[Image-1] The first challenger for Gloria McCluskey’s seat at City Hall has stepped forward. Tim Rissesco is running for the Dartmouth Centre riding in this fall’s general election; an incumbent-less race due to councillor Gloria McCluskey’s plans to retire. The executive director of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission made the announcement on Twitter. I am […]
Jacob Boon
Posted inNews + Opinion
Additional $10 million in tech upgrades needed for Halifax Convention Centre
[Image-1] The province of Nova Scotia has finally finalized its agreement with Argyle Developments for the design, construction and lease of the new downtown convention centre. With that announcement Wednesday comes news that the cost of the $164-million project is once again going up. An additional $10 million will be needed to upgrade technological infrastructure […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Salary freeze rejected during snarky council debate
[Image-1] A new compensation system for HRM councillors and the mayor was viciously shot down at City Hall this week, but problems with the current salary formula remain. A report asking to change HRM council’s pay and base it off of the average salary for a full-time HRM resident was debated at a stumbling, confrontational […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
City council unanimously passes “good news” budget
[Image-1] This is the last budget several HRM councillors will get the chance to approve in City Hall, and they seemed to be happy to go out on a high note. “Hats off to everybody,” said Gloria McCluskey, who won’t be re-offering this fall. “I sat here, I don’t know how many years and I […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Cast your vote in our city council report card
[Image-1] This week, HRM Regional Council will gather to review and finalize the 2016/17 budget, marking the end of one fiscal year and the slow march toward this fall’s general election. Come October you’ll be able to let the municipality’s 16 councillors and one mayor know how you really feel about their efforts, but who […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Brad Johns once again HRM’s most absent city councillor
[Image-1] It’s not the kind of chart most politicians want to be topping, but Brad Johns makes no apologies for having HRM Regional Council‘s worst overall attendance record in 2015. “My priority has always been my district, things going on in my district,” says Johns. “Whether it’s a seniors’ dinner, or calling BINGO…that takes priority […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Salary freeze proposed for Halifax council
[Image-1] The mayor and city councillors are making too much money, says HRM’s council compensation committee. A newly-released report from the group—specially created by council in 2014 to study this very issue—recommends freezing salaries for elected HRM officials and instituting several changes to how that compensation is tabulated. If approved, the recommendations will have city […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Substantial design changes planned for Nova Centre
[Image-1] Developer Joe Ramia wants to change the exterior design elements of his downtown Nova Centre complex, including the elevation above Market Street and the materials to be used at the Centre’s base and tower. That news comes from an information item headed to next week’s meeting of the Design Review Committee. A new substantive […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Province offers support to clarify Preston land titles
[Image-1] Help is on the way for African Nova Scotians without legal title to property their families have lived on for generations. The Department of Natural Resources says it will work with representatives from the Department of African Nova Scotian Affairs, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society and the Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors to […]
Posted inArts + Music
Nova Scotia offers $810,368 for new Trailer Park Boys TV show
[Image-1] Ricky, Julian and Bubbles just made an $800,000 score. Nova Scotia Business Inc. announced Tuesday that it’s offering $810,368 in production funding for Trailer Park Boys Out of the Park: Europe, the newest television show chronicling the escapades of actors/executive producers Mike Smith, Robb Wells and John Paul Tremblay. At close to a million […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The roast of Gloria McCluskey is happening in April
If you want to watch Mike Savage make fun of Gloria McCluskey, it’s going to cost $50 a plate. Next month, various political dignitaries and community well-wishers will gather together on April 23 in Eastern Passage to do what some on the internet have been doing for a while now, and roast the retiring […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Viola Desmond wins Halifax ferry naming contest
[Image-1] Halifax Transit’s newest ferry has a name, and it’s Viola Desmond. Mayor Mike Savage made the announcement on Thursday afternoon at the Black Cultural Centre, drawing a standing ovation from those in attendance. According to HRM, “Viola Desmond” received just under a third of the 19,230 votes cast in the two-week naming period for […]