When Jennifer Fox moved to Nova Scotia in 2015, she, like many other Nova Scotians, requested to be put on a waiting list for a family doctor. In the meantime, she got pregnant. “That actually was the only way I was able to get a family doctor, because in the hospital given that you have […]
Nova Scotia
Posted inNews + Opinion
Heritage status sought for Dennis Building
Halifax’s Heritage Advisory Committee voted this week to move forward with a third-party application for preserving the historic Dennis Building, going against the wishes of the property’s owner—the province. Paul Armstrong, on behalf of the Maritime Institute for Civil Society, has applied for HRM to include the location at 1740 Granville Street as a municipal […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Stephen McNeil’s contempt for transparency
It’s been a depressing week for Nova Scotia’s freedom of information. First, premier Stephen McNeil said his 2013 campaign promise to “expand the powers and mandate” of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner was a “mistake.” Days later it came to light that the premier’s office had blocked privacy commissioner Catherine Tully in her […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Justice minister finally responds to Burnside prison protest
After weeks without comment, Nova Scotia’s justice minister has issued a response to the ongoing prisoner protest at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility. In an op-ed sent out Thursday afternoon, Mark Furey says that correctional facilities “can be challenging places to live and work,” but that the province is respecting and protecting the rights […]
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Farewell (once again) to Nova Scotia
Joseph Howe said that “if you take any Nova Scotian away…where he cannot view the Atlantic, smell salt water or see the sail of a ship, the man will pine and die.” Howe connected Nova Scotia by print and rail, secured responsible government and acted as an eloquent spokesperson for the province. He was also […]
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Nova Scotia opposition parties tackle conversion therapy
Opposition parties in Nova Scotia plan to put an end to conversion therapy. Nova Scotia’s New Democratic Party is putting forward a bill as early as this week to end the payment of medical professionals who bill the province for the discredited and harmful practice. The bill, which will also cover gender identity protections, essentially […]
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Unclear mandates at the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs
How and why did the original African Nova Scotia Affairs’ mandate change and why is the Office of African Nova Scotia Affairs now part of the ministry of Communities, Culture and Heritage? The expansion of the OANSA can be of benefit, if it had the goal of creating an African Nova Scotian representative in the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Everything wrong with Nova Scotia’s forestry review
Raymond Plourde is trying to be optimistic about the province’s new forestry review, but it’s a struggle. At best, says the Ecology Action Centre’s wilderness coordinator, the report is a mixed bag. The overarching idea to prioritize forest protection is laudable. But there are still some glaring omissions and dangerous proposals in the long-awaited document. […]
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Sobeys pharmacist spied on, shared private medical records
A Sobeys pharmacist “snooped” on the confidential medical history of friends, family and coworkers over a two year period and the province failed to adequately look into the serious privacy breach. Those shocking details are contained in two new investigations released Wednesday by Nova Scotia’s Information and Privacy Commissioner. According to Catherine Tully’s office, from […]
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Restorative justice workers ready for a strike
A group of restorative justice caseworkers is in “full prep mode” for a strike within the next two weeks. The Community Justice Society has one more chance to reach a compromise, but unionized workers for the government-funded program say negotiations have broken down. With one more bargaining meeting scheduled for July 25 and no current […]
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25 for 25: episode 1998
It was #MeToo moment decades before #MeToo even existed. Gerald Regan, former Nova Scotian premier and Liberal party statesman, brought to court on eight charges of sexual assault against victims as young as 14. Journalist Stephen Kimber was there watching the trial in 1998 when Regan was eventually acquitted. He wrote about the story for The Coast […]
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Politicians turn down cannabis town hall
It was supposed to be a town hall to rally public support for improving cannabis legislation, but unfortunately, all of the political leaders invited were absent. The Nova Scotia Medicinal Association of Cannabis Dispensaries invited dozens of politicians—including provincial ministers, premier Stephen McNeil and every councillor in HRM—to the Halifax Central Library a week ago […]
