Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod

It may be the giving season, but with the financial pressures a lot of us are facing, it may be a tough one for charities. A recent survey says fewer than half of Atlantic Canadians will be donating this holiday season and almost four-in-ten plan to give less. The irony is that the inflation crisis has made more of us reliant on charitable services. Imagine Canada says charities and nonprofits rec...

A lot of us are feeling the crunch of the higher prices brought on by inflation running at a 40 year high. It's affecting how we are shopping, what we are buying and even our retirement plans. Margaret Chapman is the COO with Narrative Research. She breaks down the results of their ongoing polling about the rising cost of living. And she shares her thoughts on fun social media surveys versus scien...

Nova Scotia is getting warmer, precipitation patterns are changing, Nova Scotians are experiencing more frequent and intense storms, sea levels are rising and the oceans are changing. That's part of the province's climate risk assessment released this week. Later, they'll be discussing how they are preparing to deal with these impacts. Will Balser is the Coastal Adaptation Coordinator with the Eco...

"We're very aware much more needs to be done to create a health-care system that Nova Scotians need and deserve. The way we have always done things is not working. The time for change is now." That was the testimony from Nova Scotia's deputy health minister Jeannine Lagasse at the Public Accounts meeting at the end of November. Later tonight, Health Minister Michelle Thompson will be hearing again...

Multi-award winning singer songwriter Lennie Gallant is sharing his gifts in front of a live audience again. His holiday-themed show 'The Innkeeper's Christmas' is coming to the Maritimes this month. I caught up with him just before soundcheck in London, Ontario. We discuss the return to touring, post-pandemic as well as the impact of streaming services, physical media and the impact of both the l...

Megan Neaves says the best part of her day is being in front of her students. But she says trying to attend to all of the different needs and put out all these fires, there's always something you could have done better. She was a witness this week at the Legislative Standing Committee on Human Resources. And there she and others spoke to teacher workloads and the impact on student achievement. She...

You don't need to join a gym or run 10k in order to see the health benefits of being active. And in our busy lives, it's easy to fall into the trap of being sedentary. And it doesn't matter if you are working from home, or in an office, a few minutes of activity can pay huge benefits. The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation is encouraging people to participate in their free program called Make Your Move a...

When Linda Wilson started helping precariously housed people, there were 17 identified by the Point-in Time Count. That number is now closer to 700. The Executive Director of Shelter Nova Scotia says the need has never been greater. And she says even though they receive government support, they still need to fundraise. They're doing that through several campaigns including their Holiday Wish List....

Tim Houston's government says it is making progress in key areas of health care, but still have work to do. And ask any Nova Scotian about the state of our primary health care system, and you'll hear about wait times, or access to a family doctor. Brendan Maguire is the MLA for Halifax-Atlantic. He's the Liberal's Health and Wellness shadow minister, or critic. And today the opposition member says...

Francene Cosman has held many positions over her life. Cabinet Minister, Mayor of Bedford and business woman. But her first career began after graduating from nursing school in New Brunswick. And that chapter of her life right out out of high school is the focus of 'Nurse! a memoir' (OC Publishing). She discusses the way nurses were taught and the types of things they had to do in the 1960's, long...

In July, 24-year old Andrew Beaver of Halifax was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. A few weeks later, he found out about a clinical trial in Toronto involving a drug usually used to treat psoriasis and Cron's disease. Researchers say two of the four people that have completed the 18-month trial have eliminated the need for insulin. Andrew is now a few weeks into his trial and he doesn't know if he'...

It's a first for two Nova Scotia Universities as they move to help First Nations students on campus. Emily Pictou-Roberts has been named Resident Nsukwi’ (Auntie in Residence) at University of King's College and Mount Saint Vincent University. She is from the Mi’kmaw community of Millbrook First Nation. The role goves her the opportunity to provide cultural, emotional, and spiritual support for In...

On Monday, the federal government announced a program that will help provide funding to switch over from oil heat to a heat pump. Today, they announced a carbon tax that will see the price of gasoline, diesel and heating fuel rise next summer. For a perspective on these two issues, we speak with Chris Benjamin. He is the Energy Efficency Coordinator with the Ecology Action Center.

