There are still family pets that are in the care of the Nova Scotia SPCA weeks after the wildfires across the province. Sarah Lyon says there are families that are still trying to find pet-friendly places to live. And throughout the ordeal, she says there isn’t a big enough way to thank all of the people who stepped up to help. She also says the pet reunions have been heartwarming. Lyon adds they could still use donations and volunteers to help keep the animals safe and loved.

Anger still percolates through the community around Bridgewater, fifteen years after the murder of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau. Sherri Aikenhead was working in the Nova Scotia Department of Justice when Penny Boudreau pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of her daughter. She vowed to someday tell that story and she has in her new true crime book called Mommy Don’t: From Mother to Murderer / The True Story of Penny and Karissa Boudreau. This week marks the fifteenth anniversary of the charge being laid. It also gives Penny the opportunity to apply for early parole under the so-called Faint Hope Clause. That is a since released statutory provision that allowed prisoners who have been sentenced to life imprisonment with a parole eligibility period of greater than 15 years to apply for early parole once they have served 15 years. Aikenhead reflects on the writing of the book, the chance for parole and her thoughts on the impacts felt on the community a decade and a half later.

The joy in seeing his classmates is undeniable. And the struggle of being apart from them is only part of the concern Lian’s parents have. They’re also worried about him falling behind the longer school support workers are off the job. HIs father, Kevin Cunningham, shared a video of him waving to the kids on the bus recently and how much he's missing his routine. And he shares his thoughts on the value of inclusion and the role Educational Program Assistants play in the education of the 600 students with disabilities in Halifax.

More than 130 members of the legal community in Canada are asking the Prime Minister to deny an extradition request from France. It centres around a 69-year old Lebanese Canadian university professor. Dr. Hassan Diab was convicted in absentia in a trial held in France earlier this year where he was sentenced to life in prison. It was for the 1980 bombing of a synagogue in Paris that killed four and wounded 46 people. Dalhousie Law Professor Robert Currie is among those people calling on the government to end fifteen years of manifest injustice in the case. And he explains why the evidence presented in the case would never have stood in Canada and why our government needs to review its extradition laws. Because, what happened to Dr. Diab, could happen to other Canadians.

As more people are allowed to return to their homes, others are finding out they don’t have a home to return to. And the impacts of the wildfires will be felt for months and years to come. United Way Halifax has launched a fundraising appeal that has already collected more than $800,000. And that’s before the Friday night concert event at Scotiabank Centre. Deborah Page with United Way talks about the ways they will be helping people. And Matt Mays describes how it came together and why he and others wanted to give back to the community.

It may sounds contradictory, but it’s a sign of the times. Nurses across the country have been working short and that means long hours and cancelled vacations. That is putting pressure on the people charged with caring for us when we need them the most. Linda Silas is the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. They are currently gathered at a convention in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. She took some time to reflect on the challenges in health care and offer suggestions on how governments can be better supporters of these front line workers.

Many of the men and women on the front lines of the wildfires wouldn’t call themselves heroes. They are doing the job they signed up for and have a sense of pride in that and helping their friends and neighbours. The Tema Foundation says they knew that their tagline might not be the one that First Responders would chose themselves. But Colleen Kamps says it’s about helping the helpers and that’s how many people in this province feel about the job they’ve done. She’s a Registered Psychotherapist with Tema. And she discusses the campaign and how they are hoping to help all of the helpers, no matter what job or volunteer position they’ve held.

Our homes are where we feel safe and secure. And when they are threatened, or destroyed, it can be devastating emotionally. This week, thousands of Nova Scotians were given orders to pack up and leave their homes immediately. And that is something Dr. Simon Sherry says will have an impact on people for years to come. He is a clinical psychologist in Halifax who says providing support through family and friends is crucial in these early days. And he says offers comments on the parallels to the recent pandemic and the need for governments to invest more in helping people with their mental health and wellness.

It’s a referral and resource service that’s been available to Nova Scotians for about a decade. And it’s not one that many people are familiar with. Ashley Mitchell is the Director of Service Delivery for 211 Nova Scotia. What kind of information do they supply? She says just about anything you would Google for local help, their call takers can probably give you information about. And she says they’re ready to help in the aftermath of the recent wildfires.

Imagine a knock on your door from someone telling you to gather your stuff and go because a wildfire is headed your way. It’s a scenario that played out for hundreds of homeowners in the Halifax area in the last twenty four hours. And while there may be fewer people living in Shelburne County, they are dealing with a wildfire that’s ten times as large as the one in HRM. Sam Brannen posted a video to her social media page recently as she was capturing what could have been the last images of her Clyde River home as they evacuated. It’s still standing, and she has some advice for all of us who think “it will never happen to me”.