Mainstreet Halifax from CBC Radio: Recent Episodes
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A vibrant blend of top news stories, local weather, traffic reports, comedy, local music, and interviews about politics, science and culture. Tune into Mainstreet on weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. Add your voice by calling us at 1-888-686-MAIN (6246) or e-mail mainhfx@cbc.ca.
What might President-elect Trump's enthusiasm for tariffs mean for Nova Scotia's exports of tires and lobsters, and how will Canada respond? Jeff Douglas asks JP Deveau, President and CEO of Acadian Seaplants. He led the One Nova Scotia Coalition's working group on global competitiveness and improving exports, in the wake of the 2014 Ivany Report.
Barbara Emodi, Michelle Coffin, and Chris Lydon talk about developments in Nova Scotia's provincial election campaign, with Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas.
Jonathan Fowler drops by from the Department of Anthropology at Saint Mary's University, to tell Jeff what he and a team of landscape archaeologists and digital cartographers learned from this work. See their findings for yourself at MapsOfMemory.com
On a Maritime-wide edition of Mainstreet from Halifax, host Jeff Douglas plays archival audio of Sergeant (Ret'd) Tyson Bowen, who gave 14 years of his life to the Canadian Armed Forces, including two combat tours in Afghanistan. Then Jeff speaks with Tyson's sister Tanya Browne, from our studio in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In spite of all he had done with his life, Tyson was just 35 years old when he died on September 3. 2022.
Ted Barris is the author of many books about Canadian experiences in the Second World War. His latest is, "Battle of Britain: Canadian Airmen in Their Finest Hour." In this conversation, available exclusively online, he talks with host Jeff Douglas about the origins of the RCAF.
Brian MacDonald is the former executive director of Aman Lara, an organization of volunteers and veterans that perform 'extractions' from Afghanistan. That began in 2021, following the collapse of the Afghan government and the return to power of the Taliban. So at first, the organization's main focus was helping Afghans escape their country. This work expanded in 2022, to helping people get out of Ukraine. Two years ago, Brian stepped away from his role at Aman Lara, to start an organization called Utimus. It has a large focus on getting newcomers to Canada the qualifications they might need to join the workforce here. Utimus is based mostly in Ontario, but the CEO and founder, Brian, is located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Here's his conversation with host, Jeff Douglas.
Today is Indigenous Veterans Day in Canada. It's a way to honour Indigenous veterans for their role in serving the country. A role that has been largely overlooked.
Earlier this week we spoke to Anishinaabekwe Debbie Eisan. She is leading a delegation to Belgium to commemorate fallen Indigenous veterans and Canadian service members. The group will take part in ceremonies leading up to and including Remembrance Day. Debbie is an Elder of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, and a 36 year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. Jeff Purdy is the great-great grandson of Sam Glode - who served with the Royal Canadian Engineers No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company during the First World War. Here's their conversation with host, Jeff Douglas.
On Tuesday, November 12, Winter Moons opens at Neptune Theatre on the ScotiaBank Stage. It's a Nestuita'si Storytelling Production, written and directed by shalan joudry, with choreography by Sarah Prosper.
Jeff Douglas speaks to the creators about this work that takes up deep into the forest and back in time to a group of Fire Keepers keeping an ember alive through the three moons of winter.
Ken Hansen is a former naval commander, a former chair of the Maritime Studies Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, and a former adjunct professor of political science at Dal. He speaks with host Jeff Douglas.
He also gives Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas his take on where Democrats have gone wrong.
In his books - starting with "American Nations: A History Of The Eleven Rival Regional Cultures Of North America" - Colin Woodard makes the case that Americans have always been divided. He's director of the Nationhood Lab at the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy.
The show uses art, video, food and storytelling, the show has a large focus on demystifying the Day of the Dead and fosters a connection and cross cultural exchange between the Mi'kmaw and Zapotec (Bën Za) youth. The exhibit closes on November 8th.
To hear more Alex Guye reached two people behind the exhibit. Tania Fuentes is an art educator, researcher at NSCAD and the curator of Xandú. Joshua Schwab-Cartas is an assistant professor at NSCAD and the project lead of Xandú. The first voice you'll hear is Joshua explaining what Xandú means.
In case you're tired of hearing people talk about the US presidential election... Mainstreet's producer Alex Mason drops into Studio A with a sample of songs where people sing about Donald Trump, and Kamala Harris.
A delegation to commemorate fallen Indigenous veterans and Canadian service members is heading to Belgium. The group will take part in ceremonies leading up to and including Remembrance Day. They are being led by Anishinaabekwe Debbie Eisan. She is an Elder of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre and a 36 year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Debbie Eisan when she arrived at the Halifax Airport ahead of her flight.
Jeff Douglas speaks with Jason Stanley, the author of "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them" (published in 2018), and the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University.
Sea turtle biologist Mike James drops by from the federal Department of Fisheries & Oceans to talk about a leatherback that has been tracked further north than any of the other 200 leatherbacks he's studied in the past 25 years.
The first grief cafe in Pictou County was hosted by the Pictou County Palliative Care Society on October 16. It was held at the River Run Cafe in New Glasgow. Bertha Brannen is a registered nurse, author and grief support specialist who facilitated the event. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the event.
It has been just over three years since the collapse of the Western-supported government in Afghanistan. This came almost immediately after the United States pulled its troops out of the country after 20 years of war. The Taliban quickly took control of the country and began enacting policies and restrictions that ultimately take away basic rights for girls and women. This is all in the midst of an ongoing humanitarian crisis, with widespread hunger across the country. To speak more on this, host Jeff Douglas spoke with Lauryn Oates. She is the executive director of the organization Right to Learn, formerly known as Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. This organization has been providing education to Afghan women and girls since 1998.
Bernie drops into Studio A to tell Jeff Douglas about the joy the Mi'kmaq get from wordplay, and telling stories on Skite'kmujui-wela'kw. (Ghost Night)
New York City based arts nonprofit, BalletCollective, is about to start its 2024 season, and one of this years productions is inspired by a Mi'kmaw artist, Jordan Bennett's work. Jordan is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist and faculty member at NSCAD. He is currently in New York to see the production, titled 'The Past Delivers'.
Cultural educator Michael R Denny of Eskasoni First Nation dropped in the Studio A to share his knowledge on the history of the powwow in Mi'kma'ki, and his thoughts on the role of pan-Indigenous cultural practices, and how critical it is that people know the origins of cultural practices.
Host Jeff Douglas speaks with the Mainstreet Spinbusters on day one of Nova Scotia's provincial election campaign.
She also tells Jeff Douglas about the inspiration behind a tree parade that will be part of a day of programming just for kids. More info at https://afterwordsliteraryfestival.com/
The Second World War's Battle of Britain - fought in the summer and fall of 1940 - was a struggle to control the skies over England. It was a battle in which Canadian airmen, aircraft, and women played key roles. Ted Barris weaves a narrative around their experiences in his newest book, Battle of Britain: Canadian Airmen in Their Finest Hour. It's one of many books he's written about Canadian experiences in the Second World War.
Our colleague, Molly MacNaughton, went down to Victoria Park and spoke to organizers and supporters of the strike.
Two-time Polaris Music Prize winning Wolastoqiyik musician, Jeremy Dutcher, is back in Halifax. He's performing with Symphony Nova Scotia tonight and tomorrow. So we invited him back to the studio for a chat. Here's part of that conversation and one of his songs Wolasweltomultine.
The community of Portapique has officially opened a new special trail located right next to their community centre. The trail was created in partnership with multimedia artist Holly Carr. It's an extension of her book, "The Comfort Tree", which is a story about a variety of forest animals and birds finding comfort around a tree through all four seasons. As you walk along the trail, you find panels depicting scenes from the book. Host Jeff Douglas went to the community of Portapique to see it, and check in with some community members. The first voice you'll hear is Holly Carr, taking him on a tour of the trail itself.
Mainstreet's Alex Guye has been looking at the lack of intersecting support for those among us who are confronted by homelessness, mental illness and substance use. This is her latest instalment, featuring Dr. Andrew Boozary of University Health Network in Toronto.
Jeff Douglas talks about provincial politics in Nova Scotia with former political party insiders Chris Lydon, Barbara Emodi, and Michelle Coffin.
Attendees can check out a variety of Palestinian foods, visit different vendors, and learn more about Palestinian culture and history. It's being organized by the Palestinian Heritage Revival Society and the Canada Palestine Association, which was established in Halifax in the late 1970s. Khalil El Attar is President of the Canada Palestine Association. He spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye.
According to the Government of Nova Scotia's website at any given time there are roughly one thousand children in the care of the province. About sixty-five per cent of them in Foster Care. October 20 to 26 is Foster Family Appreciation Week in Nova Scotia. Brendan Maguire, the Minister of Community Services spoke with Jeff Douglas about this.
Liguist and Mi'kmaw elder Bernie Francis tells Mainstreet's producer Alex Mason about some of the things he learned from his elders, as a child and a young man. And he talks about the word a'tukwaqnn, which can be translated into Engilsh as "stories treasured up." Bernie wrote The Language Of This Land, Mi'kma'ki with Trudy Sable.
A new documentary called "So You Want to Be a Muslim" follows the journeys of five North Americans who embrace Islam. The film reveals that faith among Muslims is just as diverse as it is among Christians, Jews, and people of other religions. "So You Want to Be a Muslim" streams on CBC Gem starting Wednesday. The director, Hoda Elatawi, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about it.
"...along with landscape & fire management strategies." Sian Kou-Giesbrecht from Dalhousie University's department of Earth & Environmental Sciences tells guest host Preston Mulligan about two studies she co-authored, modeling the impact of climate change on wildfires worldwide, and effects on human mortality.
Mayor Ron Chisholm speaks with guest host Preston Mulligan about what's happening, where he thinks the coyotes are coming from, and his concerns for public safety.
The third annual Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) conference is taking place next month. The event will take place at the Halifax Tower Hotel on November 8th and will feature talks from people with lived experience and ways we can address FASD in Nova Scotia. The conference is put on by the organization Fetal Alcohol Nova Scotia, which was founded by Allan Mountford and Rochelle Howlett. Allan is a retired educator, and Rochelle is a parent and advocate for families with FASD. Mainstreet's Alex Guye gave them both a call and she began by asking Allan to explain how FANS was founded.
The Concrete Garden Association was created with a vision of celebrating and supporting emerging, African Nova Scotian artists. To find out more about how the Concrete Garden came into existence, who this is for and where it's headed, the associations founders Felicity Wright and Sheldon Morris join host Jeff Douglas.
Last week we spoke Saint Mary's University Senior Research Fellow, Rachel Zellars, about the report that has been issued by the Saint Mary's Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group. The data presented in “Understanding the Challenges of the Black Community at Saint Mary’s University" is derived from interviews conducted with dozens of Black students, staff and faculty at SMU over a two year period, and documents a broad failure and abandonment of institutional commitments to Black students, faculty and staff. The report is available to all via the SMU Black Students' Society Instagram account. The link is in the group's bio. Topaz Nnani is President of the SMU African Student Society. After this interview aired, we reached back out to SMU and received this response: "We look forward to reviewing in detail the report and recommendations of the Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group. Saint Mary’s University is committed to supporting our Black community."
The nine time Juno award winning band, Arkells, are back on tour across Canada right now. And their first stop is Halifax on October 18th. Lead vocalist Max Kerman spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about the tour and to hear more about the band itself. Max started by explaining what inspired the song, Big Feelings.
When a smartphone app called "Healthy Minds Program" challenged Jeff Douglas to change the way he thinks about change, Jeff decided to give Dr Stan Kutcher a call. The app is free and available in app stores from Healthy Minds Innovations. NY Times' Wirecutter reviewers ranked it one of the four best meditation apps in October, 2024.
Professor Teresa Morgan studies Christianity to the year 500CE. She speaks with guest host Preston Mulligan ahead of her lecture at Saint Mary's University on Thursday, October 17, at 7pm. More details about the event here -- https://eventscalendar.smu.ca/smuhalifax/detail/4230/1729202400000
Sarah Laframboise is in Halifax to talk about that. She's executive director of Evidence For Democracy, and she's speaking during this year's Ransom Myers Lecture. She talks with guest host Preston Mulligan. Find details about the Oct 17 lecture on this page -- dal.ca/faculty/sustainability/ess-lecture-series.html
Earlier this month, Futurpreneur Foundation and RBC Future Launch held their annual Rock My Business Start-Up Awards. It presents eight young entrepreneurs across Canada with $10,000 each to support their up and coming businesses. One of this years' winners is East Preston's Jayrell Diggs. He is the founder and CEO of SudDrop Laundry Services. He spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan.
Guest host Preston Mulligan talks with Stanley King from Atlantic Elver Fishery, and David Scholten who works for the company, about letters from DFO that indicate current license holders will see some of their quota reallocated to Dave and others who work as employees in the fishery. We also hear Austin Townsend speaking with the CBC's Richard Cuthbertson.
Professor Teresa Morgan studies Christianity to the year 500CE. She speaks with guest host Preston Mulligan ahead of her Catholic Studies Public Lecture at Saint Mary's University on October 17th.
Bernie drops into Studio A to talk with Jeff Douglas about the implications of this, and also about 'inalienably possessed nouns' and whether those nouns make for a different relationship between people and the natural world.
Saint Mary's University's Black Inclusion Strategy Working group details systemic racism within the university through a new report. Titled “Understanding the Challenges of the Black Community at Saint Mary’s University”, its been released after two years of research. The working group found a large failure and abandonment of institutional commitments to Black students, faculty and staff. You can find the report on the SMU Black Student Society's instagram page. Rachel Zellars took the lead on this report. She is a Senior Research Fellow at SMU.
A month ago, Harvey Amani Whitfield was appointed the first Centennial Carnegie Chair in the History of Slavery in Canada -- this is a position he holds at Dalhousie University, and the University of King’s College in Halifax. According to the announcement on the King's website, the position was created to: "...redress historical exclusions and chart a course for a more inclusive and diverse future."
This morning, I dropped in on Professor Whitfield in his office.
The days are cooler, the nights are getting longer, and that means winter sports are back including wheelchair curling. Nicholas Taylor curls out of the Lakeshore Curling Club in Lower Sackville. He tells host, Jeff Douglas, all about the sport.
Linguist and elder Bernie Francis tells Jeff Douglas that dreamcatchers and the Medicine Wheel are not part of the traditional culture of his people.
Last month we heard from Denise Burgess, who's eldest son has struggled with mental health and substance use disorders for years, and her ongoing efforts to get him simultaneous help for both. And we heard from Pam Cooley. Her son, Eli, died of fentanyl poisoning in January of 2020 in British Columbia. The two mothers were connected by an addictions doctor Denise's son had been treated by.
Something both Denise and Pam spoke about was stigma around mental health, substance use and homelessness. And about the impact that has had on their efforts to help their sons.
Today, we will dig into that stigma a bit, and what solutions their might be to changing it. Davy Rose is the outreach coordinator with the Truro Housing Outreach Society. Here is part of their conversation with Alex Guye.
The Royal Canadian College of Organists is bringing an event, called Interstellar 10, to five Canadian cities...
And Halifax will be the first stop this Saturday at the Cathedral Church of All Saints. There will be performances and a Q & A with Roger Sayer, the original organist on the soundtrack to "Interstellar," released in 2014. The award-winning film was directed by Christopher Nolan, and the score was created by Hans Zimmer.
Alex Guye headed down to the cathedral today to chat with Roger.
But first, let's hear him playing a bit of that Interstellar score...
Linda MacDonald speaks with Jeff Douglas about the concerns Lynn Jones raised earlier this week about reliability and staffing challenges in publicly funded homecare.
Jeff Douglas speaks with Doug Sinclair about why he is underwhelmed by the federal government's progress on the TRC calls to action. And a few other things, too.
At least in her part of Nova Scotia, where service is provided by the VON. The longtime activist and advocate tells Jeff about some recent experiences. She says she's speaking out because she worries people who are not comfortable advocating for themselves will not get the help they need, reliably, when they need it. Jeff also speaks with Susan Larder.
Minister Gary Anandasangaree talks with Mainstreet's Alex Mason on the National Day For Truth & Reconciliation.
Mi'kmaw elder Bernie Francis drops into Studio A to tell Jeff a bit about his own family's experiences at the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School, and Indian day school. And he brings along a recording of his Burnt Church Song.
Our live broadcast from the Church Brewing Co. begins with Jeff Douglas talking to Dave from Deep Roots, and Celes from the FoodArtNature Collective. Then Mainstreet's Alex Guye interviews Geena Luckett & Beatrice Stutz about controversial plans to subsidize winemakers and bottlers.
The 50th Annual Nova Scotia Volunteer Awards took place last week. The recognition ceremony took place at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro. Among those being recognized for their service was Nicole McDonald. She had received an HRM Municipal Award back in April, and had been invited to represent the Central Region at the Provincial Ceremony last week in Truro. In a social media post on September 24th, Nicole wrote that while she was grateful to accept a Provincial Volunteer Award...the feeling of gratitude has been "overshadowed by inaccessibility and the feeling of not being as important as the other award winners." Nicole spoke with Mainstreet host, Jeff Douglas today and we have also reached out to the Provincial Volunteer Awards for comment.
As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, and civilian casualties mount, Israeli military officials said they are preparing for a possible ground invasion into Lebanon. Nader Hashemi is an associate professor of Middle East & Islamic Politics at Georgetown University. He explains whether this ground invasion is likely and how the conflict got to this point.
A study published in the journal Science examines 1500 climate policies from more than 40 countries, to see what works. Our oceans guy Boris Worm drops by from Dalhousie University to tell Jeff about some of the findings.
Samuel Beckett wrote the novel 'Watt' in occupied France. It's about fascism and complicity.
Host Jeff Douglas spoke to Seán Kennedy about how his Irish studies course is reading Beckett's novel as a way to think about liberal colonialism, fascism, and zionism in Ireland, in the Middle East, and right here in Nova Scotia.
A group of activists who have been walking for two weeks - over 200 km from Pugwash to Halifax - think we could do a lot more when it comes to peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with two of the participants. Rajagopal P.V., who came all the way from India to participate in this walk. He is a former Vice Chairman of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, he trains young people in social action, and he promotes Gandhian philosophies of peace and non-violence.
Lia Holla, a McGill student, youth advocate and the Executive Director of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Canada.
The East Coast Prison Justice Society dropped its annual report Tuesday, September 17th. It is a composite based on the analysis of 800 phone calls with people incarcerated in this Province, between September 17, 2022 and August 31, 2023. It's findings also come in the wake of the deaths of six people in provincial custody.
To break down the report and what it mean, host Jeff Douglas spoke with three guests today.
Sheila Wildeman is an prof at Schulich School of Law and Co-Chair of the East Coast Prison Justice Society (ECPJS). El Jones is a poet, professor and activist and Board Member at ECPJS.
And the first voice you'll hear is Laura Beach, the coordinator of the ECPJS Visiting Committee Project.
Laura started by explaining what the visiting committee heard about conditions in provincial carceral institutions in that 2022-2023 time period.