According to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), an average of 11 fish harvesters per year don’t make it home as a result of unsafe working conditions, and practices on board and around fishing vessels. And they say the vast majority of fishing fatalities are avoidable. The TSB has released Watchlist 2022 which identifies the key safety issues that need to be addressed. Over the last 30 years,...

More than 200 Black men are expected to come together this weekend in an event that promotes health and wellness among men of African descent. It's the first time since the pandemic that they'll be able to gather without any public health restrictions, something Duane Winter is excited by. He is the Community Liaison Coordinator with the Nova Scotia Brotherhood Initiative. The event is a safe spac...

It is a big move for Vicky Levack. The spokesperson and human rights advocate is no longer living in a nursing home. She is in a new apartment because of the Shared Services Project. That's where persons with physical disabilities can live independently in the community with 24-hour support. It's through Independent Living Nova Scotia (ILNS) and is a project four years in the making. Eventually, t...

Food inflation in Canada dropped in October, the first drop since October of 2021. But at 10.1%, it's still going to cost you more to fill the cupboard and fridge. And during waste reduction week, Halifax Regional Municipality is trying to educate us on food waste. According to Statistics Canada, 63% of the food Canadians throw away could have been eaten. That's about 140 kilograms of food worth a...

For some people, it's all about finding a way to laugh and have fun. But for others, there can be some topics that just aren't funny. Stand-up comedy has been a way for comics to poke fun at the rich and powerful. Or to bring a different perspective to a situation to show how absurd or ridiculous they might be. Carolyn Davis is a stand-up comedian in Halifax. And she was gracious enough to talk ab...

It started as a way for a shy 22-year old to show her appreciation to a stranger. And now, eight years later "We Are Young" (WAY) is a social enterprise connecting people to seniors in their community. Katie Mahoney is the co-founder of the charitable group in Halifax. They had been granting wishes to seniors for a few years prior to the pandemic lockdowns before they had to change up their action...

MLA's are heading back to their constituencies after the fall sitting of the Legislature wrapped up late Wednesday night. And while Premier Tim Houston heralded the work of modernizing government and protecting Nova Scotians from large power rate increases, the opposition has a different take. Claudia Chender is the Dartmouth South representative and leader of the NDP. She says government has left...

It was hard to escape the noise and fury that is American Politics in 2022. And with our largest trading partner facing a divided population, the midterm elections were called both a referendum on the US President and on democracy itself. What do the results mean to Canada-US-relations? For a look into that issue Dr. Don Abelson joins the conversation. He is the Director, Brian Mulroney Institute...

It all started as a way to open the floor to questions about race and racism because people were listening to dubious sources. Ajay Parasram is an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University. He and Mount Saint Vincent University Professor Alex Khansnabish came up with an idea to offer what they called Safe Space for White Questions. That ended up becoming a YouTube Channel and led them to their n...

Do you know who William Barker was? Are you aware of Brianna Ricketts and her accomplishments? Did you know Captain Jennifer Casey was the driving force behind Operation Inspiration? You will get a chance to learn about these and other Canadians who are a part of Pathway to the Stars. That is a special podcast production celebrating Canadian aviation in partnership with the Royal Canadian Air Forc...

The rest of that quote is "I don’t know where people find the time to hate.” It's attributed to Imam Hamzah Mangera and it's something he said during the funeral service for seven children, victims of a devastating Spryfield house fire in 2017. The Barho family and their loss is a focal point of a new book called "Eye of the Ocean - Stories of Love, Hope and Empathy" (Pottersfield Press). Janice L...

A social media post from a concerned mother raised the issues of a packed Emergency Department at the IWK. She was directed to take her child in after calling the medical 811 telephone line. And she says prepare for a long wait to get treatment. Doctor Emma Burns Interim Chief of the Emergency Department at the IWK. She says there are likley several reasons for the uptick in cases. And she adds th...