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“When I was in, on the stand or statements that I wrote, I guess that there was some stuff that was, was false”

After police gave him $17,550, Paul Smith became the main Crown witness in Randy Riley's 2018 murder trial. Riley was convicted. But last year, Smith came forward to say he had lied on the stand, and that his testimony against Riley was false. Moreover, it appears the Crown knew Smith lied on the stand, and did nothing about it. Now, Smith has disappeared.

November 8, 2020 By Tim Bousquet 2 Comments

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ordered a new trial for Randy Riley, the man convicted in 2018 for the 2010 murder of Chad Smith, a pizza delivery driver. The Supreme Court came in response to an application from Riley’s lawyer concerning something called a Vetrovec warning. A Vetrovec warning is a warning given […]

Filed Under: Featured, News Tagged With: Brian Church, Bruce Pitt-Payne, Chad Smith, Const. Steve Fairbairn, Ian Hutchison, Justice Cindy Bourgeois, Justice Duncan Beveridge, Justice Edward Scanlan, Justice James Chipman, Justice Patrick Duncan, Kaitlin Fuller, Lee Seshagiri, Melanie Perry, Nathan Johnson, Pat Atherton, Patrick MacEwen, Paul Smith, Randy Riley trial, RCMP Constable Benedict Chen, RCMP Inspector Martin Marin, Roger Burrill, Supreme Court of Canada (SCC), Trevor McGuigan, Vetrovec warning, wrongful convictions

The Design Review Committee just chucked the HRM By Design rules out the window; now let’s pretend the Centre Plan matters

Morning File, Friday, November 15, 2019

November 15, 2019 By Tim Bousquet 6 Comments

November subscription drive Once again, I’m running out of time to cajole and beg for new subscriptions. However, Iris insists that I remind readers that if you buy an annual subscription this month, we will give you an Examiner T-shirt. Here’s one modelled by my friend Lisa Osmond: Also, I’ll have more details Monday, but […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: affordable housing, Airbnb, Andy Filmore, Bay Ferries, David Wachsmuth, Design Review Committee, Don Cherry, FOIPOP request Yarmouth ferry, HRM By Design, Joel Sparks, Julia-Simone Rutgers, Justice Duncan Beveridge, Justice Joel Fichaud, Justice Peter Bryson, Justice Peter Rosinski, Lisa Manninger, Mary Campbell, Nadia Gonzalez, Nicole LaFosse Parker, Nova Centre hotel, Paul Sampson, PC caucus, peak poppy, Peter Clewes, Remembrance Day, Samanda Ritch, Scott Campbell, Skye Halifax, Smitty's restaurant, Stephen Archibald and brooms, Sutton Place Hotel, Tim's dad, Twisted Sisters, United Gulf Developments Ltd., war, Zane Woodford

Stephen McNeil dodges questions about the proposed Inverness airport and the “conquered peoples” case

July 25, 2019 By Jennifer Henderson

Nova Scotia cabinet ministers met for the first time in three weeks yesterday. After their meeting, journalists had the opportunity to ask the premier a few questions. Inverness airport One question: How much has the Province been asked to contribute to an $18-million airport in Inverness, Cape Breton? The joint venture would make it easier...

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Filed Under: Featured, News, Province House, Subscribers only Tagged With: Alex Cameron, Ben Cowan-Dewar, Build Cape Breton, Cabot Links, conquered people, Inverness Airport, Justice Duncan Beveridge, Justice Minister Diana Whalen, Minister Bernadette Jordan, PC leader Tim Houston, Premier Stephen McNeil

The McNeil government is going for the secrecy gold medal

Is Nova Scotia Canada’s most secretive jurisdiction? Or does it just act that way? Consider a few especially egregious, not-at-all-transparent episodes from just the last week.

July 21, 2019 By Stephen Kimber

Is Nova Scotia Canada’s most secretive jurisdiction? Or does it just act that way? Consider a few especially egregious, not-at-all-transparent episodes from just the last week. Let’s start with the latest on plans to build a new 126,000-sq. ft. community outpatient healthcare facility in Bayers Lake Business Park. Though the facility is ostensibly going to...

