It was a very quiet influenza season last year, in part because of the public health measures and lock downs associated with COVID-19. And health officials are once again urging people to roll up their sleeves for an influenza vaccination to help keep our population safe. Janet Hazelton is the President of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union. In this conversation, she discusses the flu shot, mandatory COVID vaccinations for health care workers and the challenge of recruitment and retention. As she poin...
Nov 16, 2021•12 min
Carrie Low is a Halifax woman who has been fighting against the justice system for the past several years. She applied to have automatic publication ban lifted saying she has nothing to hide. She went to police in 2018 to report she'd been abducted outside a Dartmouth bar and was then sexually assaulted. She also is critical of the way police handled her case saying they didn't investigate properly. And over the weekend, police announced a homicide victim was the man facing charges of sexual ass...
Nov 15, 2021•12 min
It's not often that a political leader willingly gives up power and control without being pushed or affected by scandal. But this week, that's exactly what happened with New Democratic Party Leader Gary Burrill. He announced he would be stepping aside to allow the party to continue under new leadership. He will be staying on until the new person is chosen by the party and he will remain as the MLA for Halifax Chebucto. In this conversation, we discuss his decision, his turn of phrase, the streng...
Nov 10, 2021•13 min
Affordable housing has been an ongoing political story in Nova Scotia and we've seen it come to a head in Halifax. Governments at every level are offering solutions and programs to try and help address the challenges. But a roof over your head is only part of the social determinants of health. And that is something being highlighted in a blog post by the CEO and President of United Way Halifax. Sara Napier offers her thoughts on being an umbrella organization in the rainstorm of a pandemic, hous...
Nov 09, 2021•13 min
Nova Scotia has announced it will soon be covering an expensive but life-changing drug described as the biggest innovation in the history of the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Trikafta costs up to $300-thousand dollars per patient per year. And right now, there are about 180 Nova Scotians who could benefit from this treatment. Health Minister Michelle Thompson told the Legislature they hoped to have it included in the provincial drug plan by the end of November. They provided this statement to Sa...
Nov 08, 2021•17 min
This week, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston tabled the final report to the Legislature from the Reflection and Action Task Group. This documented the continued work of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children Restorative Inquiry that was started by the former Liberal Government under Stephen McNeil. Tony Smith is a survivor of the former Home for Colored Children and he's been a key part of the process that led to that report. In this conversation, he speaks to the way this has helped bring heal...
Nov 05, 2021•17 min
The Nova Scotia Government has paid off the bonds, setting the stage for tolls to be removed from the Cobequid Pass. It's an issue that Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin has been discussing for years. In fact, it was a protest over that stretch of road that led to the removal of Smith-McCrossin from the Progressive Conservative caucus by Tim Houston. In this conversation, she shares her thoughts on that situation, toll highways and how she views democracy from outside of the constraints ...
Nov 04, 2021•15 min
On October 31st 1996, Dan Conlin started writing down the number of kids who showed up on his West End Halifax doorstep and the kind of costumes they were wearing. And for the past 25 years, the Historian and lecturer has been sharing that information with his neighbours and anyone else who was interested. He currently is employed as a Curator at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. And in this conversation, he shares how he got started and what he's learned in the 25 years ...
Nov 01, 2021•13 min
He's released 18 studio albums, has four platinum singles and three gold singles and is one of the premier hip hop artists in Canada. His recording and stage name is Classified, but to his friends and family in his home community of Enfield, he is Luke Boyd. His first book, Classified: Off the Beat'n Path is on shelves now. In it, the Juno-award winning artist discusses the path that brought him a successful career and life living in rural Nova Scotia with his wife and three daughters. He also t...
Oct 29, 2021•24 min
Victoria Levack is a self-described blogger as well as a disability and sexuality educator. She also volunteers to help the homeless in Meagher Park on Chebucto Road, which has been dubbed the People's Park. Vicky has issued a plea to Premier Tim Houston for him to do more to help the people experiencing homelessness in HRM. She says with the weather turning colder, people can't wait. And she says there's also an opportunity for others to show empathy and compassion to people who are suffering t...
