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Causeway greetings for Sunday drivers

posted by Moira Peters

Around this time of year, at a certain time of morning, if the weather is clear, as you drive south of South West Margaree, down the hill from Gillisdale and into Scottsville, Lake Ainslie smacks you in the face. Rather, the sun, leaping off the expanse of water, is what grabs you by the eyeballs and wrenches your attention from the yellow line streching in front of your car on the East Lake Ainslie road, before giving it back to you as you leave the lakeshore and wind your way into Whycocomagh. Yes: the sight of it is that beautiful.

A week ago, last Sunday, as Lake Ainslie sparkled, 50 kilometres down the road, 38 people lined the Trans Canada on the Cape Breton side of the Canso Causway holding signs reading "Stop The Fracking Madness" and "Water Is More Valuable Than Oil," and waving the Mohawk Warrior flag as motorists passed by, driving on or off Cape Breton Island.

It was the fourth Sunday they had gathered at the causeway to raise awareness of the dangers posed by the exploratory drilling rights recently approved by Nova Scotia's Departments of Energy and the Environment. PetroWorth Resources Inc, a junior exploration company based in Calgary, has the province's permission to drill an exploratory well on MacIsaac Point in West Lake Ainslie.

Five weeks ago, the first Sunday the group hit the causeway, if readers remember, a furious storm whipped through Nova Scotia. The group of demonstrators stood for hours in the driving rain and wind in a show of opposition to what they perceive to be the threat to water systems on western Cape Breton Island.

Opposition to oil and gas exploration--not just fracking--has been strong on the island since Petroworth expressed interest in drilling at Lake Ainslie. Inverness Oran reporter John Gillis's consistent and critical coverage over the past year and a half has revealed legal troubles PetroWorth, its partner companies and their executives face in PEI and BC. Local environmental groups have called up the environmental devastation caused by oil and gas exploration in other communities, notably Penobsquis and Elgin, NB. In February, Waycobah First Nation issued a resounding rejection of any kind of oil or gas exploration in the area, claiming that no amount of economic benefit could offset even a possibility that water in the area could be compromised. The Margaree Salmon Association recently declared its opposition to drilling at Lake Ainslie, which...

District 14 Councillor Jennifer Watts responds to Nov 11 ONS eviction

posted by Moira Peters

Please add other councillors' responses to the eviction of Occupy Nova Scotia in the comments section.

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From District 14 Councillor Jennifer Watts

Comments on Occupy NS

I have received many emails from residents who are very concerned and angry with the enforcement of the municipal park bylaw in relation to the Occupy Nova Scotia protest. Many of these concerns include the decision to remove members of Occupy Nova Scotia on Remembrance Day, the right of peaceful protesters to gather, the manner in which the protesters were removed by the police, the costs associated with the police action, the move to evict instead of seeking a legal remedy such as an injunction, the role of council in the decision, and the mixed messages given to the group over the past several weeks concerning their status in HRM parks. I very much appreciate the directness of your comments and the important issues that you are raising in respect to this action.

As someone who has participated in protests and demonstrations over many years I respect the important issues that Occupy Nova Scotia is raising about social injustice and inequity in our society. I appreciate that there are serious questions about the decision and how it was implemented. I am taking these responses and questions very seriously and will raise them with Regional Council.

At the same time, I support the enforcement of municipal park bylaws that do not allow overnight stays in parks or temporary or permanent accommodation without municipal permission. While many may disagree with this decision, I believe that there is the ability and opportunity to protest and publicly speak about issues in our community that respect the current municipal bylaws.

I regret that this situation could not have been resolved differently. It has caused me to think very hard about my role and responsibility as a regional councillor.

I welcome your feedback on this issue. Please email me and copy the Clerk’s Office clerks@halifax.ca so that your comments are shared with Regional Council and are part of the public record.

Respect is the Key

posted by Moira Peters

by Joyce MacDonald

Last week I told a young woman that I was going to be attending the truth and reconciliation hearing on residential schools.

