
Welcome to Weekend File, where you’ll find links to all the articles you might have missed last week. Jump to sections in this article:
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday, October 23
1. Atlantic Mining NS in court on environmental charges for the seventh time
Jennifer Henderson reported on Atlantic Mining NS’s latest court appearance. The company, which operates Nova Scotia’s first — and so far only — open pit gold mine at Moose River, is facing 32 environmental charges laid under the Nova Scotia Environment Act .
Sunday, October 24
1. Tim Houston: flip-flopping into focus
In last week’s column, Stephen Kimber wondered is our new premier the refreshing guy who can admit mistakes and change his mind? Or just another yesterday’s politician looking out for number one?
Monday, October 25
1. It’s been a year since violence erupted in the lobster fishery, but the cases of dozens of people facing charges are in limbo and the status of the “moderate livelihood” fishery remains unresolved
Jennifer Henderson looked back on violence that erupted during the commercial lobster season in St. Mary’s Bay and Lobster Fishing Area 35 in southwest Nova Scotia last year. Charges were laid, but as Henderson learned the wheels of justice are slow to turn.
2. Police lawyer objects to subpoenas for Halifax police chief Dan Kinsella and inspector Derrick Boyd to testify in Kayla Borden’s case
Kayla Borden’s appeal is set to be heard at the Nova Scotia Police Review Board in December. Her lawyer, Devin Maxwell, filed subpoenas for Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella and Insp. Derrick Boyd, but police lawyer Andrew Gough said he “sees no basis or foundation for calling” Kinsella or Boyd to testify. Matthew Byard had the details.
3. Morning File: The world is moving past natural gas, and that’s a good thing
We reported that the Alton Natural Gas Storage Project has announced the project is dead. In this Morning File, Tim Bousquet wrote that he never bought the argument that lower-carbon natural gas was the “bridge” we needed until we transitioned to renewable energy.
4. Black News File
Matthew Byard was back with his latest Black News File, with stories on Laura Daye, who passed away at the age of 90, and a roundup of news from the Black community in the last couple of weeks.
5. 1 new COVID death announced in Nova Scotia; 57 new cases over 3 days
The first COVID update of the week included news of a new death from the virus. Tim Bousquet had the report.
Tuesday, October 26
1. After a chance encounter at a park, Liberal leader Iain Rankin called the RCMP on Nicole Gnazdowsky
Zane Woodford has been covering the story of Nicole Gnazdowsky, who’s been fighting to get answers into the death of her brother, Andrew, last year. In this latest report, Woodford wrote about what happened when Gzandowsky met up with Liberal leader Iain Rankin in a park in the Timberlea-Prospect riding where Rankin is the MLA and where Gnazdowsky lives.
2. Morning File: Cooking eggs is highly skilled labour
Philip Moscovitch looked back at an article he read in the New Yorker in 2005 called The Egg Men. It’s the story of the short-order cooks at a restaurant in Las Vegas whose talents cooking eggs into all kinds of dishes know no bounds. But it’s also a reminder that what we consider low-skilled labour actually requires a lot of skills. Also, stick around for the bit on fulpizza. You might lose your appetite.
3. Atlantic Gold agrees to a tentative plea deal that would have the company pay $120,000 to the Nova Scotia Salmon Association to atone for breaking environmental rules, but ‘no deal,’ says the Salmon Association
Joan Baxter reported on a plea deal that would have Atlantic Gold pay money to the Nova Scotia Salmon Association. But the association said no way, and were especially concerned with the conditions that would go with that cash.
4. 100th Nova Scotian dies from COVID-19; 7 new cases announced
Another Nova Scotian died from COVID-19 this week. It was the 10oth death in the province since the beginning of the pandemic. Tim Bousquet had more.
Wednesday, October 27
1. ‘Finding a balance on development,’ Halifax council passes second half of Centre Plan
Zane Woodford attended the public hearing for the second half of the Centre Plan Package B. As Woodford reported, the plan rezones all of peninsular Halifax and urban Dartmouth, generally consisting of the area within the Circumferential Highway. Package B got the go-ahead, ending a process that started in 2006.
2. Morning File: A look back at Halifax’s old streets
Ethan Lycan-Lang found a copy of a book by Joseph S. Rogers. It’s a collection of photographs of Halifax from 1871. Lycan-Lang included a few of the shots in this Morning File to show how the city has changed — or hasn’t. Stick around for the Footnote and the cover of another book he found.
3. PCs introduce environmental legislation
Tim Bousquet got all the details on the Houston government’s new Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act. As Bousquet reported, the Act is an updated version of the previous Liberal government’s Sustainable Development Goals Act of 2019, but with some big changes.
4. On the set as filming of documentary Black Ice begins in Nova Scotia
Matthew Byard interviewed director Hubert Davis to talk about the documentary Black Ice being filmed in Nova Scotia. Davis is interviewing the descendants of the players of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes — including Byard’s father, Paul.
5. 26 new cases of COVID-19 announced in Nova Scotia on Wednesday, Oct. 27
Tim Bousquet had the midweek COVID update, which included the announcement of 26 new cases, 22 of which were in Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone.
Thursday, October 28
1. Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia converting Dartmouth hotel to supportive housing for 65 people
Zane Woodford had the news that a Travelodge in north Dartmouth will be converted into housing for 65 people in need. Woodford spoke with an employee who confirmed that Thursday was the last day the hotel would be open to guests. The Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia will use about $6.3 million in federal money from the Rapid Housing Initiative to convert the hotel.
2. Morning File: Some kids don’t want their photos shared on school social media
Suzanne Rent spoke with Caroline Arsenault who’d like to see more options on how her children’s photos are shared by their schools and regional centre for education. Rent also had a piece on Susan Orlean and her book, On Animals. And she shared a tribute to one of her good bosses, who passed away in September.
3. 31 new cases of COVID-19 are announced in Nova Scotia on Thursday, Oct. 28; over half of them are young children
A lot of kids ages zero to 11 have COVID now. As Tim Bousquet learned 16 out of the 31 new cases announced Thursday were among children age 11 and under.
4. PC government bill would allow minister to approve Halifax developments without public consultation
Zane Woodford reported on two bills that formalized Premier Tim Houston’s government’s plans to dip into municipal affairs. The bills would create a new agency on transportation and an executive panel on housing in Halifax Regional Municipality.
5. Nova Scotia rent cap would continue under proposed PC legislation, but loopholes remain
And another story on new legislation. Zane Woodford reported on An Act to Implement an Interim Residential Rental Increase Cap introduced by Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services Minister Colton LeBlanc. That Act doesn’t cover the issue with fixed-term leases, though.
6. Martin was abused when he was a child in provincial custody at the Youth Training Centre in Waterville; now he’s an adult in provincial jail and can’t get counselling
El Jones had a story about Martin, who told her about the struggles he and others in provincial jail have getting counselling. As he told Jones, “a lot of people may not qualify for counselling because they don’t want to tell their story. It stirs up stuff that they don’t want to think about.”
Friday, October 29
1. Morning File: Antivaxxers go to court in a hopeless bid to stop Dr. Strang from requiring proof of vaccination for children
Tim Bousquet writes about Citizens Alliance of Nova Scotia (CANS) filing a Notice for Judicial Review in the provincial Supreme Court in Yarmouth about vaccinating kids. Bousquet outlines what it’s all about and as he writes, you can read the “bunch of gobbledygook” here.
2. 26 new cases of COVID-19 announced in Nova Scotia; weekly recap
The final COVID update of the week had all the vaccination data, too.
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