Oct 28, 2021•12 min
The 44th Canadian Parliament will be convening for the first time on Monday, November 22nd. This week, Justin Trudeau named the 39 cabinet ministers who will be joining the Government side of the House of Commons. Women make up half of the Liberal front bench and Atlantic Canada is represented with cabinet members from Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Dr. Jeffery Collins is a political scientist at UPEI and he shares his thoughts on the East Coast influence in the M...
Oct 27, 2021•16 min
Two Nova Scotia women have been speaking up for the voiceless others who have been victims of physical and sexualized violence. Their own personal stories and experiences as nurses brought them together almost three decades ago. It's a journey that has helped them form a group called Persons Against Non-State Torture. They have discussed their work around the world through panel discussions through The United Nations. And Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson have released their own self-published b...
Oct 26, 2021•16 min
Christopher Enns has been known as a medical cannabis activist in the Halifax area prior to legalization. And now he's been successful acting as his own counsel in a case that speaks to The Charter of Rights and Freedoms . Enns argued his rights were violated when police searched two of his storefronts and seized products in 2019. Enns argued his Garofoli Application in front of Judge Elizabeth Buckle in a Nova Scotia courtroom on Friday, October 22nd, 2021. The motion was to exclude evidence in...
Oct 25, 2021•13 min
The leading cause of disability is Canada is mental illness, affecting one in five. And by the age of 40, about 50 percent of the population will have or have had a mental illness. And since the start of the pandemic, professionals have been working to adapt to new ways of reaching their clients to provide programming and services. It's also affected the ability for these groups to raise money. The 23rd Annual Mosaic for Mental Health is underway. And the fundraising event has also had to do thi...
Oct 22, 2021•13 min
The past 19 months have been difficult for many small businesses in Nova Scotia and across the country. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business suggests as many as one in six businesses may end up closing over the next two years. People are discussing how some entrepreneurs are dealing with the extreme challenges and others with the potential opportunities as the world recovers from the pandemic. Matt Symes is the CEO of Sympli Works. He's also been named as the 2021 Business Person of t...
Oct 19, 2021•16 min
Since the start of the pandemic, there's been a lot of conversation about physical and mental wellness. And for a Bridgewater man, it's been a journey of self discovery and self healing. And he came to this after setting out on foot from British Columbia 15-months ago when he started walking back to his home province of Nova Scotia. Jeff Fillmore shares his story with me, after I noticed him walking along Highway 103 on Friday, then again on Saturday. That's when I pulled over to find out what h...
Oct 18, 2021•7 min
This week's Speech from the Throne outlined the Progressive Conservative Government's plans and visions for the Legislative Session. But as the opposition parties have pointed out, there's a glaring omission: the housing crisis. It's lead NDP Leader Gary Burrill to call for immediate action and permanent rent control. And he's hoping to get the province to move in that direction and recognize housing as a human right.
Oct 15, 2021•14 min
Medicinal cannabis has been available in Canada for years. But unlike herbal supplements and vitamins, there's very little chemical analysis being provided to consumers. Dr. Sean Myles is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University. They teamed up with another research facility in the Netherlands to look into the issue. As they note, unlike other commercial crops, the naming conventions are not scientific and they decided to examine the different strains and th...
Oct 14, 2021•15 min
It was the second Speech from the Throne for Nova Scotians in the past year. This March, it was a road map for the Liberal Government under Iain Rankin. And this time, it was the vision for Premier Tim Houston and his Progressive Conservatives. For his reaction to the document and what was lacking or missing, we speak with the Leader of the Opposition. Iain Rankin discusses health, housing and hope.
Oct 13, 2021•14 min
Cannabis legalization was almost three years ago. And while we are seeing some impact on the illicit market, there's an ongoing conversation about harm reduction and other drugs. In fact, there's been an increase in the distribution and sale of cocaine in recent years. And there's also the ongoing epidemic of opioid related overdoses. Stephen Schneider is a Criminology Professor at Saint Mary's University. He shared some of his thoughts on the topic.
