Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod

After a bit of a pivot because of the pandemic, the 7th Annual Halifax Black Film Festival will be back in person and online this year. The event is a chance to celebrate African Heritage Month by amplifying Black voices and uplifting Black talent from February 24 - 28, 2023. It was created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation and will present 70 films from 10 countries virtually and in-person at Cineplex Park Lane and events at the Halifax Public Library. And the driving force behind this event is Fabienne Colas.

Do you know the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? Do you know what to do if someone is experiencing either of those heart ailments? February is Heart Month. And the folks with Emergency Health Services want to talk about what you need to know. Mike Janczyszyn is a paramedic overseeing the Automated External Defibrillator registry. And he wants to help you save lives.

It was a big announcement last week that got very little main stream news coverage. Nova Scotia appointed four new provincial court judges to the bench on one day, which isn’t usual. And the fact they are all women is another part of the story that was something of note. But outside of the provincial government website, there didn’t appear to be any news stories about it. And maybe that’s the way it should be in 2023.

Imagine being at your job where someone is making twice as much money for the same job. And you can’t take vacation because there aren’t enough staff members. That’s what’s happening in our health care system right now with travel nurses and nursing agencies. That has prompted front line Emergency Department nurses to write a letter, pleading for action from the Premier, Health Minister and CEO of Nova Scotia Health. Hugh Gillis is the 1st VP of NSGEU representing health care workers. And although he’s speaking out, he says this is coming from the people on the front lines. The RN’s who are worried about the strain on the system, the safety of patients and the integrity of jeopardy that conditions are placing them and their licenses. Is this just about money?

February is African Nova Scotia History and Heritage Month. And we know the government of Nova Scotia has offered some plans for the Africville Museum. But I really wanted to speak with someone who's directly involved with some of the educational opportunities. She is executive director of the Africville Museum. Juanita Peters is an award-winning writer, playwright, and director of multiple documentaries and TV series including one that will be screened at an event later this month in Digby, Nova Scotia called: Africville - Can't Stop Now.

It's going to get cold, really cold over the next few days. In fact, dangerous wind chills are forecasted as a blast of Arctic air approaches Atlantic Canada. The coldest recorded temperature in Nova Scotia was -41.1 degrees Celsius. On January 31st, 1920 in Upper Stewiacke. And that is -40 no matter what scale you might be looking at. And this had me thinking about a number of things, including our lived environment and the critters that live in. And there's a man I know who is the retired curator of zoology, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. Andrew Hebda joins the conversation here today.

Imagine trying to survive a night with just a nylon tent between you and a windchill of -45. Emergency shelter staff are working to keep people from being exposed to the dangerously cold temperatures that are coming. Michelle Malette is the Executive Director of the Out of the Cold Community Association. They say we don’t usually have this kind of skin freezing, deadly weather and there are people scrambling to help. But after this weekend, there will still be winter weather and people who are not adequately housed. Malette is asking for compassion and empathy over the days ahead. They say people will be trying to get into warm spaces that may end up making some people uncomfortable. But before calling police or building security to remove people from a warm lobby or vestibule, consider these people’s situation. Police will only evict them if they’re called. Malette also offers her thoughts on the ongoing crisis and the generosity people are showing to the organizations that are there helping on the front lines.

Do you know what federal riding you live in? Do you know what riding you’ll be in for the next federal election? Every ten years, the boundaries are reviewed to take into account changes in population. It’s a way to make sure all MP’s represent around 85,000 Canadians, give or take 25%. This week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Procedures and House Affairs (PROC) heard objections to proposed changes to three Nova Scotia Ridings. They heard from Halifax West MP Lena Dian, Sydney Victoria’s Jamie Battiste and Central Nova’s Sean Fraser. And a group calling themselves the Concerned Citizens of St. Margaret’s Bay are speaking out. Doug Stout says they’re upset with a plan to draw a boundary line down the middle of their community to accommodate the population growth in Halifax. And they are upset with a process that didn’t seem to give them a say in a proposal that originally wasn’t even on the table.

A better way of using pharmacists is to let them see patients and write prescriptions for some of the more common ailments. That’s happening under a pilot project just announced. And Dr. George Burden says there’s a better idea than letting doctors retire, firing all their patients if they can’t find someone to take over their practice. He’s suggesting a stipend or salary as a way of enticing the 200 or so family doctors at or near retirement age to stay on. He says they could reduce their weekly patient load, giving them more of a work-life balance. And he says they can help younger doctors ease in to the role of taking on more patients needing primary care. Dr. Burden says it could help keep up to 250-thousand Nova Scotians from being orphaned and forced to find a new practitioner.

There was another epidemic that was exposed by the last three years. Lonliness. Governments of both the United Kingdom and Japan have deemed it serious enough to create entire departments to deal with it. And these Ministries of Loneliness are a response to pandemic isolation impacts on both the young and the old. Here in Nova Scotia, a simple act of kindness helped launch a program to connect seniors and their community. Cara Chisholm is a co-founder of We Are Young (WAY). The non-profit group has been around for close to a decade and has recently branched out to start offering their help in the Maritimes. From small acts of kindness to granting big-ticket wishes, the group is looking to brighten the lives of seniors and reconnect communities. And doesn’t everyone deserves chocolates and a note from someone who cares for Valentines Day?

Katherine Fierlbeck grinds her teeth everytime she hears someone say we need to take the politics out of health care. Because every problem and challenge we see in the system today is because of political policy and choice. And as an electorate, we need to accept some of the responsibility. She is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Dalhousie University. And she has also spent a great deal of time researching and writing about the intersection of politics and health policy. In this eye-opening conversation, she takes us through the history of hospital construction after the wars to the creation of medicare to the cost-cutting measures in the 1990’s that spawned the Federal Provincial war that continues to this day. Professor Fierlbeck explains why cost-cutting was rewarded while marginalized people get pushed to the fringes. And why we’ll end up paying a lot more later, if we don’t take care of things today. But it’s not the government. It’s just the government responding to what the people want.

It’s taken years to get us into the mess in health care. And it will take more than an election cycle to get us out. The author of a new book on public health care is trying to sound the alarm about the “fixes” that some jurisdictions are proposing to allow private health services. Catherine Mac Neil is a thirty year veteran who is still a Registered Nurse and a teacher. Her book is titled Dying to be Seen. And she is sounding the alarm over the risk of losing the entire system to Neo-Liberalism and privatization that won’t help the sickest people who may also be the poorest people.

Who is the person that was hand picked to rebuild a broken health care system? She’s served as a chief of staff to a former premier. She’s worked as the CEO of the Halifax Port Authority for almost two decades. And she’s a corporate lawyer by trade with an eye towards making a difference. Karen Oldfield is not just the interim CEO and President. She’s also the wife of a patient with chronic health issues. And she feels this is the biggest challenge she’s ever taken on. But with the help of the people supporting her, she feels she can do the work that should have been done years ago. She is looking to others for ideas and wants to make the most of the hardest job she’s ever had.

Affordability and the economy are top of the agenda as the Federal Cabinet gathers at a winter retreat in Hamilton, Ontario. Those are the topics the Prime Minister and his team are identifying as the biggest issues facing Canadians. But here in Nova Scotia, the crisis in health care is a huge issue. We have an older and less healthy population and our system appears to be struggling under a lack of Human Resources. What does that mean for Premier Tim Houston and his goal to “fix” health care? And are the political institutions relevant to most Canadians right now? Dr. Lori Turnbull is the Director of the School of Public Administration and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University. She takes on those topics and weighs in on Prime Minister Poilievre and whether Justin Trudeau should lead the Liberals in the next election against him.

Hospital care is primary about the nurses. If you are being admitted for surgery, it’s so that the nursing staff can look after you until you are discharged. And there’s been a lot of talk about the pressures on the Emergency Departments in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Health has recently announced ways to help support the nurses in those roles now and to encourage others to move into those positions. Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy is Chief Nurse Executive with The Nova Scotia Heath Authority. She describes what they’re doing to help support, train and keep Nurses and other front line health care workers in Nova Scotia.

A book she received as a child helped spark a lifelong interest in conspiracies an unusual tales. And Katy Jean has been turning that passion into fabulous stories for the SaltWire Network. Her most recent column connects a graveyard for 19th Century Veterans on the peninsula to a pile of headstones across the harbour at the back of a property in Cow Bay. The first of a three part series is about to be printed in The Chronicle Herald and at SaltWire.com. And Katy is hoping the publication of this story will prompt someone to come forward to help solve this mystery of the moved markers from Fort Massey Cemetery.

Our health care system may needing intensive care right now, but the prognosis isn’t as dire according to the people in the system. Doctors Nova Scotia President Dr. Leisha Hawker says it’s good to see the province making it a priority and making changes. Although some of the recent announcements by government for triaging emergency room patients has her concerned. She says the biggest issues throughout health care are human resource issues. We need more people and we need more primary care providers to ease the wait times in emergency departments. But Dr. Hawker is still optimistic and wants people to go for care when they need it. She also weighs in on the deaths of two women over the holidays and why that unfortunate outcome was predictable.

Our health care system is in the ICU. But it doesn’t have to be torn down and rebuilt. Janet Hazelton says it will take a lot of work to get the health care system back to where it needs to be. The long time president of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union says there’s a willingness to do the work necessary. For years people within the systems were trying to get the attention of the people in charge. And she says urgent care in Nova Scotia is nursing care and Nurse Practitioners could be a huge help. Hazelton discusses the importance of recruitment and training but also about the challenges in the retention of those in mid-to-late career positions. But in spite of it all, she’s still optimistic and offers one important piece of advice for patients who are treating health care staff poorly.

It’s been more than a decade since the Nova Scotia government has made it possible for pharmacists in the province to be more active in delivering primary health care. But there are still people who don’t know about all of the services that are available to them. And there are also people who can’t afford to access those services because they aren’t covered by the province. Opposition politicians are calling for that to change. And Allison Bodnar, the CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, is optimistic but yet realistic about the pace of that change.

Blue Monday might have been a marketing campaign gone wild, but depression and seasonal depression are real issues that can affect our mental health. And this time a year may be even more detrimental for Public Safety Personnel and First Responders because of their experiences. But Dr. Luke Schneider says it Blue Monday doesn’t have to be so blue. He’s a Registered Psychologist with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology and the College of Psychologists of Ontario, and a Clinical Research Associate at PSPNET. He talks about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, PSPNET and how this free online therapy portal is available to people on their own time, in their own homes on their own terms. He also describes how it’s also been expanded to help the families of first responders too.

Amy Graves has been dealing with health issues over the past year. She’s still recovering from an aneurysm and has permanently lost the sight in one of her eyes. The recent story of Allison Holthoff’s death in an emergency room had Amy wondering how close she came to a similar fate. In October, she ended up in an emergency room in extreme pain from an internal bleed. And although she was examined, they wanted her to go home and come back later if things got worse because they didn’t have a bed for her. Eventually she was given a diagnosis that prompted them to admit her and she was treated. She says the staff did everything they could to keep a broken system working but she can absolutely understand why some life-threatening conditions are being overlooked.

It shouldn’t come as a shock that there are people in serious medical distress who don’t survive after arriving at an Emergency Room in Nova Scotia. The case involving the death Allison Holthoff is bringing the issue of ER deaths to the forefront. According to information provided to the Nova Scotia New Democrats, she was one of 558 people who died in an ER in 2022. Susan Leblanc is the NDP Health Spokesperson. She tells us why there should be a public inquiry into what’s behind the numbers that are trending upwards, according to the information they received through a Freedom of Information Request.

Health care shouldn’t be political. But politicians are riled up after the story of a woman who died in the Emergency Department in Amherst on New Year’s Eve. Liberal Leader Zach Churchill is asking why government's first response to the death in Cumberland County was to threaten legal action towards those who advocated on behalf of the grieving family. He says the letter has since been rescinded, which is further evidence that the decision to send it was motivated by politics. Churchill is a long time MLA and a former Health Minister. In this conversation we discuss privacy, death in the Emergency Room, managing expectations and the need to do better.

What was behind the Nova Scotia Justice Department sending a letter to Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin over a letter she posted about the death of Allison Holthoff? If they were trying to silence the Cumberland North representative, they weren’t likely to succeed. The Independent MLA had the consent of Gunter before going public with the story of his wife’s death in an Emergency Room. And she had three separate legal opinions telling her she wasn’t violating the woman or her family’s privacy. Smith-McCrossin explains how she got involved in the story and what she’s hoping will come of that letter to the Health Minister, and another to Premier Tim Houston.

A woman in pain heads to the Emergency Room in rural Nova Scotia. And now a husband, her children, her family, her Fire Department and her Community are asking for answers. Allison Holthoff was just 37 years old when she died more than six hours after going to the the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre on New Years Eve. Her story became public after social media posts started circulating and there was a statement from the Nova Scotia Health Authority about privacy issues. I reached out to Michelle Thompson, the Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness for comment. But first spoke with Claudia Chender, the leader of Nova Scotia’s New Democratic Party.

It’s been quite the journey for Myles Goodwyn and the band he co-founded in 1969. And after more than 50 years, fifteen studio albums and thousands of concerts later, there’s one more show with him as a frontman. And it will happen on March 2nd, 2023 in Nova Scotia, where it all began. He’ll continue writing and producing April Wine records, but says touring as a 74 year old with diabetes, is too much. Here’s a look back over the years and a look ahead to the next chapter for singer, songwriter, author, partner, father and performer Myles Goodwyn.

It’s one of the largest events in Downtown Halifax in years. And by all accounts, organizers couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. And neither could the business owners on the peninsula. Canada will be playing in the Gold Medal game of the World Juniors. And Paul MacKinnon with the Downtown Halifax Business Commission says it’s great to see the crowds again.

Now that the holiday season is over, we’re moving into the heating season. And for many, it will be a struggle for the essentials. Nova Scotia’s Liberal Party is urging government to do more for those who have less. They’ve introduced a number of ideas that would help Nova Scotians throughout the affordability crisis including a bill to index income assistance to inflation and increase the thresholds for social assistance to allow more people to access funds. Leader Zach Churchill addresses those issues and the homelessness crisis that stretches from Yarmouth to Cape Breton.

Not everyone is struggling under the weight of high inflation these days. In fact, by 9:43 am January 3rd, the average member of the 100 highest-paid CEOs in Canada will have made as much money as the average Canadian worker makes in a year. That's $58,800, by breakfast time on the year's first workday. David Macdonald is an economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He shakes out the numbers in the Breakfast of Champions report.

What started out as a memoir of his time growing up under the transmitter tower of VOCM is now into a second season as a television series. Mark Critch is proud of how these tales about his own family are being enjoyed by other families. Season two of Son of a Critch will begin airing on January 2nd, 2023 on CBC television and streaming on CBC Gem. Critch describes how they have rejigged the stories in the book so they translate to a different medium. But at the heart of these stories, is heart. It's a project he describes as a love letter to his late parents Mike and Mary Critch.

She became a household name just as the world went into lockdown in 2020. The Netflix series Tiger King brought Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic into our homes, and we ate it up like fresh baked bread. Her five year involvement with the program was to be like Blackfish for big cats. That 2013 documentary exposed the treatment of captive orcas. But as Baskin explains, the producers changed everything when CNN decided not to buy the show. Baskin comments on the recent victory with the Big Cat Safety Act signed into law in the United States just before Christmas. And she discusses the controversies, conspiracies and characters who she's had to deal with since the show became a world-wide phenomenon.

A real case study in drug use is about to get underway in British Columbia. Bill Bogart says it will hopefully show lawmakers that prohibition and criminal charges are not effective ways of dealing with a drug epidemic. The author and retired law professor weighs in on the difference between legalization and decriminilization and the review of legal cannabis that is underway.

Michelle and Ken Porter founded Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Regina, Saskatchewan in 2000. And it became the largest service provider for the homeless in that province. A decade later, they sold all of their possessions and came to Halifax. Nine months after that, Souls Harbour Rescue was established in HRM. It's now grown to help people in Halifax, Bridgewater, Eastern Shore and Sydney. And Ron Dunn relocated to Halifax from Ontario and is now taking on the role of Chief Development Officer. He gives an update on the post-fire rebuild, the construction of the transitional housing and the soon to open Cape Breton location, including a food truck.

For an agency that was established in 1984 to provide emergency food relief, things have never been so busy at Feed Nova Scotia. There are close to 11-hundred people a day being fed by food banks across the province through the umbrella organization. And there are 300 new people entering the system each week. Feed NS Executive Director Nick Jennery adds there are now more than 20-thousand people registered for food and gift card support over the holidays. And when you are handing out more than a million dollars of food each month, inflation hits the bottom line. Jennery says every one penny increase in diesel costs them another $1,000. Jennery is thankful for the support or government but is urging people to reach out to their elected representatives to help do more to help these helpers.

It started as a way to make up for lost fundraising opportunities when things shut down because of COVID. And in the two years since then, it has grown into the largest weekly 50/50 fundraising campaing of its kind in Canada. Andrew Wallis is with the Amherst Firefighters Association, the group that started organizing the weekly draw. It's gone from fewer than 10 fire departments to more than 250. And it's on course for prizes exceeding a million dollars in prizes over the holidays.
www.firefighters5050.com

It's one thing for people to be criticial of a journalist's work. It's another to threaten them and their families. That's what Teresa Wright has been dealing with as a woman working in journalism in Canada. She says it's caused her to reevaluate her use of social media platforms and on using it for anything other than work. The Charlottetown-based health reporter with Global News explains what she's had to endure, and what she's going to do about it.

Most of us don’t really need another coffee mug or gadget for Christmas. And this year, one of Canada’s Top 100 Charities is asking us to re-think the gift-giving process. Compassion Canada is asking us to consider gifts with impact that help meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable - those facing food insecurity around the world. Allison Alley, President and CEO of Compassion Canada. She tells us about the group, their work and her answer when someone asks if we should be helping at home before helping abroad.

It can be a difficult time of the year for anyone who experiencing the loss of a loved one. And as much as the holidays are supposed to be full of joy and excitement, there's also a time for reflection and reminiscing. Andrea England is originally from Guysborough. The singer-songwriter is now living in Toronto. And this year, she's written, recorded and released her very first Christmas song. And even though it may have been born from a place of sadness, it can still help people connect honestly to their emotions. Andrea England on songwriting, and her tune "Jolly Melancholy Christmas".

It was a rude awakening for someone who had been a social worker, professor and author. That medication he was taking for a physical issue was turning him into a different person psychologically. And it is something that has Todd Leader sharing his story so that he can help others. And a note of caution; this conversation deals with serious issues of mental health, mature themes and suicide. The Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line is 1-888-429-8167.

Before he was a teenager, Trayvone Clayton was chosen to be one of the kids chosen to participate in CopShop. That program by Halifax Regional Police teams up officers and kids to go shopping for Christmas. And that's the inspiration for a new program being promoted by Gamechangers902. Clayton says his goal is to bring kids together from African Nova Scotian communities across HRM to give them a chance to meet. And the hope is that it will help build positive relationships between youth in the ANS communities. This is another step in Trayvone's work to reduce violence and stigma and effect equity and justice.

The idea wasn't to bust myths. But it seems they have. Teams of researchers across the country wanted to see if family physicians from different generations practise medicine differently. And Dr. Ruth Lavergne says she was surprised to find out the simple answer is there's very little difference. She is an associate professor in Dalhousie's Department of Family Medicine and a Canada Research Chair in Primary Care. As co-author of this study, they found there are similar issues affecting primary care across Canada and the practice followed a pattern. The number of visits peaked for physicians with 27 to 29 years of practice, whereas doctors earlier in practice or at the end of their careers had fewer patient visits. We also discuss fee-for-service, virtual and collaborative care as ways to address the challenges to accessing primary care. The study was published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

He's been a part of the Canadian Entertainment scene for decades. And he's been teaching and helping others for an even longer time. Tom Jackson is back on the road, raising money and awareness. His 'Stories, Songs & Santa Causes' tour will be at the Bella Rosa Arts Center in Halifax supporting Feed Nova Scotia on Tuesday, December 13th. And he wraps up his 13 shows in St. John's at the First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity on December 16th. It's being billed as 'An evening of story and song, in the Christmas spirit, with a national treasure'. The 74-year-old has raised an estimated $250 million in cash and in-kind food banks and disaster relief since the 80s. And in this conversation, we discuss kindness, leadership, support and reconciliation.

A Merry Christmas and no avalanche of bills in the new year. That's what Samantha Taylor wants to offer this season by sharing her insights on how you can enjoy the holidays without taking on unmanageable consumer debt. From decorating to gift exchanges to the new credit card pass through fees, she offers her advice. Sam is senior instructor in the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University and is the host of the Sam Taylor Podcast.

It may be the giving season, but with the financial pressures a lot of us are facing, it may be a tough one for charities. A recent survey says fewer than half of Atlantic Canadians will be donating this holiday season and almost four-in-ten plan to give less. The irony is that the inflation crisis has made more of us reliant on charitable services. Imagine Canada says charities and nonprofits receive 40 percent of their donations in the last six to eight weeks of the year. CEO and President Bruce MacDonald offers his thoughts on how you can help get more support for those agencies so they can keep on giving.

A lot of us are feeling the crunch of the higher prices brought on by inflation running at a 40 year high. It's affecting how we are shopping, what we are buying and even our retirement plans. Margaret Chapman is the COO with Narrative Research. She breaks down the results of their ongoing polling about the rising cost of living. And she shares her thoughts on fun social media surveys versus scientific ones and on political polling.

Nova Scotia is getting warmer, precipitation patterns are changing, Nova Scotians are experiencing more frequent and intense storms, sea levels are rising and the oceans are changing. That's part of the province's climate risk assessment released this week. Later, they'll be discussing how they are preparing to deal with these impacts. Will Balser is the Coastal Adaptation Coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre. He shares his thoughts on the impact on coastal communities and the ways we should prepare.

"We're very aware much more needs to be done to create a health-care system that Nova Scotians need and deserve. The way we have always done things is not working. The time for change is now." That was the testimony from Nova Scotia's deputy health minister Jeannine Lagasse at the Public Accounts meeting at the end of November. Later tonight, Health Minister Michelle Thompson will be hearing again from front line workers about ways of making the system better for staff and patients. In this conversation, we discuss the heightened expectations from a promise to fix health care when there are all kinds of challenges facing the system across the country.

Multi-award winning singer songwriter Lennie Gallant is sharing his gifts in front of a live audience again. His holiday-themed show 'The Innkeeper's Christmas' is coming to the Maritimes this month. I caught up with him just before soundcheck in London, Ontario. We discuss the return to touring, post-pandemic as well as the impact of streaming services, physical media and the impact of both the late John Dunsmore and Ralph Dillon.

