Mainstreet Halifax

Liguist and Mi'kmaw elder Bernie Francis tells Mainstreet's producer Alex Mason about some of the things he learned from his elders, as a child and a young man. And he talks about the word a'tukwaqnn, which can be translated into Engilsh as "stories treasured up." Bernie wrote The Language Of This Land, Mi'kma'ki with Trudy Sable.

A new documentary called "So You Want to Be a Muslim" follows the journeys of five North Americans who embrace Islam. The film reveals that faith among Muslims is just as diverse as it is among Christians, Jews, and people of other religions. "So You Want to Be a Muslim" streams on CBC Gem starting Wednesday. The director, Hoda Elatawi, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about it.

"...along with landscape & fire management strategies." Sian Kou-Giesbrecht from Dalhousie University's department of Earth & Environmental Sciences tells guest host Preston Mulligan about two studies she co-authored, modeling the impact of climate change on wildfires worldwide, and effects on human mortality.

The third annual Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) conference is taking place next month. The event will take place at the Halifax Tower Hotel on November 8th and will feature talks from people with lived experience and ways we can address FASD in Nova Scotia. The conference is put on by the organization Fetal Alcohol Nova Scotia, which was founded by Allan Mountford and Rochelle Howlett. Allan is a retired educator, and Rochelle is a parent and advocate for families with FASD. Mainstreet's Alex Guye gave them both a call and she began by asking Allan to explain how FANS was founded.

Mayor Ron Chisholm speaks with guest host Preston Mulligan about what's happening, where he thinks the coyotes are coming from, and his concerns for public safety.

The Concrete Garden Association was created with a vision of celebrating and supporting emerging, African Nova Scotian artists. To find out more about how the Concrete Garden came into existence, who this is for and where it's headed, the associations founders Felicity Wright and Sheldon Morris join host Jeff Douglas.

Last week we spoke Saint Mary's University Senior Research Fellow, Rachel Zellars, about the report that has been issued by the Saint Mary's Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group. The data presented in “Understanding the Challenges of the Black Community at Saint Mary’s University" is derived from interviews conducted with dozens of Black students, staff and faculty at SMU over a two year period, and documents a broad failure and abandonment of institutional commitments to Black students, faculty and staff. The report is available to all via the SMU Black Students' Society Instagram account. The link is in the group's bio. Topaz Nnani is President of the SMU African Student Society. After this interview aired, we reached back out to SMU and received this response: "We look forward to reviewing in detail the report and recommendations of the Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group. Saint Mary’s University is committed to supporting our Black community."

The nine time Juno award winning band, Arkells, are back on tour across Canada right now. And their first stop is Halifax on October 18th. Lead vocalist Max Kerman spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about the tour and to hear more about the band itself. Max started by explaining what inspired the song, Big Feelings.

When a smartphone app called "Healthy Minds Program" challenged Jeff Douglas to change the way he thinks about change, Jeff decided to give Dr Stan Kutcher a call. The app is free and available in app stores from Healthy Minds Innovations. NY Times' Wirecutter reviewers ranked it one of the four best meditation apps in October, 2024.

Professor Teresa Morgan studies Christianity to the year 500CE. She speaks with guest host Preston Mulligan ahead of her Catholic Studies Public Lecture at Saint Mary's University on October 17th.