By virtually any measure the Nova Centre in downtown Halifax has already been a bad deal for the public. You can debate how bad it’s been, and you can wonder how we ended up in this mess, but we can all agree that it’s been bad. It’s also the latest in a long line of […]
Economy
Posted inNews + Opinion
The ruthless capitalism at work in cannabis dispensaries
At a show last summer, a musician friend said to me, “This is Pineapple Express—I bought it legally in Kensington Market.” Legal. Weed. Kensington. Toronto. That stuck in the memory banks, and I followed up next time I was in Toronto, visiting several locations of one well-reputed dispensary, sampling as many marijuana strains and concentrates […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
What’s the First Nations economy worth?
The performance of Atlantic Canada’s Indigenous economy is worth $1.14 billion, according to a new study released Wednesday. The pan-provincial assessment, completed by the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, aims to shift stereotypes about Indigenous communities and their contribution to the economy, says secretariat executive director and study co-chair John G. Paul. […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Old age tensions
[Image-1] As we age, we become more concerned with the practical side of life, or so the story goes. Lo and behold, one day we realize that we’re not going to live forever and suddenly all those little things associated with how to age, retire and ultimately die comfortably—things we used to put off and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The new oil sands of the east coast
[Image-1] When we think of Nova Scotia, we envision breathtaking land and seascapes, picturesque valleys with some of the most beautiful beaches you have ever seen. We also have an unemployment rate of eight percent, New Brunswick at 10.8 percent, PEI at 11.1 followed by Newfoundland at 12.3 percent. We have had a mass exodus […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax Water is estimating bills due to that labour strike
[Image-1] Alia Saied fully expected her latest water bill was going to be cheaper than usual. She and her partner had just returned from a month away, so they couldn’t explain how their water consumption had somehow increased. “Our usual bill is like $200, so suddenly I was like, ‘Why is it $300?’” Short-staffed due […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
What are Nova Scotia’s top exports?
[Image-1] Nova Scotia’s global reputation is “virtually non-existent” according to a recent government report. Co-authored by Ray Ivany, the report recommends doubling the number of companies exporting in the next 10 years to combat that ignorance and sell the world on Nova Scotia. The Liberal government also just announced its new Export Growth Program, to […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Welcome to Halifax’s new condo market
[Image-1] It’s a condo conundrum. Do you go downstairs to use the indoor pool or get some exercise on the full-size indoor track? Actually, maybe a brisk stroll through the shops below is considered cardio. But don’t forget there’s also cocktails on the sixth-floor terrace with the neighbours later. Or maybe you’ll just grab a […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Herald: Where are they now?
[Image-1] It’s tough out there. That’s especially true for journalists facing a shrivelling job market. Right now, nobody knows that better than the dozens of newsroom employees cast-off from the Chronicle Herald last year. Back in December, president and CEO Mark Lever eagerly told the media there were only two “voluntary” layoffs, in contrast to […]
Posted inLifestyle
The depressing world of call centre employment
[Image-1] Over the past seven years, 25-year-old Samantha Devine has worked at four call centres, starting at the first immediately after graduating high school. She is now unemployed, taking anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants and has been through several rounds of therapy. “They didn’t really care what happened to you,” says Devine. The mother of two […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Shifting focus towards rural communities
[Image-1] From March 11 to 14, Dalhousie’s school of planning will host its annual SHIFT planning conference. This year, the focus is on the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities in Nova Scotia. Masters student and organizer Eliza Jackson took some time to speak with The Coast about what SHIFT is planning. The Coast: Why […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Provincial tax review fails the Ivany test
[Image-1] Recently, Jim Vibert, who was hired to edit the government’s tax review report, wrote a Chronicle Herald editorial calling people who had concerns with it “knee-jerk tax review naysayers.” Ralph Surette asked people in his Herald editorial to “stop spewing rhetoric and digest tax report.” Not wanting to be a naysayer, I sat down […]