Tim Bousquet

The Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission has suspended the brokerage licence of realtor and developer Joe Faddoul. Faddoul is prominent in the local Lebanese-Canadian community, and is connected to some of the largest developers in Halifax. Faddoul’s father-in-law is Besim Halef, president of Banc Developments, the company that developed the Bedford Common, much of Bayers […]

“When I was shown this place, I was told there are cruise ships and trains,” says Amal Ghazal of her Barrington Street apartment. “I thought, that’s nice. I want to live in a busy city, with lots going on. But I didn’t expect this.” “This” is the Via train parked across the street from her […]

As the city buys properties in preparation of widening Bayers Road, it’s instructive to look at a series of similar property purchases made decades ago. The lessons: Nothing terrible happens when roads aren’t widened, and when the city buys lots of property, it invariably screws up some of those purchases. As early as the 1970s, […]

Last year, Parks Canada researcher Alain Boudreau conducted a detailed monitoring study of the Chain of Lakes Trail, and concluded that the trail saw “possibly 120,000 to 180,000 person-trips per year.” (See the detailed user study, here.) But if a small sample of trail users interviewed by The Coast Monday is any indication, most don’t […]

When it came to the proposal to put a sewer pipe under the Chain of Lakes Trail, two city councillors had a novel approach to public consultation: They first voted in favour of the project, then consulted their constituents. “We are writing to inform you of construction that Halifax Water is planning on the Chain […]

Halifax council continues to purchase property along Bayers Road, part of a long-term but controversial objective to widen the road. Last week, council agreed to buy 6830 Bayers Road, a two-storey house on the south side of the street, from Michael Dudka. Dudka is president of the Delta Group, a financial planning firm with offices […]

Update, Tuesday, 1:05pm: Councillor Mosher now says she won’t ask for a motion of recision. Her email to me, just now: Tim – I was delayed, on way to council. I noted your story, you misunderstood my comments, my point was as a result of taxpayers having to fund an additional $9 m for the […]

A blighted vacant lot on Gottingen Street is being transformed into a monument to Raymond Taavel. “I call it a healing garden, but really what it is is a grief playground,” says artist Brian Pace, who started the garden at the former Mitchells Environmental Treasures site. Gay rights advocate Taavel was killed nearby, last year. […]

A legal battle over the civil rights of a pair of puppets—and their handler—will play out in a Halifax courtroom next month. At issue: Does the Waterfront Development Corporation, a publicly owned corporation, have the authority to ban people from the harbourside boardwalk? Puppeteer T.H. Hatte performs in schools and at festivals. His brochure lists […]

Compared to most of this year’s meetings, yesterday’s Halifax council meeting tackled some substantive issues. The meeting was a great example of our elected reps and the actual power-wielders among city staff—what the philosopher John Ralston Saul would refer to as the “managerial class”—making a series of completely rational decisions, each and every one of […]