforts
Morning File, Thursday, December 13, 2018
News 1. Biofuel Last year, in her article “Life After Pulp,” Linda Pannozzo showed how as the old pulp industry is collapsing, the government is chasing two other forest dreams — biomass and biofuel. On the latter, she wrote: In 2012, when the Dexter government announced the defunct paper mill would become a business hub […]
Bullshitter of the day: Jacques Dubé
Morning File, Thursday, November 1, 2018
November subscription drive It’s time for our annual November subscription drive, so all month I’ll be banging the subscription drum a bit more frequently and a bit louder. The Halifax Examiner is just over four years old. As owner, I run this business very conservatively. The Examiner is financially sound, there’s zero debt, all taxes […]
Shortsighted and a bit foolish: Morning File, Wednesday, September 6, 2017
I’m Erica Butler, your friendly neighbourhood Examiner transportation columnist, filling in for Tim this morning. News 1. Tire-burning “A handful of Colchester County residents will get their day in court next year to try and halt a one-year pilot project that would burn tires for fuel at the Lafarge Canada cement plant in Brookfield, 12 […]
City staff cite the right-wing, anti-worker Fraser Institute for their living wage report: Morning File, Monday, June 19, 2017
News 1. Living Wage Back in February, Halifax council directed city staff to prepare a report: that addresses options for scoring of Local preference, social economic benefit, employee compensation/living wage, and environmental impact when evaluating proposals, and recommend any supporting amendments to the procurement policy as a result. That report, written by Senior Procurement Consultant Erin […]
Halifax Harbour is shrinking: Morning File, Monday, April 10, 2017
News 1. Dubé and lying city councillors In early March, I was tipped that Halifax CAO Jacques Dubé had been missing from City Hall for two weeks. I called around, and spoke to three councillors, two of whom told me that Dubé had a family member who had a severe illness and was attending to it. […]
“Salacious details”: the Halifax connection. Morning File, Thursday, January 12, 2017
News 1. “Salacious details”: the Halifax connection Don’t think about an elephant. Now don’t think about Donald Trump and golden showers. OK, well, now that you can’t stop thinking about either, you might as well know there’s a Halifax connection to the latter story. Reports the Guardian: In mid-November, the documents took another route into Washington […]
The dangers of Glynnis O’Connor and her horse: Morning File, Tuesday, December 20, 2016
News 1. Living wage Yesterday, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a study of living wage requirements in Halifax and Antigonish: The 2016 living wage for Halifax is $19.17 and the living wage for Antigonish is $17.30. This is the wage rate required to pay the necessities for a family of four with two […]
“I miss the job” – Sue Uteck. Examineradio, episode #72
After losing her long-held south-end seat by fewer than 100 votes, former city councillor Sue Uteck is gearing up to challenge incumbent Waye Mason in this October’s municipal election. What’s inspiring her run and what does she think the city should be doing better? Plus, CBC steps in it by “explaining” that North Preston is some sort […]