It’s been one year since the mass shooting in Portapique. Across the province, communities and families are taking time to remember the 22 lives that were violently and prematurely taken in an act of misogynist violence. Over the past year we have all struggled to make sense of this violence, the loss of innocent lives […]
Violence against women
Posted inNews + Opinion
From day one, advocates knew shooting was linked to domestic violence
Although it took RCMP over a week to address the Nova Scotia massacre’s relation to domestic violence, Canadian feminists and activists say they saw the telltale signs from the start. “I immediately thought this probably had a domestic violence event that precipitated it or was an element to it,” says Leighann Burns, a founder of […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Call it by its name: Misogynist violence
Nova Scotians are spending the weekend with heavy hearts as they mourn the loss of 22 innocent people in one of the worst mass shootings in our country’s history. Yet along with this sorrow, feminist activists in Nova Scotia and across the country are also feeling outraged because women and girls in this province continue […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Voice of The City: Abuse and violence thrive in isolation and silence
The first person to die from a COVID-19-related death in Nova Scotia was not someone who contracted the virus. It was a woman murdered by her abusive male partner, whom she was forced into isolation with due to social distancing measures. In early April, Stephen Beckett was arrested at his home in Hammonds Plains and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Bryony House has found a temporary home
A fter almost 90 days since shuttering its women and children’s shelter, Bryony House finally has a place to call home—for now. Executive director Maria MacIntosh says after a three-month search, women and children escaping domestic violence in Halifax will soon have a place to stay. “We are likely going to be operational within weeks” […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
I believe Lucy because I know what it’s like
[Image-1] Yesterday at work, one my co-workers was talking about the Ghomeshi case. This trial is about Ghomeshi’s alleged actions. Not about what three women did before they went the courts. But he mentioned that he didn’t understand why Lucy Decoutere and the other women who have so far testified in the case stayed in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Saunders family grieves as inquiry continues
[Image-1] Loretta Saunders’ death six months ago was still fresh for her grieving family as they attended the inquiry into her murder this week. After justice Anne Derrick called a recess Wednesday, there was an outburst in the court. In an apparent reaction to evidence, one of Saunders’ uncles stood up and made a move […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Saunders inquiry doubles down on secrecy
[Image-1] As the inquiry into Loretta Saunders’ murder resumed Tuesday morning, a member of her family leaned over the back of a courtroom pew and handed a Halifax Regional Police constable a pink rubber bracelet. The constable, who investigated the case, thanked him. The bracelets, which say, “Loretta and the stolen sisters,” are meant to […]
Posted inArts + Music
No thanks, Chris Brown
I’ve had a whole weekend to stew about Chris Brown coming to Halifax for Energy Rush. By now, there’s been petitions for, petitions against, sponsors pulling out left, right and centre, discussions of art for art’s sake, discussions about race, statements from Mayor Mike Savage and straight up plain vitriol for the abusive Brown. […]