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:
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sunday, November 28
1. Nova Scotia Power: changing standards to match declining performance
The power company hasn’t met regulator-required customer service and reliability standards for the past four years. Stephen Kimber wrote that instead of improving its performance, NSP now wants to change the standards by which it is judged. Expect more outages from salty fog.
2. “Please don’t sell Nova Scotia”
In the final part of her series on developers selling land in Cape Breton to German-speaking non-residents, Joan Baxter talks taxes. This issue been discussed since the 1960s, but is now on again as non-residents snap up property in Cape Breton.
1. “Call back the house until everybody’s got one:” Protestors demand province call emergency session of legislature to deal with housing crisis
Our reporting duo, Leslie Amminson and Ethan Lycan-Lang, were out at a rally organized by the P.A.D.S. community network, which demanded the province head back to the legislature because of the ongoing housing crisis.
Monday, November 29
1. Morning File: Minding your mental health in the hospitality industry
Suzanne Rent spoke with Hassel Aviles, the executive director of Not 9 to 5, a non-profit dedicated to helping promote better mental health awarenss in the hospitality industry. Remember, tip your server and treat them well, too.
2. 2 more COVID deaths, 59 new cases over 3 days announced in Nova Scotia on Monday, November 29
A man in his 60s who was a resident of the East Cumberland Lodge nursing home in Pugwash, and a man in is 70s in Western Zone are the latest Nova Scotians to die from COVID. Tim Bousquet had the update.
Tuesday, November 30
1. Morning File: Ethan doesn’t have Twitter game
Ethan Lycan-Lang is one of a few Examiner contributors not on Twitter. One of our readers called him out on his lack of Twitter game this week, so Lycan-Lang explained why he’s not in the Twitterverse.
2. Councillor responds to claims that East Preston is underserved by transit system
Last week Matthew Byard spoke with Marshall Williams, a resident of East Preston, who’s been fighting for years to get proper transit in the community. This week, Byard heard from Coun. David Hendsbee about his response to the transit issue.
3. 61 new cases of COVID-19 announced on Tuesday, Nov. 30; there is a new “cluster of cases in a defined group of largely unvaccinated individuals”
Tim Bousquet had the update on total new cases, plus details on a cluster in Nova Scotia Health’s Northern Zone.
4. Three years after he wrote the blueprint for changing how Nova Scotia does forestry, nothing has changed, says Bill Lahey
Tim Bousquet reported on comments from Bill Lahey about what’s happening in the forestry industry. Turns out not much positive. Only five of the 45 recommendations from the Lahey Report have been implemented.
5. Nursing home workers: we’re “overworked and underpaid”
Jennifer Henderson spoke with nursing home workers at the Day of Action of this week. Henderson spoke with Sharon Yates, a continuing care assistant (CCA), who said she and her colleagues are burned out. Residents of the homes and their families joined in, too.
Wednesday, December 1
1. HRP files official motion to quash subpoenas for Kinsella, Boyd
Matthew Byard continued his coverage on the Halifax Regional Police’s attempts to quash two subpoenas to have Chief Dan Kinsella and Insp. Derrick Boyd testify at Kayla Borden’s upcoming appeal at the Nova Scotia Police Review Board.
2. Endangered wild salmon at risk from sea lice outbreak at two fish farms in Annapolis Basin
Ethan Lycan-Lang and Leslie Amminson covered the story of an outbreak of sea lice at Kelly Cove Salmon’s two fish farms, Rattling Beach and Victoria Beach. Lycan-Lang and Amminson learn what that means for wild salmon in the waters around the fish farms.
3. Morning File: Discovering an exciting, strange city in an old part of town
Philip Moscovitch wrote about Stephen Archibald’s observations about the changing landscape of Spring Garden Road. And Moscovitch continued with his stories about typewriters. This time, he told us about the Boston Typewriter Orchestra.
4. Children aged 5-11 start getting vaccinated; 35 new cases of COVID-19 announced on Wednesday, Dec. 1
Kids across the province rolled up their sleeves to get their COVID-19 vaccines. Parents can still book appointments for kids ages 5 to 11 here.
Thursday, December 2
1. The court ruled that the province discriminates against people with disabilities; what is the government going to do about it?
“Nova Scotia has a human rights emergency on its hands.” That was a statement from Dulcie McCallum, a lawyer on a landmark court decision from October. As Jennifer Henderson reported, Premier Tim Houston has a legal obligation to act on the decision.
2. Study finds milk bags are far better for the environment than jugs and cartons
This was a popular story this week: Yvette d’Entremont learned about a study by Dalhousie researchers that found bagged milk — otherwise known by the adorable name “pillow pouches” — are better for the environment than milk jugs or cartons. Bagged milk: it does the environment good.
3. The Tideline, with Tara Thorne: Braden Lam
This week Tara Thorne chatted with singer-songwriter Braden Lam, who has a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “River.” They also talk about Lam’s shows this month.
4. Morning File: It’s in the nose: Advice for mouth breathers
Ethan Lycan-Lang took a breather in his Morning File this week, and reported on advice in a book he borrowed from the library. Okay, his mom borrowed it from the library, but he returned it on time. That book taught Lycan-Lang how to reduce his stress with proper breathing techniques.
5. 40 new cases of COVID-19 announced in Nova Scotia on Thursday, Dec. 2
A jump in numbers on Thursday, with about half of the new cases in Nova Scotia Health’s Northern Zone. Tim Bousquet had the update.
6. Justice minister issues directive to close loophole in street checks ban
Matthew Byard reports on the news that Justice Minister Brad Johns ordered police to close a potential loophole in the ban on street checks. The term “suspicious activity” will be replaced with “reasonable suspicion.”
7. ‘The worst possible outcome’: After the premier said he wouldn’t pursue it in court, Houston government is appealing disability rights decision
Jennifer Henderson reports on the Houston government’s decision to appeal a disability rights decision, just two months after Premier Tim Houston said he wouldn’t.
Friday, December 3
1. “People just liked to see him and they gravitated towards him”
Yvette d’Entremont spoke with Matt Dempsey, a close friend of Dereck (Rick) Day, who died in hospital late last week after being hit by a driver in Spryfield. Day was the second pedestrian killed in the city in less than a week.
2. Morning File: The dirt on Black Oxygen Organics’ MLM scheme
Suzanne Rent learned about Black Oxygen Organics, a multi-level marketing scheme whose rise and fall during the pandemic is a wild ride and a lesson in how to avoid scams.
3. 20 new cases of COVID-19 announced in Nova Scotia on Friday, Dec. 3; weekly recap
The breakdown of 20 new cases and all the weekly vaccination data was in this COVID update.
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