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Communications specialist: “hundreds of thousands of dollars” were spent to produce “blatant lies” for the campaign against the Biodiversity Act

April 15, 2021 By Joan Baxter 11 Comments

Last month Forest Nova Scotia, an industry group representing the most powerful shapers of forestry policy in Nova Scotia spearheaded a propaganda campaign against the Biodiversity Act. The Liberal government of Iain Rankin had introduced the Act on March 11, calling it legislation that would “preserve and protect Nova Scotia’s unique ecosystems, wild animals, plants, […]

Filed Under: Environment, Featured, News, Province House Tagged With: advertising, advertising code, advertising standards, Astroturf organization, Bill 4, Biodiversity Act, CBC Information Morning, Center For Media and Democracy, Chronicle Herald, Chuck Porter, Concerned Private Landowners Coalition, Department of Lands and Forests, Department of Natural Resources, Forest Nova Scotia, Jeff Bishop, Law Amendments Committee, Premier Iain Rankin, Preston Mulligan, propaganda, R&G, SaltWire, Saltwire Network, Sarah Riley, Species at Risk, Stephen Kimber, Stop Bill 4 campaign

Pieridae’s pipe dream

Pieridae Energy’s plans for a liquified natural gas plant in Nova Scotia sit in the sweet spot of an elaborate Rube Goldberg financing machine that requires Shell Oil offloading some aging gas wells in Alberta to a cash-strapped energy company living on the hope of sky-high gas costs in Germany years from now.

April 13, 2021 By Joan Baxter

If the Halifax Examiner inbox is anything to go by, there is no shortage of critics of Pieridae Energy and its plans to pipe natural gas into Nova Scotia, build a $10-billion liquefied natural gas plant in Goldboro on the province’s Eastern Shore, and then ship the LNG to Germany, a project the Halifax Examiner...

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Filed Under: Environment, Featured, Investigation, News, Subscribers only Tagged With: Alberta, Alberta Energy Regulator, Alberta Liabilities Disclosure Project, Alfred Sorensen, Andrew Nikiforuk, Andy Gheorghiu, carbon offsetting, climate emergency, Environment Minister Randy Delorey, Environnement Vert Plus, Erikson National Energy, Fortum, fracked gas, Fracking, German Ministry of Economics and Energy, Germany, Goldboro LNG plant, greenhouse gas emissions, James Millar, Ken Summers, Larry Hughes, liquefied natural gas, Mark Dorin, Mark Horrox, natural gas, Nova Scotia Environment, Pascal Bergeron, Pieridae Energy, Polluter Pay Federation, Premier Iain Rankin, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Quebec Environmental Law Centre, Regan Boychuk, Shell Canada, SLAPP, Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, The Tyee, Third Eye Capital, Thomas Ciz, Uniper, US Department of Energy

Premier Rankin talks a good game. Where have we heard that before?

During a Chamber of Commerce state-of-the-province event last week, our new premier postured back at the chamber's posturing about his government's budget. But should we have faith he means what he says?

April 11, 2021 By Stephen Kimber

Gavin MacDonald’s introduction was full of the expected whinging and woe-is-us, and — of course, as always — it arrived with its own neatly wrapped Santa’s wish list for the good girls and boys gathered last week in an appropriately socially distanced convention centre meeting room. MacDonald, a corporate lawyer who is also chair of...

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Filed Under: Commentary, Featured, Province House, Subscribers only Tagged With: Biodiversity Act, Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Premier Iain Rankin, Rankin budget

Iain Rankin says he’s listened and learned. Now it’s time to lead

On Tuesday, Rankin will get his first chance as premier to make his first lasting impression on Nova Scotians. What will he say? What should he say?

February 21, 2021 By Stephen Kimber

After Nova Scotia Lieutenant-Governor Arthur LeBlanc performs his ceremonial and socially distanced laying on of hands at the Halifax Convention Centre on Tuesday morning — instantly transforming Iain Rankin, the twice-elected MLA for Timberlea-Prospect, into Iain Rankin, the suddenly unelected premier of all he surveys — our 29th premier will get a first chance to...

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Filed Under: Commentary, Featured, Province House, Subscribers only Tagged With: Premier Iain Rankin, Stephen McNeil, Yarmouth ferry

The Tideline, with Tara Thorne

Keonté Beals. Photo: Keke Beatz

Episode #21 of The Tideline, with Tara Thorne is published.

The young R&B artist Keonté Beals — Tara’s former NSCC student, by the way — started out singing in church in North Preston and performing popular covers before digging into who he is an artist. On his debut album KING, he sings about love, loyalty, and authenticity. He zooms in for a chat about its creation, his children’s book, and how not even a pandemic can keep him down.

This episode is available today only for premium subscribers; to become a premium subscriber, click here, and join the select group of arts and entertainment supporters for just $5/month.

Please subscribe to 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

  • City lawyers see potential ‘perception of a conflict of interest’ in representing Halifax police board April 16, 2021
  • A “Conversation About Femicide” connects domestic violence to mass murders April 16, 2021
  • 1 more COVID death in Nova Scotia and 6 new cases; Rankin rejects redeploying vaccine to provinces with out of control outbreaks April 16, 2021
  • Rankin refusal: No straight answers on Northwood April 16, 2021
  • Group asks for more funding for grief counselling: “Canadians have been robbed of goodbyes” April 16, 2021

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