“What was so bad about the residential schools anyway?” she asked, a question that makes it clear that Canada has a long way to go in facing up to a shameful history of attempted cultural genocide of First Nations people. The Canadian government, in partnership with many Christian churches, was responsible for taking young Native children from their families, in a deliberate effort to wipe out their languages, cultures, traditions and ways of life. Living in often abusive conditions in boarding schools far from their loving families, many of these children have struggled in later life with dealing with their experiences. Stories of alcoholism, broken homes and suicide among survivors are common, creating a legacy that still haunts many First Nations communities today.

Though the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia closed in 1967, the Canadian government continued its involvement in other residential schools until the mid-1990s.

The Cape Breton survivors who came out to speak about their experiences on Friday are now respected elders in their communities. It was hard to imagine the evil that was done to them in the name of making them not-Indian.

That was the stated goal of the residential schools. The massive racism implicit in that goal should remind us of the extent to which all the underpinnings of Canadian society are flatly racist. Canada is built on a European land grab. Racism is all around us, impossible to avoid, in both official acts and popular culture. As Margaret Poulette put it last Friday, “When you watch TV, you always cheer for the cowboys.”

The way past this legacy of racism is one all Canadians should be seeking, not just those directly affected by residential schools. Our culture is broken, and we are all in need of a journey of healing.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we know the answer to “have you done, thought or said something racist?” is yes. I have. It’s impossible to avoid, when so many historical and cultural forces support it.

So I’ll ask you to ask yourselves a different question: do you treat people with respect? Breaking down racist attitudes is that simple, at the heart of it, and it’s something we can all start doing today. Ask...

Halifax professor's response to NDP MPs' position on Convention Centre

posted by Moira Peters

Minister of Defence Peter MacKay announced yesterday a federal contribution of $51.4 million to the proposed Halifax Convention Centre. image: Save the View

Rank Inc holds the contract for the more than $159 million (they won't say how much more) proposed Halifax Convention Centre. Proponents of the Centre say it will revitalize a dying downtown core. image: Rank Inc.

At a breakfast meeting yesterday in Halifax, Defense Minister Peter MacKay announced that the federal government was "in" on the proposed--and locally controversial--convention centre to be built in downtown Halifax. The Canadian government confirmed it would kick in $51.4 million to the $156 million--and growing--project.

The following letter from Halifax MP Megan Leslie responds to constituents' concerns about the Convention Centre. Following the letter, St. Mary's University business professor Judy Haiven articulates the problem with this federal hands-off response to a local project--one spearheaded by municipal politicians & city bureaucrats with highly-publicized sketchy backgrounds.

Both letters have been lightly edited for clarity.

---

Friends,

You are all receiving this email because you have taken the time to write to me voicing your thoughts and concerns surrounding the proposed HRM Convention Centre.

For many of you, this is not the first time that you have written to me about this issue. I have heard from countless members of the community, both for and against the convention centre.

When considering the issue of the Convention Centre, it is essential that I look at the issue through the lens of being a federally elected representative. Whenever any new issue emerges, the first question I ask myself is how this fits into the federal realm, and I try hard to take a principled position. I strongly believe that any public position that I do take on this issue should be situated within my role as an MP and within the context of the federal NDP’s position on these kinds of infrastructure projects.

This past spring Mr. Chisholm, Mr. Stoffer and I were asked to clarify our position on the convention centre. I have struggled with a principled position to take in my role as a federally elected official. I believe that it is my duty to ensure that any federally funded project reflects the needs of the community. I have been reluctant to simply pick a side on this issue, and just state my opinion either for or against. Because of this I have deliberately sought feedback from constituents about their thoughts, ideas and opinions. The feedback I received was robust, but not unanimous. There are some who were very much opposed to the centre, some very much in favour, community groups who would like to hold meetings...

We Support Our Postal Workers

posted by Moira Peters

CUPW strikers wave to honking traffic at the community support rally on Thursday.

