Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod

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.

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.

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 ca...

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 Ro...

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 de...

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 whil...

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...

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 convers...

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 f...

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...

There are still family pets that are in the care of the Nova Scotia SPCA weeks after the wildfires across the province. Sarah Lyon says there are families that are still trying to find pet-friendly places to live. And throughout the ordeal, she says there isn’t a big enough way to thank all of the people who stepped up to help. She also says the pet reunions have been heartwarming. Lyon adds they...

Anger still percolates through the community around Bridgewater, fifteen years after the murder of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau. Sherri Aikenhead was working in the Nova Scotia Department of Justice when Penny Boudreau pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of her daughter. She vowed to someday tell that story and she has in her new true crime book called Mommy Don’t: From Mother to Murderer /...

The joy in seeing his classmates is undeniable. And the struggle of being apart from them is only part of the concern Lian’s parents have. They’re also worried about him falling behind the longer school support workers are off the job. HIs father, Kevin Cunningham, shared a video of him waving to the kids on the bus recently and how much he's missing his routine. And he shares his thoughts on the...

More than 130 members of the legal community in Canada are asking the Prime Minister to deny an extradition request from France. It centres around a 69-year old Lebanese Canadian university professor. Dr. Hassan Diab was convicted in absentia in a trial held in France earlier this year where he was sentenced to life in prison. It was for the 1980 bombing of a synagogue in Paris that killed four an...

As more people are allowed to return to their homes, others are finding out they don’t have a home to return to. And the impacts of the wildfires will be felt for months and years to come. United Way Halifax has launched a fundraising appeal that has already collected more than $800,000. And that’s before the Friday night concert event at Scotiabank Centre. Deborah Page with United Way talks about...

It may sounds contradictory, but it’s a sign of the times. Nurses across the country have been working short and that means long hours and cancelled vacations. That is putting pressure on the people charged with caring for us when we need them the most. Linda Silas is the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. They are currently gathered at a convention in Charlottetown, Prince Edw...

Many of the men and women on the front lines of the wildfires wouldn’t call themselves heroes. They are doing the job they signed up for and have a sense of pride in that and helping their friends and neighbours. The Tema Foundation says they knew that their tagline might not be the one that First Responders would chose themselves. But Colleen Kamps says it’s about helping the helpers and that’s h...

Our homes are where we feel safe and secure. And when they are threatened, or destroyed, it can be devastating emotionally. This week, thousands of Nova Scotians were given orders to pack up and leave their homes immediately. And that is something Dr. Simon Sherry says will have an impact on people for years to come. He is a clinical psychologist in Halifax who says providing support through famil...

It’s a referral and resource service that’s been available to Nova Scotians for about a decade. And it’s not one that many people are familiar with. Ashley Mitchell is the Director of Service Delivery for 211 Nova Scotia. What kind of information do they supply? She says just about anything you would Google for local help, their call takers can probably give you information about. And she says the...

Imagine a knock on your door from someone telling you to gather your stuff and go because a wildfire is headed your way. It’s a scenario that played out for hundreds of homeowners in the Halifax area in the last twenty four hours. And while there may be fewer people living in Shelburne County , they are dealing with a wildfire that’s ten times as large as the one in HRM. Sam Brannen posted a video...

For his entire career, he’s worked in the intelligence and security community. And Phil Gurski isn’t happy with the way the issues with China have been handled. He’s an author and President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consultants. He’s spent decades in that sphere focussed mainly on terrorism but knows of the work his former colleagues have done. And he says politicians of all stripes in t...

It was a bit of a surprise to see Hope Swinimer in court facing a charge related to the work she does helping animals in distress. As it turns out, it was dismissed after the Crown offered no evidence. For more details on the circumstances and her determination to honour that life’s work, Hope Swinimer took some time out of her day to speak about it. And the Order of Nova Scotia recipient also ans...

COVID is still around but for practical purposes the public health emergency is over . And that is welcomed news for the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association. Michele Lowe is the group’s Executive Director. And she says it’s good for the residents and the workers, but admits there will still be infection control guidelines for years to come. As she gets set to retire from that role in the Fall...

People would still rather give blood than to serve on a jury in Canada. But finding ways to support the people who do serve is one of the goals Mark Farrant has been working towards for years. He’s part of a non-profit group called The Canadian Juries Commission . It was borne after he and other jurors realizing there were laws restricting who they could talk to in trying to deal the graphic detai...

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. It started 19 years ago to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. And this year comes at a time where hate and intolerance is on the i...