Halifax’s new climate change action plan aims for carbon neutral city operations in 10 years and carbon neutrality across the municipality by 2050, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put the ever-important short-term success of the plan in jeopardy. “The level of effort and timelines of this plan are ambitious and unprecedented,” reads the final chapter […]
Muskrat Falls project delayed again
Nalcor blames COVID-19 for failing to meet contracted schedule of delivery of power to Nova Scotia Power, but there are also problems with software. As a result, Nova Scotia likely won't meet its renewable energy targets.
Hydroelectricity expected to flow to Nova Scotia from Labrador to reduce dependence on coal-fired plants has been delayed once again. In its quarterly report to the Utilities and Review Board, NS Power Maritime Link (NSPML) says the builder of the Muskrat Falls project is experiencing pandemic-related delays. On March 17, Nalcor (the Newfoundland utility building […]
Just when we need local reporting the most, local media outlets are scaling down operations
Morning File, Wednesday, March 25, 2020
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. News 1. Draconian cuts at SaltWire This item is written by Tim Bousquet. Yesterday, Mark Lever, president of SaltWire, announced that in response to the economic fallout from COVID-19, the company is making huge, draconian cuts: Please know these decisions deeply impact our SaltWire family. This is not […]
Nova Scotia Power won’t cut off your electricity, but we’re not seeing the big cuts in rates that Ontario is ordering
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. You know we are in the time of the Apocalypse when Nova Scotia Power is promising not to turn off the lights (or the heat) if you don’t pay your bill. Well, at least not for the next 90 days if you are a residential […]
MLAs grill Forestry Transition Team members
Sawmill operators whose secondary markets for wood chips have taken a hit as a result of the closure of the pulp mill in Pictou County will not be receiving any financial assistance from the Forestry Transition Fund established by the province. “Everything we do must be seen through the lens of international trade and we...
More police needed to monitor police, and more turbines needed to pay for turbines
Morning File, Tuesday, December 17, 2019
News 1. Northern Pulp “Yesterday, four days before his announcement was due on the Northern Pulp effluent treatment proposal, and less than 24 hours before the deadline for the provincial environment minister to announce his decision, federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson released a statement saying that he had ‘decided not to designate […]
“Bad actors”: a Halifax landlord says a cryptocurrency firm is skipping out on its rent and might hide its assets where no court can find them
Morning File, Monday, December 16, 2019
1. McNeil government Writes Stephen Kimber: I had been hoping to say something positive about Stephen McNeil’s government — it is, after all, the season of speaking positively — but as soon as I began to put electronic keyboard to computer-screen praise, his government inevitably did one more something that was so bone-headed, so egregious, […]
Power rates are going up
Power rates will go up an average of 1.5% in January and by the same amount for each of the next two years. The new rates were approved by the Utility and Review Board in a written decision released Friday. While large industrial customers such as Oxford Frozen Foods will pay 3% a year more,...
The Halifax Examiner subscription drive: what your support funds
Morning File, Friday, November Friggin' 1, 2019
November subscription drive It’s that time again: a month when we unceasingly plead for new subscriptions. To be fair, for most of the rest of the year we mostly leave you alone; aside from a few gentle reminders here and there, there are no popup windows or other annoying admonishes. We’re usually a soft sell. […]
“We need guts”
Morning File, Tuesday, October 29, 2019
News 1. Power back on after being cut for incident in South End NS Power cut power to thousands of residents in the South End Monday evening due to an incident on Harbourview Drive, which runs parallel to the rail cut and NS Power transmission lines. The information from police, via CBC News, is that […]