Donna Mendez, First Vice President of Nova Local, and Nadine Kays, employee of Canada Post.

Brad Leights loves his job, but notices a "toxic" atmosphere at the Canada Post plant in Halifax.

Devo and Mike, at the community support rally for CUPW.

Canada Post recently spent $2.5 billion on "modernizing" Canada Post.

I arrived late at Thursday's community rally to support postal workers, but the sun was out and fifty or so people milled about, some wearing Locked Out! CUPW Nova Local placards, some dancing or eating; a dj spun beats and two jugglers entertained.

I had the opportunity to speak to Donna Mendez, First Vice President of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Nova Local. Mendez seemed very pleased with the rally.

"This [rally] is what the labour movement is all about," she said. "It's about acknowledgment and support from the community in our quest for fair and equitable negotiations."

Nadine Kays, who worked for four years as a casual letter carrier part-time on the midnight shift before she moved up in the ranks, agreed that the union's actions are part of a larger labour movement in Canada. She expressed that public criticism directed at the union for its insistence on maintaining a living wage for its workers is an unfortunate reflection of a society whose expectations as a workforce are too low.

"We want this [living wages, fair working conditions] for all Canadians; that's what this should be about for people," she said. "No-one should live paycheck-to-paycheck. What's wrong with making a living wage coming out of high school or university?"

Nevertheless, the women said public support for the striking workers' demands has been strong. By the number of "We Support Our Postal Workers" signs visible in the windows of homes in Halifax, I have to agree. However, Mendez and Kays both expressed their dismay that this sentiment is not being reflected in media coverage of the strike, the lock-out, and the back-to-work legislation.

"These are wages & benefits that we've fought for," added Mendez, explaining that CUPW is working within a firm understanding of the labour movement through time.
"It's the future [too]. We're willing to come out here to keep the sick leave program and wage parity with new workers.

"Routes are going to get bigger because the machines sequence the mail. Carriers will have a bundle of sequenced mail and a bundle of manually sorted mail, and that means they'll have no hands free." Mendez was talking about the effects on letter-carriers of new mail sorters Canada Post recently invested in. "[Workers will] spend less time inside sorting the mail, and more...

Letter to L'nu

posted by Moira Peters

Kaktogowaas, Troy's son, with his trout catch from Skye River, We'koqma'q, Nova Scotia

A letter written for publication with the Halifax Media Co-op by Troy J. Gould (Thunderbird heart), a L'nu from We'koqmaq, Cape Breton, father of four boys and one girl. Troy turned down a professional fighting career in boxing for a simpler way of life, providing to his family through fishing, hunting, gardening and harvesting wild foods. His fight for nature is also a fight for our children and all future generations.

We'koqmaq is a First Nations community resisting oil and gas exploration in Lake Ainslie. PetroWorth, a junior exploration company, has a lease over 383,000 acres--the Lake Ainslie Block. First Nations and non-Native residents of Cape Breton and across Nova Scotia have united in opposition to any kind of drilling on Lake Ainslie, and the Inverness County Council, the municipality in which Lake Ainslie is located, is the only municipality in Nova Scotia so far to pass a resolution supporting a provincial ban on hydrofracking. However, We'koqmaq has been front-and-centre in this resistance movement, calling on the provincial government to respect treaty rights and stop giving away Nova Scotia's natural resources to companies for profit.

Our Generations,

We face a major dilemma. Capitalism is driven by finance, to make profit at the expense of nature and the web of life. For example, multinational corporations bleed Mother Earth and nature for profits. If we allow the multinationals and companies Kwilmu'kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK, or Mi’kmaq rights initiative) is entertaining, such as PetroWorth, to drill Lake Ainslie, the end result would be genocide to L’Nu. Human beings, insects, mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, the entire biodiversity, will be affected and killed off. This is done all for profit under capitalism; this is a plunder of water and resources by multinationals--industry--for self-gain.

