Make that seven Best of Halifax gold awards for Spring Garden Road’s Bookmark. In its 35 years downtown, the indie bookstore has survived a change of ownership, two years of COVID-19 lockdowns and Jeff Bezos’s ever-expanding tentacles to bring Haligonians the latest titles from authors big and small. That’s not a small thing, says manager […]
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Posted inNews + Opinion
“I don’t feel secure, I feel scammed”: Rent-in-advance scheme is troubling tenants in Halifax
Property management company Olympus Properties has been accused by Dalhousie Legal Aid Service of requiring money from potential tenants in advance of providing a lease—an action DLAS says is contrary to the Residential Tenancies Act. In an Oct 29 press release, Dal Legal Aid says they have heard from multiple tenants who have been asked […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Minority rules
The issues, the debates, the democracy of it all. There’s nothing like election season in Halifax. And we are in the middle of it! Yesterday premier Tim Houston called a provincial election for Nov. 26, even as campaign signs for the just-finished municipal race litter roadsides around the city, and the threat of a federal […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
What Halifax’s new-look council says about incumbent power
Ballots have been counted since Saturday’s final voting day, and the results show a major makeover for the regional municipality. “Halifax council gets face lift following municipal election” is the CityNews headline; there are 17 seats for elected representatives around the council table—16 councillors plus the mayor—and eight of them are going to be filled […]
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Study shows that rent in Halifax is up 11%—higher than the provincial cap
A new study from real estate listings site Zumper shows that Halifax is the fifth-priciest rental market in all of Canada with rent prices having gone up around 11% over last year. With data aggregated from its website, Zumper shows that Halifax’s average price for a one-bedroom apartment is around $2,100—a 10.5% increase from last […]
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Public housing in Nova Scotia—what you need to know
When affordable housing comes up, the idea of public housing is often not far behind. Whether it’s mentioned in passing by municipal officials or talked about in full during provincial announcements, public housing has an important place in our current housing crisis, as it provides affordable units to low-income families who may otherwise struggle […]
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Your guide to Truth and Reconciliation and Treaty Day in Halifax
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time for all Canadians to reflect on the impact residential schools continue to have on Indigenous communities nationwide. Happening Monday, Sep. 30, NDTR is also Orange Shirt Day, and it coincides with Treaty Day in Nova Scotia on Oct. 1—which marks the beginning of Mi’kmaq History […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Young Halifax renters may have to save for over a decade to buy their first home
A new study from Point2Homes suggests young renters in Halifax will have to save money for over a decade to purchase a starter home at the current average price. The generational study uses data from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census on Canada’s 20 largest cities, as well as real estate data from the Canadian Real Estate […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The provincial government is making it easier for you to get evicted
Tim Houston’s government announced law changes to the Residential Tenancies Act last week that will benefit landlords and make it easier for tenants to lose their homes. New regulations give landlords more flexibility and power in evicting tenants, proposing a shorter timeline for filing an eviction notice for late rent and giving landlords more […]
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Learn, lead and collaborate with Girl Guides
Imagine a group of girls gathered around a campfire, not just roasting marshmallows, but discussing their plans to tackle a community project they’ve designed themselves. This is the heart of Girl Guides Canada—a program where young girls learn to lead, collaborate, and build their own confidence in a supportive, fun environment. By volunteering at Girl […]
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Angry property owner taking public land hostage? Dartmouth Cove isn’t the first time
Months after Transportation Canada said it would rescind its approval of a pyrite infilling project in Dartmouth Cove, Atlantic Road Construction and Paving Ltd. installed barriers blocking the nearby trails on Wednesday—a threat that ARCP will start work despite a lack of approval. It began with ARCP installing a safety fence. Later on Wednesday, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The fight for proper pedestrian infrastructure in Halifax continues
Marooned bus stops. Access roads with no sidewalks. Pedestrians forced to walk alongside moving traffic. Safety advocate Martyn Williams is a witness to all of this as he documents the lack of pedestrian infrastructure throughout Halifax that puts people’s lives at risk daily. Williams has been highlighting sidewalk issues across the city on his […]