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Filed Under: Commentary, Featured, Province House, Subscribers only Tagged With: Alex Cameron, Alton Gas, Community Health Partners, Community Outpatient Centre, conquered people, Devin Stevens, Government secrecy, healthcare, Indigenous rights, Justice Duncan Beveridge, P3 hospital projects, Stephen McNeil, Yarmouth ferry

Pandora’s Box

Morning File, Friday, July 5, 2019

July 5, 2019 By Philip Moscovitch 4 Comments

News 1. “Conquered people” files to be released The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has ordered the provincial government to release the “conquered people” files. The case centres on an infamous brief written by Justice Department lawyer Alex Cameron in the Alton Gas case. Stephen Kimber recapped the story for the Examiner about six weeks […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Akala Point, Alex Cameron, Aly Thomson, Amy Bennett, Andrew Rankin, Anne Derrick, Asa Kachan, Barbara Jannasch, Barbara M Freeman, Bayview Community School, Bethan Lloyd, Cheryl Tatjaoa Nicol, cocaine, conquered people, Craig Burnett, Education Minister Zach Churchill, Halifax Library, Julia-Simone Rutgers, Justice Duncan Beveridge, Justice James Chipman, Karen Hudson, Lisa Bennett, news story survey, Pandora, Paul Withers, Radical Imagination Film and Discussion Series, Sipekne’katik First Nation (Indian Brook)

Court of Appeal hears taxi driver sex assault case

"A drunk can consent," ruled judge Greg Lenehan in lower court decision dismissing charges against Bassam  Al-Rawi.

November 23, 2017 By Jennifer Henderson

“A reluctant acquittal.” That’s how defence lawyer Luke Craggs characterized a decision by Nova Scotia judge Greg Lenehan last March, when Lenehan found taxi driver Bassam Al-Rawi not guilty of sexually assaulting an intoxicated 26-year-old female passenger. Craggs noted that in his written decision, Lenehan admitted he “struggled to understand what this evidence proves.” His...

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Filed Under: Featured, News, Subscribers only Tagged With: Avalon Sexual Assault Centre Society, Bassam Al-Rawi, Bassam Al-Rawi disturbing facts of case, Jennifer Henderson, Jennifer MacLellan, Judge Gregory Lenehan, Justice Cindy Bourgeois, Justice Duncan Beveridge, Justice Jamie Saunders, Kelly McMillan, Luke Craggs

Skepticism about tidal power: Morning File, Thursday, April 13, 2017

April 13, 2017 By Tim Bousquet 10 Comments

News 1. Fishermen continue fight against tidal turbines “The Bay of Fundy Fisherman’s Association says it will continue to oppose the development of tidal power in the Minas Passage, near Parrsboro,” reports Bruce Wark: Association spokesman, Colin Sproul made the pledge after the fishermen lost their court challenge to the deployment of a tidal turbine in November and […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Albert Barbusci, Barry Sheehy, Bruce Wark, climate change, Colin Sproul, Harbor Port Development Partners, Justice Duncan Beveridge, Loring Rayner, Mary Campbell, Sydney Harbour, Sydney Harbour Investment Partners, tidal turbines, Victoria Henneberry

The Tideline, with Tara Thorne

Brian Borcherdt. Photo: Anna Edwards-Borcherdt

Brian Borcherdt came of age in Yarmouth in the 1990s. When he arrived in Halifax, the city’s famous music scene was already waning, and worse, the music he made was rejected by the cool kids anyway. After decades away from Nova Scotia, he and his young family have settled in the Annapolis Valley, where he’ll zoom in to chat with Tara about his band Holy Fuck’s endlessly delayed tour, creating the Dependent Music collective, and the freedom and excitement of the improvised music he’s making now. Plus: Bringing events back in 2021.

The Tideline is advertising-free and subscriber-supported. It’s also a very good deal at just $5 a month. Click here to support The Tideline.

Uncover: Dead Wrong

In 1995, Brenda Way was brutally murdered behind a Dartmouth apartment building. In 1999, Glen Assoun was found guilty of the murder. He served 17 years in prison, but steadfastly maintained his innocence. In 2019, Glen Assoun was fully exonerated.

Halifax Examiner founder and investigative journalist Tim Bousquet has followed the story of Glen Assoun's wrongful conviction for over five years. Now, Bousquet tells that story as host of Season 7 of the CBC podcast series Uncover: Dead Wrong.

Click here to go to listen to the podcast, or search for CBC Uncover on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast aggregator.

About the Halifax Examiner

Examiner folk The Halifax Examiner was founded by investigative reporter Tim Bousquet, and now includes a growing collection of writers, contributors, and staff. Left to right: Joan Baxter, Stephen Kimber, Linda Pannozzo, Erica Butler, Jennifer Henderson, Iris the Amazing, Tim Bousquet, Evelyn C. White, El Jones, Philip Moscovitch More about the Examiner.

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Recent posts

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