Megan Neaves says the best part of her day is being in front of her students. But she says trying to attend to all of the different needs and put out all these fires, there's always something you could have done better. She was a witness this week at the Legislative Standing Committee on Human Resources. And there she and others spoke to teacher workloads and the impact on student achievement. She also discussed what can make a difference to teacher recruitment and retention and the reasons there's a shortage in substitute teachers. She is a first voice from the front lines, from the front of the classroom.

You don't need to join a gym or run 10k in order to see the health benefits of being active. And in our busy lives, it's easy to fall into the trap of being sedentary. And it doesn't matter if you are working from home, or in an office, a few minutes of activity can pay huge benefits. The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation is encouraging people to participate in their free program called Make Your Move at Work. Kerry Copeland, Executive Director of the Foundation says no matter the size, industry or budget, the program is versatile and can help you get started on making a big difference in your health, a little bit at a time.

When Linda Wilson started helping precariously housed people, there were 17 identified by the Point-in Time Count. That number is now closer to 700. The Executive Director of Shelter Nova Scotia says the need has never been greater. And she says even though they receive government support, they still need to fundraise. They're doing that through several campaigns including their Holiday Wish List. It gives specific ideas about articles that are needed by people experiencing homelessness in Halifax. And she says they'll be kicking off the giving season Thursday, with a song written by Dave Carroll called Shelter from the Storm.

Tim Houston's government says it is making progress in key areas of health care, but still have work to do. And ask any Nova Scotian about the state of our primary health care system, and you'll hear about wait times, or access to a family doctor. Brendan Maguire is the MLA for Halifax-Atlantic. He's the Liberal's Health and Wellness shadow minister, or critic. And today the opposition member says the average wait time at the IWK is six hours and there are many patients who are leaving without being seen my medical professionals. Maguire offers his thoughts on the issues affecting health care across the province as well as his advice to Premier Houston and others.

Francene Cosman has held many positions over her life. Cabinet Minister, Mayor of Bedford and business woman. But her first career began after graduating from nursing school in New Brunswick. And that chapter of her life right out out of high school is the focus of 'Nurse! a memoir' (OC Publishing). She discusses the way nurses were taught and the types of things they had to do in the 1960's, long before technology took hold. As well, she offers a few thoughts on how the lessons from the past may help us in our current health care crisis. Cosman also reflects on the change in the political discourse since she left government in 1999.

In July, 24-year old Andrew Beaver of Halifax was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. A few weeks later, he found out about a clinical trial in Toronto involving a drug usually used to treat psoriasis and Cron's disease. Researchers say two of the four people that have completed the 18-month trial have eliminated the need for insulin. Andrew is now a few weeks into his trial and he doesn't know if he's on the drug or a placebo. He explains his experiences so far, and his hope for a diabetes free diagnoses.

It's a first for two Nova Scotia Universities as they move to help First Nations students on campus. Emily Pictou-Roberts has been named Resident Nsukwi’ (Auntie in Residence) at University of King's College and Mount Saint Vincent University.She is from the Mi’kmaw community of Millbrook First Nation.The role goves her the opportunity to provide cultural, emotional, and spiritual support for Indigenous and other students on campus. And it's another step towards recognizing our shared history and honouring the spirit of being treaty people.

On Monday, the federal government announced a program that will help provide funding to switch over from oil heat to a heat pump. Today, they announced a carbon tax that will see the price of gasoline, diesel and heating fuel rise next summer. For a perspective on these two issues, we speak with Chris Benjamin. He is the Energy Efficency Coordinator with the Ecology Action Center.

According to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), an average of 11 fish harvesters per year don’t make it home as a result of unsafe working conditions, and practices on board and around fishing vessels. And they say the vast majority of fishing fatalities are avoidable. The TSB has released Watchlist 2022 which identifies the key safety issues that need to be addressed. Over the last 30 years, the TSB has issued 49 recommendations, and 8 of the are still active. Regulators, vessel owners and fish harvesters each must take ownership of safety to reduce accidents and loss of life. Ken Potter is a current TSB member and a former investigator. He takes us through his experiences as a mariner and his advice as someone looking to make it a safer workspace for all.

More than 200 Black men are expected to come together this weekend in an event that promotes health and wellness among men of African descent. It's the first time since the pandemic that they'll be able to gather without any public health restrictions, something Duane Winter is excited by. He is the Community Liaison Coordinator with the Nova Scotia Brotherhood Initiative. The event is a safe space for Black men to be able to discuss the challenges and successes in their lives and to hear from keynote speakers who will share their stories. The event is being held at the Nova Scotia Community College Akerley Campus and registration can be done online or at the event.

It is a big move for Vicky Levack. The spokesperson and human rights advocate is no longer living in a nursing home. She is in a new apartment because of the Shared Services Project. That's where persons with physical disabilities can live independently in the community with 24-hour support. It's through Independent Living Nova Scotia (ILNS) and is a project four years in the making. Eventually, the group is hoping to find homes for 200 Nova Scotians with disabilities. Carrie Ernst is the Executive Director of ILNS. She says they've worked with the Nova Scotia government to develop policies and best practices. She explains how Vicky and the others involved in the pilot will remain in community permanently so that they can live a full, independent life with support from attendants.

Food inflation in Canada dropped in October, the first drop since October of 2021. But at 10.1%, it's still going to cost you more to fill the cupboard and fridge. And during waste reduction week, Halifax Regional Municipality is trying to educate us on food waste. According to Statistics Canada, 63% of the food Canadians throw away could have been eaten. That's about 140 kilograms of food worth around $1,300. And processing and dealing with 53,000 tonnes of green bin materials, costs tax payers a lot of money. Kirk Symonds is the Team Lead for HRM's solid waste department and is chatting about the awareness campaign, "Food Isn't Garbage".

For some people, it's all about finding a way to laugh and have fun. But for others, there can be some topics that just aren't funny. Stand-up comedy has been a way for comics to poke fun at the rich and powerful. Or to bring a different perspective to a situation to show how absurd or ridiculous they might be. Carolyn Davis is a stand-up comedian in Halifax. And she was gracious enough to talk about the environment she and many of her contemporaries are facing when it comes to finding the funny. She also shares her thoughts on the words people choose and how they need to be put in context in the space they are being shared.

It started as a way for a shy 22-year old to show her appreciation to a stranger. And now, eight years later "We Are Young" (WAY) is a social enterprise connecting people to seniors in their community. Katie Mahoney is the co-founder of the charitable group in Halifax. They had been granting wishes to seniors for a few years prior to the pandemic lockdowns before they had to change up their action plan. And this holiday, they are giving people an opportunity to send a greeting to someone who may not have anyone else in their lives. She breaks down how it came to grow from an idea on the back of a napkin to how it's working to bring joy to others in this conversation.

MLA's are heading back to their constituencies after the fall sitting of the Legislature wrapped up late Wednesday night. And while Premier Tim Houston heralded the work of modernizing government and protecting Nova Scotians from large power rate increases, the opposition has a different take. Claudia Chender is the Dartmouth South representative and leader of the NDP. She says government has left families waiting for direct help during difficult times. And she says that includes the high cost of heating fuel, food prices and access to health care.

It was hard to escape the noise and fury that is American Politics in 2022. And with our largest trading partner facing a divided population, the midterm elections were called both a referendum on the US President and on democracy itself. What do the results mean to Canada-US-relations? For a look into that issue Dr. Don Abelson joins the conversation. He is the Director, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, Steven K. Hudson Chair in Canada-US Relations, and Professor, Political Science, St. Francis Xavier University. He weighs in on the "red wave v. blue wall", Donald Trump's influence and the potential of him running again to be President of The United States of America.

It all started as a way to open the floor to questions about race and racism because people were listening to dubious sources. Ajay Parasram is an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University. He and Mount Saint Vincent University Professor Alex Khansnabish came up with an idea to offer what they called Safe Space for White Questions. That ended up becoming a YouTube Channel and led them to their new book published by Fernwood. "Frequently Asked White Questions" is the ten most common questions they took and it was a way to offer education without condition. And they could do it in a way that was not designed to embarrass or inflame and to use humour to also foster understanding and pull people into anti-racist behaviour.

Do you know who William Barker was? Are you aware of Brianna Ricketts and her accomplishments? Did you know Captain Jennifer Casey was the driving force behind Operation Inspiration? You will get a chance to learn about these and other Canadians who are a part of Pathway to the Stars. That is a special podcast production celebrating Canadian aviation in partnership with the Royal Canadian Air Force Foundation. It's created by Erin and Dave Trafford of the Story Studio Network. This father and daughter team are helping so that "We will remember them" ahead of Remembrance Day 2022.

The rest of that quote is "I don’t know where people find the time to hate.” It's attributed to Imam Hamzah Mangera and it's something he said during the funeral service for seven children, victims of a devastating Spryfield house fire in 2017. The Barho family and their loss is a focal point of a new book called "Eye of the Ocean - Stories of Love, Hope and Empathy" (Pottersfield Press). Janice Landry is a storyteller and author who is also the daughter of a firefighter. And she shares her perspective on the grief and pain that so many of the "helpers" in our community have had to live with as part of their job. This is inspirational journalism and the proceeds of the sales will be going to the Hants East Assisting Refugees Team, or HEART.

A social media post from a concerned mother raised the issues of a packed Emergency Department at the IWK. She was directed to take her child in after calling the medical 811 telephone line. And she says prepare for a long wait to get treatment. Doctor Emma Burns Interim Chief of the Emergency Department at the IWK. She says there are likley several reasons for the uptick in cases. And she adds they've changed up their primary triage to make sure the sickest kids are being seen. She says the numbers are record setting, and it's taking a toll on the teams in place. But they are doing what they trained for, and that is helping others. Dr. Burns also adds her guidance for what to look for to know if you need to go to emerge, and why RSV is a more common viral infection than many people realize.

The President of the union representing Halifax Police Officers says he was surprised by the level of engagement, but not the outcome. And the members voted almost unanimously to say they've lost confidence in Chief Dan Kinsella. Sergeant Dean Stienburg is with the Halifax Regional Police Association. And he says this isn't about popularity, it's about their operations and how the members feel there isn't a focus on solving crimes or crime prevention . In this conversation, Stienburg discusses how they got to this point, and where they want to get to in the future.

It was a small gesture of kindness for the people in the wing of the nursing home where she was volunteering. And from that first year, Nicole Martelle has been able to grow it from a handful of donated blankets, to more than 600. The Bedford woman has been accepting homemade and store bought blankets to hand out to people in long term care facilities in Halifax since 2017. And the campaign that was just kicked off runs from November 1st until December 10th, 2022.

We all know the price of everything has been going up over the last year. But post-secondary students say we have more to learn about how big their struggle is. Students from across the maritimes are launching something they're calling "More than Tuition". Lydia Houck is the Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia. She says when the maximum amount you can get to cover rent is $500 a month, that means something somewhere else will have to be cut. She says the student assistance program needs to be modernized since many of the full time students are also working full time jobs. This is an important conversation for parents of university aged kids and for politicians and policy makers.

Despite the dominance of digital options, there are still people who prefer to curl up with an old fashioned book printed on paper. It never needs charging and it still works when the power is out. And the power of the printed word is the focus of 'Atlantic Books Today'. For the last 30 years, the magazine has been featuring regional books that shine a spotlight on burning issues. And for their 30th edition, they are focusing on environmental literature. Chris Benjamin may be moving on from his role as editor, but he says the book industry in the region is in a good place. This edition of the magazine also includes an expanded digital edition featuring author interviews and a transcript of Sheldon MacLeod's conversation with Talk Show host and author Rick Howe.

The good news is that the rate of inflation is slowing. The bad news is that food prices are still increasing at levels not seen since 1981. And with the price of everything on the rise, there are more people looking to find ways of saving money on their grocery bill. "Saving with Gail" is a private Facebook group that has close to 30,000 members. The community posts about deals, discounts and links to coupons and ways to keep more of your money in your pocket. Gail Quigley, who started the group years ago, has had to step back in recent years. And Chris Bainbridge has stepped in to take on some of the administration duties on the social media account. She shares some of the ways you can save in this conversation from her home in Big Bras d'Or.

For more than 30 years, Stepping Stone has been offering out reach and support to sex workers in Halifax and Dartmouth. And they've moved locations several times over the years. They're now hoping their new location will be a more permanent home. The Board of Directors and staff have announced the purchase of an office building in North End Dartmouth. The two-story on Primrose Street will be their permanent home soon and will allow them to expand their current programs and launch new initiatives. Alex MacDonnell is the Executive Director for the feminist, charitable, non-profit association that is the only one of its kind in the Maritimes. And she discussed the opportunities this new building will offer them. She also talks about how the pandemic has impacted sex work and how changing the laws would offer more protection for workers.

It's their main fundraiser for the social programs operated by the Halifax-Dartmouth chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). And the theme this year is "Together Again" since it's the first event since they had to adjust and move online because of the pandemic. The event features art work on display online and at the Craig Gallery at Alderney Landing. Marg Murray is the Branch Co-Manager and the Building Bridges Coordinator for CMHA Halifax-Dartmouth. The group works to help people access to the resources they need to maintain and improve mental health, community integration and resilience. And she describes how they do that and how this fundraiser happens with the support of artists, ceramic tiles and the people who support them through this annual event. And she gives a preview of their preparations for the upcoming 25th annual event in 2023.

A week ago, an RCMP officer was photographed wearing the controversial "Thin Blue Line patch". Saint Mary's University Criminology Professor Stephen Schneider wrote a piece about the history of the patch in a piece for Saltwire. Recently, the non-profit Angus Reid Institute released a survey showing fewer than half of Canadians say they have faith in the RCMP. And today, people in a residential Halifax neighbourhood are being critical of how Halifax Police dealt with a person in a truck that had been reported stolen. Schneider says there's a lot going on with the conversations around defunding and defending police in the age of mainstream and social media.

In a recent survey on affordability, Halifax ranked dead last on the list of 27 cities examined in the study. And folks at Phoenix Youth Programs say things will likely get worse before they get better. But Rob Morris is still optimistic. The group's Director of Residential Programs says there's an opportunity for governments at all levels to work with non-government-organizations to move housing from being commodities to becoming a basic human right. And housing is only part of the solution to the challenges facing young people in Halifax and across Nova Scotia.

Mayor Mike Savage says the World Junior Hockey Championship will go ahead as planned for Halifax and Moncton. That announcement came a day after the CEO and Board of Directors resigned from Hockey Canada, the group overseeing the sport in this country. The resignations are in response to a host of sponsors pulling their financial support after scandals broke involving sexual assaults, financial settlements and non-disclosure agreements. Moshe Lander is an Economics Professor who teaches at Concordia University and Dalhousie. He also hosts a podcast that looks at the intersection of sport and economics. And he shares his thoughts.

Nova Scotia has highest percentage of citizens who identify as trans and non-binary of all of the provinces and territories. Statistics Canada also says Halifax is the second-most gender-diverse city in the country behind Victoria. This week, the Standing Committee on Health brought the issue of Gender Affirming Care to the Legislature discussion. And there are lots of reasons for all of us to better educate ourselves on the issues and challenges the community is facing. Mikaela Gorman is a trans-woman who is very open about her experiences. And she takes some time to discuss some of the terminology and language being used as well as her own transition in this conversation.

After months of criticism over their handling of sexual assault allegations, the CEO and the entire board of directors of Hockey Canada are stepping down. And it's just the first step according to Judy Haiven. She's is the founder of a group called Equity Watch, a human rights organization dedicated to fighting bullying and discrimination in the workplace. Along with their reluctance to openly denounce rape culture, Haiven says they've been accepting fees from hockey players to go towards settling cases out of court and preventing women and girls from telling their story. She says Halifax and Moncton should refuse to host the World Junior Hockey Championships, and there should be an inquiry. She also offers her thoughts on what hockey players and supporters should do to improve the tarnished image of our national sport.

Nova Scotia is denying homeless people hurricane relief aid despite announcing social assistance recipients would all get an extra $150. But as reported by Andrew Rankin, the province is denying anyone who doesn't have a permanent address. And there are lots of others in the same situation as Robert Stewart according to Campbell McClintock. He is a street outreach worker with the Out of the Cold Community Association. They provide a low-barrier supported housing community in Halifax. Campbell has a few thoughts on how we can all support the 400 or so people without permanent housing and offers his challenge to Premier Tim Houston.

Unless you've lived for close to two weeks without electricity, it's hard to really get a sense of what it's like. For Carrie Smith, she and her Pictou County family lost their electricity at midnight September 23rd. She's been told it will be restored this coming Sunday, October 9th. In spite of the inconvenience, she says they've come together as a community and they are grateful for the teams who have been working to clean up the mess. We also hear from Halifax Regional Fire Assistant Chief of Core Operations Kevin Dean. He was an Incident Commander of the Urban Search and Rescue Team out of Halifax, helping the military and Nova Scotia Power in the cleanup in Pictou County. And he shares more on Canada Task Force 5.

October 5th is World Teachers' Day with the theme this year of The Answer Begins with Teachers. But they say teachers arefacing unprecedented challenges that have beenbuildingfor several years and have onlybeen exacerbated by the pandemic. Ryan Lutes is the President of the Nova Scotia Teachers' Union representing close to 9,500 teachers and specialists. He discusses some of those challenges and the ongoing impact they're having on both teachers and staff. And he addresses some of the rhetoric from some who are accusing teachers of an agenda when it comes to race and gender. And that includes the bizarre accusations about litter boxes being placed in classrooms.

Some Nova Scotians may not even have their electricity reconnected in time for the Thanksgiving Weekend. And for those who will have power, they can expect the meal to cost more this year. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is with Dalhousie's Agri-Food Analytics Lab. And they conducted a survey with the help of the polling firm Angus Reid to see how inflation is affecting the fall harvest gathering. And they found almost a quarter of Canadians say they will be making some menu changes for Thanksgiving due to higher food prices. They also looked at the preferences for local food and for homemade food for our family get together.

Not only was the huge street party predictable, it was likely preventable. That's what the President of the Dalhousie Student Union is saying after thousands of intoxicated students held an unofficial Homecoming gathering for a second year in a row. Aparna Mohan says the University needs to take more responsibility for not being proactive. She says the student union had been trying to get help to hold an official event, either on campus or somewhere else downtown. But she says the administration didn't want to have anything to do with that. And she says simply repeating the parties are illegal and unsanctioned isn't going to change outcomes.

It's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ahead of Mi’kmaq History Month and Treaty Day. And it's part of the ongoing reparations of relations with First Nations in Canada. Along with official services and ceremonies, it's a day off for some Nova Scotian workers. But Pam Glode Desrochers says we shouldn't call it a holiday. The Executive Director of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax. She says we've come a long way in the last few years but more education is the key to reconciliation. She shares her thoughts on those issues and the trend for businesses and politicians to offer land acknowledgements and what action should come with being treaty people.

A controversial change to Nova Scotia's film tax credit system in 2015 dramatically impacted the numbers of productions. But things have certainly rebounded in recent years. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic drove a need for new content and the industry responded. Nova Scotia's film and television is bustling right now according to a casting director. Erin Hennessey discusses the opportunities and challenges as they look to try and fill demand. She hopes everyone in the province gets involved in background performing at least once in their lives.

Members of the Canadian military are in Nova Scotia, helping clear downed trees as power crews work to get electricity restored following Fiona. But some customers might have to wait until the weekend or beyond for their lights to come back on. Halifax Mayor Mike Savage says he understands people are frustrated, but other areas were hit much harder than HRM. He adds his thoughts on communication issues and the overall response by the municipality and the utilities. He also offers his thoughts on community land trusts, the escalating Mill Cove Ferry Project, Truth and Reconciliation and on his own last name in that context.

He says it's a bit difficult to rate the provincial response to Hurricane Fiona at this point. Kevin Quigley specializes in public sector risk and crisis management, strategic management and critical infrastructure protection. He says we should all be supportive as crews work to help people recover from the natural disaster. But he adds it's important to take a critical look at the response after the fact. The Dalhousie professor says we live in an area susceptible to hurricanes and we will likely have to deal with this again in the future. And we should be invested in learning what went right and wrong with planning, preparing and then dealing with weather and other events that impact us this dramatically.

Weather experts are all commenting on the historic nature of some of the aspects of Hurricane Fiona as it churns towards Atlantic Canada. And with that in mind, we are checking in with SaltWire journalists around the region about preparations ahead of the arrival of this weather threat. David Jala is with the Cape Breton Post in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Rafe Wright is a climate change reporter with The Guardian in Charlottetown. And Diane Crocker is with The Telegram out of Cornerbrook, Newfoundland and Labrador.

For the first time since major changes to transit, we're seeing lots of traffic congestion as people head back to the office and back to school. And that's creating major backups around HRM. It's something Deputy Mayor Pamela Lovelace says could be addressed with the help of the Nova Scotia Government including park and ride services along the 103, 102 and Trunk 7 . She also weighs in on the relationship with the Tim Houston government including the decisions around development, like the Eisner Cove Wetland. She says it came as a surprise to many on council. Along with that, she discusses the homelessness issue and the challenges with getting the message out about the efforts of Council that don't seem to be recognized by some of the loudest critics.

Nova Scotia Health (NSH) wants you to know it’s now easier to become a patient family advisor. But what exactly is that? The province says it's changed its system and no longer are people required to send in a resume to apply. You can email or call a toll-free number to get added to a list. And they say they'll respond to everyone who applies. Debbie LeLievre is the NSH Lead in Patient Experience. She says they are hoping to hear from people with diverse backgrounds, but not necessarily in the health care field. She says they can learn a lot from people who are outside of the system and that's what the patient family advisor is able to help with.

Inflation is putting pressure on a lot of people in Nova Scotia, especially the ones making minimum wage. And while the Provincial Government is working towards a 15-dollar per hour minimum, it won't reach that number until April of 2024. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in Nova Scotia recently released its annual report on living wages. It's titled "Working for a Living, Not Living to Work" and the author is Christine Saulnier. It says Nova Scotia’s living wage rates for 2022 are: Annapolis Valley ($22.40), Cape Breton ($20.00), Halifax ($23.50), Northern ($20.40), and Southern ($22.55). The wages all increased from between 5% and 8% and cost increases are what's driving the calculations. Saulnier weighs in on the purpose of the report and what impact an increase in GST and other payments for low income Canadians will have on affordability and the ability to pay for the basics.

