[Image-1] A crosswalk-safety measure that was in the slow lane at City Hall for years has grown in popularity across many parts of the municipality. Right now there are 74 crosswalks in HRM with pedestrian-safety flags. Six months ago, the flags were only available at 36 crosswalks. Use of the flags was introduced several years […]
accessibility
Posted inNews + Opinion
On the sledge of their seats: A sledge hockey breakdown
[Image-1] Started in Sweden in the early ’60s—about 20 years after IKEA—sledge hockey was created for people who want to play hockey despite disabilities. The sport’s growing in Nova Scotia, with four current programs, two more on the way and Bridgewater recently hosting the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. While at the international level eligible athletes […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Looks like winter’s going to suck again this year
Start praying for a warm winter, because not a lot has changed in how Halifax deals with snowstorms. Yesterday’s Committee of the Whole was an eight-hour brawl with HRM’s management over winter operations. Before the city was this review of the past winter’s snow-clearing services. At question was who to blame for Halifax crumbling into […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Gone Fishing? Councillor gears up for federal election
[Image-1] How slow is it at City Hall right now? Slow enough that this week’s city council meeting was cancelled because, in the words of spokesperson Brendan Elliott, “it was felt the work of Regional Council could be accomplished in two meetings” instead of the three scheduled for July 21, 28 and August 4. Cancelled […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Monday’s 6 things you need to know
1 Best of Halifax 2015 has landed. This year’s mega-survey has compiled our Best of Halifax Food, Music and City awards into one super ballot—and you can vote for your favourites starting today. Right now. Do it. PRO TIP: you don’t have to fill this whole thing out in one sitting—our voting site saves your […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
UPDATED: You helped the “asshole with a shovel” get a new wheelchair
[Image-1] UPDATE: The GoFundMe page has now more than surpassed it’s $8,000 goal. Congratulations to Paul Vienneau and the generous people of Halifax! There’s probably been no better symbol of the struggles with snow clearing this winter than Paul Vienneau. The photographer and musician has used a wheelchair since a bicycle accident in 1991, but […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Ableist sales staff can cramp a shopper’s style
[Image-1] Clothes shopping can be difficult for any woman but there’s a segment of Nova Scotia women whose concerns go beyond the ordinary. In Nova Scotia, 20 percent of women report some form of disability—the highest percent of any Canadian province. That’s 20 percent of women who need their clothing and their shopping experiences to […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Expressing some sidewalk fury
[Image-1] Today, on the short walk from Ecology Action Centre offices to the Carrot Co-op on Gottingen Street, I helped an older man with a cane, a middle-aged man on crutches and an older woman move from the dangerous sidewalk to the middle of the road. I held the hands of that woman as she […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Ferry terminal lacks fountains
[Image-1] What’s wrong? There’s a drought of drinking fountains at the Alderney Ferry Terminal. Thirsty travellers are perfectly free to enjoy a refreshing drink at the Halifax and Woodside terminals. Only Alderney remains inexplicably dry. The only option for paying customers on the Dartmouth side who want H2O is the lukewarm, fecal-infused liquid coming from […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Sidewalk conditions remain icy, dangerous and unacceptable
[Image-1] The amount of snowfall this winter has been hard on all of us. I have cerebral palsy, and have had to work from home multiple days to avoid injury. When you have existing balance problems, ice isn’t just slippery—it’s disastrous. Think doing the shuffle without control. There are many of us in Nova Scotia […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Here’s your new transit network (probably)
[Image-1] Every route in the existing Halifax Transit network is changing. Whether that helps or hinders individual riders, remains to be seen. Today the transit authority unveiled its Moving Forward Together plan, which details the changes alongside a colourful new route map. The site unfortunately seems to be missing any sort of trip planner, which […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Fed up with winter Transit
[Image-1] Submitted to letters@thecoast.ca… I have been living in Halifax for the past five months and until yesterday, I’ve had nothing but good things to say about the city. Back in January I had read an article about Gerry Post who was sharing his opinion on issues he has had with Halifax Transit. I myself […]