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 vet. Deep respect and affection for this cat.
—posted by sonicsinner
Yes! Pls show more love always for the rich Nova Scotia blues community. —@mercypleaseband on Instagram
Hittin' the spot
SENSEA Nordic Spa is amazing ("Hot winter daze," Shoptalk story by Victoria Walton, January 8, 2020)!! We spent 5+ hours there. I wish I lived closer so I could go each week.—from Glenda Anderson on Facebook
My husband and I went on opening day (Jan 1) it was very nice and so relaxing. Already looking to go back.
—from Lisa Tharp Lundriga
Nothing like being whipped with eucalyptus branches...
—from George Rizsanyi
Bubble zones
Nova Scotians are by now familiar with facing several barriers when accessing health-care services. These can include lack of primary care, wait times, transportation and associated financial costs. For those seeking abortion services there is an added barrier of stigma. This barrier is actively perpetuated by anti-abortion groups who engage in efforts to harass and intimidate patients—including right here in Nova Scotia. Nobody should feel unsafe when they are going to a hospital, clinic, pharmacy or doctor's office. Yet women accessing reproductive health-care services can be forced to interact with protestors, often there for the sole purpose of shaming women for making a legal, but often difficult, choice. It isn't hard to imagine the impact this would have on someone's mental wellbeing.This is why the NDP caucus supports bubble zones. Other jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, have introduced laws to put a safe distance between protestors and abortion patients. Given recent anti-choice demonstrations at the Women's Choice Clinic at the Victoria General Hospital, it's clear that it is time for Nova Scotia to do the same.
When the legislature resumes in the new year, our caucus will be introducing bubble zone legislation that would protect the safety and wellbeing of patients seeking reproductive health care. We hope the government will recognize the need to prohibit types of activity that infringe on people's right to health care, and work with us on turning this bill into law.
—Claudia Chender, MLA, Dartmouth
Corrections
We need to fix the record for a couple articles in last week's issue. First up is the Food + Drink story about Clara Frances Dadin-Alli's Nigerian take-out business, "Go big with Franyz Kitchen" by Stephanie Johns: Not only did we manage the massive embarrassment of spelling the name Franyz Kitchen incorrectly on our cover, but we should have made clear the business is current operating online via Instagram @franyzkitchen, rather than from a physical location.
Next is the cover story about Morgan Davis, "Ahead by a half-century" by Morgan Mullin. The story understated the amount of recording Davis has done. We said six studio albums, and that's what you'll see at Apple Music or Spotify, but given that his 50-year music career extends to the pre-digital era, we trust Davis when he informs us his output includes 10 CDs and two LPs. Also, a photo caption accompanying the story gave the wrong location for where Yank Rachell talked to Davis—it was the Mariposa Folk Festival, says Davis, not the Great North Fair as we captioned. And in the spirit of clarifying locations, we should say Davis plays in Halifax but doesn't live here.
The Coast apologizes for these errors.
