Chief administrative officer Jacques Dubé’s attempt at humour is no laughing matter at city hall. Sources with knowledge of the situation confirm a harassment complaint has been made against the CAO over a text message he sent two months ago to one of his employees. The message includes a rewritten version of an article first published by […]
Jacob Boon
Posted inNews + Opinion
Waste of commercial space
The city should have a better grasp on a neighbourhood’s commercial needs when approving new developments, says the councillor for Cole Harbour–Westphal. Lorelei Nicoll asked for a staff report this week looking at options for including retail and commercial policy concerns in any significant development proposals and planning amendments brought to city hall. The councillor […]
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Train rides to ease Queen’s Marque construction pains
A “community road train” could be jauntily chugga-chugging through downtown traffic come this summer. On Tuesday HRM council asked for a staff report on funding Ambassatours’ answer to the city’s Queen’s Marque construction woes. The three-carriage road “train” will shuttle folks along Lower Water Street—from the Discovery Centre to Historic Properties—and then back on Hollis […]
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Matt Whitman apologizes for “Chinese fire drill” video
Progressive Conservative candidate Matt Whitman has apologized for his “Chinese fire drill” stunt. Whitman posted a YouTube video last week of himself yelling the racially-charged phrase before exiting and then running around his car. In a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon, the Hammonds Plains–St. Margarets councillor said he wasn’t aware of the term’s racist connotations. “I […]
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Pop-up soccer stadium could come together this summer
Think of it as a free kick. Halifax can test out an open-air stadium in the shadow of Citadel Hill without spending anything more than the price of admission. Sports and Entertainment Atlantic president Derek Martin pitched the idea to councillors on Thursday for a pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds, between the Public Gardens […]
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Fraying at the edges
There were more people at the zombie walk last year than the AIDS walk. Dressed in tattered costumes and gruesome make-up, over 100 people shambled around the downtown on September 25. Meanwhile, on the very same day at the Central Common, about 90 people (including sponsors and media) gathered together wearing red-pinned ribbons for the […]
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Cleary’s salary freeze plan gets cold shoulder
Shawn Cleary’s plans to freeze council salaries will have to wait a few more weeks. The Halifax West Armdale councillor proposed holding remuneration for the next eight months in a motion at Tuesday’s meeting of Regional Council. Cleary’s motion would have restricted any further increases to council’s pay until either November 1, or the arrival […]
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Council prunes Willow Tree development
What a difference a new council makes. After approving a 29-storey limit for the Willow Tree development last year—against the recommendation of planning staff—this week Halifax Regional Council voted to shrink that height restriction down to 62 metres (or about 20 storeys). George Armoyan’s Armco Captial, through its APL Properties, first proposed the development at […]
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Don’t @ me: Why Halifax police are turning to social media to improve public relations
The day before Valentine’s Day, during a severe snowfall, the @HfxRegPolice Twitter account sent out a reminder to residents that it’s illegal to walk on the street. “No, that’s not what the law says at all,” responded Ben Wedge, a transportation advocate and former member of Halifax’s Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee. “If you could leave […]
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Police accidentally release social media passwords to The Coast
It took several months of trying and a Freedom of Information request to get ahold of the police department’s Drug Exhibit Audit last year. Far easier than obtaining that public report was gaining access to the department’s private social media passwords, which Halifax Regional Police mistakenly and unknowingly released to The Coast. Two weeks ago, […]
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Province announce over $1 million in new funding to combat fentanyl
The provincial government is putting an extra $1 million towards trying to prevent a fentanyl-fuelled opioid crisis in Nova Scotia. In a press release sent out Friday, the Department of Health and Wellness announced details of the increased spending, including $564,000 for expanding access to the overdose-countering naloxone drug kits to pharmacies, police and health care organizations […]
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Canadian Bar Association asks public to cool it with the name-calling
The Nova Scotia branch of the national Canadian Bar Association is condemning some of the emotionally-charged comments and commentary that have been voiced against judge Gregory Lenehan. Debate and complaints made in the proper channels are important features of the justice system that can lead to positive change, writes CBA-NS executive director Tina Tucker in a […]