Sportsnet’s Ken Reid knows his hockey. But it was the unheralded stories from days gone by that he wanted to highlight in his latest book. It may seem a long way from his hometown of Pictou to the NHL arenas of today. For Reid, it’s all about the stories of those players who were stars in their own right, it their own communities, and in their own words where possible. Hometown Hockey Heroes is his look back on the spirit of the sport and the players who inspired generations of kids....
Nov 27, 2023•12 min
Would it surprise you to learn that Maritimers spend more over the holidays than in other region of Canada? According to the Retail Council of Canada, it's almost twice as much as people spend in Quebec. To hear more on holiday shopping intentions, we hear from Jim Cormier who shares the details of their annual Leger Marketing survey on holiday spending.
Nov 24, 2023•19 min
There’s nothing like the feeling of an unexpected snow day! And for singer/songwriter Meaghan Smith , it was the inspiration for her song It Snowed. That will be one of the festive tunes you’ll hear as part of The Holiday Show over three days at The Stage at St. Andrew’s (6036 Coburg Road) in Halifax starting December 1st. Smith has written over 100 songs that have been used for film and television (those include: Jimmy Fallon, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, 60 Minutes, The Friends R...
Nov 22, 2023•14 min
Veronica Murray got to live out one of her dreams when she met Sidney Crosby and got to watch him play in Halifax recently. And the nonagenarian is one of the many seniors who have benefittted from the work of the not-for-profit group known as We Are Young (WAY). The group has recently branched out from its beginnings in Nova Scotia where they are offering help to seniors across Atlantic Canada. This year, they’ve also launched a regional program in Ontario where they’ll do similar work. One of ...
Nov 20, 2023•9 min
His Acadian roots are still showing, even after working with the late Jimmy Buffett. Lennie Gallant has recorded 15 albums of original songs, 11 in English and 4 in French. His song Peter’s Dream was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is a member of The Order of Canada and has been PEI Red Cross Humanitarian of The Year. He’s about to embark on his annual holiday concert venture called The Innkeeper’s Christmas Tour . In this conversation, Lennie talks about how he came to k...
Nov 16, 2023•18 min
How can a law be passed but not enacted? And why hasn’t the Progressive Conservative Government put the regulations in place for the Coastal Protection Act? It was supported by all three political parties when the Iain Rankin Liberals introduced it in 2019. And current Environment Minister Tim Halman appeared ready to put all of the drafted regulations into effect last spring. What happened? And why did the Nova Scotia Government say more consultation was needed after two years of study, discuss...
Nov 09, 2023•18 min
For more than 45 years, he was a daily part of our lives in the Maritimes, sharing the stories of the people and events that shaped our world. And now, close to two years since stepping away from the anchor desk, Steve Murphy is sharing his thoughts and his opinions about an illustrious career in broadcasting in his third book. Murphy’s Logic (Nimbus) is a sometimes very frank and candid retrospective at the person who spent more than three decades in our living rooms. He also weighs in on what ...
Nov 06, 2023•28 min
He hit the charts and Much Music as a member of the group Our Lady Peace in 1992. And it was just a few years that Raine Maida met the woman he would marry, raise a family with. Chatal Kreviazuk has a career of her own as a performer and successful songwriter. This month, the two will be performing at venues across the maritimes. They will be telling stories and playing songs from an album they co-wrote as they navigated the complexities of sharing parenting, relationships all while working on t...
Nov 03, 2023•22 min
Fewer Nova Scotians will be eligible for a provincial program to help with the costs of heating their homes this winter. It is fair to say the Tim Houston government had boosted the Heating Assistance Rebate program from the modest $200 a year under the previous government. But the $1000 rebate from last winter has been reduced to $600 this season. And the number of people who qualify has also been reduced. For comment, Sheldon spoke with long-time NDP MLA and former party leader Gary Burrill fo...
Oct 20, 2023•14 min
The award winning Canadian performer reflecting on his five decades of creating music, touring, spirituality and his life now as a 78-year old dad of a pre-teen. This conversation touches on topics of spirituality, aging, social commentary and social media. He will be performing in the Maritimes this week. (Editor’s note: This conversation took place before the Israel-Hamas war.)
Oct 16, 2023•26 min
Internationally acclaimed crooner Matt Dusk is coming to the Maritimes in November to swing us back to Las Vegas in 1966. He sits down with Katy Jean and Sheldon MacLeod to talk about paying homage to his hero, Frank Sinatra.
Oct 11, 2023•19 min
A Bridgewater woman who murdered her daughter in 2008 has chosen not to apply for early release under the "Faint Hope Clause". But the Parole Board of Canada has granted her an escorted pass as she serves out her 20 year sentence for second-degree murder. The author of Mommy Don't, Sherri Aikenhead discusses the role that family, former investigators, and community will play in the parole process and her eventual release....
Sep 27, 2023•11 min
Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia is has decided to change things up for its latest fundraising event. Habitat's Huge House Party on September 29th at the Halifax Convention Centre. It is described as an exclusive show with multi-platinum, award winning singer songwriter Jann Arden. It will also feature, Jon Cyr, Jah’Mila, Campbell & Johnston and is being hosted by Robb Wells — Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys. The organizers say it won’t be your typical corporate event. And Jann Arden is ple...
Sep 22, 2023•25 min
In spite of the rhetoric, no one under the age of 18 in Canada can have gender affirming "bottom" surgery. It’s part of a disinformation campaign that has filtered into the political discourse. The inflammatory use of terms like grooming and indoctrination are also fanning the flames of hate and intolerance in our schools and communities. Carolyn Davis is a trans woman and a stand up comedian who shares her experience and the lessons learned during the protest and counter-protest in Halifax....
