Halifax, Nova Scotia | THE COAST: Reality Bites

Hurricane Earl may drop in on Halifax

editor@thecoast.ca (Carsten Knox) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:55:00 -0300

No one can predict the paths of storms with 100 percent certainty, but the good people at the Canadian Hurricane Centre of Environment Canada, with all their computer models and hi-tech equipment, released this statement of concern earlier today:

Hurricane Earl information statement issued by the canadian Hurricane centre of Environment Canada at 9.11 AM ADT Tuesday 31 August 2010.
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The passing of journalism

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:35:00 -0300

Jules Loh died yesterday. As the Associated Press explains:

Former AP reporter, features writer Loh dies at 79
By RICHARD PYLE (AP) � 13 hours ago
NEW YORK � For most of his four decades as a reporter, Jules Edward Loh traveled the United States, reaching every state and using his honeyed Georgia accent to charm his way into the hearts, minds and lives of Americans, famous and obscure.
To write "Lords of the Earth," a 1971 book about the Navajo Indians of Arizona, he became so close to tribal elders that they named him Poputiney, meaning "Many Pencils."…
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Centennial Pool Reopens

editor@thecoast.ca (Carsten Knox) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

For all of you swimmers who�ve been missing the popular urban pool at Gottingen and Cogswell, Centennial Pool reopens September 7 following months of renovations.]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Halifax ponders its crap: biosolid debate heats up

editor@thecoast.ca (Chris Benjamin) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0300

HRM council is reevaluating the practice of applying biosolids---N-Viro Corporation�s composted and treated sewage---to municipal property. The controversy started in mid-August when city crews stank up Dunbrack Street, driving locals to their councillor, Debbie Hum.…

A small council protects elites' interests

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:22:00 -0300

In 1841, when the independent city of Halifax was created, there were 19 elected representatives for the city of 20,000 people. Were that ratio of population-to-elected representatives kept to the present, today we�d have 437 city councillors.…

SEIU trying to organize Halifax Securitas guards

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:17:00 -0300

The Service Employees International Union is attempting to organize Halifax-area security guards who work with Securitas, a Swedish-headquartered firm with operations around the world, including 160-180 local employees.

The union is going public with its drive today, Thursday, because �we�re trying to pressure Securitas to honour its agreement,� says SEIU organizer David Bush.…

Keith Fudge sighted

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:55:00 -0300

A reader in Newfoundland emailed today to say Keith Fudge is living and working in St. John's.

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Clearwater's John Risley gets a son-in-law

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:09:00 -0300

Sarah Risley, daughter of lobster billionaire John Risley, has married Guy Barnett, a British deckhand who came to Canada to work on Risley's yacht.

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Signs for Urban Wilderness Park go down

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:58:00 -0300

The signs announcing Dartmouth's Urban Wilderness Park were taken down Friday, evidently in preparation for its bulldozing, which ought start towards the end of next month.]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Council size and voter turnout

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:21:00 -0300

In today's editorial I argue that there is an inverse relationship between the number of people represented by an elected official and voter turnout--- that is, the smaller the district, the greater the turnout.

By no means is that relationship absolute---there are lots and lots of factors that help determine voter turnout, ranging from the importance of the issues in play to the strength of local voting tradition to the personalities of the candidates to the weather on election day.…

Decision postponed on developing land earmarked as wilderness park

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:12:00 -0300

A wilderness jewel just 15 minutes from downtown Halifax has been spared from development, at least for a few years.

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Brad Johns wants to take back small council vote

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:14:00 -0300

Remember council's decision not to shrink itself? Well, late last night, at the tail end of a Halifax regional council meeting that lasted until 11pm, councillor Brad Johns notified council that he will introduce a motion of rescission regarding that decision.…

United breaks family reunions, too

editor@thecoast.ca (Kyle Shaw) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:13:00 -0300

The Chicago Sun-Times has a story about United Airlines taking five days (and counting, presumably) to get some stranded luggage from O'Hare International to United flyers visiting Nova Scotia. The story quotes Jill Erickson, who came here for a family reunion.…

Shambhala Buddhists welcome the 3rd generation

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:13:00 -0300

Congratulations are in order. CBC:

The queen of the Shambhala Buddhist community gave birth to a baby girl Wednesday morning in Halifax.…
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Dartmouth Bridge Terminal has options to be down-scaled

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:34:00 -0300

The tendering process for the expanded Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth continues apace, with about a dozen prospective bidders attending a mandatory job site meeting this morning. The companies range from Dexter Construction, the largest construction firm in the area, to several smaller firms reaching big, and include at least one unnamed company that previously has worked exclusively on the offshore oil platforms---that work is now drying up and the company is expanding its horizons, explain city officials.…

Environmental group slips up with Tim Hortons giveaway

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:04:00 -0300

The Environmental Services Association of Nova Scotia is an organization that represents business in the environmental services field---evidently a self-defining group that includes everything from academics to engineering firms to composting facilities to law firms. Think: consultants that help other businesses and governments meet environmental regulations.…

Barry Dalrymple's frightening statements

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:24:00 -0300

This morning CBC is reporting that councillor Barry Dalrymple, who is a former RCMP cop, wants to wire up each and every councillor to a lie detector machine in order to discover who's been leaking stuff to the media. Coming from an elected representative, such a suggested expansion of the police state is alarming.…

Much better

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:42:00 -0300

Things are looking up from yesterday...]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

CBC's small council debate is available

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:49:00 -0300

CBC has archived Wendesday morning's debate between myself and Malcolm Fraser of Citizens For Halifax, here. It's worth a listen, I think.…

Common closed to pedestrians

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:59:00 -0300

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Birch Cove Lakes-Blue Mountain Wilderness development proposal subject of meeting

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:19:00 -0300

Huge tracts of land now protected by the city's regional plan will be turned into sprawling subdivisions, if Nova Scotia's largest development companies get their way. The land in question comes in two chunks.…

Halifax council rejects reducing the number of councillors

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:14:00 -0300

Halifax council Tuesday rejected a Chamber of Commerce-led attempt to reduce the number of councillors, and opted instead to concentrate on governance issues related to the role of community councils.

The council is required by provincial law to every few years examine the size and boundaries of council districts, and to put forward a proposal that redraws boundaries so that the districts have roughly the same population. At the behest of business groups, some councillors wanted to at the same time reduce the number of councillors, and a recommendation from the Boundary Review Committee called for three fewer councillors, for a total of 20.…

Where Metro gets its news

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:09:00 -0300

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Making council smaller will hurt downtown

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:43:00 -0300

Halifax council Tuesday will take up the �boundary review� issue---the re-jigging of electoral districts to meet population changes.

This is usually a matter left to bureaucrats and policy wonks, but unfortunately lots of nonsense has been added to the mix this time around, so it�s quite possible that we�re going to see council produce a redistricting plan that won�t just move a few boundary lines but will instead reduce the number of councillors, which in turn will have negative effects that should concern all of us.…

Province, City come to agreement on Bridge Terminal

editor@thecoast.ca (Tim Bousquet) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:03:00 -0300

Halifax mayor Peter Kelly confirms that the city and the province have sorted out their differences with regard to Dartmouth Common issues, and the Bridge Terminal reconstruction plans are continuing without further change.

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