The Grand Parade

In this episode, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman talk about Halifax's budget crunch, why Trish Purdy wants to cut back on the HRM's annual spending on vehicles and why the region is broke. The police budget looks like it'll resemble last year's—what does that mean? Also: Matt gushes about trains.

In this episode, Matt and Martin meet In Halifax Central Library to discuss what the city's budget process will look like this year. Thanks to a motion from councillor Tim Outhit this budget might be the first budget that the city passes in line with its strategic priorities. Also covered in this meeting, the potential of the Board of Police Commissioner's new budget process. Martin also asks Matt...

Municipal engineer Paul Young has a vision for a “major behavioural change” within Halifax: Converting all urban speed limits in the HRM to 30 kilometres per hour. The reason? Not just to lower the likelihood of deadly collisions, which findings resoundingly show drop off significantly compared to 50km/h, but to cut back on things like traffic noise and pollution while promoting healthier, less co...

In this episode, Matt and Martin talk at great length about Otego Drive (https://maps.app.goo.gl/4VNHawhGx99YwVrr6) and what that little street can teach us about the dangers presented to us by our local government in the face of this climate emergency.

In this Grand Parade episode, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman dive into the HRM's Integrated Mobility Plan and what it secretly not-so-secretly suggests: Maybe Halifax would've been better off had the province not amalgamated the region in 1996? Matt fills Martin in on why John Lohr's housing power play is a recipe for abuse—if not by the current housing minister, then by his even...

In this week’s episode of The Grand Parade , Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman discuss Halifax’s Integrated Mobility Plan , and Matt convinces Martin that it’s already dead. Why? Because of the way the HRM sets its budget. Plus, the two detour onto the subjects of roads, and whether the provincial government’s plans to spend more than $1 billion to expand its highways* should qualif...

TKSHOWNOTES

Halifax Wanderers CEO Derek Martin has dreams of a permanent 8,500-seat stadium in Halifax's downtown. Last week, the Canadian Premier League soccer club founder made his pitch to the HRM's Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee to overhaul the municipally-owned Wanderers Grounds—where his club plays—in favour of an all-purpose venue. The cost? An estimated $40-million, acc...

Matt and Martin are back to walk through the council's antics from last Tuesday's meeting. Was council's reaction just theatrics? Do they bear more responsibility than they know? Matt thinks so. There's also discussion about the end of the pizza wars, some transit critiques and building in flood zones. Unlike your boss, sometimes we even give you a bonus! Warning to Wanderer Ground listeners who (...

In this epidsode of the Grand Parade Matt catches Martin up on all of things that have and have not been happening at city hall over the summer. The two talk about last week's council meeting where Shawn Cleary tried to make the housing crisis worse, and Dave Reage's lack of answers on tap pay. All that and more in this week's episode

During the live Grand Parade recording, two listeners asked what Matt thought Olivia Chow's election as mayor of Toronto would mean for the city. The answers on the day of the live show were lacking, so we went and found an expert. In this episode of The Grand Parade, host Matt brings on a fellow City Hall reporter named Matt—Matt Elliott of City Hall Watcher in Toronto. The two Matts spend an hou...

TK SHOWNOTES

This episode of the Wanderer Grounds is a crossover episode! Last week the Friends of the Commons local advocacy group put a post on their website letting everyone know that they are suing the city over the  privatization of the Wanderer’s Grounds . The reason, according to the legal letter linked above, is they believe the Wanderer’s Grounds have been defacto privatized without public consultatio...

Take heed of the old phrase, “Be careful what you wish for.” Back in 2005, when Nova Scotia introduced its Capped Assessment Program, the stated goal was to  keep seniors and families in their homes  that might otherwise have been priced out. The solution of the day was to limit property tax increases to no more than the annual inflation rate. It sounds considerate—and indeed, it worked. But then...

In this episode Matt and Martin head to the Central Library to do a live show on a Tuesday night. They talk about the regional plan review, the upcoming carbon tax, and then answer audience questions after the add break in the last half of the episode.

Come on down the Paul O'Regan Hall at the public library to watch Marting and Matt suffer through an hour or so of imposter syndrome as we do a live recording of the Grand Parade Podcast! Doors will open at 7pm, recording will start at 7:30 and last about an hour. After than we'll open it up to a Q&A until the library kicks us out at 9pm. We will have a question box, for those that don't feel...

In this episode of  The Grand Parade  podcast, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman reflect on the harsh lessons learned from the Tantallon wildfire—including how the HRM was warned about the risks of a scenario like this 20 years ago. Matt educates Martin on  as-of-right development , and how it enabled the suburbs around Halifax to grow with little oversight for disaster preparedness...

In this episode Matt and Martin talk mainly about cars and apartments. The first bit of the episode is devoted to Matt telling Martin how foreign policy theory can explain why our streets suck. Then in the last half of the episode Matt puts on his red hat and tried to exploit the new short term rental legislation. Spoiler alert: he may have found a new loop hole. The depressing topics have lighthe...

In this episode Matt and Martin go over a climactic end to the budget season as council sticks it themselves. They passed a climate tax and a carbon subsidy in what is a very confusing budget. Matt also gets emotional talking about the lack of RCMP accountability and the boys dive into what policing could look like in the HRM in the future. Also, if you're one of the 10 keeners who got the wrong e...

In this episode Martin and Matt break down the budget, the land lord registry and talk about parking. Again. Arts editor Morgan Mullin comes on to tell us how cool the city is and then the boys talks about the upcoming Wanderer's season.

Can you dunk on Matt? In this episode Martin has the full city budget adjustment list in front of him, and Matt only has a mic. Did he screw up? Also in this episode we picture a world in which High School Hockey can be a utopia

This week Matt and Martin talk budget at city hall. It was a big few weeks so the two try and walk us through some big budget talks. Matt is joined later in the episode by Morgan Mullin, arts editor, who talks through what's happening to the arts scene and it's lack of funding in the city. Matt and Martin also tease some big news about a local sports team.

In this Episode Matt is joined by Co-worker Martin Bauman and the two talk about city council, budget season, the police commissioners breaking the law and UK rap music from the early 00s.

In this episode Coast journalists Matt and Martin talk to Halifax resident Paul about the province's plan to hamstring the city, and the city's plan to hamstring our housing market. This also features some wild new policy suggestions and a short clip of an Offspring song.

The Coast's city hall reporter Matt Stickland is joined by his fellow Coast reporter Martin Bauman and Halifax resident Ben MacLeod. They talk bike lane cost overruns and budget season.