Thanks to the spectator who alerted me to this latest development in the ongoing saga of Dartmouth-based Meta Materials, the “smart” materials company that earned Nova Scotia’s erstwhile venture capital fund Innovacorp a $100 million payday by going public with a valuation north of $1 billion. Meta Materials listed onRead...
Congratulations to the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Association as they celebrate 50 years of great music! I’m no fiddler, but have been listening to and enjoying the music since I was a child. My grandfather, Michael Campbell, and his better-known brother John Francis (both from Iona, don’t you know) were fiddlers.Read...
I think the first thing that struck me about this ad—brought to my attention by reader Elly Heim whose letter on the subject you must also read this week—is the stress on the word “free,” as in “Free Caddie Information Sessions.” Is this actually the come-on? Did would-be caddiesRead...
An Open Letter to the Municipality of the County of Inverness: Lately, I have been asking myself who our government is actually working for. A few weeks ago, an ad in our local paper (Inverness Oran) caught my eye: Free Caddie Information Sessions were offered at four schools, but insteadRead...
Editor’s Note: This column first appeared on 21 March 2018. What to do this week This week is a good time to talk about a couple of things you might want to get to around the garden soon. One of those things is any plants you might have broughtRead More
For-Profit Healthcare I have to admit to not having fully understood how for-profit clinics had succeeded in infiltrating the Canadian healthcare system in the first place, having forgotten that the price of single-payer healthcare is eternal vigilance. My understanding was that the Canada Health Act (CHA), which parliament passed unanimouslyRead More
Last Friday’s “emergency” CBRM council meeting has been well covered in the local media, leaving me with one angle—secrecy—that I still feel has not been adequately explored. But first, let’s recap recent affordable housing history: 2020 October 27: The federal government launches the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) delivered by theRead More
I can’t be the only CBRM resident struck by the contrast between our council discussing supportive housing and our council discussing rinks, as they did during last night’s meeting. They are so much happier talking about rinks, they don’t even mind doing it in public. They just relate more toRead More
èI tuned into last night’s CBRM council meeting just in time for the singing of the national anthem (done a capella, I presume due to technical difficulties) and so missed the roll call and am not sure why Mayor Amanda McDougall-Merrill was not present—I know only that it was DeputyRead More
It was very disappointing to hear CBRM placing blame rather than taking accountability for their flawed actions, only to reverse course due to public pressure—Acting Municipal Affairs Minister Colton LeBlanc While I don’t support Tory politics, Minister LeBlanc’s comments summarize my view on the five-million-dollar CBRM affordable housing debacle.Read More
