🗞️ Transportation triad

Good morning Halifax,

The PC Party of Nova Scotia’s latest message to its supporters asking for money is bone-chilling—and if you were slightly concerned that this government is trying to uproot democracy, clearly your concerns are valid. 

In a fundraising letter last week, MLA Leah Martin—obviously towing the party line—wrote to supporters:

"Will you pitch in here right now to help us withstand NDP attacks, overpower the special interests and professional protesters, bypass the media when we need to and stay on track with our plan to make it happen for Nova Scotia?" 

Ummm, make what happen for Nova Scotia? Fascism?

This narrative that the media is the enemy is untrue, cowardly and a kick in the teeth to voters. Citizens have a right to know the policies and activities of their government, and the media has the right to ask tough questions about those policies and activities. 

But premier Tim Houston has completely limited the media’s access to elected officials, allowing them to only answer questions during times organized by the government in a room they control across the street from the legislature. It gives big “we’re scared of scrums” energy to me—bitching out of the way politicians in Nova Scotia have answered questions for literally ever.

So, to review: This government was elected based on YOUR votes and now they want YOU to pay for them to ensure YOU don’t know what they’re doing.

I don’t know where Houston is getting his audacity. It can’t be from the confidence people have in him, because most people voted for nobody. It can’t be from feeling powerful, because his trips to meet with Trump’s underlings had zero impact on tariff decisions. It can’t be from feeling popular, because he had to walk back his auditor general bill after being so unanimously publicly criticized.

Where then? 🕵️

Hope your day makes more sense than all of this!

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 5°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 4°

Next Day: 🌧️ 8°

7-day forecast

🚗 Driving, biking or busing today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.

CITY HALL

Halifax bureaucrats can officially think beyond cars

Halifax is making changes in the world of transportation planning. Instead of one department—the Department of Public Works—handling all transportation infrastructure, we now have three. 

DPW is still going to take care of the annual infrastructure stuff, but the city’s two new departments, the Major Projects Office and the Strategic Infrastructure & Transportation Planning department, will be responsible for building and planning the future of Halifax’s transportation. A future that is now officially allowed to consider more transport options than cars—a welcome breakthrough, even if it should have arrived in 2019.

But there is still a risk that, even set up for success as we now are, Halifax could yet fail. Halifax’s councillors are suffering from a lack of political will, which could kill our city’s ambitious transportation goals before they even start. 

The Coast’s Matt Stickland has more from the city’s transportation budget debates.

🤔 Need To Know

📹 Halifax police have released a photo of a vehicle used by a murder suspect in the city last week—they’re also asking for people to come forward with any video from the McFatridge Road area between midnight and 6am on Feb 20.

🚗 Optimize your vehicle fleet with Jim Pattison Lease! Flexible leasing, telematics, analytics, upfitting, and fleet management tools boost efficiency and reduce costs. Learn more about our services now!*

🖋️ Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston introduced the Free Trade and Mobility within Canada Act Tuesday, aimed at opening up more trade opportunities within Canada by making it easier for goods and services to come into the province.

😍 Get out and explore Downtown Halifax this March Break! Downtown Halifax has many family-friendly attractions, restaurants, shops and more, to keep your days full and your kids busy.*

*Sponsored Post

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EDUCATION

What to expect in the audit on university funding

Nova Scotians can once again look forward to reports on how the government spends public money. On Monday, premier Houston caved to criticism and reversed course on a bill threatening the independence of the province’s top watchdog, Auditor General Kim Adair. 

“And now,” said Adair, “we look forward to getting back to work,” as the focus returns to reviewing public funding without fearing her reports will be shelved or tampered with. 

Next up from the AG’s office is a performance review of how the Department of Advanced Education—currently helmed by minister Brendan Maguire—has held universities accountable for their spending of public funds, due March 4.

While details of audits-in-progress are kept under wraps until they’re released, The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has thoughts on what might be included.

🗞️ In Other News

🏛️ Nova Scotia’s freedom of information commissioner is calling on the governing party to withdraw legislation that she says weakens the public’s right to access government records and documents.

🇨🇦 Newfoundland and Labrador premier Andrew Furey says he will be stepping down after nearly five years in power—he is the second Atlantic premier to resign in less than a week, after Prince Edward Island’s Dennis King announced his departure on Thursday.

🪵 Liberal House leader Iain Rankin says a bill his party tabled last week would create new markets for the forestry industry while helping to heat public buildings with something other than oil.

🧹 The Service Employees International Union Local 2 says a dozen janitors at Alderney Gate in Dartmouth could lose their jobs this weekend due to a new contractor taking over work at the building.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Dine Around Halifax: Dine Around is coming back for the month of February. Savour special menus from your favourite Halifax restaurants, priced at $10, $20, $30, $40, $50 or $60. | Feb 1-28

🗓 Neptune Theatre Presents The New Canadian Curling Club: Inspired by a local refugee resettlement program, a small town organizes a Learn-to-Curl class to welcome newcomers. However, when the organizer slips on the ice and breaks her hip, the rink’s ice maker and former champion curler is forced to step in as the head coach. What follows is an inspiring and hilarious story about a group of unlikely athletes who confront local prejudice and embrace their identity as "new Canadians." | Feb 25-March 23 | From $33

🗓 The Irish Rovers: The legendary Irish Rovers kick off their 60 Years A~Roving Tour in Halifax! Fans across Canada should fasten their seatbelts for a rollicking night of the hits, Rovers’ latest and hilarious stories from their six decades of Rovin’. | Feb 25 | 7:30pm | $60

🗓 The Music Room Chamber Players Series Presents Brilliance in Brass: Don’t miss this exciting trumpet recital featuring Fountain School of Performing Arts faculty members Emily Bellman and Peter Allen. The program will highlight masterful works from the recital repertoire for trumpet and piano, showcasing the vibrant interplay and technical prowess of these established musicians in various musical styles and genres. | Feb 26 | 7:30pm | $35

Have an event to share? Let us know at [email protected].

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢 The One Hawk container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo, South Asia at 12:15am.

➡️ The One Falcon container ship leaves Halifax for Singapore at 5am.

🚢 The East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 6:40am.

➡️ The JPO Aquila container ship leaves Halifax for Kingston at 12pm.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sail container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 3:20pm and leaves for Liverpool at 11:30pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🌶️ Spice up your lunch with the Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese on special this week at Tart and Soul: roasted jalapeno cream cheese, cheddar, pickled jalapenos and garlic aioli. Add chicken or bacon or both.

☕ That's that me espresso! The Pain Au Café croissant of the week is back at Two If By Sea: filled with espresso pastry cream, topped with chocolate ganache with an espresso glaze.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🤭 In 2021, C. Darius Stonebanks was fired from his professorship at Bishop’s University after he raised complaints of systemic racism, as he explains in a new video connecting non-disclosure agreements with racism. Stonebanks was offered an NDA as part of his complaint process, but refused to accept it. Stonebanks says he’s learned that his experience is not unique but that, often, others are prevented from sharing their experiences of facing systemic racism in universities because they’ve signed NDAs or gag orders. The Coast’s Lauren Phillips has more.

😳 Hundreds of you filled out this year’s Sex and Dating survey (our 17th!!) on all things mating and dating. And our readers’ responses to the question, “What’s the most cringe-worthy thing someone’s said to you on a date?” are filled with enough second-hand embarrassment—and laughs—to steer you clear of dating for a while. Or at least give you something to change the topic to on your next bad date. Check out the good, the bad and the ugly at The Coast.

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