[Image-1] Educational support workers in HRM are standing in solidarity with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), while at the same time bargaining with the Halifax Regional School Board (HRSB) for a new collective agreement of their own. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 5047 president Chris Melanson says school board employees in his […]
Nova Scotia
Posted inNews + Opinion
School closure leaves the most vulnerable at greatest risk
[Image-1] On Monday morning a recalled Nova Scotia legislature will begin the first steps to forcing a new collective agreement on teachers and taking away their right to strike. At the same time, outside Province House, angry crowds will join in a protest against the Liberal government’s battle with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU). […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Children locked out of school by province
[Image-1] Instead of locking out unionized teachers, the Liberal government has decided to lock out Nova Scotia’s students. All public schools in the province will be closed starting Monday, December 5. Education minister Karen Casey made the unprecedented announcement at a press conference held Saturday morning. The province says the planned work-to-rule action by the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Auditor general report slams province over plans for new schools
[Image-1] A report from Nova Scotia’s auditor general says the provincial government is doing a poor job planning for the future of its schools. The report, released Wednesday, says the department of Education and Early Childhood Development has “an overall casual approach to decision-making” and is without a longterm capital planning process. Auditor general Michael […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Talks break down between province and teachers
[Image-1] Negotiations for a new collective agreement between the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) and the province have broken off. The two sides had met this week with a conciliator to try and stave off a strike. A work stoppage could now happen as early as December 5, though what form that will take has […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Not everyone is accepting Stephen McNeil’s apology
Premier Stephen McNeil has apologized for a legal brief referring to the Mi’kmaq as conquered peoples, but some feel he needs to back up his words with actions. On Thursday, McNeil started off his meeting with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs by apologizing for a brief filed in the court case over Alton […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Going it alone
It’s been a year since Andrew Younger was ousted from the provincial Liberal caucus and premier Stephen McNeil’s cabinet. An experienced politician, going back to his days as a member of Halifax Regional Council representing East Dartmouth-The Lakes, Younger is now the independent MLA for Dartmouth East, a seat he first won in 2009. He’s […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
No political will to fix Nova Scotia’s inadequate tenancy laws
[IMAGE-1] When Melanie Quigg moved out of the house she had rented in Bedford last June, her rent was paid up and—after a thorough cleaning by her and her father—the place was spotless. She expected the return of her $650 security deposit 10 days after the end of the month, as specified in Nova Scotia’s […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Why we support Nova Scotia’s teachers
[Image-1] When we started up Nova Scotia Parents for Teachers two weeks ago, our Facebook page quickly gathered around 400 members. Since our first bit of media coverage last Wednesday, membership has soared to over 5,000 and counting. We hope that premier McNeil is taking notice. As a group of concerned parents and grandparents of […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Conservationists sound off on proposed Keji clearcuts
[Image-1] No forest is an island; entire of itself. While the Department of Natural Resources has given the go-ahead on 94 hectares of a proposed clearcut near Kejimkujik National Park, and even though no cutting will be done in the park itself, Chris Miller warns there may still be consequences for the much-loved area. “None […]
Posted inArts + Music
A witchy chat with author Ami McKay
Ami McKay’s new book, The Witches of New York, is the spinoff of her 2011 novel The Virgin Cure. Moth, the lead character from Cure, goes by the name of Adelaide Thom in this story. Thom runs a tea shop with her friend—a witch named Eleanor St. Clair—that serves as a front for potions and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Nova Scotia’s teachers are ready for a strike
[Image-1] A strike vote of 96 percent on Tuesday means Nova Scotia’s 9,300 teachers could be walking off the job as early as December 3. “Public school teachers have spoken loud and clear,” said NSTU president Liette Doucet in a press release. “We feel strongly about providing better education to Nova Scotia’s students and are willing […]
