Two years ago marked a major shakeup at Halifax council. The Utility and Review Board reduced the number of councillors from 23 to 16, and long-serving mayor Peter Kelly had finally stepped aside, making room for Mike Savage to take his place. Meanwhile, chief administrative officer Richard Butts, who was hired in 2011, was cementing […]
Tim Bousquet
Posted inNews + Opinion
Stephen Adams
2014 grade: D 2013 grade: B- 2012 grade: D 2011 grade: D 2010 grade: D 2009 grade: B- 2008 grade: C- 2007 grade: B- Cell: 497-8818 Steve Adams has been a staunch supporter of closing the landfill on schedule, and for that he deserves major props. After Reg Rankin, it’s been Adams who has been […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Barry Dalymple
2014 grade: C- 2013 Grade: C+ 2012 Grade: F 2011 grade: F 2010 grade: D- 2009 grade: D Cell: 222-0740 In past years, we’ve criticized Barry Dalrymple for his ludicrous argument that Fall River, the wealthiest community in HRM, is being unfairly taxed. We’ve praised him for stewarding some important issues through the Environment and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
David Hendsbee
2014 grade: C- 2013 grade: F 2012 grade: F 2011 grade: C- 2010 grade: D 2009 grade: C 2008 grade: D 2007 grade: D+ Cell: 483-0705 David Hendsbee’s biggest contribution to the commonweal this year has been to make sure HRM has a town crier. He’s been on this file since at least 2009, when […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Bill Karsten
2014 grade: B 2013 grade: C- 2012 grade: D 2011 grade: C+ 2010 grade: C+ 2009 grade: C+ 2008 grade: C 2007 grade: C- Cell: 476-1855 Bill Karsten is in danger of becoming likable. In the past, he’s been something of an ass, but the bad behaviour seems to be behind him. He hit the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Lorelei Nicoll
2014 grade: C+ 2013 grade: B 2012 grade: C- 2011 grade: C 2010 grade: C 2009 grade: C- Cell: 478-2705 Lorelei Nicoll is a decent person. Lovely, really. Polite to a T. The kind of person you want as a next-door neighbour, to watch your cat when you’re away. She is never offensive or combative, […]
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Fifth Estate to tell Holly Bartlett story
This Friday night, March 28, CBC television’s Fifth Estate program will examine the death of Holly Bartlett, the 31-year-old Halifax woman found dying beneath the MacKay bridge in 2010. Friday is also the fourth anniversary of Bartlett’s death. A Coast investigation published last year (“Holly Bartlett’s unlikely journey,” December 12) detailed the murky circumstances around […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Hazardous material incident at Halifax’s Ceres Terminal
Thursday night, at about 10pm, a “flat” holding four flasks of uranium hexafluoride was accidentally dropped about 20 feet while being off-loaded from a ship at the Ceres Terminal in the north end. A flat becomes the trailer part of a flat-bed truck when it is attached to a rig. The casks are about eight-foot […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Police blotter release mired in delay, fear of open government future
The release of the police blotter is mired in delay. Technical issues are partly to blame, but the underlying problem seems to be a fear in the Halifax Regional Police Department of a full release of data. The police blotter is a daily log of all police calls, where officers were dispatched to, what sort […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax’s XANADU
The Nova Centre now under construction downtown is by far the largest development project in Halifax history. Revised plans for the project submitted by developer Joe Ramia’s company, Rank, Inc., show two towers for the site–a 17-storey hotel facing Market and Prince Streets, and an office tower along Argyle Street, consisting of two connected bulbs, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Police announce independent review into Holly Bartlett’s death
Halifax Regional Police and the Halifax District RCMP have announced an independent operational review of their investigation into the death of Holly Bartlett. Holly Bartlett died on March 28, 2010. The day before, her severely injured body was discovered under the MacKay Bridge in Halifax. Her death was the subject of a December feature in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Purcells Cove backlands targeted for development
A major firm is making a last-minute attempt to open up the Purcells Cove backlands to development. The backlands were zoned “urban reserve” in the 2006 regional plan. That designation prevents the area from being developed for the 25-year lifetime of the plan, or until 2031. At that point the area will be reassessed for […]