Elaine Craig is the author of Mainstreaming Porn: Sexual Integrity and the Law Online. She tells host Jeff Douglas what these algorithms are doing and because online pornography has changed, what problems does that could pose.
It's the first time that one artist has won the prestigious music prize a second time. Mainstreet host, Jeff Douglas gave Jeremy a call to hear about this win, and more about his album Motewolonuwok.
Kristina Fifield is a registered social worker and trauma therapist who specializes in gender-based violence.
She spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the series of events being put on in partnership with the campaign 'Can’t Buy My Silence'.
Barbara Emodi, Michelle Coffin, and Chris Lydon talk politic with guest host Preston Mulligan
The film tells the story of a young rapper, and his quest to recover his music ahead of a possible life changing event. Director Reza Dahya tells host Jeff Douglas what went into bringing Boxcutter to life.
In a letter obtained by The Canadian Press this week, the JUNOs revealed plans to put several categories on hiatus, including reggae recording, children's album, Christian/gospel album and international album of the year. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Jamaican-Canadian musician Jah'mila, a previous winner of the Reggae Recording of the Year, to talk about the genre's history in Jamaica and Canada.
Do you feel the United Nations is as relevant as it was five, 10 or even 20 years ago? It's a question that will be debated Wednesday evening by university and high school students at Dalhousie University's Potter Auditorium. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by two of the debaters, Francesca Southwell and Meghan Runge, to get a preview.
A short story set in rural Nova Scotia is now a feature film called Sharp Corner. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it's now making its way to the Atlantic International Film Fest in Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by the film's director and screenwriter, Nova Scotia's own Jason Buxton.
On Monday, the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association invited community members and guests to the inauguration of its new Resilience Centre in Millbrook First Nation. The site will be dedicated to healing and resilience of Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQ+ people and their families. Host Jeff Douglas visited the new facility and spoke with project lead Zabrina Whitman.
Three members of the band Horsebath talk to host Jeff Douglas about their upcoming album, just ahead of them taking the stage at Massey Hall for the first time. You can find their latest song, Hard to Love, wherever you stream your music.
A Halifax mother is raising awareness about a rare condition that affects about one in 5,000 babies called Hirschsprung Disease. Robin Lorway's son, Taran, was born with the condition. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the condition and why she wants more people to know about it.
Light in the Forest began a decade ago as an art installation by Holly Carr, exploring her young son’s anxiety and her own childhood fears. It has since evolved and it's now a multimedia exhibit opening this week at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. Carr joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the new immersive experience.
Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Spinbusters Chris Lydon, Barbara Emodi and Michelle Coffin to talk about election speculation at the provincial now that the fall sitting of the Nova Scotia Legislature has begun. Plus, a look at the "spin" around the end of the Liberal-NDP confidence-and-supply agreement.
The charitable sector, the private sector and three levels of government have come together to build more than 30 homes for families in need in Nova Scotia. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Miia Suokonautio from YWCA Halifax to talk about how this came together within a single year, who was involved and whether they can do it again.
Cape Breton Island is celebrated for its rich and unique culture. A new project by Fulbright scholar Toni Doman-Vandyke is taking an in-depth look at how the island's traditions are preserved, and how they've been affected by contemporary technology. She spoke with Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas.
A group of peace activists will begin walking from Pugwash to Halifax in support of nuclear disarmament beginning on Sunday. The walk is being led by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. Mainstreet spoke with the group’s co-chair Lyn Adamson on Friday.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the Liberals can't stop the Conservatives — but he can. But did he stay in the confidence-and-supply agreement too long to be taken seriously as opposition? Political science professor Lori Turnbull joins host Jeff Douglas to give her thoughts on the situation.
Advocates say a basic income program is exactly what's needed to address poverty, food insecurity and homelessness. This weekend in Halifax, there will be a free one-day conference where you can learn more about basic income programs and how to work towards getting one here. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Mandy Kay-Raining Bird and Rob Fennell to learn more.
A new survey released by "Too Good To Go" shows 85 per cent of Atlantic Canadian adults say a portion of their child's school lunch returns home uneaten every week. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Sarah Soteroff, the company's senior PR manager, to discuss how to limit that food waste and why it's important.
Two Nova Scotian mothers are calling for change to the province's mental health and addiction systems after seeing their children struggle to receive care. Pam Cooley's son died of fentanyl poisoning in British Columbia in January 2020. Meanwhile, Denise Burgess has been trying to get help for her oldest son who has struggled with mental health and substance-use disorders for years. They spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about how they've supported one another and the challenges they've faced.
A Nova Scotian woman is heading to the WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, next week, to compete in the culinary category. Olivia Sewell, who is from Tantallon, is a recent Nova Scotia Community College culinary graduate, and she is one of 1,500 competitors from around the world to be selected to participate in what is the Olympics of the trade industry.
Lori Turnbull and Alex Marland give their insight on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, asking NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, to pull support for Liberal government to prompt fall election.
August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. Savannah Burgess, peer team lead with the POSSE Project, and Landon 'Morty' Morton, a community support worker with Mainline Needle Exchange, talk about the importance of the day.
shalan joudry's meditative homage to sweetgrass will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next week. She joins host Jeff Douglas, alongside Rose Meuse, to talk about the "poetic doc" titled welima'q.
The Black Beauty Culture Association has made a lot of strides in their work to increase access to Black beauty training in Nova Scotia. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with several people involved about their work, and how they're looking to the future.
It's been a busy summer for Nova Scotia's television and film industry and it's looking like it will be a busy fall too. Casting director Erin Hennessey joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about her work on local productions and how you can get involved.
Halifax improv group, Hello City, has a new show opening at Halifax Fringe Festival on Thursday. Galaxy Pals: A Space (Odd)yssey will take the stage at the Bus Stop Theatre. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by cast members Liam Fair and Colin McGuire.
A Canadian cult character is returning to the big screen. Deaner, or Dean Murdoch, is a metal-head, Prairie boy, the governor of given'er. Paul Spence created Deaner for the FUBAR movies, and now in Deaner '89, the character will explore his family roots. Spence joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the film, ahead of a special screener in Halifax Wednesday evening.
A new conservation project will bring together Nova Scotians to help replant and regenerate eelgrass meadows. It's called the Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative and it will bring together community members, Mi'kmaq leaders and Dalhousie University scientists. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Kristina Boerder and Tyler Sack to talk about the new long-term restoration project.
Earlier this week, a woman in Dartmouth, N.S., raised concerns there being only one walk-in clinic in her area and it's operating with reduced hours. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Colin Stevenson with the province's Department of Health and Wellness to talk about what other urgent primary health-care options are available to Nova Scotians, if a walk-in clinic isn't available.
Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by St. Francis Xavier University assistant professor Morgan Bimm to discuss recent slang trends and where they came from, including the term "brat" and the phrase "very mindful, very demure."
Earlier this month, a Nova Scotian pipe band competed in the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The Dartmouth & District Pipe Band, which will celebrate 60 years in action next year, placed second in Grade 3A. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Blaise Theriault, the band's pipe major, to talk about how it all went down.
A woman in Dartmouth, N.S., is raising concerns about the lack of walk-in clinics in the area, after discovering that there appears to be only one location open and it's operating at reduced hours and capacity. First, we'll hear from Mariette Emond and then host Jeff Douglas is joined by Dr. Gehad Gobran, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, to get his take on the situation.
Maggie Andrew, who is from Waverley, N.S., has won the grand prize in the prestigious CBC Searchlight. CBC Music announced winners Monday morning. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Maggie to discuss her career and what this win means to her.
The Nova Scotia government says it will serve the first lunches of its new School Lunch Program this October, with a potential 13-million meals to be served over the school year. We hear from Education Minister Becky Druhan about the new program, and host Jeff Douglas speaks with Nourish Nova Scotia's Aimee Gasparetto to talk about what more needs to be done.
The countdown is on to the opening of a new comedy club in Halifax. Halifax Live is opening above the Dome on Grafton Street later this month. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Josh Poulain, the club's operations manager, and producer Nick Martinello.
Senior lecturer in economics, Moshe Lander, breaks down the potential impacts of the double rail lockout, and gives live reaction to the federal government forcing a binding arbitration on the two rail companies.
Students at the Master Gardener Summer School in Truro, N.S., had the chance to dig into all kinds of gardening skills and techniques this July. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by David Jarvis, who runs We Feed Lunenburg, a community group dedicated to fighting food insecurity, about his experience with the course.
On Thursday, Black community leaders from across Canada and the United States gathered at the Black Cultural Centre in Cherry Brook, N.S. The event gave those leaders the opportunity to present key lessons about community land trusts and how they can work. Shekara Grant of the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust spoke with host Jeff Douglas about that particular initiative and where she wants to take it in the future.
Host Jeff Douglas is joined by fingerstyle-guitar legend Don Ross and his new touring partner Jule Malischke ahead of their show at The Carleton in Halifax on Sunday. The talk about their newfound partnership and how their show will be a collaborative format.
SurfABLE, a group dedicated to presenting adaptive surfing in Nova Scotia, will be hosting an event called They Will Surf Again on Saturday. It was founded by Life Rolls On, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with various disabilities. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Michelle Mahoney, the accessibility officer at the University of King's College and a SurfABLE board member, to learn more about the event.
The Atlantic International Film Festival announced has its 2024 program. It will be the 44th edition of the festival, running Sept. 11-18 at Park Lane Cineplex in Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Lisa Haller, AIFF's director of programming, to talk about the highlights.
Curtis Whiley of the Upper Hammonds Plains Land Trust joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about a land trust event happening at the Black Culture Centre in Dartmouth, N.S., on Thursday. Leaders from Black-led land trusts around Nova Scotia, Canada and the U.S., will be giving presentations and participating in talks with community members.
The Congres Mondial Acadien, or the Acadian World Congress, is well under way in Southwest Nova Scotia this week. It's a celebration of Acadian culture that's bringing people from around the world together. Nathalie Geddry, host of Radio-Canada's La mouvée, joined host Jeff Douglas to talk about what the last few days have been like.
Non-profit organizations that manage units that house hundreds of Nova Scotians who would be homeless without the help are pleading with the Houston government for more funding to properly pay for that work and to expand their programs. Representatives from Adsum for Women and Children and the North End Community Health Centre appeared before a legislature committee this afternoon.
Halifax's Zuppa Theatre and members of Sipekne'katik First Nation have come together to create an adaptation of Shakespere's The Tempest. The original was written in a time of colonization and is one of the only Shakespeare plays to feature Indigenous characters. In this retelling, titled Metu’na’q, the characters confront stereotypes. The CBC's Sis'moqon went to a rehearsal last week to speak to performers in Sipekne'katik.
Carys Sutherland, who is originally from Stratford, Ont., but has family in Halifax, is Symphony Nova Scotia's new principal hornist. The French horn player graduated from Julliard and recently made CBC Music's 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30 list. Sutherland spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye.
The Wabanaki Two Spirit Youth Council is holding a two-spirit naming ceremony this Sunday in Millbrook First Nation. It's the third of seven naming ceremonies the council is presenting. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Paulina Meader, a Knowledge Keeper from Membertou First Nation, who will be ceremony keeper on Sunday.
The Nova Scotia Workers' Compensation Board is adding "gradual onset psychological injury" to their eligible claims starting on Sept. 1. This means workers will be able to file a claim for injury caused by things like workplace bullying and harassment. The CBC's Celina Aalders spoke with legal intern Mina Ali from the Halifax Workers Action Centre about this change.
On Monday, Aug. 12, the Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company is hosting "The Big Bee," an adult spelling bee, at the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax. Theatre founder and artistic director Logan Robins joins host Jeff Douglas in Studio A to give some details about the event, and to put him and some other CBCers to the test.
Federal Treasury Board President Anita Anand was born and raised in Kentville, N.S., and she's back in the province for a visit. She joined host Jeff Douglas in Studio A to talk about her current role managing government spending and her career as a member of the federal parliament.
Prisoners' Justice Day (Aug. 10) is a day to show solidarity for people inside Canadian prisons, remember all the people who have died of unnatural deaths while incarcerated and help those in custody overcome barriers to justice. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Renford Farrier, who was recently granted parole after over three decades in federal prison, and Emma Halpern, the executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia, about the day.
Independent Living Nova Scotia will host its 12th annual Art of Disability Festival at Pier 21 in Halifax this weekend. It's all about creating an inclusive space for artists with disabilities to share their talent. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Hannah Hall, the festival's co-ordinator, and photographer Michael McCullough, who is a longtime vendor at the festival.
Do you ever look at an ingredient list only to find half of it unpronounceable? CBC producer Julianna Perkins joins host Jeff Douglas to walk us through the facts and fiction around ultra-processed foods and how they're affecting the diets of Canadians.
Halifax Pride has secured hosting rights for Canada Pride in 2027. It will run concurrently with Halifax Pride from July 15-25 and will include both long-running signature festival events and introduce 20+ new events across the Halifax Regional Municipality. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Adam Reid, the board chair of Halifax Pride, about what he hopes the legacy of the event will be for Nova Scotia.
The Atlantic Bras d'Or/Pitu'paq Big Canoe Brigade will be paddling through the Bras d'Or region in Cape Breton next week. Put on by Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia, canoes will hit the water on Aug. 12. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Brian Smith, the brigade's committee chair, to learn more about the event.
Tuesday marked a decade since the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral online. It saw people around the world dumping ice-cold water over their heads and posting it online to nominate others, raising awareness and money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by David Taylor, the vice-president of Research and Strategic Partnerships with ALS Canada, to talk about how the challenge has made a difference.
Planners have come up with an urban forest plan for Halifax they hope will withstand storms, development and pests. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Peter Duinker, professor emeritus at Dalhousie University, principal of Sylveritas Consulting and the founder of the Halifax Tree Project.
As part of the annual Bay Days summer festival in Glace Bay and the surrounding areas there's going to be a doll carriage parade. It's being put on by the non-profit called Town House. Executive director Patti McDonald spoke to guest host Preston Mulligan about their first ever doll carriage parade.
Emancipation Day events took place around the province yesterday. Late in the afternoon community members met at the Black Cultural Centre to hear a round table discussion. It was organized by Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard and she brought senators Amina Gerba, Bernadette Clement, and Rosemary Moodie together to discuss recommendations of a recent senate standing committee report.
The 75th anniversary of the opening of Cape Sable Island causeway will be celebrated by people in southwest Nova Scotia. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke to Eddie Nickerson, the warden of the Municipality of Barrington, about concerns that residents of the area have about the causeway.
Emancipation Day and the legacy of the Jamaican Maroons in Nova Scotia were commemorated during a ceremony at Citadel Hill in Halifax on Thursday. Jamaican High Commissioner to Canada Marsha Coore Lobban spoke to those gathered about what the Maroons represent.
Musician Melanie Doane has released seven albums and has several chart-topping hits. She chatted with guest host Preston Mulligan at the Mainstreet studio.
Part history, part fantasy The Time Keepers is a new children's book about a girl who travels back in time to the first Emancipation Day in Canada. Guest host Preston Mulligan chats with the author, Keisha Cuffie, about what she hopes readers take away from the book.
Newfoundland's Alan Doyle is out and about on the road again. The musician has three sold-out shows at the Shore Club in Hubbards, N.S., on August 27, 28 and 29. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Alan about career in Atlantic Canada and his latest album, Welcome Home, which was released in February this year.
A group of 45 American doctors and nurses who've been to Gaza wrote to the White House last week, about what they witnessed and why they think the number of people killed as a result of Israeli military action is far higher than the official estimate. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Michael Lynk, a professor emeritus of law at Western University, who shares his perspective on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and what international law says about it.
People who gathered to celebrate Africville on the weekend are in shock after violence erupted on Saturday night. Two men who were not part of the community's annual reunion exchanged gunfire in the park. Five bystanders were hit by bullets; one was seriously injured. The CBC's Gareth Hampshire spoke with Irvine Carvery, the president of the Africville Genealogy Society, who was nearby when the shooting happened.
The summer podcast series, Right of Way, offers a case study on how NOT to tackle a disagreement over access to Nova Scotia's coast. Co-host Hannah Harrison joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about what communities around the province can learn from a dispute in South Bar.
A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says one-third of Atlantic Canadian workers earn $20 an hour or less. The report also says, contrary to common beliefs, that most of those workers are not students or young people. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with one of the report's co-authors Christine Saulnier.
The Disney/Marvel series X-Men ‘97 was nominated for a Primetime Emmy last week for Best Animated Production. One of its stars is Nova Scotia's own Lenore Zann, who voices mutant superhero Rouge. She spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about her career as Rouge from Comic-Con International in San Diego.
On the evening of Oct. 4, 1967, 12-year-old Chris Styles was laying in his bed late at his home on the corner of Ochterloney and Pine streets in Darmouth. Outside his window he saw a bright light that looked like an orb. It was the same night as the infamous Shag Harbour UFO sighting that gained international attention. He joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about his experience ahead of the Shag Harbour UFO XPO in Yarmouth.
Members of a Ukrainian dance school in Mississauga are in Halifax this week to perform alongside local musicians at the Light House Arts Centre. The East Coast Ukrainian Association was one of the key organizations to help bring the Ukrainian Dance Ensemble Barvinok to the east coast. Proceeds from Wednesday's event will support a rehabilitation center in Lviv, which helps people affected by the war. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with three of the dancers and the artistic director.
The Eastern Front Theatre is bringing back its game show — Haliwood Squares — with a Halifax Pride twist. This year's edition is called Haliwood Queers and it will be hosted by drag performer, Rouge Fatale. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Kat McCormack, the artistic director of Eastern Front Theatre.
A new study that examines food insecurity in Nova Scotia's 2SLGBTQ+ community is underway by Feed Nova Scotia and the Human Nutrition Department at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Sue Kelleher and Phillip Joy to learn more about the scope and what initial research shows.
If Canada is experiencing a "productivity emergency," why are our governments maintaining so many interprovincial trade barriers? Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Duncan Robertson from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to talk about its new report on internal trade in Canada and the cost of hundreds of protectionist measures.
Jason Brown loves to explore music through a mathematical lens. So much so that he's co-written a song that uses melodic math. The professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Dalhousie University joins guest host Preston Mulligan to share the song and how it was created.
A childcare centre in East Hants, N.S., has told the province it wants nothing more to do with its before-and-after school childcare program. Andrea Ferguson, who is with the Tots Academy Child Care Society, has concerns about funding and wages. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Pam Aucoin, the executive director of early learning and childcare with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
This year's edition of the Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso, N.S., will kick off on Thursday with a celebration of the life of Bruce Guthro. He was a huge supporter of Stanfest, having performed at the first festival in 1997 and all but three editions. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Guthro's son Dylan Guthro ahead of the tribute to share fond memories of his father.
The Mainstreet Spinbusters give their take on why premiers seem fed up with Ottawa. The big message from the premiers' meeting in Halifax last week was that they're tired of Justin Trudeau's government intruding on provincial jurisdiction. So why do the feds do that? Chris Lydon, Barbara Emodi and Michelle Coffin break it down. Plus, a look at what's happening in U.S. presidential politics.
After a long and self-imposed pause, Canadian indie-rock band In-Flight Safety is heading back to a familiar stage. Member John Mullane joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about why the band is reuniting to play at The Marquee Club in Halifax with Tokyo Police Club next week.
