Opinion, The Coast Halifax

My childhood prepared me for Halifax

Tina Capalbo — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

It’s not so much love-hate as it is high expectation-low return. by Tina Capalbo I don't remember the day I was born, but I'm told it was January 27, 1968. I'm also told I was meant to be a boy, and that my name was Tony before I entered the world at 11:38am.…

Letters to the editor, May 16, 2013

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition font size="+1">F for hyperbole Tim Bousquet's simile comparing Tim Outhit's tax reform proposal to the horrific, ethnically targeted violence of Idi Amin is distasteful, disgusting and not the least bit clever ("City council report card," May 9). If it was a swing at humour, Bousquet missed big-time.…

The airport bus has made travelling by transit ridiculously easy, and inexpensive.

Aaron Eisses — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Last week I went from my house near Quinpool to Manhattan and back, all by transit. Well, except for the plane. by Aaron Eisses My alarm goes off at 4:30am. I have to get up---I have an appointment at 5:20am and need to move.…

Letters to the editor, May 9, 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition Re: "Bigger love," Feature by Katie Toth (May 1): For an entire generation, right-wing political movements have hit us on the head with "the return to family values" as a top-shelf intoxicant in their political agenda. Yet equally political is the personal choice of living a more honest, egalitarian way of life.…

Let’s save $3 billion by cutting suburban sprawl

Jen Powley — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

A new report by Stantec Consulting lays out the cost of uncontrolled growth. by Jen Powley It's ironic that less than 24 hours after Halifax council approved the municipal budget, a report by Stantec Consulting was made public which outlines how HRM could save almost $3 billion by the year 2031. That would free up $148 million per year to invest in better services, or to reduce taxes.…

Letters to the editor, May 2, 2013

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition Portland's place There are so many good small businesses in Dartmouth, it must have been tough to choose the ones to include in Allison Saunders' ShopTalk Guided Tour last week. My new favourite place was passed over: Cafe Brea on Portland Street, across from the Penhorn Terminal (i.e. lots of public transit service!).…

My neighbours and I planted over 10,000 tulips

Tulip Street Beautification Society — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Finding virtue on the verges of Tulip Street. by Tulip Street Beautification Society For the 20 years we have lived in our house on Tulip Street, we have only thought of that strip between the road and the sidewalk as a place to put our garbage for collection. It is a bit of hard sod that gets trampled down in the summer and torn up by the sidewalk snowplow in the winter. When the leaves of the battered elm tree that survived Hurricane Juan appear, the grass the city planted struggles to grow in the shade. As far as we knew, the strip didn't have a name and it wasn't worth looking at unless you were cleaning up dog poop.…

Let’s turn our city into a local food paradise

Jayme Melrose — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Every boulevard and patch of ground can become a miniature farm. by Jayme Melrose I too think it's crazy that we aren't growing food everywhere. There are hungry people out there.…

Letters to the editor, April 25, 2013

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition Star brights I miss being able to go out in my backyard to do some gazing ("Turn the lights down low," Voice of the City by Dave Chapman, April 18). Since my neighbourhood became overrun with car dealerships and their bright lights on all night, I'm greatly reduced as to what constellations I can see.…

Turn the lights down low

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0300

We can’t enjoy the pleasures of our night sky because there is so much light pollution. I have been an avid stargazer since I was a boy. I learned the constellations, observed the Moon and Jupiter in my little telescope, and enjoyed the Milky Way (our galaxy) arcing overhead, with the occasional meteor shower to liven things up.…

I’ve seen so much litter that even the worst dump sites don’t surprise me

Neil Bailey — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Don’t treat Nova Scotia as your personal trash can. by Neil Bailey "I can't believe that people litter like this." I've heard variations on this phrase repeated so many times.…

Letters to the editor, April 11, 2013

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition HEADS AND HEARTS I can tell you from first-hand accounts of trying to help more than one friend through mental health crises—the health system here has no idea what to do if you go into the emergency room in crisis ("Remembering Alex," Reality Bites by Michaela Cavanagh, April 4). We had to leave and call an ambulance.…

We live to learn, and learn to live

Joan Hick — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Adult Learning Week is an opportunity to celebrate the life-long pursuit of knowledge. by Joan Hick What do the Halifax Music Co-Op, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Mi'kmaq Native Learning Centre, Halifax Public Library, Africville Geneological Society, NSCAD University, the Atlantic Spinners and Handweavers, CBC and the Nova Scotia Community College all have in common? They are all organizations where adults are engaged in lifelong learning right here in HRM.…

Letters to the editor, March 21, 2013

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition RARE BURGERS It is treat, when in the US, to be able to order a burger medium or even medium-rare!…

Would you like to buy some marijuana?

Mr. X — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0300

I’ll sell you some high-quality bud, without any chemicals. by Mr. X I sell pot. Not a ton of it, but enough to keep a lot of people happy: about four pounds every three weeks.…

This is why I’m still a Catholic

Heather Little — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0300

The church is facing a lot of problems, but I still have faith. by Heather Little If you had told me three years ago I would be a practicing Catholic, taking true joy from celebrating at church each week and fully participating in the church community, I would have given you my best tilted head, raised eyebrow look of disbelief. Born and raised in rural Newfoundland, I am what they call "a cradle Catholic."…

Letters to the editor, March 21, 2013

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition IRVINGS IRE The Irvings have a fortune of $3.5 billion.…

Letters to the editor, March 14, 2013

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0300

These are the letters and comments from the print edition Archival notes It was great to hear about Rosalind Whelan's Vintage Halifax Facebook page ("Halifax in the past lane," Voice of the People, March 7). It is admirable that Rosalind has curated a space where people can use historical photographs to share memories, reconnect, and debate about the world around us.…

Racism: Whose Problem?

Ben Sichel — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0300

The reverse side of racism against black and aboriginal people is white privilege. by Ben Sichel For white people reading this article, let me get a few things out of the way. 1.…

Halifax in the ‘Past’ Lane

Rosalind Whelan — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The Vintage Halifax Facebook page is a hit with young and old alike. by Rosalind Whelan Once considered a sickness, nostalgia is now considered good psychological medicine. Studies at the University of Southampton have found that "remembering past times improves mood, increases self-esteem, strengthens social bonds and imbues life with meaning."…

Letters to the editor, March 7, 2013

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0400

These are the letters and comments from the print edition Flat notes The musicians and management of Symphony Nova Scotia have reached a new collective agreement after 11 months of negotiating ("Musicians in tune with management," Reality Bites by Hilary Beaumont, February 21). While it may appear that all is well now in symphony land, and musicians have agreed to work along with management to find additional funding for the orchestra, not all musicians agree that this is the solution to ongoing issues.…

Let’s start growing food to eat on our public lands

Bryn Jones-Vaillancourt — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Affordable, fresh and healthy affordable food is as close as the planters in front of City Hall. by Bryn Jones-Vaillancourt I am a professional chef. I love making good food, and I’m passionate about food security and eating locally.…

Letters to the editor, February 28, 2013

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 04:00:00 -0400

These are the letters and comments from the print edition Unclear cut I'm writing in response to Minister Charlie Parker's letter in last week's issue, "For the trees," in response to Chris Benjamin's "Our wasted forests" (February 7). Does the NDP, thus far in its mandate, speak "for the trees"?…