There's a new option for people with physical or intellectual disabilities looking to get around Halifax Regional Municipality. HRM has entered into a three year contract to provide accessible taxi services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In March, council unanimously approved a staff recommendation to fund Extra Care Taxi to help support higher costs of offering the service that has been lacking in recent years. The service has been running for a few weeks and is about to expand to a fleet of ten accessible vans in HRM. The budget is for around $1.8 million for the service over the next three years. There will be an event in front of city hall in early October to celebrate the launch of the service. Alex Wilson is the Manager of Business Development and Communications for Extra Care Taxi. She explains how the company will be filling the needs of HRM residents who can't use a regular taxi.

There's a pretty good chance Monday will be business as usual for anyone who doesn't work for most people. Both the federal and Nova Scotia governments have proclaimed September 19th a holiday to commemorate the funeral service of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Government employees will have the day off and schools and daycares in Nova Scotia will be closed. But they've left it up to individual business owners to decide on how they will treat the day. Patrick Sullivan is the CEO and President of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. He says there are several reasons why he feels many business owners will be opening for the day as usual, while still respecting and remembering the late Monarch.

Students and staff are back in class for almost a week now, and some of the long standing concerns are still top of mind. Ryan Lutes was elected president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) earlier this year. And he says he's concerned with air quality issues in some Nova Scotia classrooms. It's something that has been raised by the previous executive dating back to March of 2020 in the early days of the pandemic. He also speaks to some of the concerns over staffing with a shortage on substitute teachers in particular. And again, this was something that was an issue that only has gotten worse in the last two years.

It's the end of an era with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. And now her son, King Charles III is the head of state in Canada. Our constitutional monarchy has been an ongoing area of study by Nathan Tidridge. He is an author and educator who has been studying and writing about our history, and the Crown's relationship with Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Tidridge answers some of the questions people are asking about the transition in Canada after the death of the reigning monarch of the last 70 years. And he also discusses how the provinces used the Constitution to cement the royal family to our nation. It was an effort to keep the federal government from being able to exert more control over them. And that also has implications on a future republic and the many treaties with nations across this land that are also enshrined in our Constitution signed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1982.

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. It's an initiative to foster understanding of suicide prevention and promotes the message that death by suicide are preventable. On September 8th, the Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division (CMHA NS) is urging those who identify as male to talk about the mental health issues and challenges. And Thursday evening, there will be a virtual panel discussion that will explore men's mental health and suicide prevention. They call it an evening of hope and healing. Brad Rowe will be one of the panellists. He is a Peer Navigator with Healthy Minds Cooperative who says men can help by showing empathy and understanding.

Scientists like to point out that correlation is not causation. One thing may not be causing or influencing the other just because they are connected in some way. In our current housing crunch, a group representing landlords says the housing crunch in Nova Scotia can be blamed by the rent cap. Kevin Russell says a rental increase to just 2 percent a year has had a big impact because inflation is running at seven or eight percent. He says many landlords took advantage of a red hot real estate market and cashed out with units being sold and converted to permanent housing. And he says the Investment Property Owners Association warned the government that would put pressure on an already low vacancy rate. And it turns out, they were right.

A doctor for every Nova Scotian. Fixing health care. Promises that will take more than just political will to become reality. This week, the Progressive Conservative Government announced more virtual care for patients who don't have a primary health provider. But will it make a difference? Doctor Leisha Hawker is the head of Doctors Nova Scotia, the association representing physicians in the province. And she says there are other obstacles standing in the way of recruiting and retaining health care workers. Dr. Hawker shares her thoughts on the changing scope of medicine and the people who practice it.

Politicians from all parties are decrying the verbal attack against Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. But this is not just an issue affecting politics in Canada. Dr. Robert Huish is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University. He reacts to the video for the first time in this conversation that also reflects on the global impact of former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who recently passed away.

More restaurants opened than closed during the height of the pandemic. And that was thanks in large part to government grants and loans for restaurant owners. But there's a real fear that many won't survive long enough to pay back that money at the end of 2023. Gordon Stewart is the Executive Director of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia. He says increased food and operational costs are eating into already thin profit margins. And a labour crunch is forcing owners to decrease hours and even the number of days they are open. And that is a perfect recipe for a very tough year for the people in the food service industry.

The Federal Government says the country has recovered 115% of the jobs lost during the pandemic. And in recent months, many businesses in the region have been facing a shortage of workers. It's affecting food service, retail and even transportation and construction industries. Carla Qualtrough is the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. She recently was in the region to announce a program to help hire 5,200 first year apprentices for the trades, and another to help underemployed and underrepresented people upgrade their skills. In this conversation, the Minister speaks to the need for more immigration, the effect of legislated paid sick days and the journey towards pay equity in Canada. She also comments on a recent verbal attack against Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and the troubling trend of people being aggressive and personally threatening towards politicians.

Union leadership say there's been a huge change in the way the Progressive Conservative government is been dealing with labour groups. And when Tim Houston announced a significant wage hike for Personal Care Workers, he stirred optimism in other health care sectors. But there's still work to be done. A recent agreement was reached with support services represented by three different unions including Unifor, NSGEU and CUPE. It still needs to be ratified by the members, but labour leaders are recommending acceptance. Sandra Mullen has recently taken over as the President of NSGEU. She explains where labour relations are in general and how union members are part of the solution to make the health care system work better for workers and patients.

Over the last 50 years, the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) has been about action, activism, education and change. And they have been effective in shaping government policy and regulation when it comes to our environment. Recently, the Nova Scotia Government announced its plan to address climate change and the greenhouse gas emission targets without imposing a carbon tax on residents. The Premier calls it a made-in-Nova Scotia plan with the most aggressive legislated targets for lowering emissions and greening the grid. But Kelsey Lane is critical. She is the Senior Climate Policy Coordinator with the EAC who says there wasn't a lot of detail or substance in what he's supporting and submitting to the Federal Government. She says targets are not mechanisms and there's no real plan.

From Stephen McNeil, to Iain Rankin and now on to Tim Houston. The final progress report has been issued by the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission. The document released in 2021 contained 17 recommendations and 60 meaningful actions. Close to 50 are considered complete or substantially complete. Dr. Ren Thomas is Associate Professor, Dalhousie University School of Planning. She also was the co-chair of the 17-member Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission. She explains the work that went into the project including the consultations with 36 experts and 2,000 Nova Scotians. And she's hopeful this project will make it easier for people to find affordable housing.

Tim Houston is the eleventh premier to find himself in Bruce MacKinnon's cross-hairs. Since becoming a full time editorial cartoonist in 1986, he's been winning awards with his evocative and entertaining commentary on life in Nova Scotia. And while some people are easier to capture than others, MacKinnon always has his ink-stained fingers on the pulse of the story of the day. In this conversation, he reflects on the images he's drawn, and the issues he's drawn on, since the Progressive Conservative win a year ago.

Theresa Babb says she's probably the exact kind of patient a newly opened private health clinic is looking for. She was one of the many thousands of Nova Scotians who have gone to an emergency department only to leave without being seen. And she says she could afford the fees for a monthly membership and for the consultation with a nurse. But she says it's not likely something she'll ever do again. The Dartmouth woman says it was unlike any other health care visit she's had. And it worries her that in the face of a broken health care system, we are heading towards the slippery slope of a system where people who can afford it, can be treated more quickly.

One year in and there's still a honeymoon for the Progressive Conservative government. Polling firm Narrative Research says six in ten Nova Scotians are satisfied with what Tim Houston is doing. CEO Margaret Brigley breaks down the quarterly results on government satisfaction, voting intentions and who people would prefer to be Premier of the province.

School starts in Nova Scotia in just three weeks, and some parents are asking about the plan. The province is currently in the midst of a very high hazard index according to COVID-19 Resources Canada. NDP Education spokesperson Suzy Hansen has seven school aged children. And the MLA for Halifax Needham says she's worried because one of them is imuno-compromised. And Hansen is asking the Tim Houston government to let parents and teachers know what the plan is for a safe return to class. She says more information would be helpful. And better ventilation would be even better.

He's camped out in front of City Hall to protest a lack of protection for the province's forests. He's held a hunger strike in front of Province House over what he calls "ecocide". And now, Jacob Fillmore has a bicycle lock around his neck, attached to a piece of forestry equipment in Dartmouth. The 26-year old activist is in Eisner Cove, trying to prevent clear cutting of an forest that supporters say needs to be protected. Fillmore says he's there to make a difference, and he's there to send a message.

As a society we've been able to shed some of the stigma surrounding mental health and wellness in our communities. But that work is far from over. There are men and women who work as emergency responders who may be struggling who also may not be comfortable talking about it with friends and family. And managing the work-related trauma in their lives can be a daunting task. There's a group working to ensure first responders and their families have the support they need to understand, navigate and manage the potential for that trauma and it's impact. The First Responders Steering Committee is putting together a conference to provide a space to bring these workers and volunteers, along with their employers and managers, to network. They'll also be given a chance to hear from experts in the field of mental health and traumatic psychological injury. Mike Sears is a Captain with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency. He is also involved with the steering committee working at putting on the conference that will happen in Halifax on September 13th and 14th. He is working hard at the goals to help save lives and eliminate stigma for fire, police, corrections, paramedic and other emergency responders and their families.

It was a headline that received a lot of reaction. "Convicted murderer sent to Restorative Justice for first time in Nova Scotia" offers up more questions than answers. The article was based on a recommendation by a Supreme Court Judge who also was quick to note this is about parole ineligibility, not about avoiding consequences. Professor Jennifer Llewellyn is the Chair in Restorative Justice with the Schulich School of Law. She explains the process of restorative justice and what the goals are. And she also comments on the significance that this is the first time this initiative has been applied to an offender convicted of murder in Nova Scotia.

We've all read or heard about people who are displaced by a fire or other serious emergency situation and the Red Cross is called in to help. And in many cases, people find family or friends to stay with for the long term. But what happens in those first few hours? And how is the current tourism season and accommodation crunch affecting the work of these first responders? Bill Lawlor is the director of Atlantic government and strategic relations for the Red Cross. He says with hotels at capacity, they've been turning to short-term accomodations like AirBnB and campgrounds. For events like what is happening with potential evacuations because of the forest fires in Newfoundland and Labrador, they take a different approach. But there's no shortage of people who want to help, even when there's a shortage of accommodations.

Clear cutting has started on a parcel of land in Dartmouth that a group of residents has been trying to protect. Bill Zebedee is the President of a group called Save Our Southdale Wetland Society. They are also the same people involved in the Protect Eisner Cove Wetland. And Zebedee says he's started the process to appeal the permission granted to allow for wetland to be infilled as the housing development continues. He says the Housing Task Force the Progressive Conservative government has established is pushing ahead projects without listening to the concerns of residents and other concerned community members. And he says they are going to keep on fighting to be heard. A group of them were protesting at the Mount Hope Avenue entrance to the proposed development on Tuesday as they look to protect trees, nesting sites and endangered or at risk species.

Since the start of August, Halifax Transit has had to cancel dozens of trips because of a shortage of drivers. And the president of the union representing workers says it's going to get worse if things don't change. Shane O'Leary with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 508 says it's one thing to hold a recruitment campaign to try and bolster the numbers of operators. But he says there's little chance the new employees will stick around with forced overtime, split shifts and a wage that is not competitive. And they are urging council to get involved since the members of the ATU local have been without a contract for a year.

A cancer diagnosis kept him from his goal of working 50 years on the radio. But only by a few months. Rick Howe grew up with a passion for broadcasting and reporting. And he's gathered a lot of stories in the 49 years in the business. He's taken time between his ongoing treatments to write his memoir "Behind the Mic Five Deacades Covering the News in the Maritimes" (Pottersfield Press). He also writes and discusses, for the first time publicly, his treatment for rectal cancer and his ongoing health concerns. He's found a quiet spot next to the ocean in rural Nova Scotia where he's combing through his old notebooks to keep sharing stories. His next book is already written to be published in 2023. It's a journey from the first moments he opened the mic and the newsroom hi jinks and characters he met over the years, to his last broadcast and what lies ahead.

Cranes have become a prominent feature across the Halifax skyline over the last decade. And as more and more developments take place, more and more older buildings are being torn down to make room. And according to a recent report, high levels of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are released up-front by high rise construction, developments, and demolitions. Buildings for the Climate Crisis – A Halifax Case Study says there's a better way. And it would be more appropriate for our society and to meet HRM's HaliFACT climate change plan to use more in-fill buildings, or retrofitting existing structures. Peggy Cameron is the author of the report who has a Masters in Environmental Studies. She discusses her work in this document and the efforts to get that information to the planners, developers, builders and politicians in HRM.

It was called to help let people in Halifax Regional Municipality know what was happening with the homeless encampments in HRM -- specifically in Meagher Park. People living there have been given notice to vacate, but so far about five have refused. The reaction to some of the information has been critical of the plan to include police to once again step in to enforce municipal bylaws. Councillors openly discussed some of the concerns that have followed the involvement of so-called advocacy groups, particularly the Nova Scotians United political party and the Freedom Convoy. That led to District 14 Councillor Lisa Blackburn saying "I do fear that we have come to the end of the line. Involvement by activist groups who certainly don’t give a hoot about our unhoused neighbours has changed the water on the beans for me.” The representative for Middle/Upper Sackville – Beaver Bank – Lucasville feels the people in Meagher Park (a.k.a. People's Park) are being manipulated and the efforts by HRM staff are being undermined. That's what she felt was one of the reasons to hold the information meeting on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022.

Nova Scotians haven't had to pay a carbon tax because of an earlier push to incorporate renewable energy into the grid. We've had a cap and trade program for industrial polluters as a means of dealing with carbon since 2019. And that has kept us from paying extra at the pumps. But that agreement expires in December and the Nova Scotia Environment Minister has yet to announce what the plan is. But he has written to the Federal Minister to say it wouldn't be appropriate to push Nova Scotia into a carbon tax plan. And that is something the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) is denouncing. Kelsey Lane is the advocacy and environmental group's senior climate policy coordinator. She says the letter shows a lack of leadership and accountability on the issue of climate change. And she offers her thoughts on the Progressive Conservative government and the use of energy affordability as a scapegoat for their lack of action on climate change.

After 56 days of testimony, the Mass Casualty Commission is on a three week break. Senior RCMP leadership from Nova Scotia highlighted the past week's testimony, including an emotional apology from Chief Superintendent Darren Campbell. Lawyer Adam Rodgers has been posting his analysis and review of the proceedings on his YouTube Channel, The Rogers Brief. He shares his thoughts on the testimony that's been heard so far as well as the sincerity of the apology. He also takes a look at what to expect when the sessions return in late August including the appearance of Commissioner Brenda Lucki who has been part of allegations of political interference in the early days of the investigation into the incidents of April 2020.

Postponing a major capital project now will only cost us more in the long run if it's ever built. That's the financial reality of making a decision like that in the midst of high inflation and increasing construction costs according to Moshe Lander. The Dalhousie and Concordia Economics Professor says the economics of postponing expenditures is based on an incorrect assumption about what will happen when record inflation rates settle back down. But what makes sense economically is not always the best political decision. Lander offers his thoughts on MLA salaries, the Premier's pay cut, as well as CFL stadiums and a permanent home for the Halifax Wanderers in this conversation.

Its a rare summer sitting at the Nova Scotia Legislature, recalled to vote down a proposed pay hike for MLA's. The new leaders of the opposition parties are getting an opportunity to be in front of the media when it's usually an off season politically. Dr. Lori Turnbull is a political scientist with Dalhousie University. She weighs in on that, the premier taking a pay cut, and the partisan wrangling over virtual appearances for our elected representatives.

Kendra Coombes is at her home with her newborn in Scotchtown, recovering from a cesarean section earlier in July. The Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier representative was hoping to be able to attend the summer sitting of the house virtually. A similar accommodation was made earlier this summer for a committee appearance after her doctor recommended against the five-hour drive to Halifax. A poll was taken of all Members of the Legislative Assembly last weekend to allow that to happen for the opening of the session July 26th, 2022. It needed unanimous acceptance to happen, and at least one person voted "no". A resolution was introduced and accepted as the session got underway to allow Coombes to join virtually. But there are other concerns about access and representation according to the New Democrat member who noted her first child was born while she was a councillor at Cape Breton Regional Municipality. And she says the report suggesting salary increases also makes recommendations on that topic too.

Road safety may be a shared responsibility, but the level of responsibility is different for the different road users. That's the message one safe street advocate is trying to get out to the public on social media. Martyn Williams recently wrote a piece for the Chronicle Herald asking "How many more people have to be injured or killed on Halifax Streets?" This was in response to a well-known cyclist who was injured on the Herring Cove Road. That prompted a rally by other riders who wanted to send a message about "critical mass" and appropriate infrastructure. Williams says one challenge in HRM is the 1950's mentality of "focusing on vehicular traffic flow and minimizing delay for drivers even if that threatens the safety of our most vulnerable road users." As he points out about there have been 54 fatalities on roads within Halifax Regional Municipality from 2018 to 2021, including 13 pedestrian fatalities.

Legislation has been introduced to recognize Mi'kmaw as Nova Scotia's first language. It was proclaimed at a ceremony on July 17, 2022 in Potlotek First Nation. Grand Chief Norman Sylliboy noted "The governments of the past attacked us through our language when our children were punished for speaking it, but despite all of the efforts to destroy it, our language is still here and we are still here, and that shows our resilience as a people." This was recognized as a response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice. A report filed with the Legislature is also recommending government take action on a 1992 declaration to add an additional member to sit in the House as a representative of the Mi'kmaq people. For thirty years, that seat has remained vacant. This also coincides with efforts to rename Cornwallis Street in Halifax as part of reconciliation efforts with several Mi'kmaw words presented as options. Those are some of the issues taken up in this conversation with Native Studies Instructor Patti Doyle-Bedwell and Mi'kmaw language teacher Curtis Michael, both of Dalhousie University.

It may be wishful thinking if public health officials go to reinstate COVID precautions if the pandemic worsens. Polling firm, Angus Reid Institute (ARI) released the results of three surveys this week. They show a waning concern about the next wave, getting boosters, or returning to mask mandates or vaccine passports. And this is happening as immunocompromised and at risk Canadians continue to worry about their exposure to people carrying the virus. Dave Korzinski is Research Director at ARI breaks down the numbers and tells us what it means for public policy makers and the vulnerable.

You may have heard of Code Red for a fire emergency or Code Blue for a life threatening one. But for the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, they have something called Team Lavender. It's a coordinated response team that is tasked with addressing the spiritual, emotional and psychological needs of health care workers. It's something that has gained quite a bit of uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic, even in the face of our mostly secular society. And now with the frequent stories of health care workers burning out because of the high-stress workloads, this group is stepping in. Debra Orton is a Spiritual Health Coordinator with Team Lavender. She describes the work they're doing, where the program came from and the potential to expand it to other health care settings.

A foundational document filed today at the Mass Casualty Commission hearing is titled "Perpetrator's Financial Misdealings". It describes the "perpetrator’s banking activity, corporate dealings, real estate acquisitions, improper billing practices, association with drugs and organized criminal activity, as well as his planning of a potential fraud in relation to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program." It's likely to fuel more suspicion about the killer's past and what his common law partner knew about it all. Following Lisa Banfield's testimony last week, there were still questions about allowing her to forgo any cross examination by the lawyers representing the families of the victims. Wayne MacKay is a Professor Emeritus of Law and a former Professor at the Shulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. And he's still hopeful the Mass Casualty Commission will be able to restore some of the faith lost to Nova Scotians throughout the process, but time is running out.

"Dementia is sad but there can be gifts" says Paul DeAdder in a post he made during Halifax Pride. He shared how he had painted himself into a rainbow corner before coming out to his mother in 1990. And by his own account, it was "awkward, ungraceful and brutal" and didn't go over well. And for years there was a wedge between himself and his mother, Marilyn. But after a diagnosis of dementia, and prior to her death last year, Paul says he got to come out a few dozen more times to her. And each time was better than the last. Here's Paul's story about Marilyn and those unexpected gifts.

They may be considered the forgotten generation of our time. And it only got worse after the pandemic was declared and people were forces to isolate. And a simple act of kindness was the spark of an idea that has grown into a group called We Are Young (WAY). On the group's website they explain that in 2014, "Katie Mahoney was nominated to do an act of kindness for someone in her community. She chose to spend time with 79-year-old Eleanor; as her zest for life and philanthropic character was intriguing to Katie." She then crossed paths with Co-Founder Cara Chisholm and the two set out on building this movement that has become a registered not-for-profit. They've granted 31 wishes since WAY was founded as they continued to innovate and find new ways to help when the pandemic started. Katie explains how they select their wish recipients and how people can volunteer and donate to make life a little brighter for someone who is in need of a little lift, late in life.

One in ten Nova Scotians don't have a family doctor as the wait list has grown to over 100-thousand. Emergency Rooms are at and sometimes over their capacity. And the health care system is described as being in crisis with workers facing burnout from the pandemic and from chronic under staffing. While the Nova Scotia government works to make more seats for nursing students and other more long-term solutions, some are revisiting the idea of more Collaborative Emergency Centres. The one-term NDP Government under Darrell Dexter launched several of the centres where nurses and paramedics provide walkin and emergency room services with doctors available for consultation. The Auditor General applauded the programs saying they offered both primary and emergency care and reduced the number of unexpected closures. And Claudia Chender says it was only for partisan reasons that the former Liberal Government chose not to open more of them. The current NDP Leader says it's not going to solve all of our problems, but it should at least be something the Tim Houston Government should be exploring.

He was a man with a short temper and a long history of violence. And we're learning more about the patterns of behaviour of the man who went on to kill 22 Nova Scotians more than two years ago. Today we heard from the woman who spent 19-years as his common law partner. Excerpts of audio recordings and video re-enactments were played to the Mass Casualty Committee today giving us our first glimpse of the personal trauma Lisa Banfield experienced. She will be a live witness this Friday, but won't be subjected to repeating the details of that April 2020 weekend, nor will she be cross-examined by the lawyers representing families. So why is her additional testimony important? Erin Breen Q.C. is a St. John's, Newfoundland-based lawyer with the firm Sullivan Breen Defence. She was at today's hearing as a representative for a coalition of groups including Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, LEAF and Women's Wellness. She speaks to the importance of this hearing and of the themes of intimate partner violence and how this may just help bring the "private, family business" out of the darkness for other victims and to end the culture of blaming people for the actions of others.

He's been an MLA since 2010 and spent eight years in government with the Liberal Party under Stephen McNeil and then Iain Rankin. Zach Churchill has served as a cabinet minister in Education, Health and Natural Resources among other portfolios. Over the weekend, the Yarmouth MLA was chosen to be the new leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. And while he was quick to congratulate the other candidate, Angela Simmonds for running a clean campaign, he's coming out swinging against the Tim Houston Progressive Conservatives. Churchill weighs in on the government's record so far in tackling the biggest challenges including health care. And he also discusses his game plan to rebuild the party before the next provincial election in 2025.

