News 1. Power outages “Three-and-a-half days after Dorian knocked out power for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the province, Nova Scotia Power issued a news release Tuesday evening, Sept.10, saying it had restored electricity for 75% of these customers,” reports Jennifer Henderson: “We have the most crews working in Nova Scotia history,” boasted the […]
Heartbreak and rage
Morning File, Wednesday, August 28, 2019
News 1. Man dies in custody at East Coast Forensic Hospital El Jones has the heartbreaking story of Gregory Hiles, who died by suicide on August 20 while in custody at the East Coast Forensic Hospital. On Tuesday, August 20th, Sheila Hiles spoke with her son Gregory for over an hour until around 10pm, when […]
A Tree Walk will make us all rich!
Morning File, Thursday, August 22, 2019
News 1. Cod “DFO has issued a stark warning linking the demise of codfish in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence to an exploding seal population,” reports Paul Withers for the CBC: It’s contained in the most recent stock assessment of Atlantic cod in the southern gulf, which was released earlier this month. “At the current abundance […]
How many adults looked the other way as children in their care were being sexually abused?
Morning File, Thursday, August 8, 2019
News 1. Patrick McNutt This item contains accounts of sexual abuse of children. A police release from yesterday: Investigators with the Special Investigation Section of the Integrated Criminal Investigative Division have laid additional charges against a man in relation to multiple historical sexual assaults that occurred in the 1970s and 80s. Investigators have charged Michael […]
So much McNeil, so few answers
Morning File, Friday, July 26, 2019
News 1. Furey on Assoun Justice Minister Mark Furey continues to not really weigh in on Glen Assoun’s wrongful conviction. Jennifer Henderson reports that the Minister of Justice thinks an apology is premature: “An apology would be premature at this time until I have an opportunity to review the full scope of the file,” said […]
Stephen McNeil held a scripted PR event and the compliant media played along
Morning File, Friday, May 31, 2019
News 1. Stephen McNeil to John Perkins: file a complaint “If you aren’t keen on police roughing you up and cuffing you at a pubic meeting, or corporations dialing up the Mounties to act as bouncers, then go file a complaint with one of two watchdogs that investigate actions by RCMP officers,” reports Jennifer Henderson. […]
1940s writing tips from New York City via Royal Sweets in New Glasgow
Morning File, Thursday, April 18, 2019
News 1. Work-related deaths nearly double in Nova Scotia Yesterday, the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia released numbers on work-related injuries or deaths. The big item: the number of people who either died at work or from work-related illnesses nearly doubled last year, from 21 to 40. Some of these deaths are the result […]
How many pink shirts will it take to fix this?
Morning File, Thursday, April 4, 2019
News 1. How many pink shirts will it take to fix this? A few days ago, the news broke that two former NDP cabinet members had complained about Zach Churchill’s behaviour while they were in office. One was Ramona Jennex, but the other wasn’t named. Now we know who it is: Denise Peterson-Rafuse (formerly my […]
Journalmalism 101: This week, Halifax lost four very good Canadian Press reporters; in return we got… Christie Blatchford
Morning File, Friday, March 29, 2019
News 1. Street checks Yesterday, I wrote: This is how it goes. Every now and then something happens — a Black man with the resources and gumption to do something about it stands up to the harassment, the results of a CBC Freedom of Information request are published — that make it temporarily impossible for […]
Horsing around with taxpayers’ money for some connected guy’s get-rich-quick scheme
Morning File, Monday, March 4, 2019
News 1. Glen Assoun In 1999, Glen Assoun was convicted of the murder of his former girlfriend, Brenda Way. He spent 16-and-a- half years in prison and four-and-a-half years under strict conditions of parole. Throughout, he maintained his innocence. The murder of Way and conviction of Assoun is the subject of the first three parts […]