Examineradio - The Halifax Examiner Podcast

On what is one of the longest episodes in Examineradio's history, we devote almost the entire show to marking the auspicious occasion of the one-year anniversary of the Chronicle Herald strike. First we speak with veteran arts reporter about the cautious optimism surrounding the current round of negotiations between the union and management and the dearth of in-depth arts criticism in Halifax. We also speak with two experts in the newspaper industry and modern journalism: Robert McChesney is a professor of communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He's a co-founder of , an advocacy group that "...fights to ... curb runaway media consolidation, protect press freedom, and ensure diverse voices are represented in our media." He's also the co-author of .  is a media business analyst at the in Tampa, FL. Finally, CKDU's was at the demonstration in front of the Chronicle Herald offices this past Monday. She spoke with some of the striking workers as well as pol

On this week's episode we speak with editor and former provincial NDP candidate  about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit to Halifax this week. Why was the municipal government involved - and how much did it cost City Hall? Would there have been this level of involvement if Mayor Mike Savage wasn't a former Liberal MP? Also at the town hall-styled event was NSCC journalism instructor . After she tweeted a photo of her and her son waiting to get in, Ezra Levant used the photo to prove how mainstream media are in the Liberals' back pockets. Or some such nonsense. I mean, it's Ezra, right? 

This week we speak with Mount Allison sociologist and Halifax Examiner columnist, academic and activist about the public discussion surrounding the triple murder-suicide that rocked Halifax two weeks ago. Many media outlets were quick to seize on Lionel Desmond's military service and concluded that PTSD explained the horrific violence he committed without looking into other explanations.  Also, the CBC  showing that African Nova Scotians are three times more likely to be pulled over by Halifax Regional Police. Recent data from the provincial arm of the RCMP shows similar ratios. The response from those in charge? Kind of a big collective shrug.

This week we speak with regular Examineradio guest . Formerly a local journalist with Allnovascotia and the Daily News, Paul later went on to become the Chronicle Herald's Ottawa bureau correspondent. He now covers American politics in Washington, DC for Buzzfeed. The 2016 presidential election was his introduction to the world of US-styled elections. He may never be the same. Also, Upper Big Tracadie was rocked by a four-person murder-suicide. Plus, why is a large-scale stadium developer registering to do business in Halifax?

This week we speak with author . An ex-pat Australian, Gill cut his teeth as a journalist with the Vancouver Sun in the 1980s before moving on to produce documentaries for the CBC. In his 2016 book, , Gill explores the decimation of the newspaper industry — including right here in Halifax. He also looks at new journalistic ventures and enterprises around the world and wonders which of them might be a good fit in Canada. Also, we look at how the currently sitting half-built on Argyle Street could've ended up in a better-suited location where the Cogswell Interchange sits. 

The concept of a has been picking up steam across North America, with more than 140 cities in the United States having adopted such a measure. Currently, New Westminister, BC, is the only Canadian city to have passed such legislation, but the movement is gaining support across the country. In Halifax, organizations like the are leading the charge to have this adopted by city council. This week we speak with , President of CUPE Local 108, of the Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council about the practicalities of passing such an ordinance. We also talk to  of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The progressive think tank this week released a thorough  on living wage ordinances using Halifax and Antigonish as test markets. Finally, we look to the city of Lincoln, Nebraska - a city approximately the size of Halifax - which, in 2004, implemented a living wage ordinance for all city employees and all employees of firms with municipal contracts. We speak with Terry Werner, the former city council

This week with speak with , the Atlantic Assignment Editor for , about the province's - and the city's - slow march toward genuine accessibility for all its citizens. Also, the McNeil government and the Nova Scotia Teachers' Union agree to head back to the bargaining table just as the public sector union roundly reject the latest offer from the province. Plus, to be honoured on the $10 bill and Peter Kelly's probation continues. 

This week saw a meltdown at Province House of near epic proportions with Education Minister Karen Casey locking Nova Scotia students out of their own classrooms while insisting that teachers had to show up to teach ... I dunno, the dust motes? Joining us to try to make sense of this colossal clusterfuck is former cabinet minister and current CBC pundit .  

This week's episode revolves almost exclusively around the labour dispute between the Nova Scotia Teachers' Union and the provincial government. It seems as though the McNeil administration expected the teachers to roll over and take the first offer (and then the second), but the teachers have made it clear that imposed working conditions have put quality education on the backburner in favour of data entry and standardized testing. We speak with , President of the NSTU, , a community activist who works with Nova Scotia Parents for Teachers, and , a 17-year-old high school student who's organizing her fellow students in support of the teachers. The Halifax Examiner reached out to Education Minister Karen Casey to appear on this week's episode, but her office declined to be interviewed.