Sure there were stories that were shared among their families, but not in the history books or in their classrooms. This past weekend, the Canadian Government offered an official apology to the members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion and their descendants. Justin Trudeau offered those words on behalf of the country for the 'overt racism' endured by the members of Canada's first all Black Regiment. He said it denied these volunteers dignity in life and in death. Lindsay Ruck learned about the history of the First World War group through her grandfather, the late Calvin W. Ruck. He was a social development officer who became a Canadian Senator who campaigned for recognition of the contribution made by the No. 2 Battalion. She wrote her first book about him. And while she was there for the long-awaited government apology, there's still work to be done to educate more of us about our shared history.

Ron James has been on the road almost non-stop since the lock downs have ended and people started going to live events again. And the road is where Ron James feels most alive. And at times a bit lonely. The author of the best-selling memoir All Over the Map has been taking his sold-out Back Where I Belong Tour back to the stages across Canada. And on July 16th, the comedy icon will be taking the stage to the Avon Theatre as part of the Stratford Festival. And they describe his two hour show as a "unique brand of poetically charged, affably subversive stand-up comedy". It's a fitting venue for an artist who is able to paint beautifully poignant images one minute, and then having you grabbing your sides from laughter the next. He sat down for a chat from his home in Toronto, just after wrapping a series of West Coast shows and driving alone back across the prairies. He is a Canadian treasure with hilarious stories that show his love of his maritime roots and his Nova Scotia getaway.

After a two year hiatus, people are being invited to once again gather and watch films together at the Halifax Public Gardens. FIN Outdoor has announced this will be the Summer of Sarah Polley. Produced by FIN Atlantic International Film Festival people are invited to watch movies outside on the four Friday evenings of July. This summer celebrates Canadian icon Sarah Polley; author, activist, acclaimed actor and one of the most important and influential Canadian directors of the last 20 years. FIN Atlantic Executive Director Martha Cooley describes why they're going with these films this year and why it's a bit of a departure from the movies that have been featured in the past. And also, this year even though the tickets are still free, they want people to get them on line through their website https://www.finfestival.ca/summerofsarahpolley before showing up.

There are some troubling trends when it comes to agriculture in Nova Scotia. The number of farms is declining at a quicker rate than in the rest of Canada. Nova Scotia has the oldest farm operators with more than two-thirds over the age of 55. And even though it's growing, Statistics Canada says only 8% of farms reported a succession plan. Richard Hennigar is in his 70's and is a third generation apple farmer who lives in Sheffield Mills in the Annapolis Valley. And he's one of the farmers with a succession plan for Suprima Farms where he grows apples and makes cider. But his plan does not include family. He says the pandemic did put pressure on him to reduce his operation somewhat since the Seaport Farmer's Market was on hold. And he discusses the 30th Anniversary celebrations happening this weekend in Wolfville in this conversation about the future of agriculture in a time when food security is top of mind.

"The pandemic is not over. But Nova Scotians have the tools and resources to make the right decisions to keep each other safe." That's the quote from Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang on lifting most of the COVID-19 restrictions as of July 6th, 2022. And with the reporting of data shifting to monthly updates, many Nova Scotians will be left to decide how much risk there is in their communities without that information. Doctor Lisa Barrett is an infectious disease expert. And she has been providing her expertise and insights into the epidemiology of the virus for the past two years. On the eve of the removal of the remaining protocols or protections, she weighs in on what was said, what some people heard and how we are likely to fair in the next 10 months.

No parent should ever have to think about losing a child, let alone losing them to a violent crime. For Dale Adams, she's had to wrestle with that reality. Later this month, it will have been three years since Tristan Reece was fatally shot in Halifax. Last month, Kaz Henry Cox was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years for first-degree murder. Yet Adams says she has forgiven the man who took the life of the 19-year old aspiring football player. That is not the reaction many people expect to hear from a grieving mother. Dale Adams spoke with reporters immediately following the sentencing in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. Here is a conversation about her journey through the judicial system as well as where she is now emotionally, and spiritually. This is how she was able to push malice out of her heart even in the face of evidence presented at trial by the defence.

The story this week said: "Halifax regional council is calling on the provincial and federal governments to provide a livable basic income for all." And they will be sending letters to the provincial and federal governments to call for an unconditional, basic income guarantee (BIG). HRM isn't the only Canadian city that is pushing for a regular income for any adults whose annual earnings are below $20,000. And with all government programs, it would come at a cost. But there's already huge financial implications for leaving people to struggle in poverty. Independent Canadian Senator Kim Pate was quick to share the news, and a release on her twitter account. She wrote: "The unconscionable consequences of Canada’s failure to address poverty and income inequality include starkly magnified, needless and cruel exposure of people to preventable health risks." She praised HRM's decision and called for the Canadian government to step up. She says we've already shown we have the mechanisms in place to do it, now we need the political will.

This week, unionized health care workers got together in key locations for something called the "fight for fairness". And one location was especially relevant; Shelburne. Nan McFadgen is the President of CUPE Nova Scotia, representing around 19-thousand public service sector members, including staff at Roseway Manor. The long-term care facility that used to be operated by three municipal units may end up being taken over by a for-profit operator. And that isn't sitting well with a community group called Protect Our Seniors that wants to see local, not-for-profit ownership. McFadgen reflects on why this is an important grassroots movement and what can be done to support the community group. She also discusses the imbalance that was created when one group of well deserving health care workers received a 20 percent wage hike and other support staff are left to negotiate for something similar.

In Canada, there are no specific laws about abortion and supporters say that's the way it should be. The procedure in this country is completely decriminalized and as one recent article stated it is health care and is no more governed by criminal law than knee surgery or intravenous antibiotics. A 2020 report from feminist lawyers Jennifer Taylor and Julianne Stevenson called "The Legal Framework for Abortion Access in Nova Scotia" has been shared widely since the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade ending constitutional protection for abortion in that country. Taylor and Stevenson spell out exactly what rights are affirmed for Canadians seeking an abortion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They also make clear the case and civil law, and human rights provisions that are fundamental to access in Canada, including the failed attempts to pass laws to restrict access.

Even in the face of hateful intolerance, Jagmeet Singh is taking the high road. The leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) recently attended the leadership convention for Nova Scotia's NDP. Ahead of the Saturday afternoon speech, Singh spoke to the issues facing our country right now including inflation (profiteering), the allegations of political interference in the Mass Casualty and of his own power within the dynamic of the supply and confidence agreement with Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party. He's confident the minority parliament will help us get better governance and he is attempting to do politics different. But it comes with a warning to the people who are ramping up the rhetoric that now seems tinged with violence being directed towards the people who hold elected office in this country. Here are 20 minutes of politics and democracy with Jagmeet Singh.

Colin James is glad to be back touring after the pandemic shut down live performances for many over the past two years. His 20th album, "Open Road" is a fitting title as his tour makes a stop in Halifax at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on July 7th, 2022. The Saskatchewan-born artist has come a long way from failing music class in high school to playing in a bluegrass band to sharing a stage with Stevie Ray Vaughan and most recently Buddy Guy. In this conversation, James shares some of the challenges and successes of the journey he's been on since his first album was released in 1988. He touches on some of the changes in music industry from physical products to the world of streaming audio and the return to performing live in front of an audience again.

Indigenous culture is known to be based on an understanding that all things on the planet are interrelated. And that is a mindset a Halifax psychiatrist is hoping more of us adopt for ourselves and the planet. Dr. Marie-Therese O’Neill recently wrote a piece for the Chronicle Herald/Saltwire. In it she notes "Indigenous Peoples in Canada and elsewhere always knew that our happiness cannot be separated from how we treat all sentient beings and our planet. We are all interrelated and in harming them, we harm ourselves." And with so many people spending so much time inside, in front of screens, we could all benefit from being more connected to nature.

In 2011, Jodi Brown got sick and she ended up leaving her job as an aircraft maintenance planner and landed on social assistance and in public housing. And it was from there that she became an anti-poverty advocate for people who needed support. She is someone who has a lived experience in finding suitable housing and surviving on a limited budget with limited income. This week, Nova Scotia's Auditor General weighed in on the state of public housing management in the province. And we learned the government is responsible for 11-thousand residences and there are six thousand people on a waiting list. Housing Minister John Lohr this week announced government was accepting all twenty recommendations in the report and would be establishing a new governance model. One that will provide independent oversight and governance for public housing as recommended by the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission. And Jodi Brown is offering to be a part of that model. This is her story.

Nova Scotia is underutilizing the public housing it owns according to the latest report from Auditor General Kim Adair. There are 20 recommendations from her office on ways to improve the governance of the public housing and the lack of accountability that exists. There are more than 11-thousand units across the province and there are currently more than 6-thousand people on waiting lists. And the average wait is two years, longer for some applicants. Government has already announced that it agrees with the findings and will work at making "meaningful changes" for Nova Scotians in need of public housing. Adair says government oversight in this program is severely lacking, and those are carefully chosen words that aren't often used in their reports. And she's hopeful that there are plans to address deficiencies as quickly as possible.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. According to the government website, it is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Jarvis Googoo has taken to his social media account this month to share his knowledge about Indigenous History. A year ago, he was struggling with the idea of "celebrating" Canada Day given the discovery of unmarked graves at the site of former Residential schools. Googoo was a day student at one of those schools. And he was troubled by the unwillingness of the parties involved to accept responsibility for what had happened. We discuss the role of elders in education, how he views himself as a member of that community and with his thoughts on treaty education in schools and on social media.

It was a recent tweet from Mi'kmaw educator Jarvis Googoo that prompted this conversation. He has been using his social media account to share information and stories about Indigenous History in the time before and after the settlers arrived in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and traditional lands of the Mi’kmaq people. June is Indigenous History Month and there has been a renewed interest in teaching all of us about what it means to be "treaty people". The particular post was about Donald Marshall Jr. Googoo wrote about how Marshall was wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for 11 years for a crime he never committed. He was also responsible for the 1999 Supreme Court of Canada ruling upholding the Mi'kmaq right to fish for a moderate livelihood. Marshall, or Junior as he's also known, was the subject of a 2018 book by StFX anthropology professor Dr. L. Jane McMillan. She was also Junior's partner in life, and fishing, until his passing in 2009. McMillan describes the man, his journey and his impact on the indigenous fishing industry in this conversation about Truth and Conviction: Donald Marshall Jr. and the Mi’kmaw Quest for Justice.

When faced with adversary, she's always risen to the challenge. An accidental opioid overdose by her brother more than a decade ago put Amy Graves on the path to activism in Nova Scotia. She become the founder of a group called Get Prescription Drugs Off The Street. From there she ended up working in Corrections in Alberta before returning to Nova Scotia during the pandemic. One day last December, Graves started getting a bad headache that lasted more than a day. When she eventually went to hospital, she was turned away. A few hours later she came in by ambulance and was diagnosed with an aneurysm. While in hospital, she also suffered a stroke. The road to recovery has been challenging.Her friends have started a Gofundme campaign to help with essential medical equipment and transportation to and from rehabilitation services. She's still hoping to continue her education. And she's also still advocating. She's posting on her social media, including one video where she praises the doctors and nurses who saved her life. But she still feels like the Nova Scotia Healthcare system failed her. As she says, if it can happen to her, it can happen to any of us.

In the history of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), there's only been one strike. And it lasted one day. The Stephen McNeil Liberal Government used legislation, known as Bill 75 to impose a four year contract on the workers that froze wages and took away the right to strike. And at the time, the NSTU called it unconstitutional and an affront to good faith collective bargaining. And this week, a Nova Supreme Court Judge agreed. Justice John A. Keith called the law as "punitive" and "vengeful" and was "terribly wrong". Paul Wozney is the president of the NSTU and he's glad to see this decision. But he says in the name of balanced budget and being tough on labour, the former premier kicked the financial responsibility down the road to a future government. And he's hoping the Tim Houston government recalibrates the impact Stephen McNeil's decision truly had on the province's finances and his fiscal record while he was premier.

It's estimated that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) affects 40-thousand children in Nova Scotia. That's more than the people affected by Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Tourette’s syndrome and cerebral palsy combined. And one educator and blogger is troubled that there's no support being offered to families affected by FASD in this province. Grant Frost says some of the kids who have this condition can be impulsive and can show inexplicable behaviour that can impact their learning and their classmates. And because a fetus can be impacted by alcohol five days after conception, this is a complicated conversation to have for parents who may not even know they're pregnant yet. But he says there is help and support available. Frost recently attended the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network (CanFASD) conference in Moncton, N.B. He's now urging leaders in Nova Scotia to start taking the steps to start the conversation in our province.

A program to help Nova Scotia families afford their first home isn't keeping up with the housing market. The Down Payment Assistance Program saw the number of people accessing the grant in 2021 drop by 50 percent over the year before. And so far in 2022, only 12 applications have been approved. That has Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MLA and former Halifax Regional Councillor Loralei Nicoll wondering if soon that will drop to zero. The program offers help for first time home buyers with an annual combined household income of $75,000. And only houses in HRM that are $300,000 or less are eligible. That number is $200,000 elsewhere in the province. And with the average house in Nova Scotia now selling for $452,000, it has the Liberal Housing Critic asking questions. Nicoll wants to know what changes will be made to the existing program given the challenges of entering the housing market right now. And she says if young people can't find a place to live that's affordable, they won't stay.

It's not just academic. She served for five years as a Victim Service's worker with Halifax Police. Dr. Ardath Whynacht is an activist and writer who works for and with survivors of state and family violence. She teaches sociology at Mount Allison University and has spent time with people convicted of murder as well as those who are affected by violence. Her book "Insurgent Love - Abolition and Domestic Homicide" was recently given the Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing. She argues that police-loving cultures cause mass shootings and domestic homicide. The work was started prior to the events in Nova Scotia in 2020 and she weighs in on the Mass Casualty Proceedings and whether she thinks it will achieve its goals. And she says the best way to honour the lives of victims is by preventing the loss of any more members of our community.

June 9th, 2022 is Early Childhood Educators Day in Nova Scotia. Premier Tim Houston made the proclamation to recognize and acknowledge the important service provided. The people who are doing this work are having a tremendous impact on giving children the best opportunity for success through play-based-learning. And according to Catherine Cross, they deserve see higher pay and better benefits. She is the Executive Director of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia and she describes how this proclamation has grown out of Childcare Awareness month.

Halifax has long held a historic connection to one of the greatest marine disasters following the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912. Not only did the Mayflower Curling Club act as a temporary morgue, the city is also the final resting place for many of the passengers. Parts of James Cameron's 1997 film about the disaster, was shot in Halifax including the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. And now, 110 years later, a Halifax-based business development group is proposing something being described as a Titanic Experience replica ship, restaurant and aquarium. Clark Squires says he had posted about it on his LinkedIn page when it was gained traction and launched a flurry of media requests. He discusses the beginnings of the $300-million project and how they plan to address the sensitivities around "disaster tourism" and how they plan to pay for it.

The movie Jaws has had a lasting impact on the way people perceive great white sharks. And with the work of catching, tagging and tracking these animals, US-based Ocearch is showing us they are no strangers to Atlantic Canada. But there's more to learn about the world's largest predatory fish that have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Vanessa Schiliro is a Marine Biology student at Dalhousie University. She's watched as the sightings and increased attention have stoked fears of the white sharks and have made some people jittery about getting into the water. That's why she's created a video and an infographic about shark-smart tips. It's to keep both species safe by busting myths and offering some guidelines around sharing the ocean with these endangered animals.

Corey Roberts was an alcoholic but his mother says that should not have been a death sentence. Jeannette Rafuse Rogers has been in court many times over the last six years since her son died after being arrested for public intoxication. Last week, a judge acquitted two former special constables of criminal negligence in the 2016 death of the 41-year old. They were accused of failing to conduct property safety checks on him before he was found dead in his cell. His mother says she's put her grieving on hold for years as she's been fighting for changes to the way police deal with people who are drunk. She's glad to see new policies around the use of "spit hoods" and possible alternatives to taking people to the so-called "drunk tank". Rafuse says she looks forward to spending time this summer with Corey's daughter, her granddaughter, and getting help for her PTSD as she processes the loss of her son.

There was a moment when Mark Long had decided he didn't want to live with the effects of his PTSD any longer. He had been a police officer for 15 years and the trauma had piled up inside to where he needed help. And he was eventually able to find a program in California that saved his life through peer counselling and support. From that, Cracked Armour clothing was born to raise awareness of PTSD and those still struggling. That project has led him to buying a house on an acreage in the Annapolis Valley that will be known as Returning Warriors Ranch. Eventually, it too will be a place for first responders to go for support and healing. And to help with that dream, this Sunday, June 5th, will be the first Annual Mental Health Conference. Mark says a lot of the response so far has been from family and friends of the people who are dealing with PTSD. And it's helping him as he shares his story of addictions and healing from the trauma he's witnessed as a police officer.

Imagine your husband passing away in your arms while you wait for more than a half hour for an ambulance to arrive. And the most bitter pill was that this wasn't in some remote area of rural Nova Scotia. This was at a building on Joseph Howe Drive, just minutes away from the QEII hospital. There was no ambulance available that morning. That was the incident that propelled Anne MacPhee into advocacy. She's been speaking out about her experience and the loss of her husband Kelly in 2020. And each time she speaks up, more people step forward with their stories. She says that's been a big part in her healing as she moves through the grieving process. This week, she wanted to talk about the announcement of the direct to triage policy. If a patient is low risk, paramedics will be able to leave them in the emergency waiting room to be assessed by health care staff. That will allow them to get back on the road to help the next patients in need. Anne says she wants to give credit where credit is due now that changes are being made to help others who may be in a similar situation as she experienced.

In a small way, it was a return to the way governments used to deal with affordable housing. An announcement of 37 sites from the provincial land inventory that could be used to build housing, including affordable housing, for thousands of Nova Scotians. Progressive Conservative Housing Minister John Lohr said "While there is still work that needs to be done on these sites, we know communities across the province need housing and this inventory now gives more options to increase supply." But they will be "affordable" based on a percentage of the market rate and they will be built by developers who are already busy. And that may not move us quickly enough to address the housing crisis according to Jill Grant. She is Professor Emeritus, School of Planning at Dalhousie University. And she weighs in on some of the changes made in the 1990's that are still affecting the housing stock in Nova Scotia.

Tourism revenue in 2020 wasn't zero. But it certainly wasn't the $2.6 billion that was recorded in 2019. And 2021 rang in at around $1 billion. This year, Tourism Nova Scotia is hoping former residents will come the blazes home or current ones will plan an exciting staycation. An online advertising campaign is underway to encourage people to support local tourism businesses. Darlene MacDonald is the Executive Director of Tourism Nova Scotia. And she discusses the optimism in the industry and the pent up demand from residents who really didn't have the same options during the last two summers because of COVID. Also, she tells us what happened with the "Doers and Dreamers Guide" in 2022.

After two summers of pandemic restrictions, there's a lot of optimism about the upcoming tourism season. But how it turns out will depend more on inflation and gas prices than marketing and good intentions. Tourism Nova Scotia has launched an advertising campaign to encourage residents to support local businesses by booking a staycation this summer. And while confidence in the business community is at a near record high, consumer confidence has bottomed out. And that has the outcome up in the air according to Halifax polling firm Narrative Research. CEO Margaret Brigley says when people are nervous about their financial future, pent up demand for travel may not be at the top of their list. But with high employment and perhaps some savings from working remotely, it may still end up being a good year for businesses that are relying on tourists and their dollars.

You know it if you've been to the grocery store or the gas pump lately. Inflation is having a big impact on the cost of living with the Consumer Price Index and food prices increasing by more than they have in decades. While the price of gas and diesel may have stabilized slightly, they are still at historic highs. And so far, the Nova Scotia Government has rejected calls for a reduction in motive fuel taxes. There's also the issue of the tax-on-tax when you add the cost of HST to your purchase. Brendan Maguire is the Liberal MLA for Halifax Atlantic. He's hoping the Progressive Conservatives follow the examples of provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta where they have introduced temporary tax relief at the pumps. And he says all politicians in all parties need to do a better job of following through when they move from opposition to government.

On the first day of the Mass Casualty Commission hearings, people were assured this won't be a cover up for the RCMP or government. And on day 25, there are still concerns of openness and transparency. The latest criticisms come from a decision to have two senior RCMP leaders testify remotely, without there being any cross examination by lawyers representing the families of the victims. That prompted a boycott of the proceedings by some of those families and their legal team. And there is still a big question hanging over the entire process. Will we learn the truth about what happened? Wayne MacKay is a Professor Emeritus at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. He is concerned with the overall feelings of distrust and mistrust when it comes to some of the way the process has been handled. He weighs in on the cost of the Inquiry so far and on the potential for a meaningful outcome. MacKay also says there's still time for the commission to address the "elephant in the room".

According to new data from the province, there were more deaths by suicide in Nova Scotia in 2021 than in any other year at 142. A clinical psychiatrist is urging government to quickly address this preventable problem. Doctor Simon Sherry is a professor in the department of psychology and neuroscience at Dalhousie University. He has previously commented on the suicide crisis in Nova Scotia and he says we need to get control of the situation. Dr. Sherry says although there were fewer deaths by suicide in 2020, the economic support and psychological services are less available as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. He says roughly 20 people are directly and intimately affected by a suicide. And there has been no additions to the framework released by the previous Liberal government. He says it falls short of real targets, timelines and monetary commitments. And he says action is needed now before the problem grows any further. If you or someone you know is in a crisis, call 911 or Nova Scotia's Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team at 1-888-429-8167.

Claudia Chender's first election win was in Dartmouth South as a member of the New Democratic Party in 2017. She was victorious in her bid for re-election in 2021 and earlier this year, she entered the race to replace Gary Burrill as party leader. After the deadline for candidates passed this weekend, Chender was the only one registered. She will become leader during the NDP convention June 24th-26th in Dartmouth. And she is confident in her goal to become the next Premier of Nova Scotia. She says the biggest issue facing the province is the rising cost of living and the challenges many people are having in trying to make ends meet. Chender shares some of the goals she has set for herself and the party and why she feels this is a job she's been working towards, her entire life.

