In October, the McNeil government announced Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act would be updated with changes that aim to better protect street and highway workers (including police officers and other emergency personnel), cyclists and pedestrians. But road users better be patient. Transportation Minister Lloyd Hines said it’ll take about two years before new regulations are […]
Michael Lightstone
Posted inNews + Opinion
Your prescription for local medical coverage
If you’re a post-secondary student living away from home and far from your family doctor, or studying relatively close to the old homestead but don’t have a general practitioner, take heart. There are health care options available to you, should medical advice or treatment be needed during the school year. These include neighbourhood walk-in clinics, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Seatbelt safety top of mind for Nova Scotia police
Summer is the placid, carefree season when many Nova Scotians happily hit the highway. Sadly, it can also be a time for road wrecks. In June, six people died in a week as a result of road collisions in this province. Three of those people weren’t wearing a seatbelt. At a recent meeting of the […]
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Halifax police discuss return to Pride
Last summer, local police in uniform stepped away from the annual Halifax Pride parade. More recently, officials from Halifax Pride and Halifax Regional Police have been in talks regarding police potentially rejoining this year’s event. Police spokesperson Carol McIsaac says over email that discussions have been ongoing for months, but no decision has been made […]
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Explosive costs from 100-year memorial
Honouring our heritage can be educational, sobering and life-affirming. And expensive. Much of the cost of last year’s centennial commemoration of the Halifax Explosion covered the makeover of Fort Needham Memorial Park in the north end. That job came in at slightly more than $3.5 million, according to figures provided by city hall. The refurbishment […]
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Betty Peterson is ahead by a century
This is a tribute—a warm birthday greeting—to a remarkable woman. Halifax activist Betty Peterson, a social justice crusader who’s been a veteran of countless protests, rallies, vigils, anti-war demonstrations and human-rights campaigns, will soon turn 100 years old. Peterson was born during the First World War. She grew to despise all wars, march for peace […]
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What comes after medical assistance in dying?
How many people have accessed medical assistance in dying since Canada legalized the practice 15 months ago? What are the laws and experiences in other countries that have permitted assisted dying? What’s the relationship between medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and palliative care? These and other topics will be discussed this week at the second […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Home for Colored Children inquiry still on track
It’s been over six months since a progress report was released by the restorative inquiry examining past abuse at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. Officials plan to have their next update ready for the fall, to be made public shortly after MLAs resume sitting at Province House, says inquiry spokesperson Tony Smith. Smith, […]
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Six Second Streets and 11 Maples
When metro’s four municipalities merged in 1996, one of the crucial public-safety issues city hall officials grappled with was the duplication of street names. There was a long list of them. There still is. Emergency crews during metro’s infancy needed to know exactly where they were going when a call for help was made. Temporary […]
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Springtime election fever
The winds of war, on the political front, are upon us. Nova Scotia’s Liberal government has been bombing the province with pre-election funding announcements, political parties are assembling their roster of candidates (who are keeping campaign ammunition at the ready) and Elections Nova Scotia is gearing up for the multi-million-dollar job of overseeing the vote. […]
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Alderney Drive not an appealing stroll
[Image-1] A research project examining how Alderney Drive affects walking in downtown Dartmouth concludes it’s not a very appealing spot for pedestrians. Adam Fine, a graduate student at Dalhousie University’s School of Planning, has asked walkers about their usual routes in Dartmouth’s compact downtown. People who did his survey last fall (Disclosure: I was one […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Silent nights (and days) at Shannon Park
[Image-1] They’re not exactly fields of dreams. They are more like unused playing fields of tall grass and untidy turf. The outdoor sports area at Shannon Park in Dartmouth is owned by Canada Lands Company, the federal Crown corporation overseeing the redevelopment of the surplus military property. It’s not totally unusable, but future versions of […]