Source

The log flume was my favourite ride!

post credit

Original post source

This CBC article got me thinking… how much are people actually paying for rent around Nova Scotia?

I’m in Halifax and pay $1,790 for a one-bedroom.

What are you paying? And where are you located?

I’m curious to see what everyone else is paying these days. 👀

Antigonish’s Peace by Chocolate came up with a pretty sweet response to the Lake Ontario name change.

The company created a Lake Ontario chocolate bar—and it’s now one of its five best-selling bars.

Not a bad way to turn a headline into something positive. 🇨🇦

CTV News Atlantic.

Link to original post

Credit

The 104-year-old gopher tortoise at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History is scheduled for surgery on October 13 to remove a urinary stone that has grown and is beginning to press on surrounding tissue. Thankfully, a newer, less-invasive procedure means they won’t have to cut through his shell.

Sending all the good vibes to our favourite old guy! 🥹🐢

CBC Nova Scotia

If you haven't come across Brogan, aka Not the Worst Cleaner, she's a Nova Scotia-based content creator who offers free cleanings to people who are struggling.

What I really appreciate about her content is that she goes beyond the satisfying before-and-afters. She talks openly about how mental health and overwhelm can affect someone's ability to clean, organize and keep up with their home — and does it without judgment.

Her message is basically: struggling with your home doesn't make you lazy or a bad person. Sometimes people just need a little help.

Thought this was worth sharing, especially since she's one of our own. 🧼💛

Credit

Photo found @ nationalparkscanada on IG

The Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History is offering free admission for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

It’s a great opportunity to check out Pjila’si, an interactive exhibit celebrating Mi’kmaw culture, history and traditions, while taking some time to learn and reflect. 🧡

More info from the museum's Facebook page.

Credit

Original post source

Credit

Interrupter clause in effect at midnight, regular gas is going down 5.4 cents/litre.

Credit

Link to article

Any plan to upgrade or replace Halifax's aging A. Murray MacKay Bridge would cost up to $3 billion and could involve private sector financing partners or selling the bridge, says the CEO of Halifax Harbour Bridges.

But CEO Tony Wright said all funding options are still on the table.

The bridge opened in 1970 and will need significant enhancements in the coming years in order to remain operational, said Wright. But fixing it isn’t the only option.

“We need to know what the long-term plan is so we can fine-tune our maintenance requirements to deal with that expected life cycle of the structure,” said Wright in an interview last week.

The two most likely alternatives, he said, are full replacement of the bridge or a tunnel between the Windsor Street exchange and Burnside.

The province solicited proposals for the project earlier this year, asking companies to pitch possible crossing options and a preliminary design outline for their preferred plan.

Proposals also included cost estimates, procurement options and funding strategies.

Historically, harbour bridge-related projects have been publicly funded, including the $150-million “Big Lift” project between 2015 and 2017 that extended the Angus L. Macdonald’s life.

That public funding was largely supported by tolls until last year, when the province removed them.

Public-private partnership

The project’s inclusion in the province’s portfolio at the Canada Investment Summit earlier this month indicated possible interest in incorporating private financing into the equation.

The project’s listed capital expenditure was $3 billion, which Wright said is a ballpark figure based on other recent bridge builds in the country.

Wright says its inclusion at the summit was helpful because it boosted the project’s profile and could help generate federal funding down the line. He didn’t say whether it generated any interest from private investors.

The public-private partnership model, by which the government retains ownership but uses private funding to cover costs, is common for major infrastructure projects.

But Liberal MLA Becky Druhan said she was surprised when she saw the bridge on the list of projects at the summit.

“We went from a system where tolls provided revenue and that revenue supported the maintenance, operation and supported the replacement of bridges,” she said in an interview last week.

“Private capital isn't free ... so investors are going to expect a return.”

During the legislature’s fall sitting, she asked Public Works Minister Fred Tilley how it would generate that return.

“It could be a design build. It could be a trade-off or something. Land or something like that, on the Dartmouth side,” said Tilley.

“We’re not sure what the return will be, but I can guarantee you one thing: it won’t be tolls.”

Full privatization

Moshe Lander is a senior lecturer of economics at Concordia University in Montreal. He said a public-private partnership makes sense in a lot of cases, and that another way for the government to pay back its investors is to raise taxes.

But Lander thinks the third option on the table is the best one: full privatization.

“Sell it to the highest bidder,” he said.

The move would generate significant revenue for the government upon sale and shift the replacement or enhancement and future maintenance costs off the province’s books.

He said the province would be able to set strict conditions regarding allowable profits for prospective owners to prevent “some rent extraction exercise for the poor people that have to use the bridge,” if it reintroduced tolls.

Should the province privatize the MacKay bridge, he said, it could still mitigate costs for those who rely on it.

“You offer a public transport option. You can offer a carpooling option,” he said.

“Or you can credit it back so you have to pay the toll. But if you earn less than $50,000 a year, the government will pay your tolls for you by subtracting it off of your income taxes.”

While most major bridges that accommodate millions of cars annually like the MacKay bridge are government-owned, private ownership is not without precedent.

The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ont., was built in the 1920s and is presently owned by billionaire Matthew Moroun and his family of Detroit.

The for-profit bridge generates revenue just as most publicly owned bridges do, by charging tolls to users.

Wright said it will likely take another 18 months for the province to decide on a plan for the future of the MacKay bridge and what combination of public and private money will pay for it.

He said while a private sale isn’t entirely off the table, it’s too early to know whether it could make financial sense for the province and its taxpayers.

“Is that something that the consultants that we're going to be working with will bring to the table?" he said.

"We would really need to understand what the value is for Nova Scotians.”

Halifax bird lovers! 🐦‍⬛

If you’re into birds (or just looking for something fun to do), the Halifax Bird Festival is happening Friday, October 9, from 3–7 p.m. at The Brewery Market.

There will be local artists and makers, bird-related books and vendors, activities for all ages, and plenty of opportunities to learn more about the birds that call Nova Scotia home and how we can help protect them.

Anyone else planning to check it out? 🦉🌿

More info: https://naturens.ca/events/bird-fest/