Judy Pal was a spokesperson for Halifax Police in the late 90's and early 2000's. Her career took her to the United States where she worked as an Assistant Commissioner with the NYPD, Director of Operations for FBI-LEEDA, Chief of Staff with the Baltimore and Milwaukee Police Departments, and was a member of the command staff of the Atlanta and Savannah Police Departments. She is a full time teacher and consultant on Law Enforcement image and media training with 10-8 Communications. 10-8 is a police code for being in service/available for assignment. She has been following the events in Nova Scotia surrounding the mass casualty event from April 2020 and the inquiry from her home in Tennessee. And while she doesn't have all the details, she does say the RCMP isn't the only organization that has challenges with communications. She says part of the issue is that the officers and civilians tasked with informing the public, are sometimes not given all of the information, which can cause issues of trust between police and the public. And she says when you mess up, fess up and then the healing can start.

The Mass Casualty Commission is on a break until after the Victoria Day weekend. There have been fewer than 30 witnesses called so far and that has frustrated some of the lawyers representing the families of the 22 victims. And the "trauma informed lens" the committee has been using has also come under criticism. Parker Donham has been a journalist in Nova Scotia for years who now blogs at Contrarian.ca and on his social media accounts. He's been one of the loudest critics of the way the process has censored some of the more graphic details under the guise of being sensitive to the families. He says this is doing a disservice to the ultimate goals of an inquiry to uncover the truth and when 22 people have been killed, there's bound to be details that will make people uncomfortable. He covered much of the Marshall Inquiry in the late 1980's and says the two were vastly different, and that's not a compliment. Even so, he's still hoping the Commissioners keep listening to their critics and adapt their process to help the families.

Steve MacKay spends his time at his day job analyzing data for the Health Authority. And that skill came into play after more than 20 accidents along the residential stretch of Robie Street where he lives. He had noticed some vehicles travelling up to 90km/hr past his home located between Stairs and Columbus Streets. That's just north of where Robie branches off from where Massachusetts Avenue begins. He admits he did go through the formal process of writing emails and lodging complaints with his councillor, Lindell Smith. He and his neighbours also put out green bins to try and slow vehicles down. And after launching a petition and repeatedly posting from his Raccoon at Home Twitter account, traffic calming measures are finally coming. HRM will be installing four-way-stops and crosswalk markings in two intersections along that stretch of Robie this summer. And MacKay is sharing his lessons he's learned along the way.

A recall by a major baby formula manufacturer in the United States has caused a shortage in that country. And so far, the issues in Canada appear to be related to people hording the product rather than a true shortage. But there's another issue according to Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. He's the Senior Director of the Agri-Food Distribution Lab at Dalhousie University. According to Charlebois, most of the formula in Canada is imported even though we have a large manufacturing plant in Kingston, Ontario. But it is owned by Feihe International, a Chinese company and all of its products are shipped to China. And Charlebois says that's an issue because they are using cow milk that is partially subsidized by Canadian taxpayers through the supply management system. He says it's a protectionist policy with quotas designed to help farmers and food insecurity. But in spite of that, farms are closing in the Maritimes and processessing is moving out of the region. All of this as baby formula is being shipped overseas creating a made in Canada problem that is being ignored by politicians.

The eight women and six men are doing their civic duty. They are witnessing the graphic and horrific details of the death of a 19-year old former star athlete as members of the jury in a murder case in Halifax. The 30-day trial is hearing about the bus driver who comforted the young man in his car and the graphic wounds he suffered. And unlike the Mass Casualty Commission, they will see it all. Nothing is being redacted or presented in a "trauma-informed way". And after they give their verdict, they'll collect their 40-dollars a day and mileage costs. But they are bound by law, not to disclose what they saw or heard or read. And that's something Mark Farrant has been fighting against as the founder and CEO of the Canadian Juries Commission. The group wants mental health and other supports for people who serve on juries. And a Senate Bill that will change things for the better, will be discussed in the House of Commons this week. And Farrant is optimistic about the future.

She's been doing morning radio for most of the last two decades on her hometown station. And this week, Ann MacGregor signed off for the last time. She was the very first female morning host on CKEC before they switched over to the FM band and she continued on under new ownership. MacGregor is now reflecting on the time she's spent connecting with people across her home community of Pictou County in this role. And she shares why radio was something she was attracted to and answers the question, which of the Golden Girls is her favourite.

Jenny Li is a youth mental health advocate who is also a featured speaker at an upcoming academic conference discussing their work on Integrated Youth Services Hubs. They are also a recent Honours in Sociology graduate from St. Francis Xavier University who co-authored the study with supervisor, Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Katie Aubrecht. Li speaks about their own mental health challenges and how they were able to overcome cultural differences coming to Canada at the age of five. Fixing Canada's broken youth mental health system comes down to a simple but very crucial action -- listen to what young people have to say about it. The conference they are presenting at is open to anyone who would like to join it at https://www.federationhss.ca/en/congress/about-congress.

There's a focus on the front line workers during this National Nursing Week. And that takes in about 8,000 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse practitioners in Nova Scotia. Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy is the Chief Nursing Executive at Nova Scotia Health. And she was recently the co-author of a Royal Society of Canada policy briefing. She's been working on strategies to address the current and longstanding nursing shortage and exodus that's happening in Canada. And it's why she's advocating for a Pan-Canadian solution. She also address recent concerns raised about travel nursing, vacancies and the effect COVID absences are happening as they look towards recruiting and retaining more of these valuable front line health care workers.

Janet Hazelton has been reluctant to sound the alarm bells in her role as President of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union. She says in her 20 years as a labour leader, she didn't want the public to lose confidence in the system. And she didn't want them to be afraid to get medical help if they needed it. But she's reversed course on that over the last 12 months. She says two years into the pandemic and nurses have never been as battered and bruised and they've had enough. She weighs in on some of the things that are happening with recruitment. And she discusses what needs to happen if the province wants to retain these front line health care professionals.

For a man who couldn't read or write, the Westray mine offered him a well paying job when there were few available. And thirty years later, the memories of that place and the people he worked with are still with Vernon Theriault. He was able to turn his anger at the company into action by lobbying the Federal Government for what ended up being Bill C-45, the Westray Bill. Although he says there hasn't been justice for the 26 men who died, he continues to fight for worker safety. The co-author of Westray: My Journey from Darkness to Light and the recipient of the Medal of Bravery, Theriault says he's inspired by their memories. And everyone deserves to be able to go home to their loved ones at the end of the workday. We open and close the conversation by discussing E.B. Anderson's new song about the tragedy called 26 Ghosts.

Emotions were high at times during the 19th day of testimony at the Mass Casualty Commission hearing in Dartmouth. The two RCMP officers involved in the friendly-fire incident at the Onslow Belmont Fire Hall were questioned and cross-examined. And the two officers involved with accessing the condition of victim Heather O'Brien were also questioned directly. It was the first time significant objections were raised by the lawyer representing the RCMP members. And one family member was frustrated enough to storm out over inconsistencies in witness statements. Lawyer and now legal commentator Adam Rodgers shares his thoughts on the long day of testimony and to the value cross-examination is adding to the process. He also weighs in on why the "trauma informed" approach was responsible for causing more harm in at least one example of the hearing investigating the deaths of so many Nova Scotians in April 2020.

May 1st-7th is Safety and Health Week in Nova Scotia. Along with raising awareness about physical and psychological healthy and safe workplaces, we have a chance to see the safety statistics from the past year. The Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia notes there were fewer people who lost time from work due to injury in 2021. But there are some jobs where you're more likely to be hurt than others that might come as a surprise along with the most prevalent types of injuries including PTSD. Along with the risks to an aging workforce, there were other revelations according to WCB CEO Stuart MacLean. We end the conversation with a look back 30 years to the lessons of the Westray Mine disaster and whether there's a chance something like that could ever happen again in Nova Scotia.

Some people in some communities were left behind at the start of the pandemic. It was a big issue when schools and workplaces shifted to being on-line and virtual. Not everyone had access to high-speed internet or devices to be able to connect. And that was a problem Matt Spurway wanted to help solve. He and a team of volunteers started making connections with community agencies to collect money and equipment to make a difference. That has now evolved into the not-for-profit agency known as Get Everyone Online or GEO Nova Scotia. And as executive director, Spurway says individually, it would be tough to solve the access issue. But they are growing and finding more partners and funding to help make a difference through the "stone soup" principle.

It didn't take long for out of province residents to mount a formal campaign against the Nova Scotia non-resident tax. That's the 2-dollar-per-100 assessment for properties owned by people who don't live in them. There are some conditions, like renting to Nova Scotians that would exempt them from being assessed the extra charge. But that hasn't stopped the numerous letters-to-the-editors and opinion pieces being published about the practice. It's not entirely clear if this is about freeing up more housing supply, or providing the province with another revenue stream. Nova Scotia isn't the first, or only, jurisdiction to enact a policy like this. But there's a question about what other action the government could have taken to achieve their goals. Dr. Ren Thomas was the co-author of a report on affordable housing. She's also an associate professor in the School of Planning at Dalhousie University.

If you have ever spent any time speaking with Pam Mood, you'd be forgiven for jumping to conclusions. The Mayor of Yarmouth is known for her optimism and cheery disposition and for speaking her mind on issues. But what is less well known is her experience living with depression and anxiety. It's something that she's speaking openly about during Mental Health Week. Mood is one of the participants in the Canadian Mental Health Association's Empathy in Action speaker series. Her conversation will be about her mental health journey with a frank and honest look at life in the limelight while coping with depression.

Living through a global pandemic has been difficult for many of us over the past two years. And experts have recognized the challenges isolation and lock downs have had on our ability to cope and thrive. The Canadian Mental Health Association is about to mark Mental Health Week. The event has been held during the first week in May for more than seven decades. This year, they are holding a week long series of online conversations called Empathy in Action. And among the nine mental health advocates who are scheduled to speak is Sam Madore. She is the host of the podcast "Let Me Overthink About It". In this conversation, she shares how the loss of her mother affected her. And also, the impact we can all have when we open up and are honest about our own struggles and challenges.

Retirement has been anything but quiet for Jean-Michel Blais. He left his post as the Chief of Halifax Regional Police in 2019, after a six year term. Before that, he'd spent 25 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His career highlights have included three tours with the United Nations in Haiti. And he's also found and developed another passion on the ice as a hockey referee. He says all of his experiences have been distilled down to the characteristics a good leader needs to be able to lead well in these challenging and complex times. The result is his new book “Working the Blue Lines: Lessons in leadership from hockey and policing".

An advisory panel has found leaders in Canada's military have failed to address discrimination and systemic racism. Their report was recently released along with 13 proposals to remove barriers and change the culture in the Canadian Armed Forces. There's a long tradition of military service by Black Nova Scotians. The Black Cultural Centre has been working to educated all of us on that history, including the No. 2 Construction Battalion. The Centre's Executive Director, Russell Grosse says a significant event is happening later this summer to address historical injustices, and give proper credit to the only Black Battalion in Canada's Military history.

Too many children in Nova Scotia are being held back from reaching their full potential and are being left behind. That is one of the conclusions of a new report from researchers at Dalhousie University. One in five children and youth are living in food-insecure housing or the felt unsafe or threatened at school due to bullying. That had them reporting low life satisfaction. Doctor Laura Stymiest is a pediatrician and is director of Advocacy for Children and Youth at Dalhousie's Department of Pediatrics. She is a co-author of the report titled One Chance to be a Child. Dr. Stymiest discusses some of the research that went into the report and the hope that it helps direct policy and decision making in Nova Scotia. The observations and recommendations are being viewed through a child-rights lens developed by the United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child. The report and its recommendations can be viewed here: https://www.onechancens.ca/

Tim Houston's government released its plan to address challenges in health care last Friday on the last day of the Spring Sitting of the Nova Scotia Legislature. It's a 31-page strategic report called Action for Health and it spells out some of the goals and self-described solutions for Healthcare. Critics say it doesn't contain specific benchmarks or timelines and there won't be a chance to question costs or other details because the House has risen for the session. Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) is the professional association representing physicians in this province. They were involved in the Speak up for Healthcare Tour just after the Progressive Conservatives were sworn in as government. Doctor Heather Johnson is the president of DNS. She's optimistic by nature and says if we can be nimble and think of ways to reorganize, there is a chance this plan can make a difference.

People around the planet have been recognising Earth Day on April 22nd since 1970. The goal in the beginning was to demonstrate support for environmental protection. And over the years, we have seen more focus on the natural world around us and the attention to issues like global warming. But what difference can one individual make? And how do you keep working at effecting change on something that can seem so overwhelming? Joanna Bull is the Community Engagement Manager with the Ecology Action Centre based in Nova Scotia. She offers her thoughts on staying positive and realistic and shares ways we can make a difference for the planet by thinking globally and acting locally.

This week, the lawyers made their final submissions at the inquiry looking into why a former Afghanistan war veteran killed his family and himself. The judge will present his final report with findings and recommendations later this fall. David MacLeod is also a veteran and he's watched the proceedings and has read all the transcripts. In spite of the argument that it would be easy to blame the government for what happened, he says Veterans Affairs has been advocating for the status quo. And that, says MacLeod, is part of the reason the incident happened in 2017.

It doesn't require an economist telling us that inflation is rising to know that the cost of living is going up. And that is impacting groups and agencies that help people who were struggling even before the price of groceries started to climb. Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank is seeing more clients these days. And as the largest independent, non-affiliated service, they have to come up with ways to manage their inventory with demand rising. Amgad Zaky is their Director of Donor Relations. He shares with us the legacy of founder Mel Boutlier, the challenges of the past few months and the campaign to purchase a new truck for deliveries.

This week, the Mass Casualty Commission is taking a break from its examination of the facts and circumstances of the events in Portapique on April 18th and 19th of 2020. And out of respect for the families, Colchester North MLA Tom Taggart is also taking time to reflect. He currently represents the region that includes the tiny community where the events unfolded two years ago. At the time, he was a municipal councillor for the area. He was part of a ceremony last week that saw Portapique and its residents being presented with the Lieutenant Governor's Community Spirit award. That is the topic he was willing to discuss. That and the resilience of the people who still live there and call it home.

When the invasion of Ukraine started, Carol Ailles wanted to do something to help the women and children and families who were affected. And that turned into the Atlantic Canada Hosts for Ukrainians group on Facebook. Thousands of people from across the region are going there to find resources and support and to offer space in their own homes to house refugees. Ailles says in spite of the Canadian Government saying it wants to help, there doesn't appear to be any leadership on this issue. And these volunteers are committed to doing all they can to support the women and children and their families, many of whom are also joining the Facebook group. And ultimately, they would like to be able to hire a charter plane and bring up to 300 refugees from Europe to Atlantic Canada.

Thousands of documents have been presented so far, but only fourteen days of testimony has been heard at the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) Hearing. Since it got underway in February, there have been twelve foundational documents presented. They cover the timeline of events on April 18th and 19th, 2020 from the first 9-1-1 calls to Portapique until the death of the killer at a gas station outside of Halifax. And while there have been five RCMP officers who have been called as witnesses, there are others that have yet to be interviewed or cross examined. Adam Rodgers is a lawyer who is representing the Desmond estate in the Fatality Inquiry in Nova Scotia. He's also been using his own YouTube Channel to analyze and discuss the proceedings at the MCC. While he is please to see some witnesses being called to clarify some of the questions being raised by the foundational documents, he says there needs to be more of an effort to address some of the concerns that haven't been addressed yet.

Some of the new residents of Nova Scotia may not know that wildfire season runs from mid-March to mid-October. And for almost a decade, there has been a system in place to let people know the risk of fire spreading in wooded areas. Instead of requiring residential permits, people are asked to check the Burnsafe map on the Nova Scotia government website after 2pm on any day they want to burn organic materials on their property. It shows a colour-coded guide to when burning can be done within the rules. If a so-called controlled burn gets out of hand, the property owner could be facing a bill for the crews that show up to deal with it. Kara McCurdy works with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewal. As a Wildfire Prevention Officer, one of her duties is to help clarify the rules and the reasons behind them.

It was to help create a safe and accessible space for people with disabilities to be able to enjoy the view of the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse. And the multi million dollar project was also expected to help make it safer for the 700-thousand annual visitors. But once again emergency responders were called in to help rescue two people in the water on the evening of April 11th, 2022. A 23-year-old Dartmouth man was located in the ocean and was pulled on to to a Coast Guard Cutter and airlifted to CFB Shearwater where he was declared deceased. A 26-year-old Ontario man was located near the shore and was rescued by volunteer firefighters. He was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. It's a scenario that's all too familiar to Captain Peter Richardson. He's had to rescue survivors and haul them aboard his own tour boat in the past. The former resident also served as a Village Commissioner until he moved out of Peggy's Cove last winter. And in spite of the conversations about how to make the tourist spot safer, he says it comes down to a matter of respect for the North Atlantic ocean lapping at the rocks below the famed lighthouse.

Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government struck the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) Housing Task Force to address the lack of housing in HRM. It says the changes will streamline the process with changes to the Halifax Charter. When it becomes law, council will no longer be permitted to refer development plans to community council or to an advisory committee. Housing Minister John Lohr says “It will clarify approval processes and remove duplication of public engagement. It will reduce upfront costs for business owners and improve development agreement processes.” But some councillors disagree, including Dartmouth Centre's Sam Austin and Middle/Upper Sackville - Beaver Bank - Lucasville's Lisa Blackburn. They both say this is a much bigger issue than most people in HRM realize right now and there's very little transparency with the new Task Force. They're worried it may have negative impacts on the planning and development plans already passed or in process.

In the fall of 2020, the Fabienne Colas Foundation put out a call for entries from young filmmakers for a series called Being Black in Canada. Recently, the four filmmakers who made up the Being Black in Halifax entry won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a Documentary series. The winners included Lily Nottage, Dena Williams, Tyler Simmonds and Kardeisha Provo who's entry was titled North Preston: The Untold Story. Spliting her time between Toronto and her home community of North Preston, Provo has been focussing on storytelling and sharing her perspective growing up in the largest Black community in Canada. African Nova Scotian history is our collective history and she's been working to re-frame the narrative that is lost to negative press and old prejudices. Kardeisha Provo is one of many Black Nova Scotia artists who are finding their voices and are being recognized for their talent.

He's been a public figure for much of his adult life, and now he's hoping that by sharing his experience, he can help the helpers. Cyril Lunney recently had to call 911 to have an ambulance come to his home to help his 16-year old daughter. She was dehydrated and in medical distress. It took nearly 90 minutes for the paramedics to arrive from 90 kilometres away. And that prompted him to write an open letter to the province on his Facebook page. That message about his family's experience has been shared thousands of times and people have been reaching out to him to share their own experiences. Some of them with fatal outcomes.

Nearly two in five Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes according to the Canadian Cancer Society. And without question, the pressure on our health care system during the pandemic has delayed diagnosis and treatment for many Nova Scotians. Danielle Smith was studying to be a nurse when she detected an unsual lump while practising for one of her classes. And she was fortunate enough to be seen by doctors in June of 2020 and her own family physician called her to break the news. Throughout her treatment, Smith was helped by the Canadian Cancer Society who helped her get a wig to wear as she dealt with the side effects of chemotherapy. She's since recovered and is enjoying her new found perspective on life with her partner and their four children. And she's also taken to pay it forward by participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure and to promote the Cancer Society's daffodil campaign. She truly is only focusing on the positive as she lives her life as a Cancer survivor.

As a part of the provincial budget, Nova Scotia is introducing the Non-Resident Property Tax and Non-Resident Provincial Deed Transfer Tax. The deed transfer is five percent of the purchase price and will be on top of whatever the deed transfer tax is in the municipality where the property is located. The non-resident property tax is calculated at $2 per $100 of assessed value and both are effective April 1, 2022. What impact if any will this have on the red-hot housing market in the province? The Nova Scotia Association of Realtors (NSAR) was as surprised as many out of province property owners were by these policies. They met with the finance minister but recently, but recently installed NSAR President Tammy Hines says no one has a crystal ball to know what will happen.

Family of one of the victims in the mass killings in 2020 are asking for answers about why some information they provided wasn't included. They say they provided Fitbit data from VON Nurse Heather O'Brien that showed her heart was beating for hours after she'd been shot and left for dead by the killer. They question why the responding officers didn't get her medical help. Documents relating to the RCMP Officer's notes and the transcripts of their interviews with the Mass Casualty Commission were removed from the website last Friday after the family's Facebook page went up. Another document, an interview with an officer who was critical of another member's actions, also was posted but was since removed. Adam Rodgers has been posting his own commentary on the Commission's work on his own blog and YouTube Channel. He was the lawyer representing Lionel Desmond's estate in that fatality inquiry. He shares his thoughts on disclosure, documents that appear to have been taken down and whether all information collected by the Commission should be publicly available. He also weighs in on how the potential class action lawsuits are influencing some behaviour.

When opposition members introduce Legislation, it can be seen as a signal of the direction they'd like to see government move towards. It seldom makes it to second reading to be voted on to become law. Both the Liberals and New Democrats have been busy introducing their opposition bills this session. The challenge for Iain Rankin and his party is that they could have still been in power had they not chosen to go to the polls last summer. The end of the mandate would still have been months away. What does this say about the different priorities of parties when they are in power versus opposition? And how has Tim Houston and the Progressive Conservatives done balancing the two? Doctor Tom Urbaniak is a professor in the Political Science department at Cape Breton University. He's also worked as an election observer in Ukraine. He offers his thoughts and insights on opposition bills, the recent provincial budget and the efforts to hold on to democracy in Ukraine.

Nova Scotia's budget included two new measures the government says will help with the housing challenges in the province. One is to include a five percent deed transfer tax for non-residents who don't move in within six months of closing. The other is a two-dollars per $100 assessment tax for non resident property owners. Meantime, Liberal MLA Lorelei Nicholl has proposed a change to the Municipal Government Act that would exempt first time home buyers in Nova Scotia from paying a deed transfer tax subject to certain conditions. Halifax Regional Municipality issued a statement about their concerns with this measure, saying there were no consultations with municipalities before this potential change came to the House of Assembly. Emily Lutz is a past president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities. And she discusses her concerns over the lack of dialogue with the Province over issues that effect them. She also weighs in on assessment caps, provincial transfers and the potential of an 11 percent increase in RCMP costs next year.

A group of citizens in Dartmouth is worried about the potential threat to a vital ecosystem at the expense of a newly announced housing development. Protect Our Southdale Wetland Society has been around for a few years. But they have renewed concerns about announcements last week and this week for the Southdale Future Growth Node developments. The 12-hundred units are being added to an area their group considers ecologically sensitive. And with the provincial developments being fast-tracked, they are worried proper environmental assessments will be set aside by both the Department of Environment and HRM's planning department. Susan Van Iderstine is hoping there's political will to protect these wetlands and find another space for affordable and much needed housing.

