🗞 A call for major change on reparations

EDUCATION

Slavery Studies conference ends with call for Canada to move towards reparatory justice

At the end of the four-day Universities Studying Slavery conference that took place in Halifax Oct. 18-21, delegates produced a resolution calling on Canada to join the Caribbean Community and Common Market political and economic union—CARICOM—in fulfilling reparatory justice.

This call to action demands widespread attention in order to bring the Canadian government to the table to establish reparatory justice, in line with the work already done by the CARICOM Reparations Commission.

Says the CARICOM website, their commission of countries “is a regional body created to establish the moral, ethical and legal case for the payment of reparations by the governments of all the former colonial powers and the relevant institutions of those countries, to the nations and people of the Caribbean Community for the crimes against humanity of native genocide, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and a racialized system of chattel slavery.”

Delegates and conference attendees echoed a second call dispelling the myth that reparations are checks to individuals—reparatory justice is about comprehensive development for those whose development was stolen from them.

For more on this resolution and the USS conference, head to The Coast.

Need to know

🚗 According to new HRM car collision stats, Burnside Drive at Wright Avenue is the most dangerous intersection in the municipality. Find out what other intersections have the most reported collisions here. 

🎨 Craft Nova Scotia’s Designer Craft Show returns this November to Pavilion 22 on the Halifax Waterfront. Welcoming 80 Maker Members from across the Maritimes. Get Your Ticket.*

🤝 Pete’s Frootique’s union is in the process of negotiating a new contract with parent company Sobeys Inc., and is scheduled to meet with a government councillor today.

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY AFTERWORDS

Who will you see at AfterWords?

You might just meet your new favourite author, with events happening around Halifax through November 5, featuring more than fifty writers, illustrators, thinkers and more. Thursday, November 2 at the Bus Stop Theatre, it’s poets Sylvia D. Hamilton and Nanci Lee, and novelists Nicholas Herring and William Ping in conversation with Bart Vautour. Then, on Friday November 3 at the Bus Stop, see Alicia Elliott in conversation with Mercedes Peters, and Amy Jones and Sean Michaels in conversation with the great Laurie Brown. Get your tickets for these events and more!

On The Coast

In other news

🩺 A purchase and sale agreement between Bridgewater and the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia is intended to create housing for healthcare workers being brought into the area.

👀 Jesse Yan, a former data analyst with Nova Scotia Health, claims he was let go after raising concerns about the data that was going to be used for the emergency department wait-time prediction project.

🏈 Touchdown Atlantic brought in $10 million to the economy according to Sport Tourism Canada.

🍴 CBC is highlighting Halifax restaurant Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint as part of its New Plate Special segment.

❤️ Family, friends and admirers gathered at the Canadian Museum of Immigration on Saturday to celebrate the life of disability rights advocate and author Jen Powley.

🧠 CBC spoke with the president of the Psychologists in Schools Association about the increasing number of violent incidents in schools, and how more mental health resources are needed to combat these episodes.

😥 Friends star Matthew Perry passed away this weekend at the age of 54.

Q&A

Emma Donoghue still believes in the power of writing—and of queer love stories, too

Emma Donoghue isn’t finished writing. Even now—15 novels, a dozen-odd plays, five short story collections, three screenplays, a Booker Prize shortlist and one Academy Award nomination under her belt—the Dublin-born, London, Ont.-based author can’t quell the storm of ideas that nag in the corners of her mind for a glimpse of a page, a chapter, a first draft, a finished story. Every subject has potential. The 54-year-old has delved into the lives of seventh-century monks (Haven), kidnappees (Room), cross-dressing frog catchers (Frog Music), even hospital workers during the 1918 flu epidemic (The Pull of the Stars).

Donoghue will visit Halifax on Sunday, Nov. 5 for the AfterWords Literary Festival. She’ll be speaking at a morning brunch event with Nova Scotia author Charlene Carr and an evening conversation with longtime journalist Sarah Hampson.

Ahead of Donoghue’s arrival in Halifax, The Coast spoke with her about her latest novel, writing about queer love in a time when queerness is under threat, the “empathy machine” quality of books and life after Room.

Sure things

Looking for something to do this week? Check out these Coast picks:

🗓️ Peter Filllman: Local musician Peter Fillman will be playing at the Halifax Waterfront Beer Garden over the next week. Dress warm and stop by for some tunes and drinks. | Fridays and Saturdays Nov. 3-18 | 4-7pm | Free admission.

🗓️ Halloween Bingo: Need some laid-back Halloween plans? Check out Freeman’s Little New York’s music bingo night at its Dutch Village location | Oct. 31 | 7:30pm | Free to play.

🗓️ An Improv Double Feature: Check out a pair of new comedy groups—The Boys in the City on the Weekend, and 1-800-IMPROV!—at Leftovers Comedy’s An Improv Double Feature at The Bus Stop Theatre | Nov. 1 | 7:30-9pm | $12.50-$20.

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings

Save the date

🎄 Mark your calendars! The Christmas edition of the Halifax Maker Market will happen at Pier 22 on Dec. 8 from 4pm-8pm and Dec. 9 from 10am-5pm.

Eat this

🍄 Stop by Dilly Dally and try its special of the week, Mushroom Toast!