Provincial

About That Tax Cut…

About That Tax Cut…

May 31, 2023 at 11:30 am

First things first, I think municipalities in Canada have a raw deal and I put the blame squarely on the British North America Act of 1867 which declared them to be nothing more than “creatures of the provinces” with no real power of their own. It’s a subject I exploredRead...

Our Housing Crisis: Low Vacancies, High Rents, Damaged Stock

Our Housing Crisis: Low Vacancies, High Rents, Damaged Stock

May 31, 2023 at 11:20 am

CBRM council met on May 10 for a “Strategic Vision” workshop that, despite it’s rather vague title, actually had a clear—and important—purpose: councilors met to discuss quality of life, family recreation, public transit and affordable housing and homelessness. I’m going to focus on the latter because I think ensuring accessRead...

Cape Breton’s Invisible Coal Company

Cape Breton’s Invisible Coal Company

May 3, 2023 at 10:08 am

Media coverage of the weekend fire at the Donkin Mine may not have answered all the pertinent questions about the incident, but it revealed an interesting truth about the way Kameron Coal operates. According to the Cape Breton Post, the province was alerted to the fire around 7:00 PM onRead More

‘They’ll Wish They Had Paid Us…to Put More CO2 in the Air’

‘They’ll Wish They Had Paid Us…to Put More CO2 in the Air’

May 3, 2023 at 10:06 am

While writing this week’s admittedly not very cheerful story about how Kameron Coal has co-opted our governments as its communications department, I ran across a 2017 Forbes article about the late Chris Cline’s decision to buy the Donkin Mine and realized just what we’re missing when our coal barons won’tRead More

Lohr Writes a Letter

Lohr Writes a Letter

April 12, 2023 at 12:36 pm

In a different world, responding to Tuesday’s Cape Breton Post column by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing John Lohr would have been a cake walk. Lohr, after all, took pen in hand to compose a missive that began: Imagine sending a note to a municipality informing them they willRead More

A Meta Moment

A Meta Moment

March 22, 2023 at 12:20 pm

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 More

What Part of ‘Rapid Housing’ Don’t You Understand?

What Part of ‘Rapid Housing’ Don’t You Understand?

March 15, 2023 at 10:50 am

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

Dr StrangeJob: Thoughts on a $5M Debacle

Dr StrangeJob: Thoughts on a $5M Debacle

March 15, 2023 at 10:45 am

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

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

Letter to the Premier: About That Golf Course…

Letter to the Premier: About That Golf Course…

February 8, 2023 at 10:47 am

Dear Premier Houston: We would like to bring your attention to the West Mabou Beach Provincial Park controversy and our concerns in that regard. West Mabou Beach is an ecologically sensitive area that forms part of the mere 5% of Nova Scotian coastline that is legally protected. We are adamantlyRead More