Meagan Byrd

Halifax regional councillor says ‘failure is not an option’ on climate action

A three-per-cent tax increase is a small price to pay to address a climate emergency, say environmental advocates.

Halifax regional council voted on Friday to draft the preliminary 2022-23 budget to include a three-per-cent tax hike to the average tax bill. It’s to pay for projects included in HalifACT 2050, the city’s climate change plan.

The tax hike, which isn’t final, is combined with a general increase of 2.9 p

Mayor Mike Savage is hoping to soften the hit to next year’s tax bill as budget discussions begin at Halifax City Hall.

Ahead of the budget committee meeting Tuesday, municipal finance staff proposed a 5.9 per cent increase to the average commercial and residential tax bills.

Savage introduced an amendment during the meeting to look at options to limit the increase to 3.7 per cent.

“I don’t like handing out intergenerational debt,” he said.

The average increase of 5.9 per cent translates to

Statistics show emergency calls for overdose up 73 per cent across Canada in two years

Harm reduction educator Katie Upham says the effects of COVID-19 are driving a rise in overdoses in Nova Scotia.

“COVID absolutely exacerbated a problem that already existed,” said Upham, who works with the Substance User Network of the Atlantic Region.

Upham describes herself as someone with lived experience, meaning she has “experience using substances in the past.”

“There are many people that I know who

New Beechville subdivision to be built in area of historic Black homesteads

The Lovett Lake subdivision in Beechville got another step closer to reality on Tuesday.

The Halifax and West community council passed a motion to consider changes to the development agreement and to schedule a public hearing.

The proposed changes include adding 15 acres of land to the development site which include creating a second road to access St. Margaret’s Bay Road and two parkland areas. It would also add an e