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Here’s my periodic awkward attempt to convince you to value the Halifax Examiner. THREAD
It’s only Wednesday, but this week has already been quite fruitful, with 20 articles published since Sunday. 2/
The week started with @skimber's piece on Liberal MLAs who refuse to respond to citizens’ concerns about school reopening https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/is-your-school-safe-to-reopen-dont-ask-your-lapdog-liberal-mla/ 3/
On Monday, I wrote about how we’ll probably see a lot of advisories about potential COVID exposure the next couple of weeks https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/were-probably-going-to-get-a-lot-of-advisories-about-potential-covid-exposure-this-week/ 4/
. @zwoodford wrote about an artist in Dartmouth who works on guerrilla street projects https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-hall/a-dartmouth-artist-went-rogue-with-his-second-guerrilla-road-safety-project-the-city-called-the-cops/ 5/
And then I published a “Dead Wrong Extra” about Robin Hartrick’s problematic evidence against Glen Assoun https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/dead-wrong-extra-robin-hartricks-very-problematic-evidence-against-glen/ 6/
On Tuesday, @joan_baxter profiled a group of citizens who “occupied” North Mountain in order to stop spraying herbicides in their neighbourhood https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/occupy-north-mountain/ 7/
Those citizens, incidentally, were successful https://twitter.com/joan_baxter/status/1301236037814026247?s=20 Maybe attention from the Examiner had something to do with it? 8/
Also on Tuesday, @ydentremont wrote about food waste during COVID https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/environment/because-of-the-pandemic-were-cooking-more-at-home-were-also-wasting-a-lot-more-food/ 9/
. @ydentremont also wrote about children’s anxiety about going back to school: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/psychologist-parents-shouldnt-let-their-anxiety-over-school-reopening-spook-their-children/ 10/
In Morning File on Tuesday, @Suzanne_Rent did a deep dive into speeding on Halifax Streets https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/where-are-the-speeders-in-hrm-everywhere-apparently/ 11/
And @zwoodford looked at what sure appears to be discriminatory zoning of land around the School for Colored Children https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-hall/is-halifax-delaying-affordable-and-seniors-housing-development-next-to-the-old-nova-scotia-home-for-colored-children/ 12/
. @dartjenhen broke the news that the legislature’s Health and Public Accounts Committees will resume meeting https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/after-long-hiatus-the-legislatures-health-and-public-accounts-committees-are-going-to-meet-next-week/ 13/
. @zwoodford updated us on Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-hall/council-asks-for-staff-report-on-committee-to-shepherd-blue-mountain-birch-cove-lakes-park/ 14/
Today, Wednesday, @zwoodford reported on Halifax council’s approval of backyard suites: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-hall/halifax-council-approves-secondary-and-backyard-suites-following-public-hearing/ 15/
And @zwoodford also followed council’s struggle over pedestrian push buttons, and importantly, contradictory figures on vehicular fatalities https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-hall/halifax-councillor-unsatisfied-with-staff-reports-on-pedestrian-push-buttons-and-other-road-safety-measures-points-to-internal-transportation-crisis/ 16/
. @dartjenhen updated us on the very slow march towards better high-speed internet in rural areas https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/progress-is-being-made-in-bringing-high-speed-internet-to-rural-nova-scotia-but-the-pace-is-frustratingly-slow/ 17/
And then the Examiner broke the story of Fatouma and Abdoul Abdi’s lawsuit against the province, alleging repeated physical and sexual abuse while children in provincial custody: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/fatouma-and-abdoul/ 18/
Related to the Abdis’ lawsuit, El Jones has an in-depth look at the struggles of Fatouma Abdi: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/there-was-no-care/ 19/
And that was all before Morning File, in which @PhilMoscovitch looks at St. Joseph Cemetery https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/the-abdi-siblings-speak-out/ 20/
And since then, @zwoodford reported on the new calculation for a living wage in Halifax: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-hall/canadian-centre-for-policy-alternatives-updates-living-wage-for-halifax-to-21-80/ 21/
and ZANE follows up on his award-winning work at Star Halifax (RIP) on lead in the water, with a report on how the province has failed to meet its deadline for notifying the public about lead in schools: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/province-breaks-commitment-to-publish-results-of-schools-lead-testing-union-raises-concerns-about-availability-of-drinking-water/
Then, just now, @ydentremont reported on how the Abdi story underscores the need for a provincial child and youth advocate (NS is one of only 2 provinces without one) https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/province-house/social-workers-say-the-abdis-story-underscores-need-for-a-child-and-youth-advocate/ /23
If I say so myself, that’s a boatload of important work for tiny operation like the Halifax Examiner, and that’s even with me being behind: I’m editing two important investigative pieces, and I have a 3rd, from myself, in the works. 24/
I hope you’re as impressed with this work as I am proud of it. We’re committed to keeping up the pace, best we can, and we put all available resources into reporting 25/
We aren’t paying hedge fund owners in the United States. We don’t have a gaggle of middle managers pulling in 6 figures. My own personal profits, such as they are, are mostly dumped back into the operation, to expand and hire more reporters 26/
Which is to say, your subscriptions and donations have a very high return on investment, if by “return” you mean high quality news coverage. 27/
We couldn’t have done this without you! It’s appreciated, more than you know. And we can do even more, if more people would subscribe. 28/
If you support this work, and you’re able, please subscribe: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/subscription-account/subscription-levels/ 29/
You can also make one-time contributions here: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/donate/ 30/
Thank you for hearing me out, and thanks for your support. I will now return to falling behind on work :) /END