April Hubbard was this year's Pride ambassador in Halifax. She says riding at the head of the parade, holding her crutches in a triumphant fashion over her head, was a moving experience. But it's also destined to be her last Pride. She joins guest host Preston Mulligan to explain why.
Nova Scotia and Mi'kmaq on Cape Breton have temporarily suspended any moose hunting on the island due to a sharp decline in the moose population. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke to Chief Leory Denny of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs to give his perspective.
Each spring, as the flowers start to pop up and the birds return, a certain theory tends to crop up on social media. It says you can blame your seasonal allergies on botanical sexism. First, you'll hear this theory from Tiktok user @graceH2323 and then, guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Peter Duinker, the founder of the Halifax Tree Project, to fact check it.
It's been almost two months since the Nova Scotia Energy Poverty Task Force recommended some generous discounts for low-income earners. It's urging the province to give qualifying lower income earners a 50 per cent cut in home heating costs and electricity. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Brian Gifford, the chair of the task force.
The 14th annual Afrifest kicked off in Halifax Thursday afternoon. It runs until Sunday and brings communities together to share and experience different African cultures. There will be food, music and dancing, including some that will invite the audience to participate. One of the festival's key organizers, George Mbamalu, spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye.
The Halifax Pride Festival starts on Thursday and there will be dozens, maybe even hundreds, of events happening at the community level for the next 11 days. Dan MacKay, the publisher of the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the history of Pride in Halifax and what's coming up.
The Plastic Free Foundation promotes Plastic Free July as a movement to get people around the world to refuse single-use plastics in the name of a cleaner environment. Rachael Butcher and Krista McDonald co-own Wholesum Refillery Shoppe in Kentville, N.S. They're participating, but it's also their mission to minimize single-use plastics year-round. They join guest host Jane Sponagle to talk about how they've set an even more ambitious goal for themselves.
Canada's premiers are meeting in Halifax this week and on Tuesday morning, outside the Westin Nova Scotian hotel, a group of people tried to get their attention in the hopes that mental health can rise to the top of the political agenda. They shared some of their thoughts with the CBC's Olivia Stefanovich.
The annual Nova Multifest will kick off at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth on Friday. Guest host Jane Sponagle is joined by three of its organizers, Hannah Matharu, Maddison Day and Vishal Bhardwaj, to talk about the annual celebration of food, culture and music.
Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and playwright Cornelius Eady is in Cape Breton this week. He's doing a reading at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts on Wednesday afternoon. Guest host Jane Sponagle spoke with Eady about his work and what inspired him to hitchhike from New York to Cape Breton in the 1970s.
It’s that time of year again. Halifax Pride kicks off this Friday and operations manager Fiona Kerr joined Mainstreet to discuss what to expect from this year’s festival.
Nova Scotians in Kings County have spent much of Friday assessing the damage from the previous evening's torrential rains. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with officials in the area, including Kings County Councillor Dick Killam, Bernard Miles with the Hall's Harbour Community Development Association and Dan Stovel, the regional emergency management co-ordinator for Kings County.
Saturday night at the Light House Arts Centre in Halifax, an affiliate of Wu-Tang Clan called Wu-Tang Killa Beez will perform. But before that on Friday, there will be a community workshop about trauma and art, in which members of Wu Tang "will breakdown and analyze their songs, explaining how trauma and artistic expression intersect for communal healing." Host Jeff Douglas is joined by workshop organizer Kayla Breelove Carter, a clinical traumatologist.
A new street outreach team started its work in Truro, N.S., this week. The provincial government announced Thursday that it's providing about $500,000 for the new five-person team run by the Truro Housing Outreach Society. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Davy Rose, the Truro outreach co-ordinator, to talk about how the team will support people experiencing homelessness.
An Algonquin beader says a design she created was stolen, mass produced and sold through an online retailer called Temu. CBC Indigenous reporter Samantha Schwientek joins host Jeff Douglas to tell that story and to talk about the broader implications.
If you need help starting a campfire or staying safe in bear country, and you don't want to just trust whatever you see on social media, you can now get expert advice through Scouts Canada's toll-free hotline. It opened on Monday, 24/7, for the entire summer. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Matthew Coe, a volunteer and long-time scouter.
Many may think of Rita MacNeil as the first lady of song with her ballads about Cape Breton. But there is more to her story. Lindsay Kyte, the co-creator and a performer of the play Dear Rita, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about MacNeil's history as a fierce feminist activist in the 1970s and how that informed the play.
Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Delvina Bernard to get her pick for the Mainstreet Top 40 — celebrating 40 years of amazing music that's been the soundtrack to our lives on this program and in Nova Scotia. Bernard is an 8th-generational African Nova Scotian who works in education, community development and institutional change.
El Jones and DeRico Symonds join host Jeff Douglas to talk about how a more just justice system could work, based on new recommendations from the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. They make connections between injustices of today and our history going all the way back to emancipation in 1834, and before that.
Conversation therapy, a discredited practice that aims to change or repress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, has been banned in Canada since 2022. So what is the case for creating a national day to raise awareness about it? Veronica Merryfield, the founder of the Cape Breton Transgender Network, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about her advocacy.
Some daycares and businesses in the Halifax area closed on Tuesday due to a boil-water advisory affecting a large swath of the municipality. We hear how the advisory is affecting people and businesses, plus learn more about the water treatment process.
As Mainstreet Halifax celebrates four decades on the air, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Canadian musician Joel Plaskett to talk about his favourite music from the last 40 years — and what year really stood out to him.
Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about Emancipation Day and the opportunity it offers for reflection and action on anti-Black racism. Senator Bernard will be holding a workshop for staff with the Halifax Regional Municipality later this month.
The Canadian Society For Education Through Art is holding its annual conference at NSCAD University in Halifax this week. This year, the keynote speaker is Halifax-born artist and associate professor JJ Lee. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas before her lecture, titled In My Yesterday: Drawing a Family History.
People concerned about open-net pen salmon farming met in Dartmouth, N.S., on Thursday to voice their concerns about the lack of regulation in Nova Scotia. Simon Ryder Burbidge, the senior marine campaign co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, was there. He joins host Jeff Douglas to discuss those concerns.
How many times did we hear "Build Back Better" during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nova Scotia? And crucially, what does "better" mean? Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang, who has given that question a lot of thought, to talk about caring for others and building our resilience.
Are you a professional strawberry huller? The Kingston Farmers Market in the Annapolis Valley wants you to sign up for its first annual strawberry hulling contest on Thursday. It's part of what they're calling Strawberry Week. Mainstreet's Jane Sponagle spoke with organizer Lauren Avery to learn more.
The Halifax YWCA says two funds designed to help survivors of gender-based violence flee abuse are depleted and in dire need of additional support, with six months still left in 2024. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Ashley Tiller, the YWCA's Violence to Resilience manager, to learn more.
Two Planks and a Passion Theatre in Canning, N.S., is gearing up to share one of their newest pieces. It's called Chased by the Bear, and it's a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Co-creators Ken Schwartz and Allen Cole join guest host Jane Sponagle for a chat about their adaptation and how it became a country-western musical.
When Nova Scotians are faced with record-breaking high temperatures, working can go from uncomfortable to dangerous. So what are your rights as a worker in those conditions? Guest host Jane Sponagle is joined by Noah Enns with the Halifax Workers Action Centre to talk about what responsibilities employers have to ensure their workers are safe.
A new program for emerging Mi'kmaw singer-songwriters launched in Dartmouth on Monday. The Mi'kmaq Artist Emergence Program, or MAEP, brings together artists for a week of music training, cultural teachings and mental wellness counselling. Program creator Carol Ann Potter of Bear River First Nation spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about why this program is so important.
When the Shubenacadie Canal was originally surveyed in 1767, it was meant to facilitate transportation between Halifax and the agricultural, timber and coal-producing areas of northern Nova Scotia and the Annapolis Valley. But these days the canal and park are largely used for recreational activities. Since 1984, the Shubenacadie Canal Commission has been trying to preserve the waterway, its history and its new life, so last week, Mainstreet's Rob Doublett jumped into a kayak with commissioner Cait Green for a tour.
To mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, Mainstreet broadcasts live from Millbrook First Nation. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by the CBC's Jane Sponagle from Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site, Millbrook Chief Bob Gloade, lead male dancer of the Mawio’mi Brady Googoo and Millbrook councillor Carley Gloade.
To mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, Mainstreet broadcasts live from Millbrook First Nation. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Don Julien of the Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, Heather Stevens of the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre, Dawn MacDonald and Justine Maloney of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, and traditional singer and drum keeper Michael R Denny, who is also emcee of the day's Mawio’mi.
To mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, Mainstreet broadcasts live from Millbrook First Nation. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Mi'kmaw linguist Bernie Francis and the CBC's Sis'moqon who was in Shubenacadie for an event called Freedom Day.
The executive director of the Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network, Robert Bernard, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how the volunteer organization creates more opportunities for sharing and learning Mi'kmaw culture and history. The organization's acronym, N’SITEN, is also a Mi'kmaw word, which means "we want you to understand."
A new podcast series called Right of Way looks at coastal access issues around Nova Scotia by talking with users and landowners. Creators Hannah Harrison and Nic Winkler join host Jeff Douglas to talk about the podcast, which will drop its first episode on Sunday, June 23.
When he was a kid and summer arrived in Paqtnkek First Nation, Trevor Gould's dad would tell him, "the river does not belong to you yet." He joins host Jeff Dougals to explore this memory and share its meaning.
While it's been 40 years since Mainstreet hit the airwaves, 1984 also marks the beginning of the Friends of the Public Gardens in Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by the organization's treasurer, Janet Brush, to talk about its history and this four-decade milestone.
The Caledonian Orchestra of Nova Scotia has been active in the province since 1993. The group rehearses and performs traditional sounds of 'Old Scotland' in different communities across the province. Mainstreet's Alex Guye went to one of their rehearsals last month, to hear what the group is all about and why its members, including 90-year-old conductor Nelson Ferguson, are still so passionate about it.
In 2022, a graphic novel called Night At The Belfry was released digitally through Comixology Originals. AND just last month, it was published in print by Dark Horse Comics, one of the largest independent American comic book publishers. The story follows 74-year-old James — who was a boxer in his younger years — as he aims to pick up the gloves again. The cartoonist behind it is Nova Scotia-born Xavier Saxon. Mainstreet's Alex Guye reached Xavier at his home in Montreal. Here's part of their conversation, starting with Xavier explaining what inspired Night At The Belfry.
Feed Nova Scotia first opened its doors 40 years ago as the Metro Food Bank Society. With Food Banks Canada saying this week poverty is worse than official statistics let on, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Dianne Swinimer and Nick Jennery to talk about the origins of food banks in Nova Scotia, how they've evolved and what they can do to address today's level of need.
Anne McLellan and Lisa Raitt, who have an incredible amount of combined experience in federal politics, have been working together to address issues on economic growth and productivity with the Coalition For A Better Future. They join host Jeff Dougals to talk about what they think is contributing to falling productivity in Canada, and what can be done about it.
In the introduction of his new book, Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life, Andrew Lawton writes: "He is authentic and full of conviction, yet every decision he makes — even the most mundane — is the product of calculation." Lawton joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what he's learned about the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada while researching and writing his book.
About 500 people in Nova Scotia live with scleroderma, a rare auto-immune disorder that affects the skin and internal organs. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Michelle Richard, who lives with the disease, and Jason Doucette, president of Scleroderma Atlantic, to talk about what supports are available for people living with the disease.
Pictou County Pride has kicked off a week-long festival of events and activities across the region. The week will end with a Pride Day celebration at Pictou Landing First Nation on Sunday. The group's chair Carissa Ainslie joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what they have in store for their community.
While it's been 40 years since Mainstreet hit the airwaves, 1984 also marks the founding of Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro, N.S. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by artistic director Laura Vingoe-Cram to reflect on four decades of theatre and what's coming up in their 40th anniversary season.
The Mainstreet Spinbusters join host Jeff Douglas to talk about fixed election dates, and their value of having them or not, and the reasons a politician might promise one and then jettison it. Plus, a look back at 1984 with Spinbusters Barb Emodi, Michelle Coffin and Chris Lydon, as Mainstreet marks 40 years of being on the air.
Magician and magic historian Margaret Steele joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about her new book, The Great Boomsky: The Many Lives of Magic's First Black Superstar. Boomsky was a magician's assistant character who was played by more than a dozen people in the decades after the American Civil War, including Isaac W. Willis. Willis became a world-class magician in his own right before settling in Truro where he became a community patriarch.
Ahead of a meeting in New York later this month, where nations will begin figuring out how to implement the High Seas Treaty, marine researcher Ryan Stanley joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about why climate change needs to be top of mind in those preparations. Stanley leads a research program on marine conservation areas at BIO, The Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
Despite the high cost of food at grocery stores, the National Farmers Union says farmers are not making any more money. In fact, the gap between what consumers pay and what farmers receive is only getting bigger. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by union co-ordinator, Eli Milton, to talk about why that is and how farmers are trying to manage.
On Thursday, history was made when Bill C-226, the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act, successfully passed through the Senate. The act will support a national strategy to address, prevent and assess incidents of environmental racism. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Ingrid Waldron, professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health at McMaster University, who has been key in getting this bill passed.
No matter what you think about June bugs, we have to deal with them every year. In what she refers to as "exposure therapy," the CBC's Jane Sponagle met with Paul Manning, assistant professor in biology and entomology at Dalhousie's Agriculture Campus. He thinks the bugs are an important part of the ecosystem — and are actually really cute.
New research from Stockholm University suggests that the concentration of PFAS or "forever chemicals" emitted from the spray coming off the ocean is higher than industrial polluters. The CBC's Rose Murphy spoke with lead researcher Ian Cousins, a professor of environmental organic chemistry, to learn more.
A new book by longtime journalist Stephen Kimber chronicles a high stakes Canadian feud that underscores the perils of succession planning for a multi-million dollar family business. He joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his new book, The Phelan Feud: The Bitter Struggle For Control of a Great Canadian Food Empire.
Members of the Canadian Parliament have voted unanimously to criminalize coercive control — a step towards protecting people from non-physical abuse, such as threats and financial manipulation. With the bill now going to the Senate, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Andrea Gunraj with the Canadian Women's Foundation, to learn more about what it would do.
Journalist Paul McLeod joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how the federal Online News Act is moving closer to putting money into the bank accounts of news outlets. But he's thinking there's a better way to address the dominance of Google and Meta in online advertising.
A group of women and non-binary scientists will come together on the Halifax waterfront on Saturday to showcase their knowledge and to encourage people from all walks of life to participate in science. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by co-organizers Meghan Martin and Lindsey Power, who are biomedical engineering PhD candidates at Dalhousie University.
Back in 2020, the Nova Scotia Nature Trust set a goal of doubling the amount of land it protects. It recently met that goal, protecting an additional 6,000 hectares in just four years. Executive director Bonnie Sutherland joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about this milestone and why "nature needs us now more than ever."
Historian Leo J. Deveau takes us on another journey through time to 1984 — the year of Mainstreet's inception — for a look at what was happening in the political, economic and cultural life in Nova Scotia. He joins host Jeff Douglas.
After years of struggling to find clothes to fit her body and feeling ashamed of her weight, Whitney Swinimer began knitting clothes for herself that made her feel confident and beautiful. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how that changed her perception, which she wrote about in this CBC First Person column.
A glimpse into the early days of this program from a woman who helped put CBC Radio's Mainstreet on the map, starting in 1984. Former CBCer Dawn Harwood-Jones joins host Jeff Douglas and producer Alex Mason to share some fond memories of past hosts George Jordan and Frank Cameron, and their willingness to try just about anything.
Nova Scotia's auditor general Kim Adair says there has been a significant increase in the number of violent incidents being reported by schools, but suggests the actual number is higher because school staff are not reporting every incident. We hear reaction from NDP MLA Suzy Hansen and Tracy Vaillancourt, Canadian Research Chair in school-based mental health and violence prevention.
Wouldn't it be great to have a map of the changing global economy? Economist Jeff Rubin says he has one. His many books have chronicled how macroeconomics affect our daily lives. He joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his new book, A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions, and how it will change your world forever.
Monogamy is a stated goal for a lot of couples, at least in human societies. But this exclusive mating style is actually rare among mammals, more generally. Science columnist Torah Kachur joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about new research into hormones that may help explain why.
Mainstreet freelancer Damini Awoyiga returns to talk about the importance of the Black Joy movement, when facing a history of injustice and brutality. She spoke with some Halifax teens to understand what it means to them, from dance to community to finding understanding in your culture.
A new play coming to the Eastern Front Theatre in Dartmouth, N.S., this Sunday presents itself as a Q&A — the kind of Q&A session that sometimes follows theatre events or movie screenings. Audience members are tasked with asking questions — any question at all — without knowing where the plot is going. Director and cast member Joe Cobden joins host Jeff Douglas to explain more.
In Search of the Great Canadian Shark is a new book by Chris Harvey-Clark, which looks back at over a half century of diving. He spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Mason to describe some of his experiences — and why swimming with sharks is a family tradition.
Many ships left from Halifax to be part of, or to support, the storming of beaches in Normandy during the Second World War 80 years ago. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Bill Woodburn, chair of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust and a former submarine captain, to talk about the city's role in preparations leading up to D-Day.
A group of Indigenous soldiers from Peepeekisis Cree Nation in Saskatchewan stormed Juno Beach alongside 14,000 other Canadians 80 years ago, turning the tide during the Second World War. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by the CBC's Jason Warick, who met with some of their descendants ahead of a ceremony in France on Wednesday to honour their sacrifice.
As the Earth warms from climate change so does the temperature of groundwater. While this may not be top of mind, the temperature of groundwater does affect some processes that can lead to more contamination — and other problems. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Dalhousie University scientist Barret Kurylyk to learn more.
Thursday, June 6 will mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Ted Barris, the author of 20 books about Canadian military history, including Juno: Canadians at D-Day, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to give a crash course on the historical invasion of the beaches at Normandy in northern France during the Second World War.
Dr. Caitlin Lees, a physician in Halifax, says she won't be able to go back to work unless her young daughter gets a coveted spot in the Excel after-school program for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year. She spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the challenges parents face to find child care.
Chef Andie Bulman joins guest host Preston Mulligan to offer tips on growing your own food and getting it from soil to table even when you have little money and space. She tells us why she planted a garden in her driveway — and how you can too.
Nova Scotia has missed its deadline to stop admitting people with disabilities into large institutions, but an official says work is still underway. The lawyer who represents the Disability Rights Commission of Nova Scotia says the missed deadline is a failure by the province. The CBC's Jean Laroche reports.
Nova Scotia's Haylee and Jordynn Russell, and their dad, Joel Russell, join guest host Preston Mulligan to teach him a thing or two — or 10 — about competitive skipping. The 12-year-old twins were part of three gold medal wins at the 2024 Rope Skipping Canada National Championships with their team, Jump Energy.
