District 4 Councilor Steve Gillespie knows the electrification of CBRM’s transit fleet is inevitable as federal funding for diesel buses dries up, but he wants us to understand that he is adamantly opposed to it because it will be expensive and people in his district, who do not have busRead More

I know, I know — enough with the District Energy already. But I can’t let go of it because it’s an infrastructure project worth $38 million (as in, the cost of a new central library); it’s being pushed by the province, which means it’s likely to happen; and we haveRead More

Editor’s Note: I’m doing a deep dive into the CBRM’s 2021-22 budget and dragging you with me. Last week, I covered water, roads and facilities. This week, I pick up where I left off, starting with that generator for the police HQ.    As the afternoon session of the AprilRead More

Editor’s Note: I am doing a deep dive into the CBRM’s 2021-22 budget this week and dragging you with me. This is Part 1 of 3. You’ll find Part 2 here and Part 3 here. I’ve been remiss in not covering the $157 million operating budget the CBRM has approvedRead...

Editor’s Note: I am doing a deep dive into the CBRM’s 2021-22 budget this week and dragging you with me. This is Part 3 of 3. You’ll find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.   The CBRM’s capital budget for 2021-22 (the subject of this three-part extravaganza I haveRead...

The CBRM has published its latest travel expense data for council and senior staff and, as you might expect, given the pandemic, people weren’t traveling much. Council had begun meeting by video/teleconference in March 2020, the Atlantic Bubble was instituted on 3 July and popped on 26 November 2020, andRead More

Tax deferment The tax deferment program discussed earlier this month by council has been fleshed out by CBRM staff and approved by council. The CBRM has adopted the framework developed by the Federation of Nova Scotia Municipalities (FNSM) and the Association of Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia (AMANS), tailored ever-so-slightlyRead More

During the CBRM’s first virtual council meeting on Friday, March 27, council discussed some big infrastructure projects for which federal and provincial funding has been secured. The first project is a wastewater treatment infrastructure project under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) worth a strangely precise $97,895,574. The projectRead...

CBRM Council met this morning to decide what it’s going to discuss at future meetings. If I understand Mayor Cecil Clarke correctly, he has been compiling this list (which is not exhaustive) based on what he has been hearing from citizens. The topics are “in no order whatsoever” and thisRead More

CBRM councilors pushing for information on the progress of the second cruise ship berth ran into a wall during Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting (held on an irregular day and at an irregular time). District 10 Councilor Darren Bruckschwaiger tried his best to get Public Works Manager Wayne MacDonald to admit,Read...