Today saw the Progressive Conservative government outline its spending plan for Nova Scotians for the coming year. And health care was a huge part of the $13.2-billon budget. Mental health was also included. Earlier in the day, the Nova Scotia Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW). Both groups were looking for the government to focus on equity, parity, housing, early intervention and the social determinants of health. Karn Nichols is the Executive Director of CMHA in Nova Scotia. She was in the budget lockup waiting to see if the government got close to the World Health Organization's recommendation that at least 10 percent of Health and Wellness spending go towards mental health and addictions programming. She gave her assessment of the document and the spending priorities afterwards.

There's no doubt that people still have questions for Lisa Banfield about the events that led up to the mass killings in Portapique. But the killer's common-law spouse has also accurately been described as the first survivor and the first victim in that attack. For the Elizabeth Fry Society, there are times when victims of intimate partner violence are blamed for not leaving or reporting the actions of the perpetrator. And Executive Director Emma Halpin is urging people to have empathy and understanding about what Lisa Banfield went through in her relationship with the killer. And that's why she and Sue Bookchin with Be the Peace Institute wrote their letter to share with SaltWire.

Earlier this week I reached out to speak with Dr. Stan Kutcher. He is a renowned psychiatrist and expert in adolescent mental health, in addition to being a Senate Representative for Nova Scotia. The conversation was about the return to school and the anxiety that may come from the lifting of pandemic health restrictions. He discusses the issues of trust in public health and in governments and the five things we've learned during this pandemic. Along with his thoughts on those topics, he also took some time to share his thoughts on the war as a child of Ukrainian immigrants.

Nova Scotia's legislative session opens today and MLA's were greeting by protesters as they entered the house. It was organized by the group Permanent Accessible Dignified Safe Housing for All (PADS) and a coalition of worker, housing and anti-poverty advocates. Hailie Tattrie is a member of Justice for Workers. She describes how this came together, why they are optimistic and what they'd like to see come from this movement. As she says, they want to see anti-poverty action from the legislative members of the People's House. And as it turns out, government did make an announcement today about supporting vulnerable residents, just after the protest.

The possibility of the next federal election happening before 2025 is a lot lower than it was, just a week ago. But in spite of the Conservative Party of Canada labelling it a Liberal-NDP Coalition, it's being described as a "confidence and supply" agreement. The New Democratic Party will support the minority Liberal Government on issues that could trigger an election, in exchange for some of the programs and spending they'd like to see enacted. And that does decrease the chances of the opposition parties would be able to win a confidence vote and force the Liberals out of office. What does this mean to the "political left" in Canada? Also, what impact if any will this have on the Conservative Party of Canada and their choice of a new leader. Doctor Lori Turnbull, a political scientist with Dalhousie University, shares her thoughts.

It's been a difficult two years since the State of Emergency was enacted and Nova Scotians started following Public Health guidelines. But now that the Progressive Conservative Government has ended most of the mandates, there are some questions about the timing. As the Nova Scotia Liberals work towards selecting a new leader, Iain Rankin is still the head of the official opposition. And when the House resumes with the spring sitting on Thursday, he has questions. The party released a statement describing the government’s pandemic response as confusing of late. And they are critical of them lifting restrictions despite contradictory – even absent – information. What would Iain Rankin have done differently?

Pressure from a group of pediatricians has pushed the Nova Scotia Government to keep masking mandatory for kids in class for a few more weeks. That is in line with precautions for hospital and senior care facilities. But all other pandemic related public health measures are gone as of today, March 21st, 2022. Anecdotally, there are many people who are following the advice that masks are recommended, even if they are no longer mandated for use inside businesses and offices. But one professor at Dalhousie's School of Social Work says we need to move forward. Dr. Michael Ungar is the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience. He's also the Director of the Resilience Research Centre and is a Scientific Director, Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition at Dalhousie University. He shares his concerns over the harms that have come from the actions we've followed, even though they were justified in the scope of a global pandemic.

Steve Poltz is a self-described road dog and performance junkie who regularly spends 300 plus days a year on the road including regular stops in Halifax. Unless there's a pandemic. Born in Nova Scotia, raised in California, he now spends much of his time in Nashville when he's not on the road. Poltz has just released his 14th solo album, Stardust & Satellites and he describes himself as the Grateful Dead of Folk music. Whether it's crafting a song about a can of pop, or co-writing a Top 40 song with then-girlfiend Jewel, Poltz is a natural story teller. And a funny one at that. In this conversation, he talks about how the pandemic impacted his career and his life after contracting the Omicron variant. He also shares his take on divisive American Politics, his impromptu run for President and his brief infatuation with live streaming from his kitchen as he made tea and oatmeal. A unique performer with a penchant for quirky and catchy tunes, Poltz is a joy to watch and listen to.

Gas prices will be adjusted again tonight in Nova Scotia and it looks like high prices are here to stay for a while. And for one mother in the East Hants area, an idea on saving money and reducing traffic seemed obvious. Katy Strickland started a Facebook group to help bring commuters together for people travelling between Stewiacke and Halifax. In fact, she was blown away by the quick response. More than 200 people joined her group in the first few days. She discusses some of the concerns the administrators had and how COVID was a consideration too.

Recently, a fire department in Markham, Ontario donated thirteen automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help people living in Victoria County, Cape Breton. A few former residents of the island helped make that possible through Emergency Health Services (EHS) and the area's Fire Service Coordinator. One of the conditions for the businesses that accepted the potentially life-saving devices, was that they had to sign up and have them included on the EHS AED Registry program. Paramedic Lyle Donovan discusses how this all came together. And Registry Coordinator Mike Janczyszyn talks about the ongoing efforts to have more business sign up their AED and how the interactive map can help save lives.

The lede in a recent story on his life and his passing, spoke to the many historical and human legacies of Darce Fardy. "Nova Scotia’s first freedom of information officer who later shared his story of living with dementia as a Chronicle Herald columnist, died Saturday at age 89 in Halifax." His long career as a journalist led him to his role as a public servant, focusing on access to information and the right for citizens to know what governments were doing. Former Nova Scotia Politician Graham Steele worked with Fardy as both a member of the opposition and the government during his time in office. Steele now holds a similar job as the Information and Privacy Commissioner in Nunavut. That's where he spoke fondly of the strength of character and of his work later in life sharing his personal journey with Alzheimer's.

As COVID-19 restrictions are being eased across Atlantic Canada, some experts are urging caution about a complete return to a pre-pandemic lifestyle. And Nova Scotia's own Chief Medical Officer of Health has cautioned there are still people dying and the virus is still very much in our communities. So who does get to decide when a pandemic has ended? What are the lessons from the 1918 Spanish influenza? One recent article suggested it would be people and not science that will dictate the answer. That it's more about the human behaviour than how the virus is acting that will answer that question. Doctor Howard Ramos is a Sociologist at Western University in London, Ontario. The former Dalhousie Professor weighs in with his thoughts on that question.

Now that we're two years into the global pandemic, we've learned a lot about the frailties and limits in many of our health care systems. And when the vaccines started becoming available, we saw a pivot for pharmacies as they became front lines for public health care. March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month. And Allison Bodnar is the CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS). They are taking some time this year to recognize the innovations they've brought to the health care system in Nova Scotia. And they're looking ahead to other ways they can become more of a front line partner moving forward.

For months, volunteers have been helping collect and distribute food and water to people living in tents in Meagher Park in Halifax. Over the past few weeks, Halifax Regional Police have come in to dismantle platforms that were being constructed for a food tent for the site. And Laura Patterson has been documenting a lot of the happenings on her twitter account. She says they've been working to help when it appears the politicians are not helping and in fact, they are making it worse. Some advocates are wondering what will happen for the homeless when the HRM warming centre closes down at the end of March. And Patterson says you can expect to see more people moving back to living in tents in Halifax when the weather improves.

After initially refusing to participate, the woman described as the first survivor and a key witness to the events of April 2020 will testify at the inquiry. Members of the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) have announced Lisa Banfield will be interviewed and will be questioned under oath to fill in some of the missing pieces of the story that ended with the deaths of 22 people and an unborn child. Her legal case was in court today, clearing her so-called jeopardy. And the Chair of the MCC announced they would be calling numerous RCMP officers and Supervisors to account for what they did and did not do in the events on that weekend almost two years ago. And that, according to a lawyer who has been providing his own commentary about the inquiry, moves us much closer to transparency and integrity. And Adam Rodgers, who has participated in Public Inquiries in the past, says former Chief Justice Michael MacDonald deserves credit for clarifying what trauma informed means. That it is not a shield to protect people from testifying.

Fabian W Francis says he's been getting a lot of support from friends, family and community. But more than anything, he wants to hear from his daughter. Marley Alicia Morris is 24-years-old and no one has been in contact with her since February 20th, 2022. Francis says she has struggled with addictions in the past and he's worried she's hanging around with the wrong crowd. He's pleading for her, or anyone else who may have spoken with her, to get in touch. An awareness walk was being held on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022 to try and get her image and story out to as many people as possible. Francis says in the past, missing aboriginal women and girls didn't get as much media or law enforcement attention. He feels it's different this time when it comes to Marley.

A week after removing the proof of vaccination requirement, businesses in Nova Scotia are opening up to have additional customers. The easing of health guidelines and restrictions continues as we adjust to "living with COVID" as Premier Tim Houston described it. Tourism Nova Scotia announced it is launching a campaign to try and get more visitors to come to our province this spring, summer and fall. Paul MacKinnon is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. He weighs in on the financial challenges and supports that have been brought on by the pandemic. And he shares his thoughts on the recovery as we move into the next phases of the reopening plan in Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotians were fully in support of the families of the victims who called for a Public Inquiry rather than a review of the 22 murders in 2020. The Mass Casualty Commission was struck and has now started presenting evidence and hearing arguments about who should be called as witnesses. With so many questions still unanswered, some are describing a crisis of confidence in this process if some people aren't brought forward to answer questions. Professor Emeritus of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, Wayne MacKay takes a legal examination of the process and what is needed for all of us to have confidence in the integrity of the process.

There are times when we might be saying something else when we ask a question about racialized communities. Robert Wright is no stranger to speaking up about issues of systemic racism in Nova Scotia. He is a social worker and a consultant and a member of the group known as the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition. He says recently he's heard several people ask if Nova Scotia is ready for a Black woman to lead a political party and potentially be the Premier of the province. Preston MLA Angela Simmonds is one of the candidates looking to become leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. Wright says we need to be honest about what that questions actually means, and measure it against the job politicians have done representing minorities over the years.

There was a time when it was difficult to get information from a conflict zone and it was at risk of being clouded by "the fog of war". The images of the fighting in Ukraine have been easy to find on tradition sources like television and newspapers. And you can even see people sharing information on sites like twitter and TikTok. Scott Taylor is a former Canadian soldier and is the editor of Esprit de Corps Magazine. He was shocked to see Russia take this action, but he says the media has polarized on what he calls a "propaganda" role. Taylor offers his comments on the possible outcomes, the role Canada is playing and how likely it will be that economic sanctions make a difference to the continuation of military action.

As pandemic restrictions and precautions are starting to ease, Nova Scotians are showing different reactions to the idea of "living with COVID". And there are also other stresses with the situation in Ukraine and the information coming out of the Mass Casualty Commission. Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley is a clinical psychologist in Nova Scotia. She's been helping people work through pandemic burnout, including health care workers. And she has some thoughts on these challenging times and the ways we can all support each other to move from languishing to flourishing.

Monday was the first day of testimony and the presentation of evidence in the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission (MCC). A foundation document including a timeline of the murderous events of April 2020 was released to the public. And as promised, the details were graphic and upsetting as they outlined the first 13 murders during a grisly 45 minute rampage before the killer escaped. Adam Rodgers is no stranger to these types of events. He is currently the legal representation for Lionel Desmond in his fatality inquiry. He has started posting on his website, something he describes as an "Insider Legal Analysis" on the Inquiry. And these are some of his thoughts on the "presentation" and the potential outcomes of this process.

It was quite the headline at SaltWire.com: ‘Exhilarating and slightly discombobulating’: Removal of COVID-19 restrictions gets mixed reaction As The Chronicle Herald's Stephen Cooke wrote, "After Premier Tim Houston declared that “COVID zero is not a reality” and mapped out Nova Scotia’s long journey down “the road to normalcy” opinions voiced online ranged from “too much, too soon” to “it’s about time.” And for infectious disease expert and Dalhousie University scientist Dr. Lisa Barrett, there's concern that people will think this means the pandemic has ended and will abandon the protections that have served us so well in the last two years. She says that's definitely a concern and she answers some of the questions that people have about "living with COVID".

Canada's Prime Minister issued a statement early on Thursday morning condemning "Russia's egregious attack on Ukraine" and calling on them to "immediately cease all hostile and provocative actions." The United Nations (UN) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have taken steps to address the military actions that are underway. Dr. Ruben Zaiotti is an associate professor in Dalhousie Universities Political Science Department. He is also an expert in European Union politics and in public diplomacy. He offers his thoughts on how the citizens and governments of the world should react and whether or not economic sanctions alone will make a difference to Russia's plans and actions.

He was 26 years old when he first ran in a bye-election in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 2010. He's been in opposition and then in government and has served as both Education and Health Minister. And now Zach Churchill is looking to become the next leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. He discusses his decision to enter this race and not the one a year ago that saw the candidate he supported, Iain Rankin win. He also discusses the challenges of rebuilding the party with a goal of winning the next general election in 2025. He also comments on the criticsm that comes with being labelled a career politician.

Since January, a group of Dartmouth residents have been amping up efforts to bring attention to an area of wetland near a proposed housing development. Bill Zebedee says the Protect Eisner Cove Wetland Society is reacting to a private sale of the 15 hectares of forested wetland earlier this year. The developer has proposed a walking trail through the wetland, but the group says that's not the best thing for the habitat or the animals and plants that live they. He says their goal is to have The Eisner Cove Wetland and its protective forest belt returned to public ownership, and preserved as a wild area for recreational and educational use only. They've set up a website and have launched a petition to try and make that happen.

Nova Scotia Health is hosting an event later this month called the Health Innovation Showcase. It will happen on Feb. 22 (from Halifax) and Feb. 25 (from New Glasgow) to officially launch the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub. And they say it's to deliver high-impact solutions for patients and providers by using technology like the Virtual Care program that connects orphaned patients with medical services virtually. Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy is the Vice President of Research, Innovation and Discovery for Nova Scotia Health. And she describes what this initiative is all about, and how it can be helpful to some of the other systemic challenges that have been amplified by the global pandemic.

For the past few years, the Union representing Nova Scotia paramedics has been sounding the alarm over the shortage of available ambulances. It's something they call Code Critical and it's becoming even more acute says the business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Kevin MacMullin told the Legislature's Public Accounts Committee this week that paramedicine is a system in failure right now. MacMullin says burnout and stress are a huge issue that is creating a cycle of stress leaves and then additional pressure because members are off. He adds there are a few things that would help with recruitment and retention and remuneration is a big part of that.

Vicky Levack is with the Disability Rights Coalition. They are the among sixty groups and individuals who have written an open letter asking the Premier to end discrimination against persons with disabilities. It is also calling for him to implement the Court of Appeal October 6 ruling as well as abandoning an application to the Supreme Court of Canada to dismiss the ruling. They want the government to negotiate a systemic human rights remedy to the problem of discrimination against people with disabilities in accessing social assistance, and end the funding cap which singles out the disabled and creates barriers to their inclusion in our communities. Levack says it feels like they are fighting the government, when they want to work with them to help people like her survive and thrive.

Dr. Lori Turnbull is an associate professor of political science at Dalhousie University and the director of the School of Public Administration. She also spends a great deal of time in Ottawa where she lectures remotely. And she's being very clear about what she's been seeing since the trucks rolled in a few weeks ago. This is not a protest -- it's an occupation. And with the announcement that Justin Trudeau is enacting the Emergency Act has some people accusing the government of going too far. Dr. Turnbull says this is the first time this legislation has been used and there are legislative checks and balances in place. And sometimes extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures.

There's a renewed interest in talking about affordability with Nova Scotia Power's proposed ten percent rate hike over the next three years. And the Affordable Energy Coalition is offering up three solutions to help low-income households afford their monthly bills. Brian Gifford is the group's chair and he has submitted that plan so that SaltWire readers could see what they are proposing. We discuss that plan and the inherent conflict when the company making millions of dollars selling electricity is also involved in efforts to help people use less electricity.

What started out as a break from the pandemic has turned into a social enterprise with an environmental agenda. Angel Riley started visiting the beaches around her home in Eastern Passage and noticed all of the debris along the coast. So she started picking it up. That has evolved into the Scotian Shores Clean Up group and more than 100-thousand pounds of debris being removed from the coastline of Canada's Ocean Playground. The group also repurposes some of the material they find to create art and other items they sell to help offset their cleaning costs. This year, Angela decided to create a Valentine out of that debris and present it to Nova Scotia's Minister of Environment and Climate Change. That happened on Friday, ahead of another planned beach sweep before February 14th.

It's been a stormy start to the new year with several blizzard and freezing rain storms. And the ongoing love-hate relationship continues with the province's power provider. People love to hate Nova Scotia Power, especially when the lights go out. The company has applied to increase its rates by ten percent over the next three years. And that has once again ignited the debate about how the utility is managed and regulated. Claudia Chender is the NDP House Leader and the Natural Resources and Renewables spokesperson for the party. Earlier this week, she released a statement calling on ratepayers to "tell the Utility and Review Board and Tim Houston’s government that Nova Scotia Power’s plan needs to be more about protecting people, not protecting corporate profits.”

As a law student, Angela Simmonds started work on helping people in her community gain legal title to land their families had lived on for generations. That continued as she was given the opportunity and funding from the Province to help right the historical wrong dating back to the 1700's. And last year, she decided to continue to support her home community from inside of Province House. She ran for, and was successful in winning as the MLA for the seat of Preston. She has now become the first candidate in the race to replace Iain Rankin as the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. She discusses her path to this decision, some of the barriers and how she feels about the support she's seen from all members of the House of Assembly.

Nova Scotia's government has taken steps in the past to deal with potential protests over public health measures. An injunction was granted by the courts at the direction of former Premier Iain Rankin last year to head off a protest on Citadel Hill. Last week, Premier Tim Houston announced an order prohibiting protesters from blockading or disrupting traffic on any road, street or highway in Nova Scotia. And those two things are different under law according to McInnes Cooper's David Fraser. The privacy and internet specialist discusses the charter, the law, mandates and how we ease back out of these measures after the pandemic ends.

It was described as a slow-rolling convoy protest in downtown Halifax over the weekend. And there were also counter-protests happening at the same time with some people choosing to make clear their support of the public health mandates and rules. The owner of a popular website and Facebook group ended up with a lot of comments over a stand he took. Ralph Pickart wrote: "For those who want to follow the activities near Pier 21 on our webcam today: We do not support this protest in any shape or form and will stop our camera from showing this area this afternoon. Enough is enough." He explains why he's taken this stand, and what it says about the inability for some people to take a step back and see the bigger picture.

In the end, they backed off on making people with solar panels pay to access the grid. But Nova Scotia Power is still looking for a ten percent increase in rates over the next three years as they transition away from reliance on coal-fired power generation. But the greening of the grid doesn't have to be adversarial. Gurprasad Gurumurthy is an Energy Coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre. And he says there are lessons to be learned as we move to more renewables. And the lessons are for the utility and for the elected representatives in Halifax.

Erin O'Toole's ride as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada has come to an abrupt end. And some of the blame might come down to the same sentiment that's fuelling the trucker's protest in Ottawa. How does this affect the Conservatism movement in Canada? And what is the likelihood that the next leader will be even more "right" of the political centre? Dr. Robert Huish is an associate professor at Dalhousie University. Along with International Development, he also speaks to politics. And he says there's a big job ahead for governments with the unravelling of the pandemic politics of the past two years.

Researchers with Dalhousie University's School of Social Work has been looking at the homelessness issue for years. And with the arrival of the global pandemic, they wanted to find out how that impacted those people who were already in a vulnerable situation. A paper on the subject looking into the issue affecting people in Halifax and Cape Breton Municipality was released last fall. And this week, a video animation about that research was completed and posted. Doctor Jeff Karabanow is the associate director of the program at Dalhousie. And he was also involved in co-authoring the paper, and narrating the new animated short. He's hoping it helps spread the message about ways to address isolation, mental health, and affordable housing.

The group representing truck drivers has been clear it wants the public health mandates to end. And they say their convoy will stay in Ottawa until their demands are met. Another group of Canadians has also put forward their case to have the public health measures ended. Or at least challenged. A prominent Nova Scotia lawyer says the government needs to prove the State of Emergency should be kept in place and that it's not an overreach, almost 23 months after it was enacted. And those issues were raised with Constitutional Law Expert and Professor Emeritus of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie, Doctor Wayne MacKay.

A recent survey commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) reveals 77% of Atlantic Canadians who consume alcohol say reducing their risk of developing cancer is an important health benefit. But the challenge is that only one in three Canadians are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer. That's a pretty good reason to consider going "dry" and to abstain from alcohol this February. Kelly Wilson Cull is with the Canadian Cancer Society in Nova Scotia. She outlines some of the research explaining the risks and the rewards with signing up for this month long promotion and public health exercise.

For 19-year old Logan Prosper of We'koqma'q First Nation, it was a gift that had special meaning for several reasons. The Saint Mary's University student was behind the Red Tape Movement. That was a way of shining a light on descrimination in hockey by wrapping sticks in red tape to encourage players to take personal responsibility to end it. And the program made it all the way to the NHL's Brad Marchand. A few weeks ago, Logan received a gift from the Boston Bruin star, his favourite player on his favourite team. And the former minor hockey player is still blown away by the personal message Marchand wrote to him in Mi'kmaw.

Some of the supporters of the Freedom Convoy are using language that is very similar to the patriots fighting for freedom in Washington DC in January 2021. Many in the group appear to be distrustful of the media and of government, let alone the public health guidelines put in place because of the pandemic. And when the goal is to have all health mandates lifted, is there any chance of success? What does history tell us about social movements and discontent? Doctor Howard Ramos is a political sociologist who investigates issues of social justice and equity. He left Dalhousie to take up the role as Chair of Sociology at the University of Western Ontario. He speaks to the movement, the media and public attention given to it as well as the way some political allies are backing away because of the direction it's heading.