The film and TV industry in Nova Scotia is gaining steam. Screen Nova Scotia is expecting five new productions to start filming here this summer. Executive director Laura MacKenzie joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the successes and challenges of shooting in this province.
Sail Nova Scotia's Paula Minnikin and John Flemming join guest host Preston Mulligan to look back on the SailGP races that happened in the Halifax harbour over the weekend — from dramatic moments to crowd reactions — and also a chat about SailGP races possibly returning to Halifax in the future.
Join host Jeff Douglas and two-time Olympic sailor and Olympic coach Lisa Ross on the Halifax waterfront as the city prepares for the Rockwool Canada Sail Grand Prix. We hear from Canadian sailor Madeline Gillis, Mi’kmaw linguist Bernie Francis and driver of the Canadian Sail GP team Phil Roberston, among other sailing enthusiasts.
Join host Jeff Douglas and two-time Olympic sailor and Olympic coach Lisa Ross on the Halifax waterfront as the city prepares for the Rockwool Canada Sail Grand Prix. We hear from officials with Sail GP, Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron Vice Commodore Graham Roy, among other sailing enthusiasts.
Join host Jeff Douglas and two-time Olympic sailor and Olympic coach Lisa Ross on the Halifax waterfront as the city prepares for the Rockwool Canada Sail Grand Prix. We hear from Billy Gooderham of the Canada team, Sail Nova Scotia’s Paula Minnikin and John Flemming, and Mi’kmaw ethnologist Roger Lewis, among other sailing enthusiasts.
The Queer Interfaith Coalition, which aims to bring people of different faiths together to fight anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate, will hold its first annual Pride service next week. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by three people of different spiritual backgrounds to talk about it: Rabbi Naj Siritsky, Alexina St. Pierre Farrow and Tamsin Michael Robson.
The Bus Stop Theatre Co-op has a new executive director starting in June and its Masuma Khan. You may know her from her years of community activism and advocacy or by the musical name, General Khan. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about her goals for the theatre moving forward.
As part of Asian Heritage Month, media organization Halitube partnered with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax to host a mah-jong learn-and-play event. Mainstreet's Alex Guye stopped by to talk to organizers and some attendees about their connection to the Chinese game.
There's been a lot of history made in women's hockey this year. Spryfield's Troy Ryan has had a front-row seat as head coach of the Toronto team in the Professional Women's Hockey League — and now he's up for Coach of the Year. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the nomination.
Cape Breton author Lesley Crewe has a new novel coming out next month called Death & Other Inconveniences. It follows a newly widowed New Brunswick woman named Margo who is learning who she is after the death of her rather unremarkable husband. She spoke with Mainstreet intern Jenna Banfield.
More than 40 years of work by filmmaker Lulu Keating is celebrated at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival this week. The CBC's Carsten Knox spoke with Lulu about her new book of short stories, and how she went from filmmaking to writing.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is holding its annual Gutsy Walk on Sunday. The walks, which take place across the country, promote research to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with honourary chair for Nova Scotia's Gutsy Walk Ian Harrison.
The Road to Economic Prosperity released its inaugural African Nova Scotian Prosperity and Well-being Index last week. It was a three-year initiative to measure social and economic indicators in the African Nova Scotian and Black immigrant communities from a Black perspective. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Irvine Carvery and Carolann Wright.
The Antigonish Women's Centre will receive $2.5 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada and from Status of Women Nova Scotia to expand a youth program aimed at preventing gender-based violence. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with executive director Anita Stewart, who hopes the expansion will allow the program to reach 80 high schools across Nova Scotia.
Syrian-Canadian Danny Ramadan joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his new memoir, Crooked Teeth, which starts with his life as a young gay man growing up in Damascus and ends with him coming to Canada as a refugee.
Nova Scotia was represented at the Cannes Film Festival this week. Halifax producer Jason Levangie was there to attend the premiere of the new David Cronenberg film — and go to a party at Pablo Picasso's family villa. He spoke with CBC's Carsten Knox.
When the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival kicks off next Wednesday, it will be celebrating 90 successful years. But this year, it's introducing a new youth competition: "Passions that Bloom." Host Jeff Douglas visited the festival offices in Kentville to talk with organizers about the updated format.
Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway, who is parliamentary secretary to the minister of Fisheries and Oceans, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about Canada's elver fishery. Kelloway says the department is working on regulations in an effort to safely reopen the elver fishery next year.
The 45th annual Scotia Festival of Music, featuring world-renowned classical musicians, will honour its late founder, Chris Wilcox. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Simon Docking, this year's artistic director to talk about the magic of the festival.
It's a time when people across the province celebrate Gaelic culture, language and history. To learn more about how Gaelic film impacts the community, Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Joyce MacDonald, the president of the Gaelic Filmmakers Society of Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia was aiming to be an "accessible province" by 2030 by removing physical barriers that make it difficult for people with disabilities to get around. But with only six years to go, provincial officials acknowledge that will not happen. The CBC's Shaina Luck spoke with Dawn Stegen, the executive director of the province's Accessibility Directorate.
Haligonians are receiving fewer speeding tickets compared to years past, despite a rising population. While some people might be relieved, Norm Collins with the Crosswalk Safety Society is concerned about the implications for road safety.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning production of Dance Nation is coming to Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. It tells the story of seven 13-year-old competitive dancers desperate to win, while tackling the complexities of girlhood. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by director Laura Vingoe-Cram with Keep Good Theatre Company, and actor Richie Wilcox.
As Paramedic Services Week gets underway in Canada, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Jen Greene, a longtime paramedic who works with Dalhousie’s division of emergency medical services. She was recently named the recipient of the 2024 Paramedic Association of Canada Award of Excellence for Leadership and Advocacy.
What should you plant in your yard to benefit insects in the local ecosystem? And what should you avoid doing? Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Nancy McLean, an associate professor in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Agriculture, to get some advice.
The Video Difference space on Quinpool Road in Halifax is being transformed into a multipurpose arts space, thanks to 2B Theatre. CBC's Carsten Knox went down there to get a tour of the updated space.
The Soundtrax choir began in Halifax back in 1991 and it's still going strong today with new students joining every year. They perform regularly throughout the year, so Mainstreet's Alex Guye visited them at one of their rehearsals to hear why having a space like this is important to them.
There’s a new dance craze sweeping mainland Nova Scotia. It brought more than 200 people out to the dance floor of the Mayflower Curling Club a few months ago and they're getting ready for another tour next week. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Peter Leblanc, who runs Front Porch Farm in Margaree, Cape Breton.
JIMBO the drag clown is coming to Nova Scotia next week. She is an internationally revered performance artist, musician and designer — and also the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about her Canadian tour called JIMBO's Drag Circus.
A psychologist who has worked in Indigenous communities for over 25 years is in Halifax this week to help address the social and psychological effects of colonization. Darien Thira spoke with CBC's Sis'moqon about his workshop, which is called "The Community is the Medicine."
Nova Scotia has a rich film history, but it's not always easy to access. Film historian and producer Ron Foley Macdonald says it's often difficult to find and watch old films. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas to talk about what we might be missing.
Julian Taylor has been making great music for a long time. He's a serial success, first with Staggered Crossing, then Julian Taylor Band and most recently as a solo artist. He joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what keeps him going ahead of his show at The Carleton in Halifax.
Laurie Anderson is a writer, director, composer, visual artist, musician and vocalist. NSCAD granted her an honourary degree and she offered the graduates some lessons for life.
Joseph Laycock is in Halifax for the "Devil 2024" conference at the University of King's College. He dropped into the Mainstreet living room to talk with Jeff Douglas about why Satan was "thrown under the bus" during the Enlightenment. And why he's back.
RCMP Sgt. Craig Marshall Smith joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his new book, Appointed to the Order: Black Atlantic Canadians For Outstanding Contributions to Province and Country. Smith has written several books about African Canadian history and achievement.
The ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix is coming to the Halifax Harbour at the end of May — the circuit's first ever Canadian stop. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Sail NS steering group co-chairs Paula Minnikin and John Flemming to get the details.
Atlantic Books Today editor Jon Tattrie joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about an array of new page turners from this region, including Pet Tales, Through Rain, Sleet or Snow: Rural Mailboxes of Nova Scotia and Black Harbour: Slavery and the Forgotten Histories of Black People in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Carol Bruneau, whose work was widely influenced by the late Alice Munro, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the Canadian author's legacy. Munro died on Monday at her home in Port Hope, Ont. She was 92.
Small business owners say crucial amendments must be made to the federal government's proposed hike in the capital gains tax — or the country's economic growth will take a hit. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, to get the details.
Halifax's Alex Pugsley is a filmmaker, screenwriter and author. His latest book, The Education of Aubrey McKee, was released earlier this month. It follows his solo debut novel, Aubrey McKee. He joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how the novel blends poetry and chemistry with romance.
Page Cowell is finishing big this school year. She graduated from NSCAD University in Halifax as valedictorian on Tuesday — and she also won this year's student art award. She spoke with CBC's Rose Murphy about the honours and how making connections with others has been key to her art.
Good Grief is a new TV show from writer and director, Amy Trefry. One of its stars is Katerina Bakolias, who also produces the show. They stopped by on Monday to tell Mainstreet host, Jeff Douglas, all about Good Grief and why comedy was the way they wanted to tell a story about grief.
K.R. Byggdin and Stephanie Domet join host Jeff Douglas to talk about what they make of the novel Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr. The pair have been hosting a book club to read through the novels shortlisted for this year's Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award.
Donald Trump is not a witch, but he can relate to what witches have gone through — at least he suggests that's the case. Kathyn Morris from the University of King's College tells us about the history of witch hunts. Real witch hunts. And what she thinks about Trump's use of the term.
Cancer continues to be the biggest killer in Canada, but a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says more people are surviving up to 25 years after being diagnosed. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Globe and Mail health columnist Andre Picard to get the details.
Both politicians and consumers have been scrutinizing large grocery chains for reporting higher profits while many Canadians struggle to afford groceries — and an ongoing boycott of Loblaw aims to challenge that. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Kara Friesen, who runs a small meal kit business in the Annapolis Valley, about why the actions of large chains are also causing problems for local food producers.
A Haligonian ballerina has decided it's time for her to retire. Hannah Mae Cruddas has been dancing professionally with Ballet Jörgen for 13 years. She's danced in many productions, like The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderalla. But most might recognize her as the titular character of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: The Ballet. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Hannah Mae in a series of interviews, including one after her final performance.
Students at the Cobequid Educational Centre in Truro, N.S., hosted the school's first Mawio’mi on Wednesday. The event was a cultural celebration that took two years of planning by students. The CBC's Sis'moqon was there and she spoke with some of the organizers.
May in Nova Scotia is Gaelic Awareness Month. It's a time when people across the province celebrate Gaelic culture, language and history. To learn more about the language, its importance and its effect on community, Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Shannon MacMullin, a Gaelic outreach and engagement officer with the province.
Canada's second-ever marine protected area has just turned 20 years old and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is hosting a birthday bash for it on Saturday. The Gully is located 40 kilometres off Sable Island and is home to rare species of sponges, whales and other sea creatures. Ahead of the celebration, ocean scientist Trevor Kenchington joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what can be found in waters.
Pierre Poilievre is making a lot of noise about lobbyists being useless and saying they won't carry any favour if he's elected — but a closer look shows he is pretty cozy with the lobbyists, too. Political scientist Lori Turnbull joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what she thinks it's all about.
The Black Educators Association will hold its annual REP Provincial Spelling BEE on Saturday. Nearly 100 students are expected to compete at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. Three of them, alongside former spelling bee champ Maggie Andrew, join host Jeff Douglas to talk about the competition — and to spell a few words.
Darren Porter, who fishes the inner Bay of Fundy, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about two junvenile salmon that were recently pulled from above the Windsor causeway, 11 months after a provincial emergency order closed the gates. He says finding the fish is promising, and shows they're working their way through the system.
An area of water off southeast Greenland has been setting record cold temperatures in recent years, defying the worldwide warming trend. Doug Wallace of Dalhousie University's chemical oceanographer joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about why this is happening — and whether it's cause for concern.
Festival founder and artistic director Siloën Daley spoke with Alex Guye about some of what attendees can expect to see during this years festival. You can learn more about the festival by visiting anihfx.ca
Juno nominated singer-songwriter Kellie Loder is on tour across Atlantic Canada right now with their latest album, Transitions. Kellie dropped by Studio A this afternoon, to talk about their new album and their current tour with Mainstreet host, Jeff Douglas.
Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Shelley Fashan and Florence West ahead of their event "Our Legacy: Many Voices, Many Stories, happening at the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax on Friday. The event will celebrate Black families and their stories and songs.
Bernadette Jordan, a former federal cabinet minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, spoke with CBC's Brittany Wentzell about the harassment she faced while in office, and why she's worried that harassment could affect the future of politics.
Ottawa's Jen Labelle is one of many comedians who will perform at the Halifax Comedy Fest which gets underway on Wednesday. Labelle, who works as a teacher by day, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how working with students informs her comedy sets.
The case for and against decriminalizing drugs may not be as tidy as advocates and critics want it to be. Chris Giacomantonio, a sociologist at Dalhousie University who has an interest in evidence-based crime policy, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what he thinks of the debate playing out in British Columbia.
K.R. Byggdin and Stephanie Domet join host Jeff Douglas to talk about what they make of the novel This is the House Luke Built by Violet Browne. It's on the shortlist for this year's Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award.
The people who called for a boycott of Loblaw-owned stores this month want the company to sign a grocers' code of conduct and reduce food prices by 15 per cent. The Coupon Nannie, Dana Calder-Boutilier, joins host Jeff Douglas to give her take on the boycott and how people are responding in the Truro area.
Atlantic Canada's oldest marine protected area, also known as The Gully, is located off the coast of Nova Scotia and is home to blue whales, rare deep-sea corals and sponges and a rare population of northern bottlenose whales. As the area celebrates its 20th year of protection, Derek Fenton with Fisheries and Oceans Canada says there's still much to learn from it.
A new art exhibit and market called "On Our Terms" aims to help survivors of gender-based violence in Nova Scotia share their craft and work toward healing their trauma. On May 9, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia will host the exhibit, which features the sharing of stories, art and crafts of survivors — on their own terms.
This Sunday, May 5 is a national day to honour and bring awareness to the thousands of Indigenous women and girls, and two-spirit people who have gone missing or have been murdered. It's called Red Dress Day. Mainstreet's Kathleen McKenna spoke with Mi'kmaw elder Marie Sack from Sipekne’katik about the significance of the red dress.
After a fire destroyed the Bridgetown Baptist Church in Bridgetown, N.S., last week, members of the congregation are making plans to rebuild. Reverend Steven Hopper joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the church and next steps.
May in Nova Scotia is Gaelic Awareness Month. It's a time where people across the province celebrate Gaelic culture, language and history. Ciaran Walker of the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia and Lewis MacKinnon with the Office of Gaelic Affairs join guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about some upcoming events.
When someone experiences the death of a loved one, many struggle with the grief that comes with it and how to talk about it. To speak about grief literacy and some supports that exist in Nova Scotia, Mainstreet's Alex Guye reached Matthew Fillier, a grief and bereavement practice lead with Nova Scotia Health's Palliative Care Network.
The deadly fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome wiped out more than 90 per cent of Nova Scotia's bat population during the winter of 2012-2013. More than 10 years later, bat biologist Lori Phinney says some species are showing signs of recovery, while others are not.
Truro-based folk duo Champagne Weather join host Jeff Douglas to talk about their new EP and their upcoming performance at the East Coast Music Awards in Charlottetown. The duo behind the band are Canadian Folk Music Award-winners and JUNO nominees James Hill and Anne Janelle.
Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda McDougall has announced she will not re-offer in October. She became the first female mayor of the municipality in 2020, after previously serving as a councillor. The CBC's Kyle Moore asked her about her decision not to pursue another term.
David Hart, a United Church minister who took in a family from Ukraine for a few months last year, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about that experience. They're also joined by Kirill Rumezhak, a member of that family.
The Old Burying Ground on the corner of Barrington and Spring Garden in Halifax is officially open for the season. After a long winter, the most fragile gravestones have been returned and are ready for visits from tourists and Haligonians alike. Volunteer Craig Ferguson gave Mainstreet's Dylan Taylor one of the first tours of the season.
The NSCAD film festival is back for its third year and one of the alumni returning is Oscar-nominated Chris Hegedus. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about her time at NSCAD and her 1993 documentary, The War Room, which isabout the team that helped Bill Clinton triumph over George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot in 1992.
Mainstreet's own Rob Doublett tells us why it's important to seek out medical help right away if you experience any kind of hearing loss. While you might think it's something as simple as water in the ear, it could be something more serious — and treating it quickly can make a world of difference.
Magic is being made in a mysterious and secluded animation studio in Beaver Bank just north of Lower Sackville. Mainstreet's Rose Murphy went there and found woodland paths near a little lake, a family of snapping turtles, a giant apple that houses a library, an upside down airplane with a blue lightning bolt and a bunch of people making cartoons and working with celebrities in Los Angeles. This is what her visit to Cartoon Conrad sounded like:
A local gallery owner who opposes the infilling of Dartmouth Cove is organizing an art show and issuing a call to action. Mainstreet's Rose Murphy dropped by The Dart to hear why Jane MacDougald is rallying her community to protect a place she loves.
The NSCC and Black Women in Excellence are launching a new opportunity for Black and African Nova Scotian aspiring entrepreneurs. Black Women in Excellence founder Tia Upshaw spoke to Jeff about the initiative
Music superstar Drake's use of AI-generated voices of rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg in his song Taylor Made Freestyle is causing some controversy. Mainstreet intern Dylan Taylor spoke with Carys Craig, a law professor at Toronto's York University and an expert in intellectual property, about the legality of artificial intelligence-created voices in music.
2 Crows Brewing Company is partnering with engineering students at Dalhousie University to minimize emissions that occur naturally when beer is brewed. Head brewer Jeremy Taylor spoke with Mainstreet guest host Preston Mulligan about the initiative.
Ahead of the Atlantic Book Awards in June, authors Stephanie Domet and K.R. Byggdin are launching a book club! Each week, readers will make their way through one of the 5 nominees for the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Domet and Byggdin joined guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about what to expect.
Classified has released a brand new album Luke's Views. He speaks to Jeff about the album and how he's changed after almost three decades in the music business.
Many Nova Scotians are struggling with rising food prices. CBC's Sis'moqon took to Halifax's North End with her daughter Sis'wey to ask people how they were dealing with food price inflation.
A Haligonian school teacher's attempt to bring her neighbourhood together through gardening is proving to be a big success. Mainstreet intern Dylan Taylor spoke with Cora-lee Conrad who puts out free plants to help with the cost of living and to build her community.
Jennifer Jesty developed the Unama'ki Alert Systemi and hopes to see it expand to other Mi'kmaw communities.
She's the emergency resilience manager with Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq. She spoke to Jeff about the system and future plans.
The closure of the elver fishery in Nova Scotia has led to an outcry from some quarters. Jeff spoke to South Shore—St. Margarets MP Rick Perkins of to get his thoughts on the matter.
