Halifax police say they made one arrest during protests over sexual education and L-G-B-T-Q policies in schools. Police estimate about one-thousand-200 people made their way through the streets to the Grand Parade in the city’s downtown yesterday. They say a 16-year-old was arrested and faces charges of assault with a weapon, mischief for property damage and causing a disturbance.
Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador saw the fastest-growing rent prices among Canadian provinces in August. Statistics Canada’s consumer price index report says Nova Scotia rents went up by an average of 9.5 per cent in August, compared with last year. The report says higher interest rates are making it difficult for people to buy homes, which is putting pressure on the rental market.
Nova Scotia’s Liberal Opposition is calling on the government of Premier Tim Houston to remove the provincial portion of H-S-T on new rental builds. The Liberals note that governments of all political stripes have followed Ottawa’s lead on this policy, in light of the shortages of housing. The Progressive Conservative government hasn’t yet weighed in on whether it will dovetail its policies with Ottawa on the taxation of new housing construction. Industry experts have said that housing starts need to triple in Nova Scotia to keep up with population growth.
The top R-C-M-P officer in Nova Scotia says the force’s planned apology to the province’s Black community for street checks should have occurred some time ago. Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley says he’s realized since taking office in late 2022 that the Mounties have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with the province’s Black citizens. The R-C-M-P announced Tuesday that it will issue a formal apology and follow-up action plan by next year, after they hold a series of 14 meetings with the Black community. Halifax Regional Police chief offered a formal apology in November 2019 to the Black community for street checks and other injustices.
Citizens on Patrol is seeking new volunteers province-wide. The Citizens on Patrol Program is a partnership between police and volunteers that helps ensure safe homes and safe communities. COP volunteers are trained by the RCMP and contribute a minimum of four volunteer hours each month — being the eyes and ears of their community and contacting RCMP for police response if they observe anything unlawful or suspicious.
In the Maritime Junior Hockey League last night, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers beat Amherst 6-5 in a shootout.
