“Residual waste; garbage, that is.” —councillor Reg Rankin “I’m sick and tired of plans. Sick and tired of it, silly master plan.” —councillor Barry Dalrymple “I drove by a Santa Claus today—it looked great—on a car dealership.” —Dave O’Connor, president of Glow Parties THROW AWAYS Yesterday was Halifax Regional Council’s last meeting of 2014, and […]
City Council
Posted inNews + Opinion
Councillor spends $25,000 on robot tree
[Image-1] A Halifax councillor has spent $25,000 of the municipality’s money on a talking Christmas tree. Brad Johns, councillor for Middle/Upper Sackville-Beaver Bank-Lucasville, is eagerly awaiting his new tree as it’s shipped from the States. He says it will help Sackville compete with neighbouring districts. “Spryfield’s got the Santa parade, downtown has their tree lighting. […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Volta Labs wants the old Library
[Image-1] UPDATE: City staff have instead recommended moving forward with leasing the old Library lands to Volta Labs. “Everybody loves Volta,” I’m told. One expects a provincial announcement with more details on the partnership is likely soon to be released. As the Halifax Central Library finally gets set to open its doors this weekend, the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Bhutan beats Belgium
[Image-1] Last week Halifax Regional Council made a token gesture to welcome newcomers by letting permanent residents vote in municipal elections. Naturally, the topic elicited the usual xenophobia from radio callers and Internet commenters. The public seemed worried planeloads of new immigrants would invade our city, flex their democratic muscle and change all our blue […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The felon cyclist
[Image-1] I trace my lust for breaking rules on my bike to my elementary school principal. When I was nine or 10 my parents invited my school principal over for dinner. She showed up on her bike and she wasn’t wearing her helmet. My mom, half-joking, scorned her for it. She told my mom she […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Cyclist license cycle
[Image-1] The city should pay a monthly stipend to cyclists, or maybe just offer them some discounts around town. After all, they’re unclogging our roads, promoting a healthy lifestyle and staving off global warming. What we shouldn’t do is force cyclists to purchase a license to ride. That’s what Dartmouth councillor Gloria McCluskey wants the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Hang your posters high
[Image-1] A hefty ticket for violating a questionable bylaw has reignited an old Halifax battleground. Recently Justin “Jupiter” Wiles of Berzerker Lion was stapling his band’s poster to a power pole at the corner of Hunter and Cunard Streets when a police officer turned his vehicle around to talk to him. The officer asked him […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
A beacon of fiscal hope
[Image-1] “I find it interesting.” —The reason Graham Hicks (pictured above) gave for why he’s been attending council meetings for the last four decades (give or take a year). In recognition of Hicks’ efforts as a “dedicated observer,” Mike Savage presented a small plaque with Hicks’ name which will be affixed to a chair in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Armco being difficult again
[Image-1] It’s hard getting things built in this town. Sure, there’s more cranes in the sky than there’s been in decades, but municipal policies still often get in the way of a property owner’s god-given right to vomit out mixed-use residential. Perhaps that’s why APL Properties Ltd., “an Armco Capital company,” has taken an unusually […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Big savings on postage
[Image-1] Last week The Coast published an investigative cover story on community mailbox placement in Halifax. It was met with strong public outcry, including such comments as “clickbait trash” and “who cares?” Something that didn’t make it into the article, because I only found out about it late last week, is the list of “corporate […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax’s mail fail
Right now it’s quiet on Chandler Drive. There’re no squealing tires or screeching brakes—no crash of metal into metal. Not yet, anyway. There’s still plenty of traffic up above, on Glendale Drive. The point where the two streets intersect may be one of the most dangerous turns in Lower Sackville. Less than 30 metres down […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Council Review: “The Peggy’s Cove of Barrington”
[Image-1] “There’s a reason that I love this town.” —Mayor Mike Savage, quoting Joel Plaskett to the assembled Khyber supporters. “The Peggy’s Cove of Barrington.” —Councillor David Hendsbee’s rather strange metaphor for the Khyber. “Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.” —Councillor Waye Mason. THE KHYBER STANDS It wasn’t the best start before yesterday’s […]