Comedian Rob Pue will be in town for the Halifax Comedy Fest in May. He spoke to Jeff about the art of comedy and clears up some online misinformation that says Halifax is his hometown.
A new book says random chance determines much of the course of our lives and even the history of the world.
Jeff speaks with Mark Rank the author of "The Random Factor." and a professor of social welfare at Washington University.
Over 50 per cent of the world's branded plastic pollution recorded in a study from 2018 and 2022 comes from 56 companies. That's according to a study published today in the journal Science Advances. Jeff speaks with one of the authors, Tony Walker.
Canada's Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre warned in a 2023 assessment that heated language can lead to acts of violence. Alex Mason spoke with Deena Abul-Fottouh an assistant prof in Dalhousie University's department of sociology and social anthropology about what is being called stochastic terrorism. This conversation deals with disturbing events.
Bird flu is affecting a wide range of animal populations. Chris Harvey-Clark a marine biologist and the university veterinarian at Dalhousie University tells Jeff about the effects the virus can have on marine animals .
While Atlantic Canada's elver fishery typically ships baby eels to Asia where they're grown for food, NovaEel is dedicated to figuring out how to farm them right here in Nova Scotia. It's a task that is biologically tricky, and the recent closure of the fishery only adds to that.
Outfest, a queer theatre festival, kicks off in Halifax on Wednesday and runs until April 28. The six-day festival is in its third year and will feature the best local, regional and national queer artists and many performances at the Bus Stop Theatre. Mainstreet's Alex Guye went down there to find out what's in store.
While a ministerial order has officially closed Atlantic Canada's elver fishery this spring, how much that's impacted illegal fishing is unclear. But one group undoubtedly affected is commercial license holders. Zachary Townsend, the plant manager for Shelburne Elver, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his efforts to get the fishery reopened.
Julie Aitken Schermer, a professor of psychology at Western University, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about a study that tries to determine what kind of drivers like having noisy tailpipes — and why you might want to avoid them, on the road and otherwise.
As he embarks on his latest Canadian tour, which has several stops in Nova Scotia, Ian Thomas joins host Jeff Douglas to look back at more than half a century as a singer-songwriter and what it was about the Thomas household that spawned two pop culture icons.
On April 21, Fang Recording in Dartmouth, N.S., will be hosting its first ALL EYEZ ON YOU: Hip-Hop Artist Development & Education program. It's a workshop and networking event for up-and-coming MCs and producers in the Halifax area. Rapper, producer and program organizer Camden Bonvi spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye.
Award-winning Cape Breton singer Elyse Aeryn joins host Jeff Douglas in Studio A to talk about her debut album, Joy State of Mind, her recent wins and nominations and her experience being one of five JUNO Wavemakers last month. Plus, she gives Mainstreet an exclusive listen to her new single, Cowboy.
It's been more than a year since the Mass Casualty Commission made 17 recommendations to address gender-based violence. To get a sense of what progress has been made, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Kristina Fifield, a registered social worker and trauma therapist who is also a member of the MCC's progress committee.
A new CBC podcast is exploring a scandal-ridden reality TV show from 2007 called Kid Nation, that dropped 40 kids into an abandoned mining town and asked them to start a new society. The podcast is called Split Screen: Kid Nation. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by the podcast's creator, Josh Gwynn.
It's time for a road safety refresher. Norm Collins, the president of the Crosswalk Safety Society of Nova Scotia, joins host Jeff Douglas after a father and his daughter had a close call with a driver at an unmarked crosswalk in Kingston, N.S. To read more about crosswalk education for drivers and pedestrians, click here.
In talks about the Mass Casualty Commission's final report recommendations, Nova Scotia's Justice Minister Brad Johns told reporters that domestic violence is not an epidemic. He has since apologized. We hear reactions from Premier Tim Houston and Anita Stewart, the executive director of the Antigonish Women's Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association.
The man accused of assaulting a conservation officer after an elvers bust in downtown Dartmouth is speaking out. James Nevin, who is from Sipekne'katik, describes the circumstances of his arrest — and why he feared his truck might be stolen. Nevin says the failure of enforcement officers to identify themselves resulted in his arrest.
Tuesday's federal budget includes nearly $53 billion in new spending over the next five years with a clear focus on affordability and housing. To help pay for some of that new spending, Ottawa is proposing a hike to the capital gains tax. Moshe Lander, an economics lecturer at Concordia University, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain.
The Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre will open its doors this weekend for a traditional Mi'kmaw vendor market. The goal is to raise money for summer activities for urban Indigenous children in need. Lisa Robinson, program facilitator with the Mi'kmaq Child Development Centre, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain.
Mainstreet gets a crash course — a tutorial — on how to safely use e-scooters now that they're back on the streets of Halifax for the 2024 season. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Max Rastelli, the owner of HFX e-Scooters.
On their website, local musical alt-folk duo Pillow Fite promises to live up to its name by wielding softness and making it sting. Members Art Ross and Aaron Green dropped into the Mainstreet Living Room to perform in a Mainstreet Backseat Traffic Jam.
One of nature's wonders is under serious threat. Coral around the world is turning white, and in some cases dying, because of climate change and warming oceans. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Isabelle Jubinville, a marine biologist with Oceana Canada in Halifax, to talk about why this is happening.
Advocates for victims of sexual assault say only 10 per cent actually report it — but if more people knew about the services sexual assault nurse examiners provide, more victims would come forward to seek help. Cara Steele, who manages the SANEs program at the Avalon Centre in Halifax, offers some insight into what they do.
A group called A-15 Action has called on people around the world to block "the arteries of capitalism" in solidarity with Palestinians. Alex Khasnabish, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Mount St. Vincent University, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about this approach to protesting what's happening to people in Gaza and the history of similar attempts to bring about change.
There appears to be a fair bit of acrimony between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many of the provinces at the moment — but why is that? Is it that the federal government is down in the polls? Or that it's out of step with Conservative premiers? Mainstreet's Spinbusters Barb Emodi, Michelle Coffin and Chris Lydon join guest host Preston Mulligan to talk it out.
The Treaty Space Gallery at NSCAD's Marginal Road Campus has opened a new exhibit that highlights the importance of Indigenous language revitalization. It was created by Indigenous students who participated in a drum painting workshop, as a way to explore how art can express cultural reclamation. CBC's Sis'moqon was there.
While volunteerism is down across Canada after the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Grove in Dartmouth, N.S., is bucking that trend. Executive director Wendy Fraser joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how the community hub has seen a record number of volunteer hours put in at its North Dartmouth location.
The number of volunteer firefighters in Canada has been on the decline, but in Halifax, the trend seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum joins host Jeff Douglas to explain what this means for the municipality.
The inaugural edition of the Halifax Art Book Fair and conference will take place on Saturday. The fair is a gathering for Atlantic Canadian artists who want to find new connections and ideas. It will be held at the All Nations Church. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Andrew Hill and Marite Kuus, who are both Halifax-based artists and co-directors of the fair.
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia is holding a Thrift Fashion Show and Market fundraiser on Friday. It's called “A Night of Second Chances” and it's in support of marginalized women and gender-diverse people. Kaleigh Smith and Nadia Skelton join host Jeff Douglas to talk about the society's Abundance program and the upcoming fashion show.
Four famous women from Cape Breton will take the stage together for a show called Island Girls. Heather Rankin, Bette MacDonald, Lucy MacNeil and Jenn Sheppard are taking their musical comedy show around the Maritimes. Rankin and MacDonald join host Jeff Douglas and Mainstreet producer Alex Mason to explain how their show came to be.
There's a longstanding connection between jazz music and Gottingen Street in Halifax and right now, the genre is reaching a new generation in a venue there called The Local. Damien Moynihan and his trio has a hand in that. Moynihan spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how the songs he's playing are old, but the crowd is often full of young university students.
Marie-Claire Chartrand is the founder and lead senior care consultant with Grey Wave: Senior Care Consulting. She spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about what families can do to protect vulnerable loved ones and make it easier to locate them, should they go missing.
Ashwyn Singh joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his approach to comedy — having toured across Canada and India — that he's bringing to a series of performances at the Halifax Comedy Fest in May.
Alumni and archivists from the Aberdeen Hospital School of Nursing in New Glasgow, N.S., are planning an art installation to "honour a legacy of caring." Kim Chisholm, a retired nurse who graduated from the school in 1975, spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye to explain what they're looking for.
Comedian Clare Belford dropped by Studio A to talk with guest host Preston Mulligan ahead of her April 20 headline show in Halifax. Then, she speaks with Mainstreet producer Alex Mason about her friend, the late Nick Nemeroff, who is one of the comedians featured in a new episode of the Halifax Comedy Fest TV show.
Nova Scotia songwriter Sahara Jane has produced a new album with her partner in music and in life, Ken Shorley. It's called Something Good. They join guest host Preston Mulligan to talk all about the new album and how they work together musically.
Sydney Smith, who grew up near Caledonia in Queens County, has won the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration, making him the first ever Canadian winner. He illustrated Town Is By The Sea by Joanne Schwartz and Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, among other works.
The Houston government announced earlier this week that it's making it easier for homeowners to build small backyard suites in the face of the housing crisis by increasing forgivable loans to $40,000. But how much does it cost to build a backyard suite in Nova Scotia these days? Guest host Preston Mulligan asks Mike Jones, who owns Jones Co Builders in Porters Lake.
A horror film series called Terror Vision has been highlighting classic and fan-favourite horror films at the Lower Sackville Cineplex Theatre for the last 10 months. Founder and creator Josh Lake spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about the series ahead of the next screening that will celebrate the 40th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The eclipse is the talk of the town and Mainstreet got in on the action too. First, our colleague Rose Murphy went down to the Discovery Centre in Halifax to see how people were preparing for the event, and then Jeff spoke with the CBC's Khalil Ahktar, live from Miramichi, where the eclipse could be seen in its totality.
Music and Medicine for Cuba is a joint undertaking by Los Primos, NSCuba and Not Just Tourists, which aims to send a seacan full of medicine and musical instruments from Nova Scotia to Cuba. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Timothy Bood, the chair of NSCuba, and Jeff Goodspeed, an educator and musician with Los Primos, to talk about what they need for donations.
In 2B Theatre's latest production, a man narrates the life of a woman and her struggles with sexism, her work as a journalist covering crimes against women and her fraying mental health. Red Like Fruit by award-winning playwright Hannah Moscovitch interrogates the role and impact of men’s voices in women’s stories.
Back in 1987, the first official Tartan Day took place in Nova Scotia. The original driving force behind it was Jean MacKaracher Watson and April 6 is now nationally recognized as Tartan Day. She spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye to hear about how she's celebrating the day this year.
Two Mi'kmaw fishermen in Shelburne County were arrested by Fisheries and Oceans Canada last week for fishing elvers while the season is cancelled. The men say they were forced to walk in sock feet for hours in the middle of the night after their boots and phones were taken by officials. Jim Michael, a Mi'kmaw lawyer, joins host Jeff Douglas to weigh in on the situation.
Duncan Robertson, a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, joins host Jeff Douglas to offer insights into what the federal price on carbon means for businesses.
Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Mitchell Archibald, the executive director of Student Housing Nova Scotia, to talk about the current state of student housing in the province. He calls the struggle to find student housing a defining issue for this generation.
The Bank of Canada has said the country is finally going in the right direction when it comes to the fight against inflation. But there's another critical problem: lagging productivity. JP Deveau, an expert on global competitiveness and exports, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain.
The Merritt Awards are coming back to Alderney Landing Theatre later this month. The award show celebrates outstanding work by Nova Scotian theatre professionals. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Kat McCormack and Dan Bray, the show's co-producers and co-hosts.
A scientific study released last week finds climate change and the melting of polar ice is increasingly affecting the Earth’s rotation. So does that mean leap seconds will become more common in the coming years? Host Jeff Douglas asks Mainstreet's Oceans Guy Boris Worm.
Alex Ripley is the non-binary parent of two adult children who also happen to be transgender. Ripley spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Mason to share their experience being non-binary and to shed light on concerns often heard about gender education in schools and the increased number of young people embracing non-traditional gender identities.
From housing to food prices to the carbon tax, affordability is proving to be a key issue for Canadians. As the next federal budget draws near, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau join host Jeff Douglas in Studio A amid a series of announcements that provide a glimpse of what his government has in store.
Nova Scotian country music artist Brooklyn Blackmore's deeply vulnerable and personal song, Been There Too, was written out of her personal experience of sexual violence. She has now launched a performance video to accompany the song. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how making that video was an emotionally taxing experience.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $6 billion for infrastructure to build and upgrade water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste infrastructure to accommodate more home construction across Canada. Miia Soukonautio from YWCA Halifax joins host Jeff Douglas to weigh in on the announcement and what needs to be done to help more Nova Scotians.
Yesterday on the show, we talked with some folks who thought the federal carbon tax was good policy, but that’s not a universal sentiment. The Conservative Party of Canada has been vocal about their wishes to ax the tax. Chris d’Entremont, a Conservative MP from West Nova, spoke to host Jeff Douglas about his party’s position.
Hawksley Workman is out east for a series of concerts. He’s in Truro a week from tomorrow, plays Halifax at the Light House Arts Centre on Saturday, April 6, and has a sold out show in Canning at the Annex on Sunday, April 7. He joins Mainstreet to discuss what’s in store.
Albert Marshall Sr., a Mi'kmaw elder from Eskasoni, is best known for his concept of two-eyed seeing or etuaptmumk, which blends Indigenous and Western knowledge to help people navigate life. Marshall recently shared some of his teachings with Mi'kmaw high school students who are getting ready for university and CBC's Sis'moqon was there.
Mainstreet's Spinbusters join host Jeff Douglas to discuss what’s going on with the Carbon Tax debate. An open letter signed by 100 economists suggests Canada’s carbon-tax is an economically sensible policy. But federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre disagrees and is hosting ‘Axe the Tax’ rallies across the country. Barbara Emodi, Chris Lydon and Michelle Coffin break down how we got here.
Two-time JUNO winner Aysanabee joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his historic wins following Sunday's award ceremony. The singer-songwriter won Songwriter of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for his EP, Here and Now. He's the first Indigenous artist to win in either of those categories.
The Nova Scotia government has announced it is pressing pause on amalgamating the Town of Antigonish with the Municipality of the County of Antigonish. Anne-Marie Long, who lives in the municipality, welcomes the pause as she has been pushing for more information ahead of the amalgamation. She joins host Jeff Douglas to explain further.
Today is Purple Day! It's a global day to dispel myths around epilepsy. It was started in 2008 by Cassidy Megan, a Nova Scotia living with epilepsy, turned activist. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the importance of epilepsy awareness.
A group of Canadians are world champions on the ice once again. Rachel Homan's team took home gold at the Women's Curling World Championship in Sydney, N.S., on Sunday. Homan's former sports psychology professor, Bettina Callery, joins Mainstreet to talk about the team's performance and then, Colleen Jones gives her perspective on the win.
On the agenda for Tuesday's Halifax Regional Council meeting is a motion from Councillor David Hendsbee, who represents District 2: Preston - Chezzetcook - Eastern Shore. He wants a staff report to look into changing land-use zoning to allow RVs for residential use.
Doggy daycares can be great fun for our furry family members, but are you getting what you pay for? Stephanie Shipley, a certified pet-care provider, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain how you can ensure you're getting proper care for your beloved pet.
Ahead of the JUNO Awards, Mainstreet broadcasts live from the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by singer-songwriter Zamani Folade.
Ahead of the JUNO Awards, Mainstreet broadcasts live from the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Charlottetown singer-songwriter Joce Reyome.
Ahead of the JUNO Awards, Mainstreet broadcasts live from the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by singer-songwriter Matt Andersen.
Ahead of the JUNO Awards, Mainstreet broadcasts live from the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Newfoundland and Labrador duo, Quote the Raven. They are Jordan Coaker and Kirsten Rodden-Clarke.
Ahead of the JUNO Awards, Mainstreet broadcasts live from the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by JUNO-Nominated Mi'kmaw fiddler and singer Morgan Toney, performing with Keith Mullins and Ryan Roberts.
Ahead of the JUNO Awards, Mainstreet Halifax broadcasts live from the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Halifax. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Canadian folk trio, the Good Lovelies, made up of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore.
Next month marks 112 years since the sinking of the Titanic. More than half of the children on board died in the sinking, calling into question the notion of “women and children first.” John Boileau's new book, The Lucky and the Lost: The Lives of Titanic’s Children, explores the stories of the children who sailed on board.
Calling all adventurers! The Night of Adventure podcast is offering grants for grassroots adventurers. Night of Adventure founder Dave Green joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the grants and what adventuring can do for people.
If you're a parent, talking to your kids about money may be a daunting task. Financial consultant Clifton Corbin is an advocate for greater financial awareness. He spoke with CBC's Jane Sponagle to offer his advice on how you can make these money conversations more enjoyable.
The Black Health Education Collaborative has launched a new health care-oriented education module called the Black Health Primer. It will give medical professionals and those training in the medical and public health fields the education to effectively and compassionately treat Black patients.
Aysanabee joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his three JUNO nominations: Album of the Year, Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Aysanabee is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario.
Bridget Brownlow is best known for her work in conflict resolution in Ireland, where years of conflict have plagued the population, causing intergenerational trauma. The Halifax woman has championed work in peace and conflict resolutions at Peaceful Schools Int'l Saint Mary's University and through the Charitable Irish Society of Halifax. She joins host Jeff Douglas to share more on her work in conflict resolution.
Facing mounting pressure from homegrown Nova Scotia wineries, the Houston government is pausing a program it quietly launched in January to help two commercial producers who bottle wine from grapes grown outside the province. Karl Coutinho, the chair of Wine Growers Nova Scotia, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain what this means.
Ahead of the JUNOs in Halifax, Saskatoon's Katie Tupper joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about being nominated for her first JUNO award for her EP "Where To Find Me" in the Traditional R&B-Soul Recording of the Year category.
When people say they think Joe Biden or Donald Trump — or both of them — are simply too old to be president of the United States — is that fair game? Or is that a step backwards for an economy that needs older workers to stay on the job in the face of demographic change? Mainstreet's Alex Mason spoke with Janice Keefe, the director of Mount Saint Vincent University's Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, to learn more.
The Seal Island Lighthouse, which sits about 30 kilometres off southwest Nova Scotia, is Canada's oldest wooden lighthouse. While it's still operating, a group of supporters wants to ensure it keeps standing. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Mary McLaren, a board member with the Seal Island Lighthouse Preservation Society.
JUNO nominee and Grammy-award winner Allison Russell joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about music, cycles of abuse, compassion and the remarkable story behind her son, "Eve Was Black."
The University of King's College has announced the launch of a new, required course for all second-year students pursuing a single honours degree in journalism called Indigenous People and Media. Course creator and professor Trina Roache joins host Jeff Douglas to explain what students will be learning.
Natalie Abdou, an Egyptian woman who has called Mi'kma'ki home for 15 years, shares an Arabic song of healing and sisterhood by the sacred fire at a Wabanaki Midwinter Gathering. She spoke with CBC's Sis'moqon.
