At Halifax Regional Council’s Tuesday, Jan 28 meeting, by a tight vote of 8 to 6, councillors made a tough decision to do the right thing. For the past six years or so the city has been working on a plan to re-do the Windsor Street Exchange. At first it was supposed to be a […]
City
Posted inNews + Opinion
Will Halifax’s city council prevent wasting another year?
Tuesday’s meeting of Halifax Regional Council is shaping up to be consequential for this city. It could be the TSN turning point. It could be like Boston’s Nathan Horton scoring a goal with just over 10 minutes left in game seven against the Leafs. It could also be a dud. It’ll really depend on council’s […]
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Transport committee preps for a parking tax on big cars
Thursday, Jan 24th’s Transportation Standing Committee meeting was one for the record books—but only because the city keeps records of all municipal meetings. The meeting started off with a few public speakers. A few folks said they don’t want to see Robie Street widened: They suggested that three lanes is enough, and that the HRM […]
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The city you love is dying: Halifax’s sustainability crisis explained
The warning signs have been there for a while, but it’s becoming harder to deny that Halifax is dying. Not some glamourous death, a noble sacrifice for the greater good. Nor is it something expected after a prolonged and public illness. No, it’s a far more embarrassing death; We’ve been bitten by a zombie, and […]
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When will MP Andy Fillmore be replaced?
As a politician, Andy Fillmore has good timing. Back in 2015 he ran for the federal Liberal Party in the Halifax riding, winning to become a member of parliament on the same “sunny ways” wave of Liberal popularity that swept Justin Trudeau into the prime minister’s office. After a couple more election wins—each time, on […]
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The Grand Parade podcast: Did HRM staff try to pull a fast one on council?
Last week, when Halifax Regional Municipality staff gave councillors an update on how the city’s key priorities are progressing (short answer: poorly), they did so rather subtly: Not with a presentation, where councillors could ask pointed questions about the city’s lack of progress toward its goals, but instead in the form of an information item […]
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Councillor Cuttell throws spanner in big-vehicle parking plan
Halifax’s Transportation Standing Committee is meeting Thursday, Jan 23. On the agenda is a staff report that recommends to the committee that they not implement a policy that would help council achieve its strategic priorities. For a bit of background, in July of last year councillor Shawn Cleary put forward a motion asking for a […]
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The Board of Police Commissioners needs to be more pro-police
Wednesday, Jan 15’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting featured strong showings from veteran commissioner Yemi Akindoju and rookie Virginia Hinch. But in spite of a few good arguments against, the board, predictably, rubber-stamped both the Halifax Regional Police and RCMP draft budgets for 2025/26 on to council with very little scrutiny. Related The RCMP stand […]
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Everything you need to know about Halifax council’s Jan 14 meeting
Halifax’s city council met on Tuesday, Jan 14, for a painfully boring meeting. A lot of the debate was on things like survey methodology, what the Property Valuation Services Corporation does, and not double-checking technical documents. If this meeting were a game of soccer, it’d be a comfortable 1-0 victory against a team we should […]
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Did a homicide kill the Alehouse?
Two years ago, when downtown Halifax was getting ready to host the men’s World Junior Hockey Championship, Ryan Sawyer left his parents’ Fall River home to watch a pre-tournament game with his brother. He never returned. Police found him “unresponsive” outside the Halifax Alehouse in the early morning hours of Dec 24, his body near […]
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Here are your Best of Halifax 2024 winners for Public Life
At a time where groceries are becoming more expensive and wages are stagnant, it makes sense that the amazing folks at Feed Nova Scotia came out on top for our Best Activist Organization Award, as well as our Best Place to Volunteer Award. Feed Nova Scotia does a lot of good throughout the province, delivering […]