Call it rural gentrification. Lucasville, an African Nova Scotian community near Lower Sackville with a proud 200-year history is slowly being erased. But this time at least we have some good news to report. It appears that the stubborn issue of shrinking community boundaries will finally be addressed.
Councillors on the Halifax Transportation Committee are recommending that the bus pass discount pilot project be expanded. The program allows low income Haligonians to buy a bus pass for half the price. Some say access to transportation is a basic necessity, and the City could do much better.
Why it’s called carding, not street checks, and why it should stop.
Toronto is implementing a landlord licensing system to protect tenants from landlords who don’t look after their properties. Halifax is considering doing something similar. It’s early days, and landlords are expected to fight back.
Halifax Council recently awarded a cleaning contract for the Sackville Sports Stadium to the lowest bidder, raising questions about wages paid to the outsourced janitorial staff . Prior to the municipal elections several successful candidates declared that they supported a living wage. That issue was not raised during the discussions, however.
The City of Halifax applies a fair wage consideration when evaluating bids for services. But it’s just fluff, as the recent awarding of a parking enforcement contract shows. HRM doesn’t really care how well third party workers are paid, as long as costs are down.
Halifax City outside workers, members of CUPE Local 108, rallied in front of City Hall to tell the city to get back to the bargaining table, revoke a lock-out notice, and stop chipping away at their pensions. Current city proposals dealing with workers’ pensions are simply unacceptable, the union says.
HRM’s Municipal Operations unit is a bad place to work, especially if you’re Black, queer or a woman, says an independent consultant who reviewed the workplace for diversity and inclusion. African Nova Scotians experience harassment and racism, homophobia is a problem, and only 4 percent of the full time workforce are women. Ongoing cutbacks are part of the problem.
Gabriel Enxuga is a candidate for city council who puts poverty , free transit, decent and affordable housing front and centre. Nothing wishy washy about his platform.