It’s needlessly difficult to make a call from the Nova Institution for Women in Truro, says Martha Paynter of Women’s Wellness Within. Phone charges should be dropped, and internet access should be provided. Current restrictions just add to the prisoners’ sense of isolation and emotional duress. Turns out the phone provider is Bell Canada, of #BellLetsTalk fame.
An important decision by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal says Community Services is wrong to deprive entire families of welfare benefits just because the so called ‘head of the family’ did something wrong. All credit to Rosemary Sparks, who felt an injustice was done to her family and decided to fight back, and to the lawyers who fought the case all the way to the highest court in Nova Scotia.
I went to the community meeting in the Halifax North End, called by the Human Rights Commission, to talk about police street checks. The overall consensus: Halifax police behaviour is often racist, the practice of carding itself is racist, and the community is tired of having to tell white people this over and over without anything ever substantially changing for the better.
As a bit of a follow-up on last winter’s very successful Women’s March on Washington here in Halifax about three hundred women and allies gathered at Province House today at noon to remind the world they’re still here. We hope to do a bit more on today’s rally, but for now, here are a couple of photos, and El Jones’ contribution, on Nova Scotia’s women who live in poverty, published with her kind permission.
It’s early days, but labour activists in Halifax want to establish a Workers Action Centre in Halifax. Such a centre could make a big difference for non-unionized workers in precarious jobs. There’s not a whole lot of money, and the centre will start small, relying on borrowed office space and volunteers. But a modest start may actually work to its advantage.
Meet Elaine Cain, a North Preston resident who owns land in her community but doesn’t have a deed. She was born on the land she claims, and her father wants nothing more than for her to have it, but a lengthy and expensive legal process and an uncaring bureaucracy are major stumbling blocks. “First of all, that’s where I was born, on that property,” says Cain. “Ever since, that property has been part of me. As long as I am alive, that’s going to be alive for me.”
I don’t believe eating steak supports reconciliation with Indigenous people and I get a little mad at the CBC for suggesting it.
Adjusted for inflation Nova Scotians on welfare have seen no improvements over the last 30 years, and in real dollars many are much worse off than they were in the nineties. That’s one of the conclusions in a new report issued today.
Lately several people have told me that welfare in Nova Scotia is beyond repair. Here I want to challenge that notion, because it is both nonsense and a bit dangerous.
Overworked, not paid enough and working in unsafe conditions, food workers at Nova Scotia Community College campuses in Dartmouth and Halifax set their minds on joining a union. Earlier this month the 25 or so Chartwells workers voted on joining the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2. The vote hasn’t been counted yet, but workers and the union are confident they won. We talk with two workers and an SEIU organizer.