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 they've changed up their primary triage to make sure the sickest kids are being seen. She says the numbers are record setting, and it's taking a toll on the teams in place. But they are doing what they trained for, and that is helping others. Dr. Burns also adds her guidance for what to look for to know if you need to go to emerge, and why RSV is a more common viral infection than many people realize.

The President of the union representing Halifax Police Officers says he was surprised by the level of engagement, but not the outcome. And the members voted almost unanimously to say they've lost confidence in Chief Dan Kinsella. Sergeant Dean Stienburg is with the Halifax Regional Police Association. And he says this isn't about popularity, it's about their operations and how the members feel there isn't a focus on solving crimes or crime prevention . In this conversation, Stienburg discusses how they got to this point, and where they want to get to in the future.

It was a small gesture of kindness for the people in the wing of the nursing home where she was volunteering. And from that first year, Nicole Martelle has been able to grow it from a handful of donated blankets, to more than 600. The Bedford woman has been accepting homemade and store bought blankets to hand out to people in long term care facilities in Halifax since 2017. And the campaign that was just kicked off runs from November 1st until December 10th, 2022.

We all know the price of everything has been going up over the last year. But post-secondary students say we have more to learn about how big their struggle is. Students from across the maritimes are launching something they're calling "More than Tuition". Lydia Houck is the Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia. She says when the maximum amount you can get to cover rent is $500 a month, that means something somewhere else will have to be cut. She says the student assistance program needs to be modernized since many of the full time students are also working full time jobs. This is an important conversation for parents of university aged kids and for politicians and policy makers.

Despite the dominance of digital options, there are still people who prefer to curl up with an old fashioned book printed on paper. It never needs charging and it still works when the power is out. And the power of the printed word is the focus of 'Atlantic Books Today'. For the last 30 years, the magazine has been featuring regional books that shine a spotlight on burning issues. And for their 30th edition, they are focusing on environmental literature. Chris Benjamin may be moving on from his role as editor, but he says the book industry in the region is in a good place. This edition of the magazine also includes an expanded digital edition featuring author interviews and a transcript of Sheldon MacLeod's conversation with Talk Show host and author Rick Howe.

The good news is that the rate of inflation is slowing. The bad news is that food prices are still increasing at levels not seen since 1981. And with the price of everything on the rise, there are more people looking to find ways of saving money on their grocery bill. "Saving with Gail" is a private Facebook group that has close to 30,000 members. The community posts about deals, discounts and links to coupons and ways to keep more of your money in your pocket. Gail Quigley, who started the group years ago, has had to step back in recent years. And Chris Bainbridge has stepped in to take on some of the administration duties on the social media account. She shares some of the ways you can save in this conversation from her home in Big Bras d'Or.

For more than 30 years, Stepping Stone has been offering out reach and support to sex workers in Halifax and Dartmouth. And they've moved locations several times over the years. They're now hoping their new location will be a more permanent home. The Board of Directors and staff have announced the purchase of an office building in North End Dartmouth. The two-story on Primrose Street will be their permanent home soon and will allow them to expand their current programs and launch new initiatives. Alex MacDonnell is the Executive Director for the feminist, charitable, non-profit association that is the only one of its kind in the Maritimes. And she discussed the opportunities this new building will offer them. She also talks about how the pandemic has impacted sex work and how changing the laws would offer more protection for workers.

It's their main fundraiser for the social programs operated by the Halifax-Dartmouth chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). And the theme this year is "Together Again" since it's the first event since they had to adjust and move online because of the pandemic. The event features art work on display online and at the Craig Gallery at Alderney Landing. Marg Murray is the Branch Co-Manager and the Building Bridges Coordinator for CMHA Halifax-Dartmouth. The group works to help people access to the resources they need to maintain and improve mental health, community integration and resilience. And she describes how they do that and how this fundraiser happens with the support of artists, ceramic tiles and the people who support them through this annual event. And she gives a preview of their preparations for the upcoming 25th annual event in 2023.

A week ago, an RCMP officer was photographed wearing the controversial "Thin Blue Line patch". Saint Mary's University Criminology Professor Stephen Schneider wrote a piece about the history of the patch in a piece for Saltwire. Recently, the non-profit Angus Reid Institute released a survey showing fewer than half of Canadians say they have faith in the RCMP. And today, people in a residential Halifax neighbourhood are being critical of how Halifax Police dealt with a person in a truck that had been reported stolen. Schneider says there's a lot going on with the conversations around defunding and defending police in the age of mainstream and social media.

In a recent survey on affordability, Halifax ranked dead last on the list of 27 cities examined in the study. And folks at Phoenix Youth Programs say things will likely get worse before they get better. But Rob Morris is still optimistic. The group's Director of Residential Programs says there's an opportunity for governments at all levels to work with non-government-organizations to move housing from being commodities to becoming a basic human right. And housing is only part of the solution to the challenges facing young people in Halifax and across Nova Scotia.