The city of Halifax is in the midst of a two-pronged sponsorship scandal. First, of course, is the concert loan scandal, which, among other things, involved secretly handing large amounts of taxpayer money to a private company in the bizarre hope that, well, I’m not sure what they were hoping. Photo ops with aging rock […]
Tim Bousquet
Posted inNews + Opinion
Apocalypse not now
Harold Camping, president of the California-based Family Radio, says the Rapture will happen this Saturday, ushered in by a “worldwide earthquake” and leading to the complete destruction of the Earth on October 21. But perhaps Sunday is instead the day of reckoning. As the Mississippi River flood peaks, it might overwhelm a flood control structure […]
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“Third party” impedes Coast request for Common concerts documents
Here we go again. Readers will recall I’ve long argued that ALL city contracts should be a matter of public record, as a matter of course. If the city contracts for services, the contract should simply be posted on the city’s website, with all the particulars spelled out—term, dollar amounts, details. Such a policy would […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Gottingen Street changing in big ways
There’s a new energy on Gottingen Street, and that energy is playing out in all sorts of interesting and positive ways. There is big news this week for the street: A north end business improvement district is being formed. And there is big almost news for the street: a full dental clinic has been outfitted, […]
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Parks Canada details charges to Harold MacKay for Metallica show
I just got off the phone with Theresa Bunbury at Parks Canada, who I had called to find out what Harold MacKay of MacKay Entertainment was paying for rental of the Garrison Grounds for the July 14 Metallica show. While Bunbury wouldn’t give me the exact terms of the contract, she did say it was […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Six Eight Realty Group opens
Pete Clive, an agent formerly with Harbourside Reality, has opened his own brokerage firm, Six Eight Realty Group, at 1453 Brenton Street (209-5347). The firm’s name comes from his height of six feet, eight inches, says Clive. Clive came about opening the business almost by accident. “I was just doing some continuing education last year,” […]
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Jennifer Watts
2010 grade: A- 2009 grade: B Last year I gave Jennifer Watts an A-. It was the first time any councillor had entered A-land, and I’ve been feeling kind of weird about it ever since. So I was happy to bring her down a tad this year. Call it a social demotion. Watts remains an […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Lorelei Nicoll
2010 grade: C 2009 grade: C- Lorelei Nicoll is super-nice, means well and doesn’t break anything. So this is a solid C, a respectable if unremarkable grade. We could do a hell of a lot worse than Nicoll. She usually ends up on the right side of the issues and appears to have empathy for […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Gloria McCluskey
2010 grade: B+ 2009 grade: B- 2008 grade: B 2007 grade: C Gloria McCluskey is irreplaceable. With her long stints as mayor of the former city of Dartmouth and as an assessor, McCluskey brings history, perspective and knowledge to council discussions that literally no one else has. She was an invaluable resource, for example, in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Debbie Hum
2010 grade: D- 2009 grade: D+ 2008 grade: C+ 2007 grade: C+ Last year, I was sincerely worried about Debbie Hum, who was sobbing at nearly every council meeting. Sure, council debates can get depressing, but outright crying because someone objects to the second bullet in subclause three in section 428 is a bit over […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Peter Kelly
2010 grade: C 2009 grade: C- 2008 grade: D 2007 grade: D In past years, I understood mayor Peter Kelly to be the likable bumbling fool. That version of Kelly was OK with me: the mayoralty is a mostly powerless position, so having a goofball in the office might be frustrating when you want somebody […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Brad Johns
2010 grade: D 2009 grade: C 2008 grade: D 2007 grade: D Brad Johns is the nutty councillor for Sackville, famously the rawkingest place in the universe thanks to the Weir Rocking concerts. Johns’ low-rent suburban appeal doesn’t carry a lot of currency among snooty urbanites, but I gotta say I find him delightfully his […]