People, animals, insects and birds will become sick and die, become brain damaged, paralyzed and die, if hydraulic fracking or drilling of ANY kind is allowed to occur at Lake Ainslie. The end result will be flagrant if chemical drilling is permitted upon or adjacent to our watershed. Ground waters, aquifers and deep fault lines will be destroyed, and soon the chemicals used will reach our underground drinking sources and inevitably reach the Bras D’Or lakes and contaminate them on a noticeable scale, shortly after the chemical high-pressure water...

Got a tale to tell?

posted by Moira Peters

What’s new?

It's time again to submit your story pitches to the Media Co-op! As we do every month, in February we'll pay two contributors for news features to be published in The Dominion. We prioritize solutions-oriented news pieces with a Canadian angle, including photo essays and video pitches. Pitches are welcome from anyone; priority for payment goes to those who have previously contributed.

How to pitch a story:

1. If you do not have a Media Co-op account (which you can also use to post photos, audio, video and stories directly to the Media Co-op site), you’ll need to set one up:

mediacoop.ca/user

2. Check out our writer’s guide for hot topics and details about writing for The Dominion:

dominionpaper.ca/write

For information about making a video pitch, check out our production guidelines and tutorials:

dominionpaper.ca/video/create

3. Peruse the latest Media Co-op discussion page for story ideas:

http://www.mediacoop.ca/group/1496/discuss/5719

4. Pitch! To pitch an article, fill out the form on this page:

mediacoop.ca/node/add/pitch

To pitch a video news clip, contact us with your proposal:

dominionpaper.ca/contact

A couple hot tips:

1. The Media Co-op has a special budget – sponsored by Koumbit, a non-profit web development, website creation, graphic design and IT training organization – to pay for one article about technology and society per month (in particular, we’re interested in coverage of copyright, privacy, free software, and net neutrality). These articles are 5-800 words, payment is a flat $50, and they follow the same pitch process outlined below.

2. As a member-run organization, the Media Co-op has a vested interest in publishing stories our readers want to read. Our readers have been posting ideas for stories about co-operatives that should be told, and we want those stories! Take a look at the discussion page here:

mediacoop.ca/group/143/discuss/2001

Consider pitching a story you see here, or pitch us your own news story about an innovative co-op or the co-operative movement. If we like your pitch, we’ll pay you $100 to write...

F(irst)-35 Initiative for a Better Canada

posted by Moira Peters

There are far better uses of 16 billion dollars than buying 65 warplanes!

Kindly consider writing Prime Minister Harper, and Ministers MacKay and Flaherty

with your list of 35 areas of human need that could use additional funding.

Below is my list.

Please send this notice for F(irst)-35 Initiative for a Better Canada to lists and individuals.

We need to have our voices heard.

For peace,

Roger Davies

Dear Prime Minister Harper, and Ministers MacKay and Flaherty

Your government is considering the purchase of the F-35 warplane at a cost of at least 16 billion dollars.

I believe there are many pressing needs in Canada and internationally that could be addressed through the use of 16 billion dollars. 16 billion dollars spent wisely, addressing human needs, is a far wiser choice than wasting the money on 65 warplanes.

Hence, I put to you the idea of the F(irst)-35 Initiative for a Better Canada.

Below you will find my list of 35 areas where increased funding would do a world of good.

For Canada,

Roger Davies

F(irst)-35 Initiative for a Better Canada

Increased funding in support of:

1. more HIV/AIDS clinics in Africa

2. provincial health care, to reduce wait times

3. provincial health care, to improve emergency services

4. increased progressive training for police and RCMP

5. conversion from war industry to useful civilian products

6. funding Environment Canada and Department of Fisheries at a level where proper research and monitoring can occur

7. research and development in alternative energy

8. subsidies and tax relief for companies producing alternative energy equipment

9. development of local farmer’s markets, co-ops, and other marketing strategies

10. development in sustainability and food security research

11. further study of the effects of...