Canadian broadcaster and singer-songwriter Talia Schlanger joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about her new album, Grace for the Going. She explains the inspiration behind some of her songs, including 'See You Home', which tells the story of her grandparents immigrating to Canada after the Holocaust.
March 15 marks the beginning of wildfire season in Nova Scotia. To help people in King's County prepare, their regional emergency management organization has been hosting information sessions. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with co-ordinator Dan Stovel to learn how people can prepare for the potentially dangerous season.
Wine Growers Canada announced the recipients of the 2024 Canadian Wine Industry Awards in British Columbia on Wednesday. Among those recognized was head winemaker at Devonian Coast, Gina Haverstock. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the award and how she is the first winner outside of B.C. and Ontario, and the first woman to win.
A small group of people in Shelburne County has been feeding their community members for free, a couple times a month. Efforts began in the wake of Nova Scotia's largest recorded wildfire that ripped through the county. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Amy MacKinnon, the executive director of the Our House Youth Health Centre, to hear what kind of impact the meals have made.
The federal government announced a $5-million grant for Dalhousie University's Canadian Battery Innovation Centre on Wednesday. Lead researcher Michael Metzger joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how this new money will speed up experiments and innovations.
The federal government recently tabled a national pharmacare bill that, among many things, would cover contraception. Access Now Nova Scotia has been advocating for this coverage, and its founder Kari Ellen Grant joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how free access to birth control could save taxpayer money.
On Sunday, Halifax-born filmmaker Ben Proudfoot won his second Oscar for his documentary short, The Last Repair Shop. It profiles four Los Angeles craftspeople who keep more than 80,000 student instruments in good repair at no cost to the students.
Female couples and those with surrogacy arrangements can now register as both parents on their newborn's birth certificate in Nova Scotia. Krysta Hartlen Côté and her spouse were one of many affected by the previous regulations that prevented both names being added. Hartlen Côté spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about their experience.
For traditional Mi'kmaw fishermen, winter eel fishing makes them feel close to their ancestors. The timeless, year-round food source is a major part of Mi'kmaw culture. The CBC's Sis'moqon ventured onto the ice atop an Antigonish river to learn more about what stands to threaten the future of this traditional fishery.
After decades of battling mood disorder and mental illness, Shelburne councillor Ben Nickerson joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about his experience using ketamine therapy — and how it's given him hope he's been fighting for for decades.
Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Dalhousie University sociologist Chris Giacomantonio to talk about an internal RCMP assessment of future threats, exaccerbated by climate change, technology and fraying of the social fabric.
Mi'kmaw artist Alan Syliboy has teamed up with the founder of Lunar Codex to send a piece of his art to the moon. Humpback Swimming in the Milky Way was sent to the moon on a SpaceX lunar landing in February, as part of an international project created by Toronto poet, physicist and archivist Samuel Peralta.
We all know entrepreneurship requires bravery, creativity and hard work, but it also requires investment. The Atlantic Women's Venture Foundation has brought a method called "angel investing" to Atlantic Canada — with the sole intention of boosting women entrepreneurs. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Cathy Bennett, the founder and general partner of Sandpiper Ventures.
A solidarity rally to support the efforts to have a Manitoba landfill searched for missing and murdered Indigenous women was held in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) on Friday. Advocates say the provincial and federal governments aren’t moving quickly enough to do so. The CBC's Sis'moqon spoke with organizers Martha Martin and Brandy Stanovich ahead of the event.
Two P.E.I. women involved in a harassment case with the University of Prince Edward Island were at Nova Scotia's Province House on Friday — International Women's Day. They spoke to the CBC's Jean Laroche about their experience with non-disclosure agreements and Nova Scotia's inaction in limiting their use.
If you pay bills to Nova Scotia Power, chances are you had a higher than usual bill this month. January was extremely cold at times, but on top of that, rates also jumped by 6.5 per cent on New Year's Day. But outcry from customers across the province seems to suggest something unexplainable is also driving up costs. Our consumer affairs reporter Angela MacIvor joins host Jeff Douglas to explain.
Halifax is two weeks away from the JUNOs and one local performer you'll be able to catch is Maggie Andrew. She's the JUNO Wavemaker Ambassador for Halifax and she's also part of our new storytelling series called Key Moments. She tells the story of meeting her older brother for the first time — when she was five years old.
Global ocean temperatures hit another record breaking high last month, and it was also the hottest February recorded on Earth in modern times. First, Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Susanna Fuller from Oceans North, and then by Warren Mabee, director of Queen's University's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy.
Sarah Mitton of Brooklyn, N.S., set a new Canadian indoor record with her 20.22 metre throw at the world indoor championships in Glasgow, Scotland, earlier this month. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about being a world champion.
Keonte Beals joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how teachers and other school staff encourage students to build on their strengths, foster trust with them — and what kind of thought has to go into recognizing a child's gifts.
The Nova Scotia Brotherhood Initiative is hosting its 5th annual Black Men’s Health Conference in Dartmouth on Saturday. Russel Brooks, community activist and mental health advocate, and Dr. Ron Milne, a physician with the brotherhood, join host Jeff Douglas to talk about the upcoming conference.
Women of this Land celebrates Indigenous women across the Atlantic region by shining a spotlight on four brilliant and inspirational individuals. The new series drops on CBC Gem on March 8. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by the show's director, Stepanie Joline.
Fast ferries from Bedford to downtown Halifax will be a reality in 2028, as long as everything goes according to plan. Tim Outhit, councillor for District 16: Bedford/Wentworth, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain the future of fast ferries in the city.
Hate and violent rhetoric is on the rise in Canada and while social media algorithms can take some of the blame, what is it about us that has us taking the bait? Theologian David Deane joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about what it is about angry and hateful online content that "clicks" with a lot of people.
Since mid-February, there's been a provincial budget, a defection from the Liberals to the governing Progressive Conservatives and the Coastal Protection Act was laid to rest. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Chris Lydon, Barbara Emodi and Michelle Coffin to break everything down.
With an Iranian songwriter sentenced to three years in prison for writing a song about freedom, and musicians using songs to draw attention to the plight of people in Gaza, host Jeff Douglas is joined by musicologist Jacqueline Warwick to talk about how music can move us in the face of a cause or an injustice.
When Andrew Neville realized the McDonald's on Quinpool Road in Halifax was slated for demolition, he sprung into action to save a special piece of art history inside. He and his friend, Ian Matheson, join host Jeff Douglas to talk about what they've done with the mural of the gazebo in the Public Gardens.
A body percussion retreat is coming to the Annapolis Valley. Registered trauma therapist Wendy Stubbert and university music instructor Krissy Keech join host Jeff Douglas to talk about what body percussion is and how it can be used to relieve trauma, stress and anxiety.
A story that encourages humbleness told by the sacred fire at a Wabanaki Midwinter Gathering. This story was shared by Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy knowledge keeper and linguist Roger Paul, who spoke with CBC's Sis'moqon.
There's a public talk happening Tuesday evening at the Halifax Central Library about the "Fear of Offending and Being Offended." Professor Irshad Manji joins host Jeff Douglas ahead of the event to talk about how to approach difficult conversations and what she's learned through her Moral Courage College.
The Houston government has introduced it's third budget. It includes some tax relief, and the beginnings of a school lunch program. But in the coming year, like those previous, most of the money the province takes in will go to pay for care in hospitals, long-term care facilities and in peoples' homes.The CBC's Jean Laroche tells us more about the Houston government's spending priorities.
Shachi Kurl from the Angus Reid Institute joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about a four-fold jump in the number of Canadian parents who oppose having their kids vaccinated — that's according to a new survey, compared to a previous survey in 2019.
The study, Behind the Badge: Revealing Escalating Mental Health Injuries Among RCMP Officers, reveals that members are more likely to have anxiety, depression and PTSD than their peers in other public safety professions. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Brian Sauve from the National Police Federation, which conducted the study.
David Fraser joins host Jeff Douglas to discuss the federal government's long-awaited Online Harms Act, which proposes heavier sentences, new regulatory bodies and changes to a number of laws in new legislation to tackle online abuse and protect Canadians — especially children.
Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, president of Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the recently abandoned Coastal Protection Act and how the onus has been put on Nova Scotians and their municipalities.
The comment period on a possible closure of Canada's spring elver fishery is officially over, so what happens next? Stanley King, a long time fisherman and member of the Canadian Committee for a Sustainable Eel Fishery, joins host Jeff Douglas to share his thoughts.
Mary Walsh has done so many things during her career — she's an author, an actor, director, comedian and the co-creator and co-star of This Hour Has 22 Minutes. She spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Mason about her career, and her childhood, ahead of An Evening With Mary Walsh at the Light House Art Centre in Halifax on Thursday.
Moncton-born professional harpist Kristan Toczko has released a new album called Rock Echoes. It's a collection of personal and fan-favourite covers of classic rock songs. She joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about how she put the album together.
There's now a piece of Nova Scotia on the moon — well, sort of. A foil fabric created by former Haligonian Woody Blackford is being used to protect delicate devices and sensors on lunar lander Odysseus. It landed on the moon on Thursday, so guest host Preston Mulligan gave Blackford a call to learn more about his invention and how it works.
Nearly two years ago, the world looked on in horror as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What followed was a level of death and devastation on the European continent, unlike that seen since the Second World War. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Aurel Braun of the University of Toronto to reflect on the anniversary.
Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Chris Luedecke, also known as Old Man Luedecke, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about taking a break from the banjo and kicking off a Canada-U.S. tour with Matt Anderson.
Donald Trump knows how to get attention and his comments about NATO earlier this month have people around the world talking. Leah Sarson, director of the Centre for the Study of Security and Development at Dalhousie University, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the value of NATO and whether or not a realignment in U.S. politics could cause the North Atlantic Alliance to unravel.
It was a dramatic day today in Nova Scotia politics. Liberal MLA Brendan Maguire has crossed the floor to the Progressive Conservatives and has been named the new minister of Community Services. He spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the change.
As threats and security concerns toward elected officials become more common in Canada, what is being done to protect those who represent us? Mainstreet Halifax spoke with several Halifax regional councillors on if they've ever felt physically threatened in their role.
Halifax MP Andy Fillmore is urging Canada Post to vacate the sprawling property it occupies on Almon Street. He joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the plot of land that he says has huge housing potential.
The Halifax Black Film Festival starts next week and one of the filmmakers, Kimber Wesley, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about her film, MUM, which centres on her own childhood, and the realization she's breaking generational trauma
Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs and Preston MLA Twila Grosse joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the impact of African Heritage Month and the challenges and rewards in being a "first." In her case, she is the first Black female cabinet minister in Nova Scotia's history.
Last year, Jennifer Crawford embraced a new routine — a ritual. You may already know Jennifer as the trash-talking wrestler Moon Miss. Or the 2019 winner on MasterChef Canada. In this audio essay they recorded for CBC, Jennifer tells us what inspired them to embrace the routine of running to waterfalls at sunrise.
In this replay from last year, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Vineet Vyas and his wife and musical partner, Bageshree Vaze, to talk about their music, how it is created and their recent ECMA nomination.
If you were a teenager in the 1980s growing up in the Maritimes, you probably spent many Sunday mornings watching Switchback — a Nova Scotia-produced show that was one of the only ways to watch music videos without cable. Superfans Adam Cooke and Brent Goddard join guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about why they're working to find and preserve VHS copies of each episode.
Barbara Hannigan, a soprano and conductor from Waverley, N.S., is up for a Juno Award this year for her album, Infinite Voyage. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the nomination, how she got started and her love for opera.
A Halifax delegation that was scheduled to speak to members of the Supreme Court of Canada about anti-Black racism in the justice system say they were disinvited due to comments they had made on social media about Palestine. CBC's Kathleen McKenna spoke with El Jones and DeRico Symonds about their experience.
A story for those seeking answers and guidance told by the sacred fire at a Wabanaki Midwinter Gathering. This story was shared by Wolastoqiyik Elder and Firekeeper, Ed Perley, who spoke with CBC's Sis'moqon.
Canada's intelligence agency is warning that "the ecosystem of violent rhetoric within the anti-gender movement, compounded with other extreme worldviews, can lead to serious violence." Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Evan Balgord with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network to unpack how that rhetoric is felt throughout the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
A walk in honour and remembrance of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two spirit and relatives is being held at Kjipuktuk's Peace and Friendship Park on Sunday. CBC's Sis’moqon spoke with one of the organizers, Thunderbird Swooping Down Woman Darlene Gilbert, who is an elder, water protector and land defender from Annapolis Valley First Nation.
Hope for Wildlife has not one bobcat, not two, but five bobcats this season. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by founder Hope Swinimer to learn more about why these rough-and-tumble creatures need help this winter and how they're being rehabilitated.
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans says a safe and sustainable elver fishery is not possible in the Maritimes this spring. So what does that mean for Indigenous fishers exercising their treaty rights? Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Milbrook Chief Bob Gloade.
The federal government says it intends to close the commercial fishery for elvers in the Maritimes this year — six weeks before the season is set to open. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway, who is parliamentary secretary to the minister of fisheries, to learn more about why.
Mainstreet's Spinbusters joins guest host Preston Mulligan to ask: where is Nova Scotia's Coastal Protection Act? It passed in 2019, but almost five years later, it's still not being enforced. Barbara Emodi, Michelle Coffin and Chris Lydon break down why that might be.
Defence analyst Ken Hansen joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about what Canada ought to do to shore up its sovereignty over its northern territories after former U.S. president Donald Trump seemingly encouraged Russia to invade more NATO countries.
With more and more Canadians turning to virtual care questions have been raise about how these companies are using the data they collect from patients. Jeff spoke with Dalhousie University professors Katherine Fierlbeck and Dr. Tom Holland about a new study that looks at the issue.
The Halifax Pride parade is scheduled for July 20 this year. Last year's parade was called off because of heavy flooding in the province. Fiona Kerr, the interim operations manager at Halifax Pride answers Jeff's questions about what's planned for this year.
A new study analyzed all 230 commercial stocks in Canada to see what drives overall stock health.Some of this same data shows that fish stocks that are doing better than expected. Laurenne Schiller, a Liber Ero post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie, one of the universities involved in the study, spoke to Jeff about some of the positive results seen in the study.
The Underground Comedy Railroad show will be in downtown Halifax on Feb. 10. It was founded during Black History Month in 2012 . Jeff speaks with co-founder Rodney Ramsey about what the audience can expect.
How are Indigenous plant medicines dealing with a changing climate? We spoke to two Indigenous Elders to help continue our conversation on this topic.
We're in the middle of the Road to the Junos' concert series in Halifax. This Saturday, there's a classical showcase happening at the Peggy Corkum Music Room. Mainstreet's Alex Mason spoke with cellist India Gailey who will be performing at the show.
Saeed el-Darahali, a Dartmouth-based entrepreneur, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about why he believes Nova Scotia's shrinking economy will have the biggest impact on youth aged 15-21.
This past weekend, Nova Scotia saw a historic snowfall that left people trapped in their homes — but sometimes you have a job to do. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Zoey Broersma, a midwife, who went above and beyond to deliver postpartum care to one of her clients.
As the number of children who need foster care in Nova Scotia grows, the province is looking for more people to take on the role of foster parent. Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Debbie Cain, who has been a foster mother for 21 years in North Preston, to learn about how it works.
People living in five tent encampment sites in Halifax are being ordered to leave, with the municipality warning they could be fined or even arrested if they don't comply. We'll hear from officials at city hall about their decision and from someone currently living at the Grand Parade.
Social worker Tod Augustus Scott, who is the executive director of Bridges Counselling Centre in Truro, N.S., joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about how men can change even after perpetrating intimate partner violence.
A decade ago, Nova Scotia was a different place with different problems. The Ivany Commission drew attention to those problems in a Feb. 2014 report titled Now Or Never. It set ambitious targets for Nova Scotians, including increasing immigration, growing the number of business startups, doubling tourism revenues and increasing exports. Guest host Jeff Douglas is joined by commission members Susanna Fuller and Saeed el-Darahali to talk about how the province is doing.
Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by municipal officials and residents in Cape Breton as the province grapples with the aftermath of a winter storm that brought more than 150 centimetres of snow to some areas.
As Nova Scotia grapples with the aftermath of a major winter storm, guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by an accessibility advocate to talk about Halifax's vulnerable persons registry, a Sydney man who used his vehicle to get health-care workers to their jobs and a couple who was trapped in their Glace Bay seniors' complex. Plus, the Halifax Stanfield International Airport on how its been getting planes off the ground and people offloaded while dealing with heaps of snow.
A new housing development for 38 people experiencing homelessness is under construction in Halifax and will use something called "trauma-informed design." Guest host Preston Mulligan is joined by Ray Burke, president of Halifax's Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, who is helping oversee the project, to learn more.
Elder and medicine person, Brian Joe Francis, of Sipekne'katik First Nation shared some teachings on traditional plant medicines that are found in Nova Scotia. He talked to CBC's Sis'moqon about how these medicines will adapt to the changing climate.
With the release of the Desmond Inquiry final report, comes recommendations to increase awareness and services related to intimate partner violence. Trauma therapist Kristina Fifield joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the need for more education and support for victims — and perpetrators — in a society where violence is normalized.
On Thursday, Nova Scotia's Privacy Commissioner Tricia Ralph made public to a review committee her 32 recommendations to improve the province's Freedom of Information Act. The CBC's Jean Laroche spoke with Ralph about her concerns with the Act and whether this review will ultimately be a fruitful one.
On Friday, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History in Halifax will welcome the public to their new exhibit called Dinosaur Exploration. Mainstreet's Alex Guye got a sneak peek.
The long-awaited final report from the Desmond Inquiry was released on Wednesday. The CBC's Richard Cuthbertson joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the report, and its recommendations related to intimate partner violence, access to mental health services, support for veterans and access to firearms.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released its Report Card on Child & Family Poverty in Nova Scotia on Tuesday. It says 35,330 kids in the province experienced poverty in 2021, or 20.5 per cent. That's up from 18.4 per cent in 2020. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with one of the authors of the report, Acadia University professor Lesley Frank.
If you use your work cellphone outside of work -- it is a document of your life that can be easily accessed, with privacy requirements possibly ignored. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Francis Syms, a professor and technology expert at Humber College.
The federal government says Canada's health-care system isn't ready to offer medically assisted death to those who suffer solely from mental illnesses, but some say otherwise. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Independent Senator Dr. Stan Kutcher and Dr. Tim Holland, a physician who provides medically assisted dying in Halifax.
In 2019, a public inquiry was launched to investigate what happened when former soldier Lionel Desmond, who suffered from PTSD, killed three family members and himself in rural Nova Scotia. The inquiry set out to answer whether he and his family had access to appropriate mental health and domestic violence intervention services before their deaths. The CBC's Kayla Hounsell spoke with Adam Rodgers, the lawyer for Desmond's sister Cassandra Desmond, who represents his estate.
An unusual but consequential summit between North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially wrapped. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Aurel Braun, an expert in international affairs, to learn why the meeting was dubbed "Arms for Food."
A university professor says his biggest fear about the use of artificial intelligence on campuses isn't plagiarism — he's more worried about whose knowledge is being excluded or erased. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Ajay Parasram about why students should avoid using AI for research.