The Nova Scotia Government has accepted a recommendation to increase the provincial wage to $13.35 per hour starting April 1st. And the Minimum Wage Committee has also recommended a push to have that reach a $15 minimum wage by 2024. And some groups are advocating for a living wage, around $20 per hour in Nova Scotia. A group formerly known as Fight for 15 has taken on a new goal. And a new name. Suzanne MacNeil is a spokesperson for the newly branded Justice for Workers Nova Scotia.

If you are a property owner in Nova Scotia, you should have received your 2022 Property Assessment Notice in the mail by now. And there's also a pretty good chance, that number is higher than it was a year ago. On average, housing prices were up 10.3 percent last year. And assessments are up an average of 10.8 percent. There are a lot of factors that go into coming up with that number and in 2021, almost six-thousand appeals were filed. What should you consider if you are thinking of appealing that number? That's one of the questions being answered by Giselle Kakamousias. She is a Vice-President with Halifax based real estate consultants Turner Drake and Partners Ltd.

A group of people fed up with pandemic restrictions were part of a slow moving protest on the highway between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia over the weekend. It coincided with another group leaving British Columbia on their way to Ottawa to show their displeasure with Canadian and American officials mandating drivers who cross the border to be fully vaccinated. The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) said in a statement on Saturday, it does not support any protests on public road ways and the only way to cross the border on a commercial truck is by getting vaccinated. They say their vaccination rates are about the same as in the general population in Canada. And it's not the reason for issues with the supply chain according to the Atlantic Province's Trucking Association. Jean-Marc Picard is their Executive Director and he says people are tired of all of the rules and restrictions. But he says these protests won't change that, and they aren't addressing the real challenges the industry is facing.

It was an issue that dogged Iain Rankin in the last general election in Nova Scotia. Since then, we have a new premier, a new government and a new minister of Natural Resources. Also, the developers behind the potential golf resort at Owls Head have withdrawn their offer of purchase of the 285-hectare package of uninhabited Crown property and the Nova Scotia government recently announced Owls Head would in deed become protected from development once and for all. And still, a lawsuit is still wending its way through the Nova Scotia court system. Jamie Simpson with Juniper Law is representing the Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association, the group that launched the initial case against the development. Here, he discusses why this is important and why they are still preparing for the May 12th appeal hearing.

For someone who has performed around the world, being grounded by the pandemic could be seen as more than just an inconvenience. For Canadian Soprano Measha Brueggergosman Lee, it has been a grounding of a different kind. While supporting her new series of virtual concerts, she reflects on how we wouldn't have chosen what has happened over the last two years, but she also wouldn't have changed it. She says it's all the more reason to recognise we are responsible for our own autonomy as we lift each other up in our communities. She calls it liberating despite being isolated at home with her kids and recently getting married.

The full name of the 218 page report is Defunding the Police - Defining the Way Forward for HRP. And one of the many authors of this document calls it his love letter to Halifax Regional Municipality. Tari Ajadi is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Dalhousie University, an activist & a public scholar. His dissertation research compares how Black activists in mid-sized cities in Nova Scotia and Ontario strategize to prompt change in policing and in health policy. He and others are hoping to see action on their 36 recommendations and the definition of defunding police based on four pillars. He describes the work that prompted this document and the hopes for a safer community without it being based on the use of force.

Some shoppers are reporting bare shelves at grocery stores across Nova Scotia. And with the winter storms and road conditions over the past week, it's an issue at other grocery stores across the region. But some people are suggesting this is because of a vaccine mandate that went into effect Saturday for truck drivers crossing the Canada-US border. Sylvain Charlebois says it's not that simple. The Professor of Food Distribution with Dalhousie University says there's a confluence of issues affecting the supply chain right now.

Littering and illegal dumping are still huge issues in Nova Scotia. Halifax Regional Municipality is stepping up enforcement and have more teams in place to track down the people responsible. Fines can range from $500-$10-thousand for illegal dumping and $200-$10-thousand for litter violations. Recently, HRM introduced a campaign to educate people about the issue with a call to action of "Be responsible for your waste". Kirk Symonds is a part of the municipalities solid waste education team. And he says most times, the items people are dumping would have been accepted curb side.

It's been close to five months since Tim Houston and his Progressive Conservatives formed government in Nova Scotia. And most of his time, like the two premiers before him, has been dealing with the effects of a global pandemic. In this conversation, he discusses the decision to return to in class learning on Monday and what plans are in place to deal with potential outbreaks of COVID-19. He's also asked to detail why the province is appealing a decision about disability rights, his support of a 15-dollar minimum wage and the need to increase staffing ratios in Long Term Care. And lastly, he's asked about whether he feels he can meet all of the goals and targets he's set for himself as Premier of Nova Scotia.

One of the housing crisis solutions adopted by Halifax Regional Municipality was to allow secondary and backyard suites. And for a Dartmouth-based social enterprise, there's an opportunity to help on several levels. LakeCity Works has been supporting clients living with mental illness by giving them jobs to create skills and income. And their micro-home project is still moving through the approval process to give an affordable option for housing. Lisa Barkhouse is the Director of Operations for LakeCity Works. She talks about their Urban Cabin fundraiser and the bright future for the 40-year old enterprise.

The leader of one of the main health care unions in Nova Scotia were repeating her call for help in addressing the challenges in Long Term Care this week. Nan McFadgen is the president of CUPE-NS. And she is worried about the impact the impact of low wages and staffing levels are having on workers and the people they care for. McFadgen admits she was frustrated in her appearance in front of the Standing Committee on Health this week. But she is offering guidance and science to back up their calls for higher pay and more time with each resident. And she says it comes down to the willingness of the Progressive Conservative government to make the changes necessary.

As the long-awaited modular units for the people experiencing homelessness on Alderney Drive, a Dartmouth councilor is sharing his thoughts. District 5 representative Sam Austin admits they made mistakes when they tore down the temporary shelters in HRM last summer. And the Dartmouth Centre councilor says they over-promised and under-delivered on their plan. But he says in spite of that, they are making progress and they are still working to correct their mistakes and learn from them.

For most of the pandemic, Nova Scotians have fared quite well with relatively few people contracting COVID 19. But since the end of 2021 and over the past few weeks, we've seen thousands of cases of the Omicron variant. And while it would have been unlikely to know someone personally who had a positive case in the past, all bets are off. Many workplaces are dealing with staff shortages because of the isolation requirements for employees who have tested positive. And that also includes a member of the Multimedia Team at SaltWire. SaltWire Today Host Kate Walker is four days into her quarantine and shares her experience with us in this conversation about shame and stigma and guilt.

It's a small victory for parents and educators who were looking for added protection in Nova Scotia schools. And the delay in reopening after the Christmas break has also made some people happy. But not all. Stacey Rudderham is one of the founders of Nova Scotia Parents for Better Education. She had to post a message to admonish some of the 21-thousand members of their Facebook group because of the comments and personal attacks. She says it's a time to be civil with each other, especially if we disagree, if we want to make it a better working and learning environment.

The Nova Scotia Teacher's Union was pleased to see the province delay the reopening of schools for another week. And there's some optimism that ventilation issues will also be addressed. But today, the New Democrats are urging the province to act on another request. That is, to prioritize teachers and staff for boosters ahead of the start up of in-class learning. Suzy Hansen is a former school board representative and is currently the NDP MLA for Halifax-Needham. She is also the opposition spokesperson for education. And she explains why that, and other ways schools can be made safer for students. She is recovering from COVID19 and that did affect her ability to speak at times during the conversation.

He spent a short six months as Premier after winning the leadership of the Nova Scotia Liberals in 2021. Since then, he's been serving as the leader of the official opposition. Today, Iain Rankin announced he was stepping aside to let someone else take over the party. He says it was the quiet reflection over the holidays with his wife and new daughter that brought him to this decision. And in this conversation, we discuss other political decisions of the past year that in hindsight he doesn't agree with. As well, we talk legislative legacies and the Owl's Head fallout and leadership in politics.

Students in Nova Scotia have gotten an extended holiday break because of the latest COVID variant. It started a week early with staffing challenges because of mandatory quarantining and positive cases. And they decided to push ahead the start date to next Monday, January 10th. But the Nova Scotia Teacher's Union is hoping government will rethink that. President Paul Wozney says they would like to see remote learning put in place until they can make it safer for staff and students. And while Wozney acknowledges there will be some people accusing them of complaining needlessly, he says the evidence backs up their position.

Nova Scotia announced funds to help those Nova Scotians affected by the devastating flooding in late November. And there was also significant damage for parts of Newfoundland and Labrador from the same storm system. A Halifax musician and promoter who had friends affected by flooding earlier in the year in British Columbia prompted him to organize an online concert as a fundraiser. It will be streaming live this weekend with a way for people to donate to help. Robert Campbell describes how this came together with a co-organizer and how people will be able to watch and donate.

More than 82-thousand Nova Scotians are waiting for a primary care provider. And the provincial government has been looking to provide alternate ways to get patients in front of doctors and nurse practitioners. One way is through VirtualCareNS. It is a way to give people free access to online services like prescription renewals, tests and referrals for specialized care. And now the service is being expanded across the province to people who are on the Need a Family Practice Registry. They started going out this week for people in the Central and Eastern Zones. Nova Scotia Health Authority's Nelson Ventura, Innovation Team Manager, and Dr. Tara Sampalli, Senior Scientific Director explain how the made in Nova Scotia solution is being received.

It's not always the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. And with the holidays approaching, there are a few things you can do to reduce some of the pressures and stresses according to Doctor Simon Sherry. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University and a clinical psychologist at CRUX Psychology. And as he points out, a lot of the pressure comes from unrealistic expectations and harmful upward social comparisons. He also weighs in on the reality of heading into our second Christmas of the pandemic with the recent restrictions being implemented because of the Omicron variant. And he wants people to be respectful of the rules, but move forward and live their lives based on their values and not on fear and anxiety.

There are several news stories circulating on the immediate future of the shelter at the Mi'kmaw Friendship Centre. Some are focusing on the increased demand for services and the challenges of meeting their core goal of helping the urban indigenous population. Other stories are looking at the expiring lease agreement, lack of secure funding for 2022 and allegations from workers who have applied to become unionized. Brendan Maguire is the Liberal MLA for Halifax Atlantic. He's the party's Poverty and Homelessness Critic but he was also Municipal Affairs Minister in Iain Rankin's short lived government. Maguire has spoken openly about his own experience being homeless and the missed opportunities of his own recent time in government. He also offers his thoughts on stigma and what each of us can do to help.

Halifax Mutual Aid (HMA) describes itself as a group of people committed to taking action against homelessness by building small crisis shelters for those who need them. They also acknowledge these shelters are not a solution to the housing crisis. And recently, they've launched a fundraising initiative called a Gingerbread Story Kit. It's a way to build your family's understanding of the housing crisis with a kid-friendly baking kit. Campbell McClintock is spokesperson with HMA and he discusses the fundraiser, the booklet and the efforts of Halifax Regional Municipality and the Catholic Church to help the homeless.

Researchers at Dalhousie University have surveyed 165 owners from around the world about their dogs to discover how many words their pets respond to. Dr. Sophie Jacques is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. She teamed up with a colleague who also is a dog trainer. Their recent report was published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science and it identifies which breeds are more receptive and what influences outcomes. Why does this matter? As a child psychologist, Dr. Jacques is interested in the similarities and difference between vocabulary growth in babies and dogs. And she says it could help in training service animals, something that could cost upwards of $30-thousand.

Nova Scotians elected a government last summer in part because of the promises to fix health care in this province. And there has been a lot of work already to identify and make a plan to address some of the long-standing issues. This week, the Minister of Seniors and Long-Term-Care announced $57 million to support current and future workers and to open more beds. Susan MacDougall is the Chair of the Board of the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association. She's optimistic, but realistic on what effect these announcements will make.

Nova Scotia's Auditor General gave the province a passing grade for it's financial reporting during the pandemic. But there were questions raised by Kim Adair about measuring the effectiveness of COVID-19 spending and industries that may not recover. The other unanswered question was about the province's long-term economic recovery plan. And those are also some of the questions being asked by the opposition. Lisa Lachance is the NDP Finance Spokesperson who is also wondering if the Houston government will be consulting with Nova Scotians about that plan.

It's a bit of a setback for the operations of the majority of Canada's CH-148 helicopters. All but two of the long-awaited Sea King replacements have been taken out of service because of cracks recently found in the tail sections of the aircraft. The exact cause of these stress fractures isn't clear, but one Defence analyst says in some ways this shows the maintenance and inspection processes are working. Former Naval Commander Ken Hansen also says this is likely something the manufacturer Sikorsky will want to help fix, given they have been looking to sell this model of helicopter to other countries.

It has been 32 years since the murder of 14 young women at Polytechnique Montréal. This act of violent misogyny led Parliament to designate December 6th as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Erica Kelly is a fourth year engineer student at Dalhousie. She is also the VP Logistics for the Women in Engineering Society. That group is hosting their annual ceremony of remembrance and resilience to remember the women who lost their lives that day.

Geneviève Bergeron
Hélène Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Maryse Laganière
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michèle Richard
Annie St-Arneault
Annie Turcotte
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz

It's one of the certainties for all of us but it's not something we talk about often, or ever. And when Stephanie Purcell's father was diagnosed with a rare cancer in February of 2019, they decided to celebrate the time he had left with love and gratitude. Stephanie has written about her family's experience and what she calls the gift of Medical Assistance in Dying. And she opens up about why she wanted others to know what they went through so that we could all start celebrating life and the people we care for while they're still here.

Canada and other countries are introducing new travel restrictions and testing requirements with the arrival of the new COVID variant Omicron. And with the potential for more variants, we're going to have to expect more snap travel restrictions, vaccine passports, cross border testing in the foreseeable future. Doctor Robert Huish is a professor at the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University. He's not convinced these decisions are being made for the right reasons. And he discusses the issues of trust between the public, the World Health Organization, governments and public health authorities.

He's kept a steady hand on the public health directives under three premiers since the start of the global pandemic. And Doctor Robert Strang has fielded many questions from journalists and others in his regular briefings. How concerned is he about this latest COVID variant? And what are his thoughts on people who are distrustful of science and the public health measures that have been put in place under his guidance? He also talks about when he thinks we'll be able to lift restrictions and live our lives with COVID.

Today is Giving Tuesday. That's the day after Cyber-Monday following Black-Friday and it's a lead in to the giving season. And it's also the start of a new project by The Unity Values Foundation. That was a group created to change the world based on the values of individual people. Steve Skinner is with the group and he says they want to empower people to help others. They do that by fundraising donations from individuals and businesses to provide specific items or funds to registered charities. He discusses the "Wish List" to help the flood victims in the Eastern Zone.

He's not calling it a retirement. But after 45 years as a broadcaster, Steve Murphy has certainly earned the right to step away from the nightly news desk. The award-winning journalist and anchor will be leaving the post he's held since 1993. He will be focusing on his long-form interviews and other projects after his last newscast on Tuesday, November 30th. But in this conversation, Murphy reflects on how social media has influenced the public discourse, the adversarial relationship between politicians and reporters, and the term "fake news". He also addresses the controversy surrounding a 2008 interview with then-Liberal-Leader Stephane Dion. And we save something interesting for last in this extended conversation with broadcast legend, Steve Murphy.

While they haven't been a band for more than 50 years, there's no denying the universal appeal for the music of The Beatles. And with a new docuseries airing on Disney's streaming service, there's even more interest in the event that was seen as the zenith of the band's evolution in the 1960's. Kevin Brunkhorst is a music professor at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. He teaches a course about the Fab Four and their musical and social influence. He discusses the persevering reverence and relevance of John, Paul, George and Ringo and the age-old question: Beatles or Stones.

A former Liberal Cabinet Minister is now working with the Progressive Conservative Government in Nova Scotia. Geoff MacLellan was named as the person who will chair the Halifax Regional Municipality planning task force. Liberal Iain Rankin is concerned with the lack of clarity from Premier Tim Houston on what the intent and duties will be. Rankin also gives his comments on the way the government is handling the vaccine rol out to children, the end of the Owl's Head golf course plan and his thoughts on the pending retirement of CTV Anchor Steve Murphy.

With the opening of the first session of parliament since the election saw our second Speech from the Throne in just over two years. And while the address is mostly ceremonial, there were promises made to help with the pandemic, the economy and the environment. Doctor Lori Turnbull is an associate professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University. In this conversation, she speaks to the dynamics of the second Liberal Minority and the delay in naming a cabinet and in starting the session. Will there be pressure to unite the political left in Canada? And what is the difference between the Conservatives in Ottawa and the Progressive Conservatives in Nova Scotia.

Even people living in Canada's Ocean Playground have a lot to learn about how we influence the ocean and how it influences us. And a team of researchers from Dalhousie University have completed some breakthrough work on ocean literacy and on an educational strategy. The team was led by Lisa "Diz" Glithero who is being recognized for spearheading a research collaboration that helps Canada become a global leader in promoting and sustaining ocean health.

Statistics Canada says the latest Consumer Price Index is showing a 4.7 percent increase in costs due to things like gasoline and food prices. Doctor Sylvain Charlebois is a professor with Dalhousie's Agri-food Analytics Lab. And he points to the natural disaster in British Columbia as another pressure on our supply chain. And he says that's likely to affect many other areas of the country, perhaps even Food Banks here in the Maritimes. In fact, he says we are just as vulnerable to pressures on our supply chain because we are isolated here.

Teachers and other school staff have until the end of the month to get their first vaccination and have a second one scheduled, or they face being suspended without pay. And today
Health Canada has given approval to start offering COVID vaccinations to kids under the age of 12. Earlier this week, there were reports of outbreaks in six schools across Nova Scotia. Paul Wozney is the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. He gives us his thoughts on the approaching deadline for staff and on why Public Health is adverse to giving shots to kids on school property.

Soon a Nova Scotia grown spruce tree will be arriving in Boston for the holidays. It's an annual tradition to thank them for their support following the Halifax explosion. And it elicited a few people to write letters to the editor over the practice. Some people are worried about the environmental impact of cutting down 60-year old trees as part of the tradition. For that perspective, I reached out to the Ecology Action Centre (EAC). For 50 years, the EAC has been working to build a healthier and more sustainable world. And Joanna Bull is their Community Engagement Manager and she runs their own annual Christmas Tree fundraising event.

Several media outlets are reporting on the conversation between members of Halifax Regional Council and the Chief Administrative Officer prior to the eviction of homeless people around HRM last summer. The details show that they were discussing the need to keep the details from service providers and the public ahead of the actions planned for August 18th. That day saw two dozen people arrested at the old Halifax Library location when they tried to stop police from dismantling the temporary shelters and tents that were there. The structures were built and donated by a group called Halifax Mutual Aid (HMA). Campbell McClintock is a member of that group and he describes his reaction to this news and his thoughts on what some councillors were saying publicly while we learned what was happening behind the scenes.

It was a very quiet influenza season last year, in part because of the public health measures and lock downs associated with COVID-19. And health officials are once again urging people to roll up their sleeves for an influenza vaccination to help keep our population safe. Janet Hazelton is the President of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union. In this conversation, she discusses the flu shot, mandatory COVID vaccinations for health care workers and the challenge of recruitment and retention. As she points out, new and nearly retired nurses are being offered incentives, while others mid-level care givers are leaving the profession.

Carrie Low is a Halifax woman who has been fighting against the justice system for the past several years. She applied to have automatic publication ban lifted saying she has nothing to hide. She went to police in 2018 to report she'd been abducted outside a Dartmouth bar and was then sexually assaulted. She also is critical of the way police handled her case saying they didn't investigate properly. And over the weekend, police announced a homicide victim was the man facing charges of sexual assault and forcible confinement in connection with her case. Emma Halpern is the Executive Director of the Elizabeth Fry Society who has been working with Carrie Low.

It's not often that a political leader willingly gives up power and control without being pushed or affected by scandal. But this week, that's exactly what happened with New Democratic Party Leader Gary Burrill. He announced he would be stepping aside to allow the party to continue under new leadership. He will be staying on until the new person is chosen by the party and he will remain as the MLA for Halifax Chebucto. In this conversation, we discuss his decision, his turn of phrase, the strength of the caucus and the reason he ends every interview with the phrase "It's been my privilege".

Affordable housing has been an ongoing political story in Nova Scotia and we've seen it come to a head in Halifax. Governments at every level are offering solutions and programs to try and help address the challenges. But a roof over your head is only part of the social determinants of health. And that is something being highlighted in a blog post by the CEO and President of United Way Halifax. Sara Napier offers her thoughts on being an umbrella organization in the rainstorm of a pandemic, housing shortages and mental health challenges.

Nova Scotia has announced it will soon be covering an expensive but life-changing drug described as the biggest innovation in the history of the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Trikafta costs up to $300-thousand dollars per patient per year. And right now, there are about 180 Nova Scotians who could benefit from this treatment. Health Minister Michelle Thompson told the Legislature they hoped to have it included in the provincial drug plan by the end of November. They provided this statement to SaltWire:

"We know people with cystic fibrosis are eager to start using Trikafta. We are working quickly to complete the formulary listing process in Nova Scotia and finalize the agreement with the manufacturer. We expect this process will be completed soon and that Trikafta to be available for public coverage by the end of November. This is good news for people with cystic fibrosis and we look forward to sharing more information publicly in the coming weeks."

Tim Vallillee of Bedford is one of the 180 people in Nova Scotia waiting on this miracle drug. And he's hoping they can all hang on until it's available.

This week, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston tabled the final report to the Legislature from the Reflection and Action Task Group. This documented the continued work of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children Restorative Inquiry that was started by the former Liberal Government under Stephen McNeil. Tony Smith is a survivor of the former Home for Colored Children and he's been a key part of the process that led to that report. In this conversation, he speaks to the way this has helped bring healing to communities through a less harmful and more empathetic path. And he touches on how this will continue to help build trust and relationships with the government and the African Nova Scotian Community.

The Nova Scotia Government has paid off the bonds, setting the stage for tolls to be removed from the Cobequid Pass. It's an issue that Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin has been discussing for years. In fact, it was a protest over that stretch of road that led to the removal of Smith-McCrossin from the Progressive Conservative caucus by Tim Houston. In this conversation, she shares her thoughts on that situation, toll highways and how she views democracy from outside of the constraints of party politics.

On October 31st 1996, Dan Conlin started writing down the number of kids who showed up on his West End Halifax doorstep and the kind of costumes they were wearing. And for the past 25 years, the Historian and lecturer has been sharing that information with his neighbours and anyone else who was interested. He currently is employed as a Curator at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. And in this conversation, he shares how he got started and what he's learned in the 25 years since.