A Penny For Your Thoughts!

posted by Moira Peters

sitting down is the hardest part of writing

Do you have stories about gender and queer issues you want to tell? How about resource extraction in Canada, or climate debt, or human migration, or alternatives to the economic crisis? Do you write about women's sports or technology? Health or humour?

As we do every month, the Media Co-op will pay two contributors for news features to be published in The Dominion. We prioritize solutions-oriented news pieces with a Canadian angle, including photo essays and video pitches.

Check out our writer’s guide for suggested topics and details about writing for The Dominion:

dominionpaper.ca/write

Or peruse the latest Media Co-op discussion page for potential story ideas:

http://www.mediacoop.ca/group/1496/discuss/5272

The Dominion has a special budget – sponsored by Koumbit, a non-profit web development, website creation, graphic design and IT training organization – to pay for one article about technology and society per month (in particular, we’re interested in coverage of copyright, privacy, free software, and net neutrality). These articles are 5-800 words, payment is a flat $50, and they follow the same pitch process outlined below.

Everyone wants to read about themselves. The Media Co-op is no different: we want stories about co-ops! And we've got a lot of ideas to get you started:

mediacoop.ca/group/143/discuss/2001

For information about making a video pitch, check out our production guidelines and tutorials:

dominionpaper.ca/video/create

Pitches are welcome from anyone; priority for payment goes to those who have previously contributed.

To pitch an article, fill out the form on this page:

mediacoop.ca/node/add/pitch

To pitch a video news clip, contact us with your proposal:

dominionpaper.ca/contact

If you do not have a Media Co-op account (which you can also use to post photos, audio, video and stories directly to the Media Co-op site), you’ll need to set one up:

...

Write for the Dominion!

posted by Moira Peters

Be part of the movement! Cover a co-op!

As a member-run organization, The Dominion / Media Co-op has a vested interest in publishing stories our readers want to read. Our readers have been posting ideas for stories about co-operatives that should be told, and we want those stories! Take a look at the discussion page here:

mediacoop.ca/group/143/discuss/2001

Consider pitching a story you see here, or pitch us your own news story about an innovative co-op or the co-operative movement. If we like your pitch, we’ll pay you $100 to write the story!

What’s new?

And, as we do every month, the Media Co-op will pay two contributors for news features to be published in The Dominion. We prioritize solutions-oriented news pieces with a Canadian angle, including photo essays and video pitches.

Check out our writer’s guide for other suggested topics and details about writing for The Dominion:

dominionpaper.ca/write

Or peruse the latest Media Co-op discussion page for potential story ideas:

mediacoop.ca/group/1496/discuss/4686

For information about making a video pitch, check out our production guidelines and tutorials:

dominionpaper.ca/video/create

The Dominion has a special budget – sponsored by Koumbit, a non-profit web development, website creation, graphic design and IT training organization – to pay for one article about technology and society per month (in particular, we’re interested in coverage of copyright, privacy, free software, and net neutrality). These articles are 5-800 words, payment is a flat $50, and they follow the same pitch process outlined below.

Pitches are welcome from anyone; priority for payment goes to those who have previously contributed.

To pitch an article, fill out the form on this page:

mediacoop.ca/node/add/pitch

To pitch a video news clip, contact us with your proposal:

dominionpaper.ca/contact

If you do not have a Media Co-op account (which you can also use to post photos, audio, video and...

Comments posted by Moira Peters

for Month in Review in response to What's missing from our winter coverage? Tell us your story ideas!

last year's vigil in response to Halifax Peace Coalition Remembers Dr. Martin Luther King

read a little more carefully in response to Causeway greetings for Sunday drivers

MiR: Aquaculture corp dumped pesticide into Bay of Fundy in response to What have we missed? Tell us your story ideas!

Offshore Research Gets Boost from Pengrowth-Nova Scotia Grant in response to Tell us your story ideas! What should the HMC cover this Fall?

Mills & no more mills in response to Tell us your story ideas! What should the HMC cover this Fall?

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