The number of people living rough in Halifax is growing, and those tasked with providing services to them are trying to keep up. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Joy Knight, the executive director of Nova Scotia's Employment Support and Income Assistance, to learn more.
It's estimated more than 300 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder every year in Nova Scotia. The disorder can have an impact on learning and social skills. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Francis Perry, who lives with FASD, about why the provincial government needs to provide more support for those living with the disorder.
How do whales and dolphins make decisions? Do they follow a leader or decide as a group? Elizabeth Zwamborn is a Dalhousie University researcher looking into that and has discovered unexpected results. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Zwamborn to learn more.
The '90s are making a comeback — and that includes zines. The Anchor Archive in Halifax is hosting an intro to zine-making workshop called The ABCs of Making a Zine. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Amanda Stevens, a zine librarian, to get the low down on zine culture and history.
It's a race against time for rescuers in Morocco as they work to find survivors after Friday's devastating earthquake that killed close to 2,700 people. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Ghita Rhammaz, a Moroccan-Nova Scotian, who has been watching rescue efforts in her home country.
On Saturday, a group of Indigenous youth, elders and others will gather to celebrate the launch of a new professional training program for young Indigenous storytellers. It's called Bridge to Publishing: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative of Atlantic Canada. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with knowledge holder Lindsay Marshall, one of the co-chairs of the publishing program.
Puck drop for the new professional women's hockey league happens in January, and rosters are quickly filling up. Guest host Preston Mulligan speaks with Cole Harbour's Alexis Miller, who is the league's new director of player experience.
Snowy River Farm in Cook's Brook, N.S., recently announced they are scaling back production dramatically due to financial strain and labour shortages. Mainstreet's Rose Murphy spoke with the farm's owner, Amy Hill, about how tough it has been.
Dan Kinsella, chief of Halifax Regional Police, has announced he is retiring later this month. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Halifax Mayor Mike Savage and El Jones, one of the authors of "Defunding the Police: Defining the way forward in the HRM," about the change and what is needed in the policing system.
The living wage rates have gone up an average of 14 per cent across Nova Scotia. A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the 2023 living wage rates range from a low of $22.85 per hour for Cape Breton residents to a high of $26.50 in Halifax. To learn more, guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with director Christine Saulnier.
Members of the Khyber Centre for the Arts in Halifax can check out a new exhibition at its Hollis Street gallery. It's called "What's Love Got To Do With It" and is inspired by singer-songwriter Tina Turner, who died earlier this year. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Ivan Flores, one of the exhibit's co-curators.
Bruce Guthro, one of Cape Breton's most well-known troubadours whose remarkable 40-year career made waves on both sides of the Atlantic, died on Tuesday evening after a battle with cancer. We hear from Bill MacNeil, one of Guthro's co-producers, and fellow musicians Kim Dunn, Matt Minglewood and Sam Moon.
A unique multi-university research project is looking for ways to end technology-facilitated sexual violence for teens in Canada. Suzie Dunn, a law professor and researcher at Dalhousie University, joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about what can be done to increase digital safety.
September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month. The theme this year is Uniting our Strengths: Finding Solutions Together. Allan Mountford is the founder of Fetal Alcohol Nova Scotia, an organization that aims to spread awareness about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the province.
It's back to school week in Nova Scotia and as enrollment spikes, we'll find out why the supply of substitute teachers isn't keeping pace. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Ryan Lutes, the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, to find out why the province is having a hard time finding an adequate supply of subs.
Liliona stopped by to tell us a bit about herself, what she's hoping to bring to this role, and what we should keep an eye on this season.
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Swissair flight 111 crash, Lachlan MacKinnon, a professor of history at Cape Breton University, talks about what commemoration looks like and represents for people a quarter of a decade later. And then Mary Ellen MacDonald, a professor and palliative care researcher at Dalhousie tells us what to expect from "Good Grief, Nova Scotia!" - an upcoming festival all about grief and ways we can increase literacy around death and grieving.
On August 8, Nova Scotia stopped locking people in its provincial jails who were being detained for administrative reasons by the Canadian Border Services Agency, becoming the first province to do so. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with El Jones, who is on the board of the East Coast Prison Justice Society, to learn more.
Today is Overdose Awareness Day, a day to remember those who have died from drug overdose, and to talk openly about the problem, without stigma. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with harm reduction consultant Emily Percival-Paterson who talked about what's happening here in Nova Scotia.
Kix Marshall is on his way across Canada looking for stories about Canadian cuisine and culture for a cookbook. He's been to almost every province and territory so far on his travels and now he's here in Nova Scotia. Mainstreet's Alex Guye gave Kix a call to learn more.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Swissair flight 111 crash where all souls on board were lost. Gina Leola Woolsey's new book, called Fifteen Thousand Pieces, details the experience of Nova Scotia's former medical examiner, Dr. John Butt, during the tragedy. Mainstreet Halifax host Jeff Douglas started their conversation by asking her to talk about why families easily connected with Dr. Butt.
This weekend, the Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro, N.S., is hosting a very special show — it takes place around a dinner table and weaves together tales of long-distance love, immigration and an ancient Chinese folktale. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Gloria Mok, the show's playwright, to hear about her intimate one-person performance.
Ottawa's Speaking Vibrations are bringing a unique and genre-defying performance in American Sign Language to the Halifax Fringe Festival this weekend. It will feature song, poetry, music and dance. To learn more, host Jeff Douglas was joined by one of the show's co-producers and performers, Jordan Samonas.
Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease specialist in Halifax, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk all things COVID-19 and vaccines ahead of the fall season.
Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government is nearing the halfway point of its mandate. It's a mandate that was earned largely on a promise to fix health care. Reporter Michael Gorman joins host Jeff Douglas to discuss his recent interview with the health minister about that promise and what's been happening in the last two years.
A new wilderness area in Nova Scotia's Guysborough County will protect 300 hectares of old-growth forest as well as a lake that has been identified by a mining company as a water source for a proposed gold mine. Conservationist Deirdre Green joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the announcement and her concerns about the proposed gold mine.
Millbrook First Nation has been hosting the Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Summer Games this week. Host Jeff Douglas went down to the community and spoke with some of the young folks who are participating.
The 22nd annual Canadian Surf Life Saving Championships is getting underway at Martinique Beach this weekend. About 160 competitors from across Canada will compete in the lifesaving sport. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Paul D'eon, the competition manager for the 2023 championships, about what competitors will be doing.
The Pavillion Youth Association is hosting a series of battle of the bands events at the Lighthouse Arts Centre in Halifax. The first session is on Aug. 31. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with CJ Hill, president of the Pavillion Youth Association, to learn more.
Marc Deveault is a retired Canadian Armed Forces combat medic in Middleton, N.S., who started creating special effects for movies and television to help manage his post-traumatic stress disorder. Host Jeff Douglas visited Marc at his home in June.
Emily McEwan, the president of Bradan Press, gives us a look at what new books are coming this fall. The Dartmouth-based Gaelic publishing company will be printing their first books in Irish Gaelic — a children's book and a graphic novel.
A brand new music festival happening in Annapolis County is hoping to raise awareness and funds for a campaign to save old growth forests — all while having a rip-roaring good time. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Rob Bright from the Save Our Old Forests campaign.
The Halifax Fringe Festival is nigh. This has been a banner year for submissions, with more than over 40 shows on offer at half a dozen venues across the city. One of them is Forest World, co-written by mother and son team, Louise Fox and Matthew Burley. It opens Sept. 6.
It's two years to the day after the standoff between police and protestors over the eviction of tents and shelters for the unhoused in downtown Halifax. Amanda Rekunyk was arrested that day, and appeared in court today. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how it went.
An American investment group is suing the government of Honduras for $11 billion in damages — almost a third of the nation's annual budget — which would most likely bankrupt the country. Olabisi Akinkugbe, a law professor at Dalhousie University, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how "neo-colonial" investment laws are making situations like this increasingly common.
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is hosting a new exhibition starting Tuesday. It's called Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with the exhibit's creator, Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe, to learn what it's all about.
The Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Federation of Students is planning an event and inviting student organizers and activists from across Halifax to come "together in the hopes of building a radical student community together." Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Aideen Reynolds, the Nova Scotia chair, about why now is the right time to rebuild a strong student movement.
There's an investigation underway to determine whether or not the old Morvan Road dump in the south-end of Shelburne has contributed to high cancer rates and deaths in the nearby, largely African Nova Scotian, community. Mainstreet's Alex Guye went down there to learn more about the study from people involved during a recent town hall.
Tory Rushton is the Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. He spoke with Jeff Douglas about the provincial government's stance on the Atlantic Loop project, the province's net-zero goals, and working with the federal government.
Retired history teacher Teresa Kewachuk helps run The Thinkers Lodge in Pugwash. It's a think-tank of sorts formed in the 1950s connected to Joseph Rotblat, The Manhattan Project, and the international movement to ban nuclear weapons.
The writer Jane Friedman made headlines earlier this month when she discovered fraudulent books were available on Amazon under her name. She suspects they were written by AI, and has had a hard time getting them taken down. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Phil Moscovitch, president of the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia, to discuss challenges AI poses for writers.
You might be noticing you can't access or share news stories on Facebook or Instagram anymore. In response to Canada's new Online News Act, their parent company Meta has started blocking Canadian news from their sites. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Tim Bousquet, the editor of the Halifax Examiner, about how it's affecting independent online news organizations.
Many people believe that 10,000 steps a day are what’s needed to benefit from exercise. But a new study suggests otherwise. Health columnist Dr. Iris Gorfinkel joins host Jeff Douglas for a closer look.
It's believed there are some 27,000 Canadian soldiers still missing in action with no known grave. According to St. Mary's University archaeology professor Aaron Taylor, Canada does not actively search for MIAs. He joined host Jeff Douglas to explain why he wants that to change.
A story of queer homecoming won this year's Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Its author, KR Byggdin, joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about their debut novel Wonder World in advance of a reading and conversation at the Glitter Bean Cafe in Halifax.
The threat of climate change is making young people uncertain about the future, but the feeling shouldn’t be called climate or eco-anxiety. Stan Kutcher, with Dalhousie University's Department of Psychiatry, joins host Jeff Douglas to explain why we should reframe the way we talk about climate change concerns.
A Mi'kmaw youth archaeology camp is starting in Kejimkujik National Park next week. Kids will be learning to dig like an archaeologist while being immersed in Mi'kmaw culture. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Robert Labradore of Kluskap First Nation, who is the camp's co-ordinator.
Have you ever wondered what Halifax would be like if monsters from another dimension roamed the city? Rob Hansen did and he wrote and illustrated a comic book about it. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas about his project and the upcoming Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival.
Kathy Legge of Duncans Cove is still waiting for repairs after her access road was washed away in significant rainfall and flooding last weekend. And she's not alone. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Kathy, and Brendan Maguire, the Liberal MLA for Halifax Atlantic, about the damage and questions that remain.
New Canadian research reveals a need for increased support for autistic individuals when they show up in emergency departments. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Yona Lunsky, the director of the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, who co-authored the study.
With the deadly floods hitting Nova Scotia in July, and more frequent heavy rainfall warnings, many of us are wondering: how can we mitigate flood risk to our homes? And are there easy and inexpensive ways to do it? Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Blair Feltmate, the head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, to get some answers.
From devastating wildfires to fatal floods, there's no denying climate disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe — and it's making people increasingly worried about climate change and the uncertainty of the future. Tina Oh, a Halifax-based climate activist, joined host Jeff Douglas, to talk about climate anxiety.
Facebook and Instagram are already starting to block access to Canadian news on its websites. The CEO of Village Media is saying this will "devastate" the journalism industry. So how did we get here? Guest host David Burke spoke with Sue Gardener, a digital media expert, about Canada's Online News Act and what it means for Canadians.
With the growing influence of AI generated images and speeches, our ability to determine when something is real or not is constantly being tested. This is what you need to know to avoid scams, and how to detect fake images, text and speech.
Clearwater co-founder John Risley has come a long way from the days when he and Colin MacDonald sold lobster out of the back of a pickup truck on the side of the Bedford Highway — except that's entirely not true. In his new book, Quentin Casey busts some myths and also sheds a lot of light on the enormously successful Nova Scotian businessman. It's called "Net Worth: John Risley, Clearwater, and the Building of a Billion-Dollar Empire."
Alex Yang, a pianist and violinist from Halifax, has made CBC Music's list of 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30 — at just 14 years old. Mainstreet's Alex Mason gave Alex a call to hear what the distinction means to him.
The Senate Committee on Human Rights is investigating anti-Black racism at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, a place people turn to if they've experienced discrimination. Its final report on the matter is expected in the fall. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, a member of the committee, to get an update.
Long before emancipation, there were enslaved people in Nova Scotia, and in other parts of what is now Canada. But there was also resistance. Charmaine Nelson studies this history through the advertisements that slaveholders put in newspapers, when enslaved people ran away. She told host Jeff Douglas about what these ads tell us.
Flash floods were happening in the Halifax region last Friday night at around 7pm but an emergency alert wasn't sent until after 10 p.m. Jeff spoke to HRM councillor Lisa Blackburn about lessons learned and what more needs to be done.
Lighthouses continue to draw tourists to the the East Coast. CBC reporter Mariam Mesbah recently visited the Cape Jourimain lighthouse and tells Jeff about what she learned. .
Jonathan Wilkinson's is now the federal minister of energy and natural resources. He is in Nova Scotia to speak with first responders and meet with Premier Houston and other energy stakeholders.
About 13,000 people in Nova Scotia responded to a survey that was administered by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing and Engage Nova Scotia in 2019. Taylor Hill, a PhD student in Dalhousie University's department of psychology and neuroscience has examined the survey and spoke to Jeff about what it reveals.
Some members of the trans and queer communities here in Nova Scotia will be holding a march for justice in Halifax on Thursday. Mainstreet's Rose Murphy spoke to Ashlee Hinchey, one of the organizers , and a co-organizer referred to as S. The CBC has decided not to reveal their identity because of their concerns about the potential for hate, discrimination and violence.
Irish singer-songwriter and activist Sinead O'Connor has died at age 56. Jacqueline Warwick a Professor of Musicology and Gender at Dalhousie University tells Jeff that O'Connor was one of the greatest voices of our generation.
Liz LeClair, an activist and survivor of sexual assault, says there is a culture of misogyny in Nova Scotia's policing and legal systems that hinders the protection of women. She tells host Jeff Douglas why Carrie Low's case is just one example of a much broader problem.
People across Nova Scotia are assessing the damage done by rain and flooding on the weekend. Basements have filled with water, culverts have been washed out and roads have been damaged. Halifax councillors Cathy Deagle Gammon and Pam Lovelace are urging patience as repairs get underway.
Nour Issa is part of Nova Scotia's largest ever class of medical residents. She began her family practice residency on July 1 — one of 16 international medical graduates to do so after the province added more seats. She told host Jeff Douglas about her 14-year journey to become a family doctor in this province.
Jason Ripley, the chief of the Greenwich Volunteer Fire Department, gives CBC's Jean Laroche a sense of just how many close calls there were during an extreme flooding event in Nova Scotia this past weekend.
An event happening in downtown Dartmouth later this month aims to record the stories of community elders in their own voices — before they're lost forever. Dan MacKay, the publisher of the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia, told host Jeff Douglas about the Elders Storytelling Salon and why it's important to save these stories.
Mi'kmaw linguist Bernie Francis stopped into Studio A to give Mainstreet's Alex Mason, and our listeners, a basic lesson in the language. To learn more, you can check out previous episodes with Bernie here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAtUYiZ2wUbGB6kSgep-Qo4lRNE84cEUu
The Canadian mountain bike national championships are being held in Kentville, N.S., this weekend. Mackenzie Myatt of Musquodoboit spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about how exciting it is for nationals to be happening so close to home — and about her book of poetry that was inspired by her relationship with the sport.
Kenley Matheson was a student at Acadia University when he disappeared from Wolfville, N.S., more than 30 years ago. But his sister, Kayrene Matheson, has been given a new sense of hope after police announced they would be conducting a new search for remains near the university town. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Kayrene about what the search means to her family.
As the North American Indigenous Games got underway on Monday, Mainstreet was broadcasting live from the cultural village on the Halifax Common. Host Jeff Douglas was joined by Mi'kmaw linguist Bernie Francis and Jesse Benjamin of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, to chat with athletes, coaches and other special guests.
Bill C-18, otherwise known as the Online News Act, is set to come into effect within the next six months. Terra Tailleur, the associate director of the journalism program at the University of King's College in Halifax, joined host Jeff Douglas to talk about how it could affect news organizations and the general public.
The North American Indigenous Games are set to begin in Halifax on Sunday, as thousands of young athletes flock to Nova Scotia. Sara-Lynne Knockwood, a former NAIG competitor, is the director of sport and venue for the Games. She told host Jeff Douglas about what the Games mean to so many people.
Greta Gerwig's Barbie is opening in theatres next week and one Halifax business is ready to celebrate. Upshaw's Rollerdome in Spryfield is hosting a Barbie-themed roller disco Saturday night. CBC's Rose Murphy spoke with owner Shane Upshaw to learn more about the party.
A new comedy cabaret in Antigonish offers a lighter side to life as an immigrant through music, skits, improv and laughter. It's called New In Town. Director Laura Teasdale and writer Afshan Khaleghi told host Jeff Douglas about the production.
Few marine creatures have perplexed and surprised scientists as much as the octopus, and recently the iconic eight-armed creatures were in the news after a bustling octopus nursery was discovered in the deep sea. To tell us more, Mainstreet's Oceans Guy Boris Worm joined host Jeff Douglas in Studio A.
The James Webb Space Telescope is celebrating its first year in operation this week. NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies marked its birthday with the release of a stunning and unprecedented new image. Astrophysicist Jesse Rogerson joined host Jeff Douglas to tell us more.
There's been a lot of back and forth between Ottawa and the government of Nova Scotia over putting a price on carbon, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and greening the grid. Premier Tim Houston says the Atlantic Loop proposal has grown too expensive and has the potential to send power rates through the roof. The premier's position led MP Kody Blois to write him a letter. He joined host Jeff Douglas to explain.
An estimated 5,000 young athletes from 750 nations will be coming to Nova Scotia for the North American Indigenous Games next week. Some of the events will be hosted in Millbrook First Nation, which has been supporting young athletes for years. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Chief Bob Gloade to learn more.
The Living Laboratories Initiative is a nationwide effort to bring together farmers and scientists to address environmental issues in agriculture. Carolyn Marshal, the environment and climate change manager with the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, joined host Jeff Douglas to tell us about the initiative's second summer in the province.
Theatre Nova Scotia is doing something new this summer — promoting all the theatres across the province in one campaign. It invites you to "Discover Your Theatre." Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Mark Ferraro-Hauckis, the executive director of Theatre Nova Scotia, to learn more about the campaign.
A short documentary by Halifax filmmaker Brandon Boyd will premiere this fall at the Halifax Central Library. It's called 'What Do You Think?' and is about representation of people with autism and disabilities in the film industry. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Boyd to learn more.
