My Take with Sheldon MacLeod

It is devastating and heartbreaking to see the people affected by the losses from the wildfires in Nova Scotia. And it is heartwarming and inspiring to see the response from caring people who want to make a difference.

Firefighters have been on the scene of fires across the province over the last few weeks. Those and the three raging out of control are all likely the result of human activity. When there seems to be no penalty for violating the fire ban, it ends up costing all of us. And some, a lot more than others.

We often hear about preparing for hurricanes and winter storms and being able to be on your own for at least 72 hours. Not many of us think about being told to leave our homes and not come back for three days because of the danger. And there's lots of good advice coming from some of the 16,000 Nova Scotians who have had that recent experience.

It's shocking how quickly we can be pulled out of our lives by something unexpected or out of control. And in the case of the wildfires, we can be grateful that so far no one has been injured — or worse.

She didn't try and make her case to the public. Instead, Hope Swinimer was prepared to defend her actions and her reputation in a courtroom this week. And in the end, the Crown and the Judge delivered justice to the woman who has committed her life to helping animals.

Someone in the audience asked about getting people to talk about a horrific crime against a child. And in the end, the people who shared their stories helped get the truth on the record about the girl who will forever be 12-years old.

No public inquiry but public meetings. And that recommendation into the allegatitions of electoral interference by the Chinese puts the Prime Minister between a rock and a hard place.

It may be a distinction without a difference. The pandemic is no longer a global health emergency but COVID-19 isn't gone. And it seems most of us weren't waiting on the announcement that passed by without any major fanfare.

There are somethings in life that are unavoidable. And as a society, we talk a lot about taxes. Death; not so much. And maybe for some things, the old ways helped us make sense of things in the circle of life.

This week I met a former soldier who is living in Nova Scotia. And he and a few others have formed a group to support each other and to serve people in need. And he and the folks with The Strayboar Project are interested in doing something that seems unheard of these days.

Another scathing report from the Auditor General about the work of the office of the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal. And my guess is that they know there are areas that need improvement, but they also aren't likely to say why they can't fill their mandate. And it comes down to oversight and resources.

For some reason, some people felt the need to go off on a Hammonds Plains business for passing along a deal on some food that was at the edge of the "durable life date". Canadians have a habit of wasting food, and for owner Jacob Bussey to catch hell for helping is just distasteful.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. A bad plan is better than no plan at all. Don't be scared, be prepared. There's no shortage of sayings and clever phrases when it comes to being prepared. And it's a simple message we should all take to heart, especially this week.

Unless you have visited one, it's tough to imagine what life is like for the staff and residents of a long-term care facility. And after I went to visit someone this week, I realized it was both eye-opening and enlightening for me.

He died at 26, thinking he'd be able to donate his tissues to someone else in Nova Scotia. But Liam Dee was denied that option because he was a man married to another man. And that is not just wrong. It's a call to action to change the policy.

The East Coast Music Awards are back in Halifax, celebrating the 35th Anniversary in the place where it all began. And when it comes to accolades, the Director's Special Achievement Award is at the top of the list. Natalie MacMaster is as humble as she is talented and deserving.

In a 2014 concert review by Stephen Cooke, he proclaimed to an exuberant audience "I'm Gordon Lightfoot, and the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated!" And as the tributes pour in, there was another quote from the folk-music icon that resonates, considering how much he gave all of us over the years.

There's always been violence in schools, but I don't remember people settling their scores with weapons. Just days after Ryan Lutes and the NSTU called on government to do something, I happened to see what 92 percent of teachers say they've witnessed firsthand.

Many of us have been wondering if things are ever going back to the way they were before the pandemic. Truth is, for many places on the planet, they already have. And this morning, I had an interesting conversation about that, with my mechanic.

For today, I thought I'd try something else with this space. So many of my colleagues are doing great work so I thought I'd highlight a few stories that caught my attention today.

It will still be free to park downtown in Halifax or Dartmouth on a Saturday, at least for now. And when council is looking to save pennies, it seems like opponents can still make arguments that make sense.

Nova Scotia's Freedom of Information laws work — if you have six years, a law degree and the ability to argue your case in front of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. That's the experience of a retired lawyer in the Valley who finally has access to the information he was looking for. Sort of. And too many politicians say they are all for open and transparent government, until they have the power to do something about it.

If all goes according to plan, we won't have to worry about No Mow May. We just have to worry about it being No Grow May with an early summer deadline looming.

A nurse in Truro is being denied most of the $10,000 "Thank you" bonus the province is offering. Because she wasn't on the job for all of 2022, her amount is being prorated. Which seems fair, until you learn that she found out about the bonus on the same day of her twelfth and final chemotherapy treatment.

No parent should ever have to say goodbye to one of their children. And it's all the more painful when they've been open and honest about the power of addiction and the fight for survival.The Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line is available 24 hours 7 days a week at 1-888-429-8167.

One of the unfortunate byproducts of increasing food inflation are the kids who are going hungry. And that's a bad recipe for their future health and ours in a feedback loop of increases and demand.

It's a solemn anniversary. And now that the Mass Casualty Commission has filed its report and politicians are asking for a moment of silence and reflection, we have a duty to remember the victims, the survivors and their families.

