Premier Stephen McNeil is changing his tune about the rehiring of Kyley Harris, nearly four months after The Coast first reported Michelle Coffin’s story. Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie pressed the premier on the Liberal Party’s version of events during the first question period of the fall assembly at Province House, Friday. Coffin, a former […]
Maggie Rahr
Posted inNews + Opinion
Abortion doulas offer support in difficult times
Shannon Hardy had six years as a doula under her belt when she discovered that some women in the Maritimes had no access to abortion services in their own province. “No, it can’t be,” she says she said when she heard that people on Prince Edward Island had to leave the province if they needed […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Domestic violence court fast-tracked
A Halifax court designed specifically to deal with domestic violence will open sooner than planned. The court, based on a pilot project in Sydney, Cape Breton, appeared set to launch sometime in 2018. But at a recent meeting between provincial justice department bureaucrats and community advocates, it was announced the court will be up and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Michelle Coffin is reclaiming her story
On a recent Sunday afternoon in May, Michelle Coffin’s doorbell rang. Leaving her apartment to answer it, she was surprised to find her upstairs neighbours already in the shared vestibule of their building. Just beyond them stood the Liberal MLA seeking re-election in her riding, Labi Kousoulis. Next to him, to bolster support, was federal […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
A strong defence
One of the newest members of the Canadian Senate says a criminal case in Nova Scotia perfectly demonstrates what’s wrong with the justice system—even though the process has been fair. Senator Kim Pate is talking about the release of Christopher Calvin Garnier from jail for a second time. The 29-year-old is charged in the second-degree […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Rhonda Britton’s call to action
Pastor Rhonda Britton is striving to perfect a balancing act. At one end of the spectrum is a chorus of voices—enraged and betrayed by proven, repeated discrimination. On the other end are the promises and actions of those in the seats of power. Britton must be the bridge between both. It’s exactly what she was […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
College of Paramedics formalizes province’s first responders
“Stay with me,” Krista Lane speaks clearly and calmly, “we’ll do this.” The 33-year-old is describing a recent 911 call that she answered at work. Lane receives countless calls in her role as a dispatcher at the Emergency Medical Care Inc. office in Burnside. But this one was different, because the caller was a child. […]
Posted inArts + Music
A “tender poet” takes the prize for rising theatre stars at the 2017 Merritt Awards
“A tender poet, sharp playwright, present actor, vocal feminist and ally” who shows “great integrity, and bravery” in work that is “personal, political, studied, careful and poetic.” This is how nominators described Meghan Hubley and her work, as they put her name forward for the city’s prize for an emerging theatre artist, selected by Theatre […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Impassioned debate on police street checks at north end meeting
“Do you deny institutional racism exists!?” shouts a man, rising to his feet, to cheers and rumblings in a crowd of more than 70 people. There’s a pause. Then Halifax Regional Police chief Jean-Michel Blais responds: “What do you mean by institutional racism?” This is just one of many charged exchanges that broke out during […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Sexual Assault Centre sees calls for help rise in wake of Lenehan ruling
When Judge Gregory Lenehan acquitted taxi driver Bassam Al-Rawi of sexual assault charges in a Halifax courtroom last week, Jackie Stevens’ phone started ringing off the hook. “Every time a high profile case like this happens,” says Stevens, executive director for the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, “it increases the number of requests for services.” Stevens says […]
Posted inArts + Music
REVIEW: The Discovery Centre
The Discovery Centre 1215 Lower Water Street Mon-Tue and Thu-Sun 10am-5pm Wed 10am-8pm $12 adult, $10 kids/seniors, $40 family “This bear has a puzzle piece in his body,” a child shouts, examining the troubling results, on an official bear X-ray machine. ”We must help him!” The voice belongs to five-year-old Dr. Teddy Julian, ward of […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Trudeau’s refugee cap undervalues Canadian values
Embed from Getty Images On a cold windless January night, Kate McKenna walked into a meeting to consider, with some hesitance, sponsoring a Syrian refugee family to move to Nova Scotia. “Don’t commit to too much,” she reminded herself, as she joined a small group in the gym of the St. James Parish Hall in […]
