[Image-1] Stephen Harper was sworn in as Canada’s 22nd prime minister on February 6, 2006. Nine years later and the only changes that have been made are for the worse. Canada is under attack and we all need to wake up and see the light. Harper’s government makes the city of Halifax the true demographic […]
Voice of the City
Posted inNews + Opinion
How this city almost killed me
[Image-1] Last week, I nearly got killed as I walked onto a crosswalk on Lacewood Drive. I pressed the button and stepped out, assuming the car was far enough to stop. A loud, heart-dropping three car collision later, I was looking back over the moment that could’ve easily been my last. Thankfully, no one […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Stronger environmental leadership needed in Ottawa
[Image-1] “Would you ever consider running?” Most people would answer this question with an emphatic “No.” Politicians are almost universally reviled, and few people are attracted to the idea of putting one’s life on hold and placing everything on the line, just to become a professional receptacle for everyone’s pet complaint. As a result, politics […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Refusing to vote is not an effective way to criticize Canada
[Image-1] We are constantly being told that the dismal representation of “young people” at polls in recent elections displays a political apathy that threatens the nation. What utter bullshit. From where I sit, the level of political awareness and engagement of youth in Canada and the First Nations of Turtle Island is unprecedented. Low voter […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Local boosterism is killing the Atlantic Film Festival
[Image-1] A lot of us Canadians squirm in our seats in shame as we are obliged to sit through half an hour of sponsor promotion and self-indulgent speeches before each gala film presentation at the Atlantic Film Festival. European visitors must conclude that Halifax is a hick town where there is no respect for the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
I was a conscious non-voter, here’s what changed my mind
[Image-1] When I was young, I was a conscious non-voter. During election season my parents always spoke about the importance of voting and how “This is our chance! This is our voice!” I looked forward to the day when my voice would be heard but when that day came I felt that my voice was […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Canada owes justice to refugees
[Image-1] Alan Kurdi’s death on a Turkish beach has weighed heavily on the consciences of Canadians. The discovery that an NDP MP personally appealed to Immigration and Citizenship minister Chris Alexander on behalf of the Kurdi family has sparked moral outrage and a call to action. Ottawa must submit to the demands of human decency […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The bright film industry future that was
After a turbulent year in the film industry, we’ll soon celebrate great local stories during the Atlantic Film Festival. It’s remarkable that so much gets made as producers assemble creative teams and navigate between banks, broadcasters, distributors, governments and unions. The celebration this year will contain an element of sadness as the business shrinks. The […]
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
My life on welfare
[Image-1] I would never have imagined that I would one day need social assistance. With my work ethic, education and references, it wasn’t remotely on my radar. And yet adsum ego sum. It was a great shock to me, following a serious fall. My former employers and co-workers were some of the best people with […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The bullshit cultural milieu of medical marijuana
[Image-1] There is a bullshit cultural milieu surrounding the use of cannabis. The general perception seems to be that marijuana is not only a completely harmless substance, but actually a panacea capable of alleviating/curing a vast array of medical conditions. However, its use is hindered by mean, moralistic politicians who are kept in the back […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
It’s time to merge Canada’s progressive parties
[Image-1] Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. I write this on behalf of all Canadians who voted anything but Conservative in 2011. And 2008. And 2006. And 2004. This election need only focus on a single issue: Canadian democracy is no longer functioning. By merging the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties in […]
