Consider the fish
In Nova Scotia, we know fish. We understand that overfishing depletes our fish stocks and that both fishers and marine ecosystems suffer as a result. We remember the tragedy of the cod. And we know how to speak up: We have kept fracking out of our province and we have rallied in support of our film jobs. We care about our environment and our economy. So, fellow Maritimers, now is the time—let us raise our voices for our fish and for our fishers.
If we carry on overfishing our oceans as we do today, our grandchildren may never taste fish. This is not news to Canadian policy makers, who have responded to the crisis by imposing quotas on fishers. Quotas can be effective tools in fish stock conservation; unfortunately, we are not using these quotas as well as we could. Various environmental credit systems exist today, and they can be adapted to fishing. In fact, Scotland is already using a credit system to encourage more sustainable fishing practices and dissuade fishers from environmental damage.
In Scotland, a fisher who adopts environmentally-friendly gear or behaviour is rewarded with a larger fishing quota; some quota is retracted from noncompliant fishers, creating an economic incentive for environmentally sustainable fishing practices.
Scotland’s credit system may not be an exact fit for Canada, but it is evident to all of us that we cannot carry on like this. Please, for the sake of all of us and our ecosystems, join me in speaking out against the injustice of overfishing and environmental damage. Write to all those Liberal MPs Atlantic Canada just elected. Use the excitement of new ideas and a freshly-minted government to light a fire under their toes. Tell them that we care. That we will not be silent. Let us use our power as the people and help save our fisheries. — Caela Bialek, Halifax
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I took the time to translate the binary code on the cover of your October 1 “Startup City” issue. It was apropos, albeit anti-climatic.— G. Boyce, Dartmouth
All-access? Pass
I moved to Halifax from British Columbia one year ago, and I have found living my everyday life has become one struggle after another. I use a wheelchair and I am absolutely disgusted by the lack of wheelchair access to buildings in Halifax. I understand that this an old city, and in some cases, making a building accessible simply cannot be done. If a business is up a flight of stairs, there is no way to change that, aside from major renovations. There are numerous buildings in this city that can be improved upon with the addition of a small ramp, but no one wants to make that happen.
I have never been one to make waves. Admittedly, I don’t stick up for myself enough. But recently, I finally had enough and I emailed mayor Mike Savage and downtown councillor Waye Mason on the matter. Mr. Savage ignored my email outright, and Waye Mason responded only after I called him out publicly through social media. What I understood from his email was that this is a poor province, and while these things are being worked on, don’t hold your breath.
I’m tired of this matter not being a priority. The city has no problem spending money on painting Argyle Street green and blue while I am stripped of my human rights. Their priorities are backwards.
If the powers that be expect me to stay in my apartment and only go out to go to work and get groceries, maybe that’s what I’ll do. There have been instances where random people in this city have offered to help me into a building that doesn’t have an accessible entrance and for that I am thankful; people in the Maritimes are some of the friendliest people in the country. Every day I watch people walk up steps and into buildings to get where they need to go, and while I appreciate the offers of assistance, it shouldn’t have to be that way.Â
I’d be interested to know how other people with mobility issues feel in this city. I can’t be the only one fed up with this. And to those of you across the country with similar issues who are thinking of moving to the Maritimes, I urge you to think twice. You’d be better off in a place that sees people with disabilities as human beings. —Brian George, Halifax
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2015.
Thank you, Brian George, for bringing up this issue. I’m happy to add my two cents. I’ve lived in Halifax for 31 years and the downtown core for four. The condition of infrastructure in downtown is atrocious. Not only do many storefronts and restaurants not have ramps, but those that do or have level thresholds usually don’t have automatic doors, so people in wheelchairs always need help getting in. For some restaurants I have to call in advance and tell them to meet me at their back basement entrance and take me up the service (smelly) elevator. This should not be. No one should have to be marginalized like that. And, as Mr. George said, it wouldn’t take much to change some steps into ramps.
Entries are not the only issues in peninsular Halifax. The conditions of sidewalks and curbcuts are terrible, also. Every year a few are improved, but at the rate they’re going I’ll be long in my dotage before I can easily move around in this city. And when they do fix things, believe it or not, they’re sometimes worse, such as when some potholes along Spring Garden were filled in last summer. None of them were smoothed flat or at an even angle. Instead they left little mountains of asphalt right in front of terrible curbcuts so that you bump and twist down one uneven spot only to have to bump up another in the next instant. I actually scrape my foot pedals in some of these places, and over the years I’ve had to replace at least three bent foot pedals because of curb conditions. I wonder if the city would enjoy reimbursing me for those.
Now let’s talk about sidewalks. Bumpy. Broken up. Many with precipitous edges where the turf has fallen away leaving an abyss that could throw off any wheelchair, or turn any person’s ankle. I need to pick and choose where to cross the street and which sidewalks to use, and be very, very careful not to stray to close to the edge of the sidewalk. It’s infuriating — and more so when huge amounts are spent on things like unnecessary roundabouts. Every sidewalk and curbcut in the city could have been fixed for the amount of money spent on the two new, pedestrian unfriendly, roundabouts by the Commons. Wheeling around this city is unbelievable difficult. And in case anyone wonders why they see so many wheelchairs in the street, that’s the reason.
This isn’t an issue only for people in chairs. I have friends who are simply a little unsteady on their feet who have problems — and who have, incidentally, complained to the city.
I don’t care how much it costs. I am tired of paying enormous taxes to live down here and then have to pick and choose the routes I take or risk damage to my chair and an uncomfortable ride for me. We deserve better. All the residents of this city deserve better and so do the tourists. Frankly, I’m often embarrassed about how ugly our beautiful city is.