Provincial

Downtown Sydney, NS. ("NSCC Marconi Campus Sydney Relocation, Ekistics Plan + Design,

Marconi Part III: Bonus Scenes

September 16, 2020 at 11:21 am

Here are some bits and bobs I gleaned from the Ekistics report on relocating the NSCC Marconi Campus to Sydney’s downtown but could not work into Parts I or II (I know, there has to be a more elegant way to introduce this but I am lazy, so have optedRead More

NS COVID-19 Update for 9 September 2020

NS COVID-19 Update for 9 September 2020

September 9, 2020 at 4:21 pm

Briefing Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, held one of their now-quite-rare COVID-19 updates on Wednesday. The premier had nothing in particular to announce, other than congratulating teachers, staff and especially students for “having the courage” to return to school yesterday. (IRead More

When MAID Meets Organ Donation

When MAID Meets Organ Donation

September 9, 2020 at 4:17 pm

Last month, I wrote about the ethical issues generated by the euphemistic and imprecise term Medical Assistance In Dying (or MAID) and the way in which the change in the law which led to the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia had avid supporters (whom I have labelled “optimists”) andRead More

COVID-19/Back-to-School Update for 2 September 2020

COVID-19/Back-to-School Update for 2 September 2020

September 2, 2020 at 5:59 pm

Briefing Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Strang, and Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Zach Churchill briefed reporters today (some in person, some on the phone) on the province’s plan to send students back to their classrooms on September 8. Churchill began by recapping previously announcedRead More

Fast and Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

Fast and Curious: Short Takes on Random Things

September 2, 2020 at 12:51 pm

It’s toady time! I confess: I find Anthony Marlowe — CEO of MCI, savior of the Sydney Call Centre — fascinating. So much so that whenever things are slow, or I’m in need of distraction, I tune in to his Twitter stream to see what he’s been getting up to.Read More

Back to the One-Room Schoolhouse?

Back to the One-Room Schoolhouse?

August 5, 2020 at 2:47 pm

As predicted, the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s long-awaited plan for getting students back to school in September has been met with push-back and “yeah-buts” from both opposition parties, the NSTU and CUPE Nova Scotia, who feel it is short on details about how, exactly, it’sRead More

Better Late Than Never: Council & Community Notes

Better Late Than Never: Council & Community Notes

July 22, 2020 at 11:24 am

My attention span has an inverse relationship with the temperature, so I’m just going to highlight a few items that have caught my eye on the local scene of late, one of which reminded me to send a FOIPOP, most of which just caused me to go “hmmmm.”   MarconiRead More

MV Confederation departing Caribou NS for Wood Islands, PEI, 26 June 2020. (Photo by Rick Grant)

Paying the Ferryman

July 8, 2020 at 11:53 am

Many Nova Scotians grumble about the huge subsidies the provincial government pays to keep the Yarmouth Ferry running (or not running, as the case may be), but the combined bill for that service and two others in the province  might leave those same Nova Scotians gobsmacked — over the pastRead More

Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, NS COVID-19 Update, 6 July 2020.

NS COVID-19 for 6 July 2020

July 6, 2020 at 6:06 pm

Daily briefing I hadn’t expected to do a COVID-19 report today, but there was a surprise briefing with Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang (sporting what I believe was a Bugs Bunny tie), so I thought I’d catch you up. This will not be lengthy, because the point ofRead More

Dr. Robert Strang, COVID update,  26 June 2020.

NS COVID-19 Update for 26 June 2020

June 26, 2020 at 3:11 pm

Briefing Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, sporting new haircuts and matching ties, got the band back together on Friday to announce further reopening measures for Nova Scotia. The premier seemed downright giddy in the face of our epidemiology, which shows no new COVID-19 cases in 17 days andRead More