Premier Houston appointed an old white man to lead the department responsible for African Nova Scotian affairs and the office of Anti-Racism initiatives. A decision made is a direction. A decision steers and maneuvers future actions towards certain ports of call and leaves other harbours in its wake.
Joanne Bealy writes an open letter to Premier Tim Houston: “You could still change the already wide-spread perception that the only constituents who matter to you are white, cis, moneyed ones. The Black history of Canada begins in Nova Scotia. You could listen to what the people have said and reach beyond your party’s boundaries to appoint an African Nova Scotian as Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs.”
Journalist Kendall Worth visits the People’s Park encampment. “Something that society in general, and especially the financially better off, need to understand is that by far most of the unhoused people are not criminals. As well, people are not homeless by their own choice.”
Rain, the remnants of Hurricane Ida, is coming down in sheets in Halifax as I am reading the recent update by street navigator Eric Jonsson on people sleeping outside in Halifax. It makes for grim reading, especially today. A section on the harm caused by the recent evictions by force of the unhoused people living in tents and crisis shelters is particularly disconcerting.
All the hammers and wrenches in the world cannot help Tim the tool man Houston fix this problem; he better call in the experts, oh wait, he dismissed them. Angela Bowden on the firing of Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, Dr. Kesa Munroe-Anderson, and the appointment of a white Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs.
During this federal election, those vying for the office of Prime Minister and those political parties wanting to form the next federal government should commit to reparations for African descendants of slavery in Canada.
Last week Councillor Lindell Smith, the current chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, told the Chronicle Herald that the Board can do very little about the horrible evictions of unhoused people by Halifax police on August 18. Thankfully, Smith is wrong.
Lisa CAmeron: Workplace infections have been the primary cause of COVID-19 outbreaks in hard-hit areas across Canada, yet 46 percent of Nova Scotian workers lack guaranteed access to paid sick leave; a benefit proven to help prevent the spread of illnesses and keep the public safe.
True allies always take ownership of their own shortcomings and give 100% to overcome their biased privileged background while letting their actions speak.
Jackie Barkley: I’m no housing expert or planner, but I think we need our government to keep rent control, to be flooding the market with co-operatives, well-designed public housing, bridge financing for co-housing projects, and a requirement for all new apartment and condos to have a large percentage of set aside units at prices pegged to the minimum wage — and that’s starting now.