I don't think it's a surprise that workers say they are just productive working from home as they are working at the office. And hybrid workspaces are likely to continue long after a lot of the other changes we made over the past three years are gone and forgotten.

I hadn't realized how close we are to the anniversary of the loss of our last family pet. And SaltWire's John DeMont wrote a touching tribue to his dog Auggie that helped remind me of that balance of love and loss that ends at the rainbow bridge.

Mental health and addictions are together under one department in the Nova Scotia government. But there are still challenges in helping people see the connection. For one family I know, they are facing a situation involving their adult daughter and the struggle she's had with addiction. And it's the most tragic thing I could imagine.If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and need help, please reach out to the Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line: 1-888-429-8167.

It's hard to believe that Canadians throw out an estimated $20 billion in food each year. The average family is spending $1,300 of their budget on food that goes to the compost bill. And it's a place where some of us might look to save on our food bills.

A Dartmouth hotel is about to be fully converted into a place for people who are unhoused in HRM. And as goverments and agencies work to find solutions to the housing crisis, there are still issues of predjudice and stigma facing the poor in our communities. There's a lesson in that according to journalist Kendall Worth.

A new book on the disappearance and murder of Karissa Boudreau is about to be released. In the meantime, the Canadian government is reviewing the practice us using the so-called Mr. Big undercover sting. It's a highly successful RCMP technique that isn't allowed in other countries. And it opens up some important questions.

"Our tax system, meanwhile, is tilted in favour of the rich and special interests — which is one of the main reasons why wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few.” Frank Stronach may not have been talking about Loblaw's CEO Galen Weston, but it is interesting considering who that's coming from.

As the SaltWire headline says, "Nova Scotia government on hotseat over non-disclosure agreements". And it's brought the issue of confidentiality agreements and the former Progressive Conservative leader out into the sunshine after more than four years.

It's an unnecessary risk to you and your property. Every Spring, there are people across Nova Scotia who have to call 911 because they get into trouble when a small fire grows into a large one.

It was quite the headline; New ways to learn or just new ways to cheat? And as artificial intelligence continues to evolve and grow, there are some things that can only be simulated, not replicated.

Earlier this week, I spoke with a supporter about the ongoing challenges at a not-for-profit in Lunenburg called Second Story Women's Centre. The staff have walked out and the support group has closed it's doors, temporarily. Ahead of a vigil in Lunenburg this evening, I received a letter from the Chair of the Board.

The report says they're not shying away from declaring hard truths of the RCMP response during and after the Mass Casualty Event in 2020. And as Jonathan Torrens wrote, "Hoping with the release of this MCC report today there is at the very least a bit of comfort, closure and change."

It's been almost three years since the violent rampage across rural Nova Scotia. And the public enquiry looking into the tragedy is releasing its final report soon. It's expected to run between 2,000 and 3,000 pages and will reopen old wounds for many. These are some of the things they tell us will be in the document.

From time to time, you'll find a link to something on the internet that comes up as "404" meaning it doesn't exist, has been moved, or has a dead or broken link. But other times, information about someone that is wrong or incomplete is online and viewable forever. That seems unfair.

First of all, this has nothing to do with the former US President. But it does have to do with how much anxiety there is these days about the perception of risk versus what the statistics tell us.

Some people say everything happens for a reason. And sometimes I say, as humans we can find a reason for everything happening. And a post about Ray Zinck brought back a flood of memories for me today.

Today is the day Nova Scotians find out how the government plans to spend tax dollars over the next fiscal year. But last year's predicted deficit turned out to be a $3.5 billion surplus after the ledgers were balanced. What are the lessons learned?

At the same time Nova Scotia is trying to lure construction workers to Canda's Ocean Playground, Alberta is making a pitch for workers here to head out West. And at the same time, governments are trying to find housing for people to live in, while they build housing. If you have kids in high school, there's a lesson here.

Money doesn't buy happiness. But it can help you buy a house and have a better work life balance. And I think there's a good reason why the government's "thank you" bonus of $10-thousand will help the helpers.

It's something you hear from opposition politicians when they feel they have leverage. Are you better off now that you were a year ago? And with raging inflation and rising interest rates, it's pretty easy for most Canadians to answer that question. But what does it mean for the upcoming provincial and federal budgets?

I noticed there were a lot of excited people who got their tickets to see Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Burr in Halifax this August. They still haven't announced the Saturday night headliner of The Great Outdoor Comedy Fest. I've noticed a few things that I thought I'd point out since some of the comments about the ticketing process weren't so positive.

Vinyl records outsold compact discs in 2022, the first time that's happened since 1987. And there's a lot of memories created by music and the various forms we've consumed it over the years.

Maybe I should give more credit to the people who show up with protest signs at events where the Prime Minister is attending. At least they are publicly showing the person they're unhappy with how they feel. The people attacking the local businesses online after the Bridgewater announcement may be some of the same group, but it doesn't have the same impact.

The concert floodgates have reopened after a few years of the global pandemic. And I see Chris de Burg is coming to Halifax in 2023. It reminds me of my first show in 1983 and the joy that I've gained from concerts and the performing arts.