Oct 12, 2021•14 min
New Brunswick has implemented new COVID restrictions as a circuit breaker because of a recent spike in new cases of the Delta Variant. Residents in that Maritime Province have been required to show proof of vaccine for certain events and locations since September 21st. PEI and Nova Scotia implemented their vaccine policies this week. And according to a recent poll by Halifax-based Narrative Research, there's widespread acceptance of the policy. Margaret Brigley is the company's CEO and she speak...
Oct 06, 2021•7 min
There are two dozen people going through the court system right now because they showed up to support the homeless in Halifax. Doctor Jeff Karabanow of Dalhousie's School of Social Work has been involved in the field for thirty years. And he says the ongoing pandemic created significant challenges. But it hit the homeless particularly hard. He and four other researchers have just released a report on the challenges of being homeless in a pandemic. They looked to the ways HRM and CBRM responded a...
Oct 05, 2021•14 min
Last week, Nova Scotia Health announced a temporary hold on referrals for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). They say there was a significant backlog caused by an increase demand for the service. They also announced a goal of shortening wait times and resuming referrals as soon as possible. They also are planning to full time Nurse Practitioner to help. Dr. Gord Gubitz is the Clinical Lead for MAID at Nova Scotia Health. And Retired Senator James Cowan is a former chair of Dying with Dignity Ca...
Oct 04, 2021•20 min
This is a special Saturday podcast only edition of Thinking Out Loud this week. Dalhousie research shows that children are concerned with fairness, but they may favour their in-group peers over others who may have more need when it comes to sharing. This was a research project that was conducted in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in Tehran, Iran. Dr. Chris Moore is a professor in Dalhousie's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. He and I spoke about how they conducted the experiments using sticker...
Oct 02, 2021•14 min
October 1st, 2021 marks the 35th Treaty Day observed in Nova Scotia. It also is the start of Mi'kmaq History Month. And while we reflected on the impact of the Indian Residential Schools for Truth and Reconciliation, there is a renewed urgency to educate ourselves on what it means to be Treaty People. Lisa Lachance is the NDP MLA for Halifax Citadel - Sable Island. She's also the caucus spokesperson for L'nu affairs. That is the term the Mi'kmaq use to describe themselves as Indigenous people.
Oct 01, 2021•10 min
Canadians are being urged to reflect and educate themselves on our collective history during the inaugural National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC) has the support of Develop Nova Scotia to bring three days of activity to the Sands at Salter location along the Halifax Waterfront. Pam Glode Desrochers is the Executive Director of MNFC and she speaks to the planning of this year's event and the expectations for next year. We start the conversation with ...
Sep 30, 2021•12 min
He's been working towards being Premier of Nova Scotia for years. And now that he's been on the job for a month and a half, what are his thoughts? In this conversation, we discuss the challenges of fixing the ailing health care system and bringing us out of a pandemic. But also we discuss mandatory vaccines for people caring for the most vulnerable Nova Scotians and the decision to appoint a white male Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs and the apology to the community.
Sep 29, 2021•19 min
They started posting the COVID notifications in schools before realizing Public Health officials had decided not to. And when more parents started sharing official exposure notices, their numbers started to grow in both notifications and members. Stacey Rudderham is one of the founders of Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education. She says their growth speaks to the need for more openness and transparency over in-school cases. She also addresses the decision the province took to change its disclo...
Sep 28, 2021•14 min
A policy banning alcohol from the Dalhousie University campus is being given as one of the reasons hundreds of students were partying in the streets of south end of Halifax over the weekend. And for the Student Union President, there are concerns over harm reduction and the effects that will come from any academic sanctions or suspensions that may result. Madeleine Stinson speaks to those concerns and her reaction to the students' actions and the neighbourhood reaction. Also, I spoke with Scott ...
Sep 27, 2021•21 min
A Nova Scotia health care worker showed compassion and empathy after losing her pet in an accident this week. Elizabeth Osmond says her 17-year old dog Emily was starting to show her age and they had been worried about her health. And when the dog was hit by a vehicle, as bad as she felt, she couldn't let the people who were in the vehicle carry that burden. A social media post about her apology to the couple has gone viral. And she shares why she made the post and her thoughts on gratitude and ...
Sep 24, 2021•11 min
