Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod

A year ago today, Nova Scotia expanded presumptive cancer care for firefighters in the province from six types to 19. And it also added coverage for heart attacks within 24 hours of a call and mental health coverage for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s now considered the Gold Standard for coverage across North America. At a recent Standing Committee on Human Resources meeting, witnesses...

If you work in a federal office in Canada, you’ll have to make sure you don’t have the social media app TikTok on your device. The Canadian government has identified the Chinese-based site as more than just a time distraction. It’s also a potential security risk. This comes at the same time as intelligence reports about potential electoral interference in the past federal votes in our country. Dr....

It’s a trend in Nova Scotia where citizens and non-profit groups are looking to the courts to rule on government decisions. The latest involves an appeal giving two environmental groups standing in a decision involving the proposed LNG project in Goldboro, Nova Scotia. Ecojustice lawyer James Gunvaldsen Klaassen explains why the legal charity is involved in cases like this. And he tells us why thi...

From a shy, introspective kid growing up in North Preston to playing with Symphony Nova Scotia, he’s grown to be an award winning artist and entertainer. He's been involved in the world of entertainment since he was six, dreaming of being a business owner and entrepreneur . You can also add author to his growing resume. His first children's book is called I am Perfectly Me his latest, I Am A King....

On one hand, it’s a very appealing offer in challenging economic times. Who wouldn’t want to earn some extra money renting out space in their own home if they could? But when it impacts your neighbours, that’s when it becomes a much bigger issue. This week, Halifax Regional Municipality introduced new rules around short-term rentals that go into effect in September. Bill Stewart is involved with a...

We all have memories of sharing a special moment in our lives with a meal at a restaurant with family or friends. But the people providing that service are having a tough time right now. Dining institutions are shutting their doors and turning off the lights for the last time . And it may get worse before it gets better. Gordon Stewart is the Executive Director of the Restaurant Association of Nov...

It was appointment viewing for many Nova Scotia households. The 1st Edition political panel with journalists Harry Fleming and Parker Dunham, moderated by broadcaster Jim Nunn. This past Sunday, Jim Nunn passed away from cancer at the age of 72. Here’s Parker’s look back on the life of his friend, a legendary CBC interviewer with a keen political sense and a cheeky sense of humour.

After a bit of a pivot because of the pandemic, the 7th Annual Halifax Black Film Festival will be back in person and online this year. The event is a chance to celebrate African Heritage Month by amplifying Black voices and uplifting Black talent from February 24 - 28, 2023. It was created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation and will present 70 films from 10 countries virtually and in-person at Cine...

Do you know the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? Do you know what to do if someone is experiencing either of those heart ailments? February is Heart Month. And the folks with Emergency Health Services want to talk about what you need to know. Mike Janczyszyn is a paramedic overseeing the Automated External Defibrillator registry. And he wants to help you save lives.

It was a big announcement last week that got very little main stream news coverage. Nova Scotia appointed four new provincial court judges to the bench on one day, which isn’t usual. And the fact they are all women is another part of the story that was something of note. But outside of the provincial government website, there didn’t appear to be any news stories about it. And maybe that’s the way...

Imagine being at your job where someone is making twice as much money for the same job. And you can’t take vacation because there aren’t enough staff members. That’s what’s happening in our health care system right now with travel nurses and nursing agencies. That has prompted front line Emergency Department nurses to write a letter, pleading for action from the Premier, Health Minister and CEO of...

February is African Nova Scotia History and Heritage Month. And we know the government of Nova Scotia has offered some plans for the Africville Museum. But I really wanted to speak with someone who's directly involved with some of the educational opportunities. She is executive director of the Africville Museum. Juanita Peters is an award-winning writer, playwright, and director of multiple docume...

