While the year-over-year inflation rate slowed to just over 5 percent in February, food inflation is double that. And that’s cutting into everyone’s budget these days. Last month, the CEO’s of Canada’s major food retailers were called to testify in front of a Parliamentary committee. It was an event labelled by some as little more than political theatre. Sunil Sarwal is a bit of an insider in the food world in Canada. He’s a brand strategist with a Canadian marketing and design company. He shares his thoughts on what’s happening and why the wrong questions were asked of the companies in this time of record setting profits.

An incident at a Halifax area high school sent two staff members to hospital and a 15-year old student in custody. Along with serious criminal charges, he was also injured in the incident that is highlighting the concerns over violence in schools in Nova Scotia. It’s one of the areas of concern for members of the group known as Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education. Stacey Rudderham is one of the founders of the group who says communication between parents and the school community is failing everyone involved. And she says people are crying for leadership and cooperation for the kids in the classrooms and the adults who are there to support them.

Premier Tim Houston announced a $10,000 retention incentive for nurses on the eve of the spring sitting of the Legislature. And with the upcoming provincial budget, this session will be all about funding, healthcare and priorities. And both opposition parties are ready. Zach Churchill is the leader of Nova Scotia’s Liberal Party. And Claudia Chender is the head of the New Democratic Party in Nova Scotia. Here’s a conversation about their jobs as they sit across from a majority government elected on a promise to fix health care.

The head of the association representing thousands of Nova Scotia firefighters had no idea what the announcement was for. But Chief Greg Jones says the $10-thousand one-time grant for all volunteer, First Nations and Ground Search and Rescue operations is certainly welcome. This is the second consecutive year the Progressive Conservative Government has handed out the money for First Responder agencies. And once again, it comes without any conditions or strings attached. This conversation starts with Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River MLA Dave Ritcey who made the announcement on behalf of government. And it concludes with FSANS President Jones on the need for more help and a long-term vision and plan for the service in Nova Scotia.

It’s part of a plan to address both a shortage of essential workers and the lack of housing, especially in rural Nova Scotia. The government has announced a total of $20 Million dollars to buy modular housing and move it on to provincially owned land. This will provide temporary housing for health care and other skilled workers that are in high demand right now. Stephan Richard is Executive Director, Housing Solutions and Development with the Department of Housing. He explains the partnership and the plan while tempering expectations for these temporary homes.

It’s not about influencing politicians. It’s about showing Nova Scotians there are different ways to look at how tax dollars are spent based on what our goals are as a society. Dr. Christine Saulnier is the director of the Nova Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. And she’s also a co-author of a document called the Nova Scotia Alternative Budget 2023: Leave No One Behind. In this conversation, she discusses the birth of this movement and how this document is a way to deal with the health care crisis, social and economic inequalities and how to benefit the many, not the few. She also offers her thoughts on the Federal and Provincial announcement of funding for Michelin Tire in Nova Scotia.

At the end of March, a request for proposals for development of Blockhouse Hill in Lunenburg will close. And Mayor Matt Risser says there has always been the intention of sharing those plans with residents before any approvals are given. Some residents say there hasn’t been enough consultation or transparency throughout the process. They’re also asking for a plebiscite or a public meeting over the plans. Risser says there’s always an opportunity to improve communications. And the ultimate plebescite happens during municipal elections.

A piece of legislation passed in 2002 called The Lunenburg Commons Act was helped clarify the public use of a 22-acre parcel called Blockhouse Hill. That was property set aside after the settlement of the town in 1753. In 2017, the Liberal MLA for Lunenburg introduced amendments to that act, allowing the elected representatives to make the property available for development. And not surprisingly, many people who are finding out about this now are not pleased. Paula Rennie is one of those residents who says they are still organizing to come up with a strategy. She says not every decision council makes should be up for a public vote or a plebiscite. But she says it’s different when those plans interrupt a 270 year old promise.

Part A of a project that has been years in the making was given the go-ahead by Halifax Regional Municipality this week. It’s an initiative to address the fact that HRM has a household food insecurity index that is higher than the provincial and national average at 18.6 percent. This Action Plan for Food is about helping producers and consumers come together in a time where there are supply chain and geographical access issues. More Vail is the Community Food coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, the agency that was a co-chair in the development of the plan from the beginning.

On the surface, it looks like a great news headline about the reduction of child poverty in Nova Scotia. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in Nova Scotia revealed the data in its annual report card. But co-author Dr. Lesley Frank says it’s the result of bold and direct financial assistance that came from the federal COVID measures. And those were temporary, just like the reduction in child poverty. The Acadia University professor also says there needs to be a plan moving forward using the data gleaned from this report and the most recent Census. And if we don’t pay now, we’ll pay a lot more later.