Municipal

Conduct Unbecoming

Conduct Unbecoming

March 1, 2023 at 1:53 pm

I have a sister just a year younger than me and when we were kids, while we mostly got along, we sometimes, being human beings, fought. When we did it within earshot of our father, he would immediately break into a chorus of the most annoying song ever written. ItRead More

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

February 24, 2023 at 8:14 am

Fun with Numbers I was writing today’s date moments ago and realized that my enthusiasm for the occult ran away with me on Wednesday, when I included a note at the top of the newsletter pondering the numerological significance of 22.02.2022, which I had recorded as the day’s date. TheRead More

Downtown Developments

Downtown Developments

February 22, 2023 at 11:47 am

I spent so much time researching rail safety and green hydrogen this week that I have time to touch just briefly on two other issues that have piqued my interest of late. One is an observation about the newly refurbished section of Charlotte Street in Sydney, but first, I mustRead More

CBRM Council: Recreation, Rapid Housing, Self-Appreciation

CBRM Council: Recreation, Rapid Housing, Self-Appreciation

February 15, 2023 at 2:37 pm

The CBRM council meeting on Tuesday began with an acknowledgement of the passing a former alderman in the City of Sydney. This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I’m not sure about this tradition of noting the passing of anyone who ever served on a municipal council in CBRM.Read More

CBRM Council: Library News

CBRM Council: Library News

February 8, 2023 at 10:53 am

I was debating just launching into my CBRM council coverage a week late without explanation but decided that would be the coward’s way out so instead, I will confess that I missed the memo about the January 31 meeting. In my defence, the last Tuesday in January is not theRead More

CBRM Council: Rapid Housing

CBRM Council: Rapid Housing

February 8, 2023 at 10:51 am

Alyce MacLean, project manager for housing development with New Dawn Enterprises, appeared before CBRM council on January 31 to ask the municipality to transfer surplus municipal property to her organization for the construction of supportive housing for people struggling with mental health and addictions issues. (If you are wondering whyRead More

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

Fast & Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

January 20, 2023 at 10:07 am

Words with Mayors In my coverage of CBRM council this week, I made a crack about the mayor—who was elected as Amanda McDougall and has been referred to for the past two years as Amanda McDougall—suddenly being referenced in the meeting agenda as Mayor Amanda T. McDougall-Merrill. I was actuallyRead More

CBRM Council: Port Wants More Authority

CBRM Council: Port Wants More Authority

January 18, 2023 at 11:53 am

Port of Sydney CEO Marlene Usher and Port board chair James Kerr proposed to CBRM council last night that the Port move from the governance structure on the left (a not-for-profit company with the CBRM as its sole shareholder) to the one on the right: When I read this priorRead More

CBRM Council: MOUs and CAOs

CBRM Council: MOUs and CAOs

January 18, 2023 at 11:51 am

Editor’s Note: I’m trying out my system of choosing items from the CBRM council agenda and doing some preliminary research on Tuesday afternoon, then watching the meeting and updating the article accordingly.   Item 6.2 (a) on last night’s CBRM council agenda was “business arising” from a January 17 inRead More

Source: CBU advertisement in Cape Breton Post, 14 January 2023

Seriously CBU, Stop

January 18, 2023 at 11:49 am

CBU President and Vice-Chancellor David Dingwall has issued ANOTHER open letter “to the Cape Breton Community,” this one occupying three full (expensive) pages in last Saturday’s Cape Breton Post, and it is another absolute dud of a PR exercise. It states: I want to assure you that I, as PresidentRead More