Sep 21, 2023•17 min
Eight days of music showcasing singers, songs, and stories. The Carlton’s Mike Campbell explains how it all started and where HUFF is headed between September 24th and October 1st.
Sep 18, 2023•22 min
Here's an abridged version of the Hurricane Lee Media Availability from Friday, September 15th, 2023. Visit www.saltwire.com for the latest information.
Sep 15, 2023•11 min
The Taylor Swift Eras Tour has been the musical event of the year. And the Valley Drive In Theatre is extending its season into October to give Swifties a chance to see the film version of her live concert.
Sep 15, 2023•2 min
Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has ideas on how to help with the housing crisis in Canada. And he takes questions on supporting the Trudeau government, the high cost of everything, and the push to change the political system in Canada.
Sep 13, 2023•19 min
After more than three years, it happened. And this is about what bothers me the most about the last week.
Sep 07, 2023•6 min
Being stuck at home for two years helped Séan McCann make peace with his past. Thirty years after founding the band and ten years since leaving it, he’s hitting the road where he “Sings the Great Big Sea Songbook”. He will be performing September 28th, 2023 at the Sanctuary Arts Centre in Dartmouth as part of the Halifax Urban Folk Festival. His years of sobriety and a special four-leaf clover have given him the strength to embrace the spirit of Canada’s Biggest Party Band post addiction. McCann...
Aug 31, 2023•19 min
As the fall semester is about to start, a lack of affordable student housing is still a huge concern. Georgia Saleski is Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia. She says that is one of the many barriers to education they are trying to get government and universities to address.
Aug 24, 2023•21 min
A plan is being pitched to turn an abandoned school property in Lunenburg county into a $14.9 million dollar affordable housing complex. Nest Affordable Living Association is a not-for property agency that is negotiating with the municipality to buy the former Centre Consolidated School to create 100 affordable living rental units along with commercial community space.
Jul 21, 2023•12 min
The first episode of the Trailer Park Boys mocumentary was released on April 22, 2001. Since then, Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles have become a part of Canadian pop culture. The show’s creators say it’s about family, community, and the petty criminals with heart. And for Mike LaFramboise of London, Ontario it was an inspiration. He recently arrived in Nova Scotia with his own replica version of the car — a character in its own right — that was a big part of life in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Pa...
Jul 14, 2023•9 min
In late March 2023, a Halifax business was robbed overnight. Employees discovered someone had broken into a storage shed on the property and emptied it of almost everything inside. From the looks of it, they had planned their caper carefully. What they left behind might have also been a clue to the people responsible. And it also represents somewhat of a milestone for the Shelburne-based Boxing Rock Brewing Company.
Jul 12, 2023•13 min
It’s been 40 years since Stanley Allison Rogers lost his life. He was on an Air Canada flight where a fire had broken out as he was making his way back home from a show in Texas. He was just 33 years old. But what a legacy he’s left us through his recordings and songs. Even though he was born in Hamilton, Ontario, he had a connection to the Maritimes, spending summers in Guysborough County. His debut album, Fogarty’s Cove contains the original song that has become a staple around pubs, clubs and...
Jul 07, 2023•22 min
In spite of a last minute plea by all four Atlantic premiers, two new environmental policies are going into effect the first week of July. Both the Federal Carbon tax and the Clean Fuel Regulations are coming into play. That will mean higher costs for filling the gas and oil tanks and increased transportation costs for goods and services shipped by diesel powered trucks, trains and ships. And while Ottawa is offering quarterly rebate cheques to offset the costs, it won’t cover all of the expense...
Jun 30, 2023•25 min
Is housing a basic human right or an investment? Can homes and apartments be commodities and at the same time be considered a basic human need? That’s part of the conversation that grew out of a recent blog post from Catherine Levitin-Reid titled Lack of affordable housing in Nova Scotia requires urgent action . Dr. Levitin-Reid is a CCPA-NS Research Associate and an Associate Professor in the MBA in Community Economic Development program at Cape Breton University. And this about her call to act...
Jun 28, 2023•17 min
As the club pro, it’s not unusual to see Wes Stanford at The Lakes Golf Club and Resort in Ben Eoin. But this week during the longest day of the year, he and golfing partner Thomas Xidos did something no one had ever done. They completed 306 consecutive holes of golf. And it bettered the previous Guinness World Book of Records entry for two golfers in carts by almost a full round. Here’s a conversation with Wes describing the logistics that made it happen and the money that will go to the Cape B...
Jun 23, 2023•14 min
It’s hard to imagine a more relevant scientific field than virology and vaccinology. And a Nova Scotia-based research facility has been on the forward facing innovation through the work of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology. Doctor Scott Halperin is the director of the lab that’s been making contributions to the research since long before COVID-19. And recently, they received a $1 million grant from GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) to further the work of the staff of 100 working in the Halifax area. Dr. H...
Jun 20, 2023•26 min
Several cabinet ministers were on hand for a $1-billion announcement for school construction and repairs. It’s a five year capital plan that was unveiled at New Germany Elementary School on Friday. That facility, and the nearby High School will be combined in a soon to be constructed PP-12 school. Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Becky Druhan made the announcement. And afterwards, she was asked about the 2018 Avis Glaze Report about the provision to revisit the decision to elim...
Jun 16, 2023•4 min