He's released 18 studio albums, has four platinum singles and three gold singles and is one of the premier hip hop artists in Canada. His recording and stage name is Classified, but to his friends and family in his home community of Enfield, he is Luke Boyd. His first book, Classified: Off the Beat'n Path is on shelves now. In it, the Juno-award winning artist discusses the path that brought him a successful career and life living in rural Nova Scotia with his wife and three daughters. He also talks about hip hop culture, the pandemic, the mass shooting and how he dealt with the lockdown in this feature interview.

Victoria Levack is a self-described blogger as well as a disability and sexuality educator. She also volunteers to help the homeless in Meagher Park on Chebucto Road, which has been dubbed the People's Park. Vicky has issued a plea to Premier Tim Houston for him to do more to help the people experiencing homelessness in HRM. She says with the weather turning colder, people can't wait. And she says there's also an opportunity for others to show empathy and compassion to people who are suffering through the housing crisis.

The 44th Canadian Parliament will be convening for the first time on Monday, November 22nd. This week, Justin Trudeau named the 39 cabinet ministers who will be joining the Government side of the House of Commons. Women make up half of the Liberal front bench and Atlantic Canada is represented with cabinet members from Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Dr. Jeffery Collins is a political scientist at UPEI and he shares his thoughts on the East Coast influence in the Minority House.

Two Nova Scotia women have been speaking up for the voiceless others who have been victims of physical and sexualized violence. Their own personal stories and experiences as nurses brought them together almost three decades ago. It's a journey that has helped them form a group called Persons Against Non-State Torture. They have discussed their work around the world through panel discussions through The United Nations. And Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson have released their own self-published book called Women Unsilenced - Our Refusal to Let Torturer Traffickers Win.

Christopher Enns has been known as a medical cannabis activist in the Halifax area prior to legalization. And now he's been successful acting as his own counsel in a case that speaks to The Charter of Rights and Freedoms . Enns argued his rights were violated when police searched two of his storefronts and seized products in 2019. Enns argued his Garofoli Application in front of Judge Elizabeth Buckle in a Nova Scotia courtroom on Friday, October 22nd, 2021. The motion was to exclude evidence in the case that brought charges against him almost two years ago because of the way police were able to get a search warrant issued. Enns discusses some of the issues he raised and what the decision means to him and his legal situation. The Prosecutor in the case, Len MacKay says once the judge excluded the evidence, and the Crown asked for the charges to be dismissed. They do have 25 business days to launch an appeal, but MacKay offers no comment on what the Crown will do.

The leading cause of disability is Canada is mental illness, affecting one in five. And by the age of 40, about 50 percent of the population will have or have had a mental illness. And since the start of the pandemic, professionals have been working to adapt to new ways of reaching their clients to provide programming and services. It's also affected the ability for these groups to raise money. The 23rd Annual Mosaic for Mental Health is underway. And the fundraising event has also had to do things differently because of the pandemic. Margaret Murray is with the Canadian Mental Health Association as the Branch Co-Manager in Halifax-Dartmouth.

The past 19 months have been difficult for many small businesses in Nova Scotia and across the country. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business suggests as many as one in six businesses may end up closing over the next two years. People are discussing how some entrepreneurs are dealing with the extreme challenges and others with the potential opportunities as the world recovers from the pandemic. Matt Symes is the CEO of Sympli Works. He's also been named as the 2021 Business Person of the Year by the Halifax and Area Chamber of Commerce. In this conversation, he shares his thoughts during Small Business Week and explains the importance of self-reflection.

Since the start of the pandemic, there's been a lot of conversation about physical and mental wellness. And for a Bridgewater man, it's been a journey of self discovery and self healing. And he came to this after setting out on foot from British Columbia 15-months ago when he started walking back to his home province of Nova Scotia. Jeff Fillmore shares his story with me, after I noticed him walking along Highway 103 on Friday, then again on Saturday. That's when I pulled over to find out what he was doing and where he was going.

This week's Speech from the Throne outlined the Progressive Conservative Government's plans and visions for the Legislative Session. But as the opposition parties have pointed out, there's a glaring omission: the housing crisis. It's lead NDP Leader Gary Burrill to call for immediate action and permanent rent control. And he's hoping to get the province to move in that direction and recognize housing as a human right.

Medicinal cannabis has been available in Canada for years. But unlike herbal supplements and vitamins, there's very little chemical analysis being provided to consumers. Dr. Sean Myles is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University. They teamed up with another research facility in the Netherlands to look into the issue. As they note, unlike other commercial crops, the naming conventions are not scientific and they decided to examine the different strains and their chemical makeup. And they found you can't rely on labels to inform you on what you're consuming.

It was the second Speech from the Throne for Nova Scotians in the past year. This March, it was a road map for the Liberal Government under Iain Rankin. And this time, it was the vision for Premier Tim Houston and his Progressive Conservatives. For his reaction to the document and what was lacking or missing, we speak with the Leader of the Opposition. Iain Rankin discusses health, housing and hope.

Cannabis legalization was almost three years ago. And while we are seeing some impact on the illicit market, there's an ongoing conversation about harm reduction and other drugs. In fact, there's been an increase in the distribution and sale of cocaine in recent years. And there's also the ongoing epidemic of opioid related overdoses. Stephen Schneider is a Criminology Professor at Saint Mary's University. He shared some of his thoughts on the topic.

New Brunswick has implemented new COVID restrictions as a circuit breaker because of a recent spike in new cases of the Delta Variant. Residents in that Maritime Province have been required to show proof of vaccine for certain events and locations since September 21st. PEI and Nova Scotia implemented their vaccine policies this week. And according to a recent poll by Halifax-based Narrative Research, there's widespread acceptance of the policy. Margaret Brigley is the company's CEO and she speaks to the results and her reaction.

There are two dozen people going through the court system right now because they showed up to support the homeless in Halifax. Doctor Jeff Karabanow of Dalhousie's School of Social Work has been involved in the field for thirty years. And he says the ongoing pandemic created significant challenges. But it hit the homeless particularly hard. He and four other researchers have just released a report on the challenges of being homeless in a pandemic. They looked to the ways HRM and CBRM responded and they've come up with their observations and recommendations on improving access to affordable housing.

Last week, Nova Scotia Health announced a temporary hold on referrals for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). They say there was a significant backlog caused by an increase demand for the service. They also announced a goal of shortening wait times and resuming referrals as soon as possible. They also are planning to full time Nurse Practitioner to help. Dr. Gord Gubitz is the Clinical Lead for MAID at Nova Scotia Health. And Retired Senator James Cowan is a former chair of Dying with Dignity Canada.

This is a special Saturday podcast only edition of Thinking Out Loud this week. Dalhousie research shows that children are concerned with fairness, but they may favour their in-group peers over others who may have more need when it comes to sharing. This was a research project that was conducted in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in Tehran, Iran. Dr. Chris Moore is a professor in Dalhousie's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. He and I spoke about how they conducted the experiments using stickers, what they learn and what the implications are.

October 1st, 2021 marks the 35th Treaty Day observed in Nova Scotia. It also is the start of Mi'kmaq History Month. And while we reflected on the impact of the Indian Residential Schools for Truth and Reconciliation, there is a renewed urgency to educate ourselves on what it means to be Treaty People. Lisa Lachance is the NDP MLA for Halifax Citadel - Sable Island. She's also the caucus spokesperson for L'nu affairs. That is the term the Mi'kmaq use to describe themselves as Indigenous people.

Canadians are being urged to reflect and educate themselves on our collective history during the inaugural National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC) has the support of Develop Nova Scotia to bring three days of activity to the Sands at Salter location along the Halifax Waterfront. Pam Glode Desrochers is the Executive Director of MNFC and she speaks to the planning of this year's event and the expectations for next year. We start the conversation with the homeless and affordable housing issues affecting First Nations in Halifax and the projects underway to address them.

He's been working towards being Premier of Nova Scotia for years. And now that he's been on the job for a month and a half, what are his thoughts? In this conversation, we discuss the challenges of fixing the ailing health care system and bringing us out of a pandemic. But also we discuss mandatory vaccines for people caring for the most vulnerable Nova Scotians and the decision to appoint a white male Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs and the apology to the community.

They started posting the COVID notifications in schools before realizing Public Health officials had decided not to. And when more parents started sharing official exposure notices, their numbers started to grow in both notifications and members. Stacey Rudderham is one of the founders of Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education. She says their growth speaks to the need for more openness and transparency over in-school cases. She also addresses the decision the province took to change its disclosure policy on the same day they issued a news release asking for more transparency and more information.

A policy banning alcohol from the Dalhousie University campus is being given as one of the reasons hundreds of students were partying in the streets of south end of Halifax over the weekend. And for the Student Union President, there are concerns over harm reduction and the effects that will come from any academic sanctions or suspensions that may result. Madeleine Stinson speaks to those concerns and her reaction to the students' actions and the neighbourhood reaction. Also, I spoke with Scott Bosse, formerly of Halifax, about his upcoming appearance as Drag Queen Contessa on Monday night's episode of Family Feud Canada. The full conversations are on today's podcast.

A Nova Scotia health care worker showed compassion and empathy after losing her pet in an accident this week. Elizabeth Osmond says her 17-year old dog Emily was starting to show her age and they had been worried about her health. And when the dog was hit by a vehicle, as bad as she felt, she couldn't let the people who were in the vehicle carry that burden. A social media post about her apology to the couple has gone viral. And she shares why she made the post and her thoughts on gratitude and loss.

The union representing paramedics in Nova Scotia recently sent a letter to the editor about how the state of health care is affecting them. And their Business Manager says with Premier Tim Houston travelling the province with his Speak up for Health Care tour, there's optimism about the future. Michael Nickerson is the CEO with IUOE Local 727.

The East Preston Empowerment Academy (EPEA) opened in 2014 with a goal to empower and equip members of the community with the tools, skills and confidence to live their dreams. It helps with education, tutoring and achieving Red Seal certification in the trades. A recent study by Deloitte Canada found EPEA contributed more than a million dollars to Nova Scotia's GDP and 70 percent of participants have increased their income. Red Seal Certified Electrical contractor Howard Benjamin describes how the program helped him and why he feels representation and diversity in the trades is important.

Canada has another minority Liberal government at the end of a 36 day campaign and a cost of 610-million dollars. What are the implications on the party leaders? And who will be finding a seat at the cabinet table in Nova Scotia now that Bernadette Jordan has been defeated. I took on these issues with Dalhousie University Political Scientist, Doctor Lori Turbull.

It wasn't one of the big issues in the election campaign. And it's something advocates say hasn't been a priority for governments for years. Mark Farrant is the CEO of the Canadian Juries Commission. They've been advocating for mental health and other supports for people who are summoned to serve on Jury Duty. He says Atlantic Canadians are slightly more willing than people in other parts of the country to serve. And he says there are ways for province's to entice people, even in the time of COVID.

With only days to go in the Federal Election campaign, party leaders are cross-crossing the country looking for support. Thursday evening, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was made available for a one-on-one interview while travelling on his campaign bus in Quebec. It was a chance for a conversation about personal attacks, talking points and mental health as well as the controversial question during the only English Language leader's debate about Quebec's law prohibiting civil servants from wearing religious symbols. Note there were some connectivity and audio issues as the bus was making its way into Montreal. This is the unedited conversation.

The crisis in health care came to a head this week with the cancellation of some surgeries in Nova Scotia. It's being blamed on a high number of emergency visits and admissions, combined with staffing pressures. The service reductions come amid nursing and ambulance shortages and tens of thousands of Nova Scotians without a family doctor. The Houston government was elected on a campaign to fix health care, and have created the Office of Health Care Professionals Recruitment. They've also announced a consultative tour to speak directly with the front line health care workers. And this Doctor Heather Johnson, President of Doctors Nova Scotia expressing some optimism and hope for the future of health care.

On Friday, September 17th nurses are gathering in Burnside at the office of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union (NSNU). It's being called a day of action to highlight the growing frustration among front-line workers. They say 18 months into the pandemic, and more than a decade into a chronic nursing shortage, they are exhausted. NSNU President Janet Hazelton describes the difference between this event and the one held earlier this week out front of hospitals across the country. And she talks about the consultative process the Nova Scotia government is launching with front line health care employees.

With the province deciding to keep mask and gathering limits in place, the impact on business will continue for at least a few more weeks. Patrick Sutherland, President of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, gives his reaction to delay in implementing Phase 5. He also discusses how this will give employers time to develop their own vaccine policies for their workers and why those are different than the one for customers. He also shares some of the reaction he's gotten from people for his very public positions on policies throughout the pandemic. The segment ends with a brief acknowledgement of Canadian comedian Norm MacDonald.

Nova Scotia announced today it will be pushing out the move into Phase 5 of the COVID recovery until October 4th. This came as the numbers of new cases are spiking and more people are being hospitalized. An online petition had been started, urging government to keep masks mandatory for students because of the lack of vaccinations available for the under twelve cohort. I spoke with Paul Wareham and Aaron Smith, two parents of elementary age children. They are also engineers and wanted to speak to the issue of air quality. That's also an issue Paul Wozney has raised. The President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union also weighs in on masking in schools and delaying Phase Five.

The federal election campaign is down to the final week and Narrative Research has been asking questions. How likely are you to know all of the candidates on the ballot in your riding? What is the most important issue to you this time? Will you vote for the candidate, the leader or the party? We discuss this with Narrative Research COO and Partner Margaret Chapman.

Halifax Regional Police, the municipality and the Nova Scotia government have all apologised to the African Nova Scotian communities for racialized policing known as street checks. In 2019 a report said data from HRP showed black civilians were disproportionately affected by the policy. This week, the joint policing partners in HRM announced they won't be offering an apology. In this conversation, we hear from District 15 councillor Lisa Blackburn discusses the RCMP's decision and the ongoing independent review of the joint policing model.

Nova Scotia is putting in place a policy to require people to show they are fully vaccinated before being allowed to do non-essential activities. Those include going to restaurants, gyms and live performances as we head into Phase 5 of the reopening plan. Government says it's only temporary, until the threat of a fourth wave driven by the Delta Variant passes. Is there still an argument that it is a violation of their Charter Rights? For his opinion, I spoke with Professor Emeritus of the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie's Wayne MacKay.

COVID-19 restrictions have impacted a lot of sports and entertainment events over the past 18 months. And the promoters of a Mixed Martial Arts event in Nova Scotia are trying to make sense of a recent notification from the official sanctioning agency. Jon Foster with Fight League Atlantic describes how they had to move their upcoming card to New Brunswick. And Mickey MacDonald, the Chair of the Nova Scotia Combat Sports Authority (NSCSA) gives us his reasons for pulling the accreditation and his future after his current term expires at the first of October.

She's been a social worker, educator, researcher, community activist and advocate of social change. And now that she's an Independent Senator, I wanted to hear from Wanda Thomas Bernard about what's happening in politics in Canada. We discuss the appointment of a white male to head the Department of African Nova Scotian Affairs and what message that sends to the community. We also discuss gender diversity and parity in politics along with the recent trend of violent protest and how it may be keeping people out of politics.

Councillors have been at the front lines of furor over the way police clashed with protesters over the removal of tents and shelters from Halifax Regional Municipal property. And one of the first to share her frustration with her constituents was Patty Cuttell from District 11. She and I spoke about the actions of police on August 18th and the mixed messages between their statements and their actions towards some of the most marginalized citizens.

Prior to being named to the new Progressive Conservative cabinet, Pat Dunn was the critic of the African Nova Scotian Affairs department when they were in opposition. Some members in the community are describing his appointment as tone deaf. Reverend Doctor Rhonda Y Britton goes further than that. She also questions Tim Houston's decision to remove African Nova Scotian Késa Munroe-Anderson, as deputy minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

Katy Jean is not a political scientist. She's not a journalist either. But she has gained a significant social media following for her live-tweets. She started with the COVID updates and she's kept it going with other political events like this week's cabinet swearing in ceremony. And I wanted to talk with her about politics, representation and what it will take to get more young people to pay attention and running for office. In fact, she says she might be interested in running in the municipal election in 2024.

For years, Katey Day-Reick has been working at her day job to support her passion for music. Last week, she took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to perform for Simon Cowell and the judges on America's Got Talent. This week, she's taken another step in her journey by giving up the day job to chase down her dreams. What advice does she have for following your heart? And what does she say about the upcoming show Canada's Got Talent?

Seniors vote. And they know what they want. Now that the Nova Scotia election has been decided, I spoke with Bill VanGorder of C.A.R.P. about their expectations of the Tim Houston Government. And the Chief Policy Officer of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons also discusses the federal campaign, pharmacare and the four questions their members will have for all political candidates.

In just a few days, Nova Scotia's 30th Premier will be sworn in to office. And before he transitions to his new role as Leader of the Official Opposition, I had a conversation with Iain Rankin. He took some time to discuss his thoughts on his time as premier, the campaign, the media and what kind of job he's planning on doing when he takes his seat on the opposite side of the House.

Universities and Colleges across Atlantic Canada are setting their own policies around COVID vaccinations and being on campus. While that may take into account the different cultures and student populations, some are asking if there should be a unified set of rules. For their perspectives, I spoke with Lydia Houck, Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia and Peter Halpin, Executive Director of the Association of Atlantic Universities.

Students and staff are about to head back to class and the province is suggesting Phase 5 of reopening is just around the corner. What does Infectious Disease Expert Doctor Lisa Barrett think of the plans for reopening and returning to normal? And why does she still have her Christmas Tree up?

Many of us first learned of Halifax Mutual Aid (HMA) last winter when they built and placed temporary shelters for the homeless on Municipal Property. They were also vocal about how they felt all levels of government, including Halifax Regional Municipality, failed to act to help people in a desparate situation. Last Wednesday, August 18th, a confrontation happened between supporters of the people living in tents and shelters and Halifax Regional Police. I sat down with a HMA spokesperson to find out more about the group and their role in the Spring Garden Road protest.

Many businesses owners were struggling with the challenges of pandemic life since March of 2020. And with the success of vaccinations and the return to in-person dining, there are new challenges. It shouldn't be a surprise that some people have left the food service industry for good. For his perspective, I spoke with Luc Erjavec, Vice President of Restaurants Canada. We touch on wages, working conditions and the discussion of a vaccine passport for diners and staff.

Halifax Police say they were simply enforcing the bylaw that makes it illegal to camp on municipal property. The Mayor and members of council say alternative housing was offered before tents were taken down and temporary shelters dismantled or removed. But hotels are not a permanent or even an appropriate suggestion according to Ashley Avery. She is the Executive Director of Coverdale Courtwork Society in Halifax. She tells us how she knows this and offers her advice to Police, Municipal Politicians and Premier Designate Tim Houston. This conversation took place on Thursday, August 19th, 2021.

For several hours on Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of protesters and Halifax Regional Police officers faced off in a downtown street. Citizens were rallying in support of people who are living in tents and other temporary shelters on park properties. Halifax Regional Municipality started evicting people and removing their tents early in the morning. By late afternoon people were being arrested and taken to jail as the situation escalated. SaltWire Journalist Nicole Munro was there to report on the situation. And she and I sat down to discuss the mixed messages and the way this was handled.

The Progressive Conservatives were able to win enough seats to form a majority government with Tim Houston as Premier-Designate. And now the tough job lays ahead for the PC's and their plans. What does the future hold for NDP Leader Gary Burrill? And what will the history books say about Iain Rankin and his Liberal party's performance in this past election? Dalhousie University Political Scientist Dr. Lori Turnbull gives us her thoughts and insights on the 41st General Election.

What happens if no one party has enough seats for a majority? Are there ever coalitions in Canadian assemblies? When can we expect the results and which ballots are counted first? There are laws, conventions and customs when it comes to Parliamentary Democracy here in Canada. And with a provincial election about to be decided, I sat down with Kevin Deveaux to discuss some of the issues.

Agencies, Boards and Commissions are part of the governance model in Nova Scotia. And for the group of citizens, there was a lot of work that went into the 61-page report from the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission. Doctor Ren Thomas is an associate professor at Dalhousie's School of Planning. She was also the co-chair of the group that made 17 recommendations and offered 60 meaningful actions to government. She gave us her thoughts on the report, the election and the actions needed to help the 12 percent of Nova Scotians living under the poverty line.

The issue of affordable housing has been a hot button issue that has also been a hot potato. Municipal politicians are on the front line of complaints, even though it can be seen as a provincial responsibility. But that confusion can also happen when it comes to provincial and federal parties. Municipal governments are not partisan by nature, and this week the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (NSFM) went looking for answers to some of their concerns. Andrew Tanner is a councillor in Bridgewater and is the Towns Caucus Representative on the NSFM.

Earlier this week, we looked at the proposed vaccination passport through the lens of a bioethisist. Today, we have a chance to discuss the issue as it applies to privacy. And not only is the Nova Scotia Liberal party discussing one for our province, the Federal Liberals are talking about one for international travel. For his thoughts, I spoke with McInnes Cooper lawyer David Fraser, known as an expert in privacy law.

With less than a week to go until Nova Scotia elects a new government, the race has gotten a lot closer. Polling company Narrative Research has released its Atlantic Quarterly results on voters intentions and satisfaction with government performance. And after four consecutive quarters of strong numbers, the Liberal support appears to have slipped. Margaret Brigley is the CAO of Narrative Research and she explains the numbers and why she thinks we are heading towards a minority government.

The majority of people who are fully immunized are likely to tell you their vaccination status. But for those who can't or won't take the shot, it's a different story. The promise to look into a Vaccine Passport by Liberal leader Iain Rankin has moved the topic from public health into the political world. And for Bioethisist and Dalhousie Professor Francoise Baylis, there are compelling reasons to have tough conversations before moving ahead with this plan.

Health care always ranks as one of the most important issues at the ballot box. And with the election next week, the Nova Scotia Health Coalition is trying to help voters understand where the parties stand on the issue. The not-for-profit agency says instead of sending out a questionnaire and writing a report, they've come up with something different this time. Provincial Coordinator Chris Parsons discusses the voter's tool kit resource, and shares his thoughts on vaccine passports.

When the election is over, the new government will have only a few weeks to put a back to school plan in place. And while Ontario has addressed issues like masking and class sizes, Nova Scotians are still wondering what will happen. Paul Wozney is the President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and says there are many unanswered questions and challenges for which ever party forms government after August 17th.

A group of environmentalists lost in their application to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to have a judicial review of a decision to delist Owls Head as a provincial park. They also wanted to challenge the government's decision to offer the 285 hectares of land to be developed into a golf course along the Eastern Shore. In her ruling, the Justice said “[I]f a remedy is sought by the public, the proper recourse in our constitutional democracy is not through the courts, but at the ballot box.” Jamie Simpson is with Juniper Law and he represented the parties that made the application for the review.