Milling about I share concerns about the environmental damage caused by Northern Pulp and I’m glad the minister is sticking to their guns on this matter (“Turning the toxic tide on Northern Pulp and Boat Harbour,” Feature story by Taryn Grant, January 30, 2020). However, the only way I was able to afford this year’s […]
Opinion
Posted inNews + Opinion
‘There are no rules’ when it comes to restaurant accessibility in Halifax
I t was date night. We’d called ahead and made our arrangements. We arrived at the restaurant early to avoid the crowds. Yet we were met with looks of uncertainty and a 10-inch step at the entrance. The server left to find a ramp; turns out the only one was the loading ramp to the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Kicking off Black History Month with a talk on anti-Black racism at Dalhousie
A nti-Black racism, or the policies, decisions and practices that intentionally or unintentionally oppress Black people, is pervasive in Nova Scotia. It is quite literally ingrained in the very fabric of our day-to-day lives. We see anti-Black racism in institutions such as universities, schools and hospitals as well as in policies that govern decisions within […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Letters to the editor, January 30, 2020
No vacancy Landlords are afraid to rent to people with children (“Yes, it did get harder to find an apartment in Halifax last year,” City story by Isabel Buckmaster, January 23, 2020). There are some places to rent but the renters don’t take all into consideration. I’m a mom of five young kids on social […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Letters to the editor, January 23, 2020
Sub-par bars I feel Vicky Levack’s pain (“There’s nothing spontaneous about a night out in Halifax for someone who uses a mobility device,” Cover story by Caora McKenna, January 16, 2020). I live in the Valley and although I am not as young as Levack, just getting out to a coffee shop that is a […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
What happened to Santina Rao in a Halifax Walmart should never happen again
The Hyde Inquiry. The Wortley Report. The Fraser and Gardner trials. Constable Joseph Farrow’s assault charge. Indigenous, Black, people of colour, trans and nonbinary people have been calling this out forever, but the outrageous violence Santina Rao experienced at the hands of police last week has to be the last straw for Halifax’s tolerance of […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Letters to the editor, January 16, 2020
Songs of praise Always loved Morgan Davis since I found “What’s Them Pretty Young Girls Doin…” on a jukebox in Renfrew (“Ahead by a half-century,” cover story by Morgan Mullin, January 9, 2020). We have travelled a similar path with blues/R&B. A pleasure to read this. Thx. —posted at thecoast.ca by Robert Watson Rochdale College […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
HRM’s shopping centres are a no-go zone for folks with accessibility needs
Q uestion: What did the pedestrian’s $100 bill say to the Walmart in Bayers Lake? Answer: You ain’t getting none of this! Bayers Lake Business Park and Dartmouth Crossing are two of the busiest shopping areas in Halifax Regional Municipality, but are the most neglected when it comes to accessibility. HRM has done well with […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Letters to the editor, January 9, 2020
City slickers Thanks for highlighting the special problems of people like Brian George (“Winter is here, are HRM’s sidewalk clearing contractors ready for it?,” City story by Victoria Walton, December 26, 2019). As a senior pedestrian, I have problems, but nothing compared to his. There is one specific problem I have that was not mentioned in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Why English speakers need to do their part to bridge the communication gap with new Nova Scotians whose mother tongue isn’t English
Picture the scene: a busy Halifax sushi restaurant, Friday night. The waiter greets a couple at the door. The server seems to use English as an additional language, or EAL—it might be her second, third or fourth. The server responds to the couple’s request to sit at a particular table, telling them it wasn’t available […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Youth in Halifax just need good jobs
I have been working with youth and communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality for 15 years. I grew up in the Bayer’s Westwood (The Pubs) public housing community. I understand first-hand the challenges experienced by those living in poverty, who struggle financially and are doing what they need to do just to survive. Society labels […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Letters to the editor, December 23, 2019
First responses Absolutely superb writing from Andrew Bethune about his years as a paramedic (“Health care’s exhausted pain reliever,” cover story, December 12)! Heart-tugging and very well said. As a personal support worker, I relate to the burnout, difficult patients, low pay, shitty health care system and all its shortcomings. It is the positive responses, […]