The recent allegations of abuse against Matthew Meisner, a resident of Emerald Hall at the Nova Scotia Hospital, have been widely reported, including by the NS Advocate. We went back and talked with Matthew’s mother to learn more about the string of incidents that keep her awake at night, and how she finds the strength to continue on when most everybody she deals with just wants her to go away.
The sailors of the Dutch Runner, stranded in Port Hawkesbury, have been fully paid and are on their way home. “This is about five guys sticking together and not accepting what was in front of them,” says ITF inspector Karl Risser. “And it is also about other members of the labour movement stepping up to the plate.”
Food bank use in Nova Scotia spiked 20.9% over last year—the highest increase among provinces in the country. It’s also a 40.9% increase over 2008. It’s also the new normal. Hard to believe there was a time nobody even knew what a food bank was.
Women incarcerated in the Nova Institution for Women in Truro have not had access to volunteer doula services since June of this year. As a result women may well be at risk of losing their babies, says the coordinator of the partnership that used to provide the doula services.
The many arts organizations that are refusing to have any dealings with the Chronicle Herald during the strike are paying a high price for their principled stand. Not only do we owe them our gratitude, we should support them in any way we can.
This weekend’s documentary looks at the relationship between the indigenous community in urban Halifax and food. It’s about accessing traditional foods as a way to hold on to your culture, and how to do that if your main food source is the Superstore, or even a food bank. Check it out!
A ship with a crew of five is stuck in Port Hawkesbury while Karl Risser, an inspector for the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is trying to resolve issues around unpaid wages, bad working conditions and ship safety. He sees a lot of this kind of thing, Risser explains, and trade agreements like CETA will only make it worse.
Reporter Tim Blades wonders how come single parents on welfare see their child support clawed back in Nova Scotia, yet British Columbia has done away with the practice, and Ontario is soon to follow. And then there are some other policies that make the lives of single parents on welfare and their children particularly difficult, and sometimes even dangerous, Tim reports.
Martin O’Hanlon, president of CWA Canada, the union that is engaged in a defensive strike against the Chronicle Herald, sets the record straight. “The saddest part about this dispute is that it is so unnecessary. As a responsible union, we understand when a company is facing financial challenges and we’re willing to help. That’s why we have agreed to major monetary concessions.”
Nova Scotia definitely has made progress in terms of teaching students about Indian Residential Schools, treaties, and the contributions made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis to Canada. But there is much more work to do, and a petition with 1700 signatures delivered at Province House yesterday serves as a reminder. Teaching the teachers would be a good start, says KAIROS Atlantic.