When I opened Instagram on Monday night and saw the screenshot saying that a person cycling had been killed in Halifax, I felt deeply sad, but I was also angry. Many people I know and care about have been advocating for safe cycling infrastructure for years. And still, people are dying on our streets. The […]
Opinion
Posted inNews + Opinion
“Awful but not unlawful”: White nationalism is on the rise in Nova Scotia—and we need to talk about it.
Note to the reader: This post contains screenshots and references to anti-Semitic, misogynistic, and violent language. It may be triggering to individuals who have experienced online bullying or harassment. Please proceed with care. We are witnessing a steep escalation in white nationalism in Nova Scotia. This is not hyperbole. I do not say this lightly. […]
Posted inOpinion
What ‘Code of Misconduct’ taught me about silence, survival, and consent in hockey culture
Content warning: discussion around sexual assault and sexual assault trials. This weekend, I finally brought myself to watch Code of Misconduct. If you have not heard of it, Code of Misconduct is a Canadian documentary directed by Sébastien Trahan that premiered at the Hot Docs festival in April. It features investigative journalist Rick Westhead, who […]
Posted inOpinion
The antidote to what ails our society is community care
On Saturday, I sat in a circle. Not a committee. Not a task force. Not a working group with terms of reference and a mandate to report back to a Minister. A simple circle. Seating was arranged so that no one sat at the head or the back, and everyone was equal. That arrangement was not […]
Posted inOpinion
Not enough young people are engaged with Nova Scotia’s politics
Nova Scotia’s 2024 provincial election had the worst voter turnout in its history. With only 45 percent of the voting population casting a ballot, it continued the downward trend of voter turnout in the province. Turnout has been steadily decreasing since the 1990s, with only the 2021 election seeing a positive increase. The next election […]
Posted inOpinion
Mandy Wood deserved better. So do the women of Nova Scotia
On Christmas Day, Mandy Wood died. Wood was a beloved radio host based in Truro. She was also a woman failed—systematically and repeatedly—by Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. Mandy died from a rare form of vulvar cancer that went misdiagnosed for more than a year. Mandy waited for two years to see a gynecologist, and by […]
Posted inOpinion
Why the ability to speak truth to power matters, and why Houston and his staff are quelling dissent
On Nov. 28, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Becky Druhan participated in a panel discussion and made a public admission that many of us in the advocacy space have long suspected: the centralized, leader-centric political environment cultivated under Premier Tim Houston’s government has stifled dissent and silenced critics. Speaking alongside Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith […]
Posted inOpinion
Over our cold, dead bodies
“Do not try,” warns the Treaty Truckhouse Resistance in a letter addressed to the CEO and executive members of Calgary-based Rockpoint Natural Gas Storage: “Our collective willingness to defend this land and water persists.” As reported last month in AllNS.com, Rockpoint is expressing interest in reanimating the now long-defeated Alton Gas project. CEO Toby McKenna […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Dear Premier Houston…
Dear Premier Tim Houston and Conservative Leaders in Nova Scotia, I am writing with both care and urgency as the legislature prepares to reconvene. I ask that you reconsider your position and take time to critically reflect on the abusive use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in our province. Since April 2022, I have been working […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
We asked, you answered.
Tim Houston announced a “stay out of the woods” order on Aug. 5, amid “tinder dry” conditions across the province. A total ban on open fires was brought in the week before, with both bans punishable by a $25,000 fine. The whole point is obviously to prevent wildfires and we don’t have to look too […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Everyone Has an Opinion. I Just Happen to Share Mine.
“Unlikeable. Irritating. Can’t stand her. She never shuts up. I wish she’d realize no one cares what she thinks.” These are just some of the comments I get about my writing. Regularly. Nothing pisses people off more than a woman with strong opinions. Nothing pisses off the establishment more than a woman with strong opinions. […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
We asked, you answered.
City council will vote on a motion to potentially stop a project to convert Morris Street into a two-way bikeway—in light of a letter from Tim Houston expressing his government’s opposition to the plan. This project has sparked a lot of different conversations about the role city council has been or should be playing, the […]
