We do not live in a culture of consent. I was reminded of this fact when scrolling through the comments of a news article criticizing the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that maintains that “stealthing” — the act of pretending to use a condom, or removing one prior to sex without the […]
Unfinished business: Donald Sobey, Derek Power, and the ‘pardoned’ sexual assault
During his lifetime, Donald Sobey did his best to bury the truth of his 1991 sexual assault conviction with dismissive public statements, non-disclosure agreements, a federal pardon, philanthropy, and many, many good deeds. None of that made the life of the young man he'd assaulted any easier. Now Derek Power is telling his story, finally claiming his own justice.
There are legitimate questions. Like why? And — more significantly — why now? On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, the Globe and Mail published “Donald Sobey’s Sexual Assault of a Young Man was an Open Secret. Now his Victim is Finally Telling his Story,” a feature I co-reported and wrote with Globe business reporter Joe Castaldo. […]
The perks of not waiting around for anyone
Morning File, Thursday, July 28, 2022
News 1. Chender, Churchill concerned shelving art gallery could mean cuts, delays for other projects On Wednesday, Premier Tim Houston announced that the new Art Gallery of Nova Scotia project for the Halifax waterfront was being put on indefinite hold. The announcement was made in a news release. “We value the arts and want to make […]
Civilian Review & Complaints Commission to investigate how the RCMP handled sexual assault complaints from Susie Butlin
Three days after the RCMP rebuffed her fears, Butlin was shot and killed by the man who sexually assaulted her.
This article includes an account of violence. Nearly five years after Butlin’s death, today the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP “initiated a complaint and public interest investigation into the RCMP’s handling of the sexual assault and subsequent death” of Susan Butlin. On September 17, 2017, Ernie Ross “Junior” Duggan shot and […]
Dartmouth junior high students create project to raise awareness about sexual violence
A group of Grade 9 students at Bicentennial School in Dartmouth are wrapping up the school year having learned more about sexual violence, assault, and harassment with a project they created in their class. In October, the students, including Athena Woodford, Meredith Gall, and Neil Rissesco, were talking in an informal online class group chat […]
Remembering Elly Danica
Morning File, Tuesday, March 15, 2022
News 1. New life for old churches Pour yourself a hot beverage, sit back, and enjoy Suzanne Rent’s new feature, “New life for old churches.” When my kids were little, they were fascinated by the idea of living in a church. There are several old churches on our road, including one almost next door to […]
Halifax police officer charged with sexual assault
A Halifax Regional Police officer was expected to appear in court on Tuesday facing a charge of sexual assault. Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Tea (SIRT) charged Const. Steven Mason, 37, on Jan. 10. According to its report, released Tuesday, Halifax Regional Police contacted SIRT in December 2021 and reported a sexual assault “by an […]
A former cop, now a preacher, is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl, but other media outlets are ignoring the story
Morning File, Tuesday, January 11, 2022
News 1. Three men die from COVID Yesterday, the province reported that three men had died from COVID over the weekend. While genetic sequencing has yet to be completed, all three — one in his 60s, one in his 70s, one in his 80s — contracted the disease during the Omicron outbreak. Their deaths are […]
Preacher accused of sexual assault steps aside from church duties
Though Brian Johnston had planned to officiate a church service this past Sunday at Zion Baptist Church, the Black church in Truro, those plans did not go forward. Rev. Dr. Cheryl Ann Beals of both the African United Baptist Association (AUBA) and the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC), officiated the teleconference service instead. Though […]
Accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl and later fathering her child, former Halifax cop Brian Johnston is expected to resign as pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Truro
Brian Johnston is expected to step down as Pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Truro, Nova Scotia after officiating his final service this Sunday following a report by the Halifax Examiner about a pending lawsuit against the Halifax Regional Police in which he is implicated. Contacted by the Examiner, Johnston declined to comment on the […]