It's going to get cold, really cold over the next few days. In fact, dangerous wind chills are forecasted as a blast of Arctic air approaches Atlantic Canada. The coldest recorded temperature in Nova Scotia was -41.1 degrees Celsius. On January 31st, 1920 in Upper Stewiacke. And that is -40 no matter what scale you might be looking at. And this had me thinking about a number of things, including o...

Imagine trying to survive a night with just a nylon tent between you and a windchill of -45. Emergency shelter staff are working to keep people from being exposed to the dangerously cold temperatures that are coming. Michelle Malette is the Executive Director of the Out of the Cold Community Association. They say we don’t usually have this kind of skin freezing, deadly weather and there are people...

Do you know what federal riding you live in? Do you know what riding you’ll be in for the next federal election? Every ten years, the boundaries are reviewed to take into account changes in population. It’s a way to make sure all MP’s represent around 85,000 Canadians, give or take 25%. This week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Procedures and House Affairs (PROC) heard objections to propo...

A better way of using pharmacists is to let them see patients and write prescriptions for some of the more common ailments. That’s happening under a pilot project just announced. And Dr. George Burden says there’s a better idea than letting doctors retire, firing all their patients if they can’t find someone to take over their practice. He’s suggesting a stipend or salary as a way of enticing the...

There was another epidemic that was exposed by the last three years. Lonliness. Governments of both the United Kingdom and Japan have deemed it serious enough to create entire departments to deal with it. And these Ministries of Loneliness are a response to pandemic isolation impacts on both the young and the old. Here in Nova Scotia, a simple act of kindness helped launch a program to connect sen...

Katherine Fierlbeck grinds her teeth everytime she hears someone say we need to take the politics out of health care. Because every problem and challenge we see in the system today is because of political policy and choice. And as an electorate, we need to accept some of the responsibility. She is the Chair of the Political Science Department at Dalhousie University. And she has also spent a great...

It’s taken years to get us into the mess in health care. And it will take more than an election cycle to get us out. The author of a new book on public health care is trying to sound the alarm about the “fixes” that some jurisdictions are proposing to allow private health services. Catherine Mac Neil is a thirty year veteran who is still a Registered Nurse and a teacher. Her book is titled Dying t...

Who is the person that was hand picked to rebuild a broken health care system? She’s served as a chief of staff to a former premier. She’s worked as the CEO of the Halifax Port Authority for almost two decades. And she’s a corporate lawyer by trade with an eye towards making a difference. Karen Oldfield is not just the interim CEO and President. She’s also the wife of a patient with chronic health...

Affordability and the economy are top of the agenda as the Federal Cabinet gathers at a winter retreat in Hamilton, Ontario. Those are the topics the Prime Minister and his team are identifying as the biggest issues facing Canadians. But here in Nova Scotia, the crisis in health care is a huge issue. We have an older and less healthy population and our system appears to be struggling under a lack...

Hospital care is primary about the nurses. If you are being admitted for surgery, it’s so that the nursing staff can look after you until you are discharged. And there’s been a lot of talk about the pressures on the Emergency Departments in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Health has recently announced ways to help support the nurses in those roles now and to encourage others to move into those positions....

A book she received as a child helped spark a lifelong interest in conspiracies an unusual tales. And Katy Jean has been turning that passion into fabulous stories for the SaltWire Network. Her most recent column connects a graveyard for 19th Century Veterans on the peninsula to a pile of headstones across the harbour at the back of a property in Cow Bay. The first of a three part series is about...

Our health care system may needing intensive care right now, but the prognosis isn’t as dire according to the people in the system. Doctors Nova Scotia President Dr. Leisha Hawker says it’s good to see the province making it a priority and making changes. Although some of the recent announcements by government for triaging emergency room patients has her concerned. She says the biggest issues thro...

Our health care system is in the ICU. But it doesn’t have to be torn down and rebuilt. Janet Hazelton says it will take a lot of work to get the health care system back to where it needs to be. The long time president of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union says there’s a willingness to do the work necessary. For years people within the systems were trying to get the attention of the people in charge. And...