Opinionated

Nova Scotia’s approach to data protection remains stuck in the past

The government’s blasé attitude to securing sensitive data is pretty galling, even by provincial standards.

by Michael Karanicolas on January 16, 2019 at 11:37AM

On Tuesday, Catherine Tully, Nova Scotia’s information and privacy commissioner, released her report into the massive data breach of the province’s Freedom of Information web portal, which revealed that the leak was far more damaging than first reported, and included not just social insurance numbers, but also “extremely sensitive personal information” such as medical information and reports of child abuse. The government’s blasé attitude to securing this sensitive data was pretty galling, even by Nova Scotian standards.

Forget about commuter rail

Here's a better way to improve HRM's transportation needs.

by Martyn Williams on January 10, 2019 at 4:25AM

An unrivalled 21st century commute, right? Right.

Totem poles and online threats

None of my writings has resulted in violent threats quite like my comment on NHL imagery.

by Rebecca Thomas on January 3, 2019 at 4:27PM

In 2017, I wrote a poem called “What Good Canadians Do” for the Canada 150 events that were held on the Halifax Common. It was a part of my official duties as the city’s poet laureate.

Alternative Christmas plans

Some ideas for how to spend your holidays when everyone else in town is busy with family.

by Vaughn Stafford Gray on December 21, 2018 at 12:07PM

The yuletide season can be festive, delightful and frustrating all at once. From terrible Secret Santas (really, hand sanitizer?)

Support the artists that create your fantasies

Porn can be deviant and still be ethical. That starts with paying performers.

by Leslie Greening on December 20, 2018 at 4:03AM

You’re probably a thief. If you’re not a thief, you have knowingly benefited from the work of another thief.

On journalism and biting the hand that feeds you

Making the news industry dependent on tax credits risks giving a future government leverage to keep reporters in line.

by Michael Karanicolas on November 29, 2018 at 4:46AM

define professional journalism.” But who will choose the members of this panel, and what safeguards will be put in place to protect its independence? Just a few years ago, Stephen Harper’s government used the tax breaks that Canada grants to charities as a weapon to attack his critics, particularly environmental groups.

Gender reveal redux

Acceptance and invisibility at the Transgender Day of Remembrance flag raising.

by Laura Shepherd on November 22, 2018 at 4:10AM

I still remember the “No Gay Tories” headline in the Herald, about 1985, when some Tory cabinet minister openly mused that the government was justified in cautiously approaching gay rights and protection of those with HIV from discrimination because, after all, there weren’t any gays in the Tory party. The comment pandered to the doddering, nodding heads of the status quo.

A war on every front

The Dog Island crew explore the Halifax International Security Forum.

by Andrew Neville on November 22, 2018 at 4:07AM

Except it is not 1996. It is 2018 and it is 6:18am on a Saturday.

Sharing nudes: Advice for all the Tony Clements out there

You don’t need to be the Annie Leibowitz of dick pics but some thought goes a long way.

by Leslie Greening on November 15, 2018 at 4:30AM

On Tuesday, November 7, amid the Ameri- can midterm election results starting to roll in, Conservative MP Tony Clement issued a statement admitting to sharing nude images online with a person other than his wife. This came as no shock to many twenty-something women who quickly took to Twitter to share stories of creepy Instagram behaviour such as late night, deep-dive picture-liking by the Tory heavyweight.

Halifax is not Canada’s Black Mecca

In Toronto, the racism we endured was more sophisticated and subliminal. In Nova Scotia, it’s brazen.

by Tundé Balogun on November 8, 2018 at 4:07AM

Growing up in Toronto we all thought of Nova Scotia as Canada’s Black Mecca. My parents, like so many others, were Black immigrants born either in Africa or the Caribbean.

The Coast Halifax