The government of Nova Scotia has a process for identifying potential contaminated sites in the province — 69 of which are abandoned mines — but has no coordinated approach to manage or prioritize their cleanup. That’s one of the troubling conclusions contained in a performance audit released today by acting Auditor General Terry Spicer. It’s...
Nova Scotia government doles out $10 million more for Northern Pulp
The effluent pipeline may have been turned off but the provincial money pipeline continues to flow
The Nova Scotian government will be giving Paper Excellence, the parent company of Northern Pulp and a corporation linked to the multi-billionaire Widjaja family of Indonesia, still more millions. This time, the amount is $10 million. Northern Pulp still owes the province $85 million from previous loans. And the company still owes $65 million on...
After resisting, Nova Scotia comes through with “pandemic premium” for frontline health care workers
“We would like to see a living wage every day... If you can do it in a pandemic, you should be able to do it all the time. Make it a meaningful change.”
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. Nova Scotians who work in nursing homes, publicly-funded home-care, hospitals, and ambulances will receive a one-time lump sum of $2,000 this July in recognition of their efforts during the pandemic. The news was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday. A news release from the […]
No “pandemic premium” for Nova Scotia health care workers
Ontario and Quebec have increased the pay for the continuing care assistants, nurses, and dietary and cleaning staff working in nursing homes during the COVID-19 crisis. It's a recognition that those workers are both needed and putting their own health at risk. But Premier Stephen McNeil has rejected calls to give this province's frontline workers similar recognition; in Nova Scotia, they'll continue on with the same low pay they've always received.
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. Over the weekend, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that Ontario will pay “a pandemic premium” of $4 an hour to continuing care assistants (CCAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), as well as dietary and cleaning staff who work in long-term care homes, group homes, home-care, and […]
Moose River betrayal
In 2008, the approval of the Moose River gold mine was conditioned on the mining company giving the province hundreds of acres of conservation land within four years; 12 years later, there's still no approved plan in place.
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. On March 31, the Australian company St. Barbara, which last year acquired Atlantic Gold with its open pit gold mine at Moose River and a project to open three more mines along Nova Scotia’s Eastern shore, sent investors a COVID-19 update. It stated: St Barbara’s […]
Virtual doctors’ visits now OK: physicians and province strike deal
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. The president of the organization representing Nova Scotia’s doctors says they’ve reached an agreement with the province that will enable more physicians to virtually meet with patients. “Basically doctors can bill for seeing people as long as it’s for something where they don’t have to […]
Puzzling developments with Cape Breton’s non-existent container terminal
Morning File, Monday, January 20, 2020
News 1. Walmart incident “When a young black woman accused the Halifax police of racially profiling and abusing her in connection with an alleged shoplifting incident at Walmart last week, officials did what officials do,” writes Stephen Kimber. “They obfuscated, they passed the buck, they pretended to take it seriously.” Click here to read “Can […]
Imagine Spring Garden Road where everyone looks the same
Morning File, Tuesday, September 24, 2019
News 1. Naturalists go to court “Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Christa Brothers will decide whether the Minister of Lands and Forestry has failed to live up to the obligations set out in the Endangered Species Act to protect wildlife in the province,” reports Jennifer Henderson: “We seek the Court’s assistance as a last resort,” […]
Paying for cops but not courts: Yarmouth ferry file
It’s heartening to learn the Province has not been asked by Bay Ferries to pay its legal fees to appeal a judge’s decision which allows the Progressive Conservative leader to seek a court order to find out how much taxpayer’s money is going to Bay Ferries for managing the Yarmouth ferry service. Which isn’t to […]
We’ve spent $15 million a year on the Yarmouth ferry; here’s a better and lots more fun idea for spending the money
Morning File, Thursday, March 21, 2019
News 1. Ferry funding The province announced funding for the Yarmouth ferry yesterday: The province is helping to renovate the Bar Harbor ferry terminal to accommodate the Nova Scotia-Maine ferry service. The expected cost is $8.5 million. … The renovation costs will be included in the province’s 2018-19 spending. The work is currently underway with […]