On this, episode 89 of Examineradio, we speak with long-time Halifax journalist and journalism professor . Over a wide-ranging interview, we look at the very real possibility that Halifax could become the largest city in Canada without a daily newspaper of record. Also, Halifax's has its opening date yet again, throwing dozens of conventions into chaos. This week also saw the city's 12th homicide of 2016, and we wait to see if the newly-elected council's commitment to a living wage ordinance has any teeth.

This week we speak with , veteran journalist and publisher of the , a rabblerousing alternative Halifax newspaper in the 60s and 70s. Basically, imagine a hippier Tim Bousquet. He currently publishes the blog .   Also, Nova Scotia teachers agree to head back to the bargaining table in advance of their December 3 walkout date, Halifax is rocked by another series of shootings, and the city decides to level Citadel Hill and silence the Noon Gun just as soon as they finish filling the harbour with rubble.

This week is a special Halifax Examiner episode. We look back on some of the highlights of nearly two years' worth of this podcast and radio show, including interviews with former MPs and Peter Stoffer, Toronto Star journalist and lawyer-turned-author . Plus, Tim reviews the performance of Halifax's newest city councillors at their first council meeting, a rare sighting of the ever-elusive MP , and they elected a bag of south of the border.  

This week we speak to Senator-Designate , recently appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Dr. Bernard has a long history of social research and activism, and was the first tenure-track African Nova Scotian professor at Dalhousie.   Also, Halifax is in mourning over the loss of close to 700 children in what police describe as "." And Linda Mosher lost her ballot recount bid after accepting some  from The Dawgfather aka. Halifax's Deep Throat. Seriously, you can't make this shit up sometimes.

is a lifelong journalist with stops at the Montreal Gazette and the Halifax Daily News. He's just released his debut novel, , a love letter to the craft of journalism. Also, Nova Scotia teachers are pissed and 200% of them have voted to strike, apparently.

is an economist with and a Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard University. In a , he trashes the Nova Scotia Liberal government's neoliberal austerity agenda. He argues that cutting government spending when the private sector is also belt-tightening is exactly the opposite of responsible economic stewardship. Also, we speak with four of the newly-elected city councillors: , , and . Each talks about how they're gearing up for joining council, how they hope to address a living-wage ordinance, and which councillor they'd most like to job shadow.

This week, Tim, Russell and The Coast's City Editor  go through the October 15 municipal election district by district. Who are the fresh new faces to watch for on city council? Will some long-standing councillors be unseated? Does Lil MacPherson have a shot at defeating current mayor Mike Savage? Who's making weird references to leopard-print intimate apparel? Tune in to this special, expanded Examineradio to find out!

Halifax Examiner Saturday columnist  speaks with , a noted History professor at the University of Waterloo and a member of the Order of Canada. Walker is the co-author of a recent (auto)biography of iconic black activist and lawyer Burnley "Rocky" Jones. Also, The Borg Ship has stalled out on Argyle Street, with an announcement this week that the beleaguered convention centre won't meet its projected April 1 opening date. This is the third deadline that developer Joe Ramia has missed. Ships may start here, but apparently conventions don't.

This week, Examineradio played host to an open forum for the candidates vying to replace Jennifer Watts in District 8. On hand were , , Patrick Murphy, , and Irvine Carvery. The seventh candidate, Martin Farrell, was not in attendance. The candidates fielded questions from Dalhousie professor , our own Tim Bousquet as well as members of the community about issues ranging from the seemingly unfettered development in the North End, food scarcity, council and city staff ethics, and youth retention in the HRM.

This week we speak to , current CEO of the and former Editor-In-Chief at the Globe & Mail about the current state of journalism in Canada and what can be done to stop the hemmorhaging of jobs and revenue. Also, of the Council of Canadians joins us to talk about developments at the on the Shubenacadie River. Plus, Citadel Hill isn't worthless, wilderness lands have value if they have a corporate name attached, and you can now fax bomb threats in when you need to get out of that chemistry test, apparently.

This week, alongside a number of international military warships and a crap-ton (sorry, crap-tonne) of cruise ships, the docked in the Halifax harbour, fresh off a tour in Nunavut. Examineradio contributor took a tour of the boat and spoke with some of its crew members. On Thursday, approximately 60 protesters gathered at Province House to demonstrate against natural gas caverns on the banks of the Shubenacadie River by Alton Gas.  Also, prospective councillors propose term limits for all City Council, Chronicle Herald shuts down the , and the Yarmouth Ferry is - unsurprisingly - expected to fall well short of its optimum numbers.