For a man who couldn't read or write, the Westray mine offered him a well paying job when there were few available. And thirty years later, the memories of that place and the people he worked with are still with Vernon Theriault. He was able to turn his anger at the company into action by lobbying the Federal Government for what ended up being Bill C-45, the Westray Bill. Although he says there hasn't been justice for the 26 men who died, he continues to fight for worker safety. The co-author of Westray: My Journey from Darkness to Light and the recipient of the Medal of Bravery, Theriault says he's inspired by their memories. And everyone deserves to be able to go home to their loved ones at the end of the workday. We open and close the conversation by discussing E.B. Anderson's new song about the tragedy called 26 Ghosts.

Emotions were high at times during the 19th day of testimony at the Mass Casualty Commission hearing in Dartmouth. The two RCMP officers involved in the friendly-fire incident at the Onslow Belmont Fire Hall were questioned and cross-examined. And the two officers involved with accessing the condition of victim Heather O'Brien were also questioned directly. It was the first time significant objections were raised by the lawyer representing the RCMP members. And one family member was frustrated enough to storm out over inconsistencies in witness statements. Lawyer and now legal commentator Adam Rodgers shares his thoughts on the long day of testimony and to the value cross-examination is adding to the process. He also weighs in on why the "trauma informed" approach was responsible for causing more harm in at least one example of the hearing investigating the deaths of so many Nova Scotians in April 2020.

May 1st-7th is Safety and Health Week in Nova Scotia. Along with raising awareness about physical and psychological healthy and safe workplaces, we have a chance to see the safety statistics from the past year. The Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia notes there were fewer people who lost time from work due to injury in 2021. But there are some jobs where you're more likely to be hurt than others that might come as a surprise along with the most prevalent types of injuries including PTSD. Along with the risks to an aging workforce, there were other revelations according to WCB CEO Stuart MacLean. We end the conversation with a look back 30 years to the lessons of the Westray Mine disaster and whether there's a chance something like that could ever happen again in Nova Scotia.

Some people in some communities were left behind at the start of the pandemic. It was a big issue when schools and workplaces shifted to being on-line and virtual. Not everyone had access to high-speed internet or devices to be able to connect. And that was a problem Matt Spurway wanted to help solve. He and a team of volunteers started making connections with community agencies to collect money and equipment to make a difference. That has now evolved into the not-for-profit agency known as Get Everyone Online or GEO Nova Scotia. And as executive director, Spurway says individually, it would be tough to solve the access issue. But they are growing and finding more partners and funding to help make a difference through the "stone soup" principle.

It didn't take long for out of province residents to mount a formal campaign against the Nova Scotia non-resident tax. That's the 2-dollar-per-100 assessment for properties owned by people who don't live in them. There are some conditions, like renting to Nova Scotians that would exempt them from being assessed the extra charge. But that hasn't stopped the numerous letters-to-the-editors and opinion pieces being published about the practice. It's not entirely clear if this is about freeing up more housing supply, or providing the province with another revenue stream. Nova Scotia isn't the first, or only, jurisdiction to enact a policy like this. But there's a question about what other action the government could have taken to achieve their goals. Dr. Ren Thomas was the co-author of a report on affordable housing. She's also an associate professor in the School of Planning at Dalhousie University.

If you have ever spent any time speaking with Pam Mood, you'd be forgiven for jumping to conclusions. The Mayor of Yarmouth is known for her optimism and cheery disposition and for speaking her mind on issues. But what is less well known is her experience living with depression and anxiety. It's something that she's speaking openly about during Mental Health Week. Mood is one of the participants in the Canadian Mental Health Association's Empathy in Action speaker series. Her conversation will be about her mental health journey with a frank and honest look at life in the limelight while coping with depression.

Living through a global pandemic has been difficult for many of us over the past two years. And experts have recognized the challenges isolation and lock downs have had on our ability to cope and thrive. The Canadian Mental Health Association is about to mark Mental Health Week. The event has been held during the first week in May for more than seven decades. This year, they are holding a week long series of online conversations called Empathy in Action. And among the nine mental health advocates who are scheduled to speak is Sam Madore. She is the host of the podcast "Let Me Overthink About It". In this conversation, she shares how the loss of her mother affected her. And also, the impact we can all have when we open up and are honest about our own struggles and challenges.

Retirement has been anything but quiet for Jean-Michel Blais. He left his post as the Chief of Halifax Regional Police in 2019, after a six year term. Before that, he'd spent 25 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His career highlights have included three tours with the United Nations in Haiti. And he's also found and developed another passion on the ice as a hockey referee. He says all of his experiences have been distilled down to the characteristics a good leader needs to be able to lead well in these challenging and complex times. The result is his new book “Working the Blue Lines: Lessons in leadership from hockey and policing".

An advisory panel has found leaders in Canada's military have failed to address discrimination and systemic racism. Their report was recently released along with 13 proposals to remove barriers and change the culture in the Canadian Armed Forces. There's a long tradition of military service by Black Nova Scotians. The Black Cultural Centre has been working to educated all of us on that history, including the No. 2 Construction Battalion. The Centre's Executive Director, Russell Grosse says a significant event is happening later this summer to address historical injustices, and give proper credit to the only Black Battalion in Canada's Military history.

Too many children in Nova Scotia are being held back from reaching their full potential and are being left behind. That is one of the conclusions of a new report from researchers at Dalhousie University. One in five children and youth are living in food-insecure housing or the felt unsafe or threatened at school due to bullying. That had them reporting low life satisfaction. Doctor Laura Stymiest is a pediatrician and is director of Advocacy for Children and Youth at Dalhousie's Department of Pediatrics. She is a co-author of the report titled One Chance to be a Child. Dr. Stymiest discusses some of the research that went into the report and the hope that it helps direct policy and decision making in Nova Scotia. The observations and recommendations are being viewed through a child-rights lens developed by the United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child. The report and its recommendations can be viewed here: https://www.onechancens.ca/