Cathy Deagle-Gammon is running for the council seat for District 1 (Waverley—Fall River—Musquodoboit Valley) because she believes in her community, and the need for grassroots growth representation there. She’s worked with every level of government in her career, and says she’ll be a voice for her community if elected. Although originally from Cape Breton, Deagle-Gammon […]
City Council
Posted inNews + Opinion
On the phone with community volunteer Debbie MacKinnon, District 10
Although originally from Cape Breton, Debbie MacKinnon has lived in Fairview for the last 25 years. She schooled at Mount Saint Vincent University and “never ended up leaving. That’s how much I like the place.” MacKinnon has been involved in the community ever since her children were little. She’s volunteered as chair of the school […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
On the phone with incumbent Sam Austin, District 5
Sam Austin, a councillor for the past four years, answers the phone while driving, but quickly pulls into a parking lot to give his full attention to the call. “For me, what it really comes down to is the same reason I ran in 2016. I’m in it to do things,” says the representative for the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
District 11 Councillor Stephen Adams says he won’t be running for council again
With plenty of deep breaths and a few sideways smiles, Stephen Adams made it through his announcement with almost no tears in City Hall Friday morning. Adams, Halifax’s longest-serving councillor, told colleagues and media that this year would be his last in politics. Adams, says he chose to make this announcement now in order to give […]
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Regional council approves changes to update taxi industry rules
Halifax Regional Council passed the first reading of by-law 1003 and administrative order 39 which moves the process for long-overdue updates to the rules and regulations in HRM’s taxi industry forward. Among the changes is making debit or credit machines mandatory, getting rid of the Halifax, Dartmouth and County zones to make one mega zone, […]
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Cornwallis task force public meetings scheduled for June
The city’s task force for the commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the recognition and commemoration of Indigenous history has announced four public consultation meetings will take place in June. The meetings invite Haligonians to have their say about recognizing and commemorating Indigenous history, which includes what to do about the Edward Cornwallis statue and similar […]
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Will the Scotiabank Centre’s score clock make it through the Memorial Cup final?
Hockey fans won’t be the only people in the Scotiabank Centre holding their breath this weekend. While the Guelph Storm face off against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies tonight, and the winner moves on to take on the Halifax Moosehead on Sunday, Events East staff will be holding their breath too, in hopes that the 17-year-old end-of-its-life […]
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Council says no to spending surplus money on parking lot expenses
After much debate, Halifax Regional Council voted against using the $20 million surplus reserve to keep residential and commercial tax rates down. The rate will go to a final vote at council at 2.3 percent, meaning a $43.83 increase on the average home tax bill of $1,979. Mayor Mike Savage recommended taking $900,000 from last […]
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The pigs have flown: Cogswell redevelopment to go ahead
After more than a decade of lagging attempts and false starts, the Cogswell Redevelopment plan is onto the last leg. The 90 percent plan was presented to city council on Tuesday and passed unanimously after some housekeeping amendments were added by councillor Waye Mason. The quick turnaround from last week’s release of the updated plan […]
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Sidewalks from hell
Halifax’s winter sidewalk conditions continue down a slippery slope. Last week, Halifax Needham MLA Lisa Roberts fell on the ice and broke her wrist, almost sliding onto the road in the process. “When I was picking myself up, I was virtually on the street,” she says. It was more than a single bad patch of […]
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Halifax’s bike network dream in jeopardy
Despite the best-laid plans of council, Halifax’s ambitious hope for a bike network throughout the urban core won’t be possible by 2020. In fact, based on city hall’s current budget it might not meet the original deadline of 2022 at all. “Obviously, we won’t be able to build this out to 2022 with the draft […]
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Slower response-time targets proposed for HRM firefighters
A staff report headed to Regional Council recommends lowering the targets for the city’s emergency response times, because the current time targets are rarely met. Halifax firefighters in urban areas are expected to respond to structural fires within seven minutes, 90 percent of the time. For rural firefighters, that target is 12 minutes. Volunteer firefighters […]