Everyone's favourite Canadian meme account on Instagram @canada.gov.ca is coming to do two live shows in Dartmouth this month. So what does a meme account live show look like? And who is the enigma behind the canada.gov.ca account? And why do they love those plastic chairs so much? Mainstreet tracked down John Batts, the supposedly anonymous admin, to get some answers.
Later this month, Nova Scotians can catch a Neptune Theatre production that celebrates queer history. It's called 'Life's A Drag' and was created by Tyler Craig — also known by their drag persona Anna Mona-Pia — who is a professional actor and performer. They spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the upcoming production.
Mi'kmaw lawyer Paul Prosper was appointed to the Senate of Canada last week. The educator and former chief of Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation has more than 25 years of experience in Indigenous legal issues. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas about his recent appointment and what it means to him.
Melanie Chambers was nervous about meeting her high school bully Kendra Coady, but to her surprise, they became friends — 35 years later. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Melanie and Kendra Coady for a challenging conversation, looking back at their relationship.
Girls on Boards is a non-profit organization on a mission to get girls up on anything with a board — whether it be a surfboard, a paddleboard or a skateboard. Their goal is to empower young women and build their confidence. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with paddleboard instructor, Rosalind Beddoe, to learn more.
The Halifax group, 100 Women Who Care, is creating a diversity marketplace on their website and hoping to identify 100 more vendors in the next 100 days. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with the group's founder, Colette Robicheau, to learn more.
Dan MacKay, the publisher of the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia, is back to tell us more about what community-organized Pride events are happening around Halifax this month.
Be prepared to be amazed by an ACTUAL wizard! Join host Jeff Douglas and reporter Brett Ruskin as they're captivated by Vincenzo Ravina, an award-winning Halifax magician who claims to be an actual wizard. He will be appearing at Serpent Brewing in Halifax later this month.
The "thumbs up" is one of the most popular emojis in the world, but you've got to be careful with that thing. A court in Saskatchewan recently found a company liable for more than $80,000 in damages after they failed to deliver 86 tonnes of flaxseed — something it had agreed to by sending a text with the emoji. Mainstreet's Alex Mason called David Fraser, a Halifax internet and privacy lawyer, to get his reaction.
Pop culture references to kegels is probably where we all first learned a little something about pelvic floor muscles, but there is so much more that all people need to know. Freelance contributor Amy Grace has been spending time at a pelvic health centre in Halifax and she felt compelled to share what she learned.
The federal government's carbon tax was implemented in Nova Scotia last week, raising fuel prices. But it's also introducing a rebate program to help offset costs. To explain how that will work, and what the carbon tax is meant to do, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Sean Fraser, MP for Central Nova and a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet.
The Mi'kmaq Rights Initiative, also known as the KMKNO, says there wasn't enough community consultation while the federal government was developing its action plan on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Sarah Toole, the governance lead at KMKNO, joined host Jeff Douglas to explain.
A new music festival and conference featuring all Black artists is coming to Halifax this August. It's called Crescendo Fest and it was put together to "turn up the volume on Black music artists." Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Michah Smith, the festival organizer, to learn more.
The Burlington Community Club celebrated its 35th annual Canada Day event this past weekend, and for the first time ever it included a drag show. Zakary Miller was asked to host an hour of the festivities and invited drag performer Queera Bang to share his set. They joined host Jeff Douglas to talk about how it went.
East of East, the Atlantic Canadian Hip-Hop Archive, went live last week. Hip-hop academic and archivist Michael McGuire spoke to Jeff Douglas about the purpose of the archive.
The price of gas and diesel in Nova Scotia is going up again this coming weekend. Manager of Climate Solutions for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Moe Qureshi, tells Jeff energy producers were supposed to feel the pinch and not consumers.
The school year is coming to an end and graduations are getting underway across Nova Scotia this week. To celebrate, guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with three valedictorians from across the province.
On Wednesday, Dalhousie University in Halifax announced its new chancellor will be Rustum Southwell. He's best known as the founding CEO of the Black Business Initiative and his involvement with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. He joined guest host Preston Mulligan.
Nova Scotians could see a 14 cent increase at fuel pumps on Saturday, as the federal government implements its carbon tax. And this is just the beginning as Ottawa will start implementing its new Clean Fuel Regulations the same day. To get into the politics behind these upcoming changes, Mainstreet's Spinbusters join guest host Preston Mulligan.
A new musical variety show will feature some of the amazing musical talent in Nova Scotia. It's called the Big Turnip Jubilee, and its first screening is scheduled for June 29. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Dylan Jewers, the founder of folk and roots record label Big Turnips, to learn more.
Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre says it will adopt Ticketmaster as its ticketing platform in a phased approach this summer. We hear why the change was made and what one concert promoter thinks.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives wants to see improvements to the federal-provincial rent supplement program to address Nova Scotia's lack of affordable housing. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Catherine Leviten-Reid, a research associate at the centre, about what her group is proposing.
Dartmouth came alive on Sunday when the city closed Portland Street to traffic — and opened it for fun! The event featured performances by Mi'kmaw drummers and Bahamian big band Rush Culture. There was even a motorized replica of the ferry! Mainstreet's Alex Mason was there to check it out.
The Journal of the American Heart Association has published a scientific statement linking cardiovascular diseases to chronic exposure to low and "low‐moderate" levels of lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Doug Mulhall, who wrote about these heavy metals and the risk they pose in his new book, Discovering the Nature of Longevity, tells guest host Preston Mulligan how people can protect themselves.
Halifax-born Yanni Karmas, a masters student at the University of Ottawa, has written his thesis on the role of Greek dance in maintaining ethnic identity and a sense of belonging in a a multicultural society like Canada. Karmas spoke to Jeff shortly after defending his thesis.
The provincial government announced yesterday it will offer doctors a $10,000 incentive to accept at least 50 new "higher needs" patients. Michelle Thompson, Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness, dropped by Studio A to speak to Jeff about what it will mean to the provincial registry of people looking for a primary health-care provider.
Eleanore Sunchild, a high-profile Cree lawyer from Saskatchewan, is calling for residential school denialism to be added to the Criminal Code alongside Holocaust denialism. Jeff spoke with Barbara Perry who is the UNESCO Chair in Hate Studies at Ontario Tech University about the line between free speech and hate speech.
Pam Glode-Desrochers, the executive director of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, joins host Jeff Douglas in Studio A to discuss the 2023 edition of their Mawita'jik Competition Pow Wow and plans to host some events during the upcoming North American Indigenous Games.
The Mi'kmaq Rights Initiative and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs is calling on the federal government to reinstate a ministerial order that would allow safe fish passage by opening the aboiteau gates in the Windsor causeway. That order was first issued in 2021 but expired earlier this month, without being renewed. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Twila Gaudet, the initiative's director of consultation, to learn more.
Just ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day, two new exhibits have been installed at museums in Halifax. CBC's Brett Ruskin visited " Revealing Chignecto", which is on display at the Canadian Museum of Immigration. And Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas went down to the Museum of Natural History to check out another called "Honouring Our Ancestors".
June is Pride month and that means there are many events happening around the Halifax Regional Municipality. Dan MacKay, the publisher of the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia, joins host Jeff Douglas to give a rundown of pride events happening in the city this month.
June is Filipino Heritage Month across Canada and this weekend is the biggest celebration for the Nova Scotian Filipino community. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Micah Lacson, the president of the Filipino Cultural Society of Nova Scotia, to learn more.
The executive director of The North Grove, a non-profit group in Dartmouth that helps people on a lower income access food, says the number of people accessing its subsidized produce market was up 135 per cent in May compared to a year earlier. Wendy Fraser joins host Jeff Douglas.
The wildfires in Nova Scotia this spring turned the lives of residents completely upside down. Maxine Brewer is a registered nurse with the Victorian Order of Nurses who was forced to leave her home in Hammonds Plains. She told host Jeff Douglas what it was like being a part of an organization so many depend on — in the midst of the wildfire crisis.
Nova Scotia is investing $3.2 million to make access to mental health and addictions support easier for young people. The initiative will be led by a team from IWK. Daphne Hutt-MacLeod, the director of integrated youth services for Nova Scotia with IWK Health, tells Jeff the investment was desperately needed.
A lot of people will be searching for the right words to honour Dad this weekend. Meanwhile, Mainstreet's producer Alex Mason gave parents a chance to talk about their kids. This audio features Cassie Williams, Lori Harold, Lana McLean, Chris Lydon, Carol Anne Johnson, Tom Johnson, Kimberly Charron, Wanda Thomas Bernard, Jeff Overmars, and Jennifer Wessel.
A new partnership has been made between the government of Canada and Rainbow Railroad. Executive Director Kimahli Powell spoke to Mainstreet's Alex Guye about what it means.
Just over one month from now, the 2023 North American Indigenous Games begin in Kjipuktuk, in Dartmouth, in Millbrook, and Sipekne’katik. With over 5,000 participants representing more than 750 nations, across 16 different sports, NAIG is the largest multi-sport and cultural event in the history of this region. Fiona Kirkpatrick-Parsons, chair of the 2023 NAIG Host Society, joined us for an early preview of what's to come.
During the past three months, there have been revelations about rising water temperatures on both the surface and at the bottom of the ocean. The North Atlantic, for instance, has seen the warmest surface temperatures ever recorded at this time of year. Susanna Fuller, vice president of operations and projects with Oceans North, joined us to discuss what this all means.
George Dixon was honoured Monday when Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a plaque in his honour in Africville. Craig Smith is a sergeant with the RCMP, an historian, and the author of "You Had Better be White By Six A.M." He joined us to talk about Dixon's legacy.
It’s hard enough being a teenager, but it can be even harder when you face bullying and hate just for being who you are. Tyler Jesso is an 18-year-old transgender student living in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and he’s dealt with it all during his teenage years. But he’s strong in his convictions and has his mom, Amy Thibeau, the president of the southwest Nova Scotia chapter of PFLAG, by his side. They spoke with Mainstreet’s Alex Mason.
The 36th annual Halifax Greek Festival is taking place in the city until June 11. Festival committee volunteer Natasha Georgantas-Compton spoke to Mainstreet's Alex Guye about what this year's event has in store.
There's a new collage-only art gallery in Halifax called Cuts and Paste. Owner Rhonda Barrett told Mainstreet's Rose Murphy she believes it may be the only gallery of its type in Canada.
Natasha Georgantas Compton is one of the organizers behind this years Greek Fest. She tells Mainstreet's Alex Guye all about this entertainment, food and fundraising.
More than 1,800 school support workers with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education have been on the picket lines for nearly a month, after failing to achieve a collective agreement with their employee. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Stephanie Carver, president of the board at Inclusion Nova Scotia, about how the strike is excluding students with intellectual disabilities.
Nova Scotia is not exempt from the escalating wildfire risks that have already devastated some communities out west, including Fort McMurray in Alberta. Since that 2016 fire, John Vaillant has spent years writing, "Fire Weather." In it, he warns that the fire that devastated Fort Mac was not unique, and is just a preview of what's to come.
As a massive wildfire continues to burn in Shelburne County, farmers are starting to assess the damage and look for support. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Matthew Roy, president of the Yarmouth/Shelburne County Federation of Agriculture, and Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow, to learn more.
Shaun Hatfield, a councillor of the Municipality of Barrington, slept in his own bed last night after days out of his home due to ongoing wildfires in Shelburne County. He tells host Jeff Douglas how residents have been showing warmth and generosity in the middle of disaster.
More than a week after Nova Scotia's largest wildfire on record sparked, the province's Department of Natural Resources announced that 60 homes had been lost. Dave Rockwood, a forest resource technician assigned to the Shelburne County fires, joins host Jeff Douglas with an update.
On Monday, there was a public meeting in Eagle Head, N.S., about a new business called Atlantic Shark Expeditions. It will give people the opportunity to go cage-diving with great white sharks. Madelyn Smye and Jessica Bradford, two founders of Queens Ocean Community, were there to hear concerns about the location, and the safety of humans and sharks.
How does a wildfire affect your well water? How can homeowners test their water? What about municipal water? To answer those questions, host Jeff Douglas spoke with Douglas Mulhall, the author of Discovering the Nature of Longevity; Elizabeth Kennedy, the director of the water branch of the Department of Environment and Climate Change; and Halifax Water spokesperson Jeff Myrick. For more information:https://www.natureoflongevity.com/wildfirerecoveryhttps://novascotia.ca/alerts/docs/returning-home-after-wildfire-evacuation.pdf
The Pubnico fire, the Barrington Lake fire, the Lake Road fire and even the fire in Tantallon are all affecting the same federal riding: South Shore - St. Margarets. Conservative MP Rick Perkins joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about how the wildfires are impacting his constituents.
The historic wildfire that has been burning out of control for nearly a week near Barrington Lake is continuing to grow. Radio-Canada's Héloïse Rodriguez spoke with Darrell Locke, the fire chief with the volunteer Shelburne Fire Department, and host Jeff Douglas is joined by Dave Rockwood, an officer with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, for an update.
Shelburne residents are on edge, but are grateful for support, as a wildfire continues to grow and spread throughout the county. We hear from Shelburne resident Sarah Dunsworth Nickerson, deputy Mayor Ben Nickerson, Shelburne County Exhibition President James Matthews and Mayor Harold Locke.
Far beyond the evacuation zones, there is concern about smoke in the air, and potential impacts on health. Douglas Mulhall is the author of Discovering the Nature of Longevity.
Pam Lovelace is the municipal councillor for Hammonds Plains/St. Margaret's in the Halifax Regional Municipality, where a wildfire destroyed homes and businesses. She joins host Jeff Douglas in Studio A to talk about how her constituents are doing.
When disaster strikes, Nova Scotians are always ready to step up. That's what's happening in Shelburne County where a record-breaking wildfire is burning. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Trent Douglas, who has been delivering supplies to the area, and Ben Nicklerson and Sarah Dunsworth-Nickerson, who have opened a "free store" for those in need.
A wildfire is burning near Pockwock Lake, where Halifax Water operates a treatment facility. Jeff Myrick, the utility's communications manager, joins host Jeff Douglas to provide an update on water supply.
As a wildfire rages in neighbourhoods northwest of Halifax, Councillor Paul Russell is encouraging his constituents in the Lower Sackville area to be prepared to leave. He spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about what residents should — and should not — be doing.
Pam Lovelace, the municipal councillor for the Hammonds Plains area, provides an update about the nearby wildfire after visiting the evacuated area Tuesday morning. She joins host Jeff Douglas to tell us what she saw.
On Monday, a local state of emergency was declared in the Municipality of Barrington as a wildfire rages nearby. Warden Eddie Nickerson joins host Jeff Douglas to provide an update on the situation in and around those communities.
Taste Asia — Halifax Asian Food and Culture Festival 2023 is taking place this week. Jeff speaks to Joyce Liu, the founder of Off the Eaten Path, the company putting on the event, and curator of the festival.
Halifax's Gay Alliance for Equality was put in motion 50 years ago today. Dan MacKay, the publisher of the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia, said the group was registered at a time when it was dangerous to be openly gay. He tells host Jeff Douglas why the alliance should serve as a reminder of the importance of activism.
Launched more than 35 years ago, the Legend of Zelda video game franchise has millions of fans and it has redefined gaming many times over. Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a genre-buster when it came out in 2017, and a couple weeks ago, the long-awaited sequel came out. CBC's Cassie Williams and Brooklyn Currie join host Jeff Douglas to explain if it lives up to the hype.
The Villagedale Community Association has had a food pantry set up in the municipality of Barrington since last fall. Jamie Symonds explains why this was something their community was in need of.
Asiah Sparks and Damini Awoyiga are Halifax's two new youth poet laureates. They joined host Jeff Douglas in Studio A to talk about their work, and how it's a combination of self-expression, storytelling and being vulnerable.
More than 30,000 people who escaped enslavement in the United States crossed into Canada using the Underground Railroad, but that's not the entire story. In his new book, Julian Sher explores how those in British North America, including Nova Scotians, appeared on both sides of the American Civil War.
Insulin pumps will be the highlight of a fashion show happening in Halifax next month. Diabetes Canada is putting on a "Pump Couture Fashion Show" to combat stigma around the condition and device. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by model Ciara Stevens, a registered nurse and diabetes educator, who was diagnosed with Type 1 when she was 11.
Have you ever wondered why some people inhale when saying "yes"? Have you ever said the word "galore" or told someone their outfit is "snazzy"? These things have origins in the Gaelic language and they illustrate how Gaelic has influenced the way Atlantic Canadians talk. Mainstreet's Alex Guye sat down with Coraidh MacMhathain, a Gaelic language enthusiast, to learn more.
Janelle Niles spent the first 10 years of her life in Truro. She joined host Jeff Douglas to discuss her childhood, her family's history of activism, and how she reflects that in her approach to standup. This week, you can see the Hot Docs film about her, called Janelle Niles: Inconvenient, free on the website https://www.citizenminutes.ca/events-screenings
There's a live storytelling event Thursday at Elle's Bistro in Halifax called Stories In Nova Scotia or "SINS" for short. Its EventBrite listing suggests that "choosing sin" can be "the unlikely path to virtue." Host Jeff Douglas is joined by organizers Katrina Phillip and Chris Jackel to learn more.
Nova Scotia Farmers Markets say they need more funding to keep up with their nourishing communities food coupon program for lower-income earners which was launched in 2019. Justin Cantafio, executive director of Farmers Markets of Nova Scotia, spoke to guest host Preston Mulligan.
Artificial intelligence has been all over the news lately, including in the world of video games. There's concern the technology could displace writers and programmers. But if reviews for a new AI-generated game are any indication, that future might still be far away. Mainstreet's Spencer McPhee joined us to discuss the latest developments.
Students from Bay View High School's gender-sexuality alliance and equity team, were present on Wednesday as the Progress Pride Flag was raised at Province House in Halifax to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Rayne, a co-leader of the school's Gender-Sexuality Alliance, spoke at the event, and afterwards Jeff talked to Rayne and two other Bay View students about how they've been feeling after their school's pride flag was burned last month.
It's hard to get inflation off our minds these days but it's often felt most acutely at the grocery store. We spoke to Nick Jennery, executive director of Food Nova Scotia, about why 1 in 3 children in Nova Scotia live in a food insecure household. But first, an excerpt from Front Burner, where producer Imogen Birchard visited an Etobicoke food bank.
A Kentville drag event has been the subject of an online backlash, including threats of a possible protest outside the event, but that hasn't stopped the local 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies from showing their support. Queera Bang, who is performing at the sold-out event, spoke with Mainstreet about what's been going on.
When it comes to the problem of microplastics, recycling of plastics may be a part of the problem — more so than part of a solution. Mainstreet's Alex Mason spoke with researchers Steve Allen and Erina Brown about their new study that looks into the effectiveness of filtration used at a state-of-the-art recycling facility in the United Kingdom, and what it could be releasing into the environment.
Halifax Police are now investigating the destruction of two more Pride flags. One of them belonged to Susanne Litke, a human rights lawyer and long-time activist with the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project. We hear from her, plus Cyndi Sweeney, the head of the PFlag chapter in Halifax, ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
New art installations have been set up in a busy hallway at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax. The project, which is a collaboration with the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Nova Scotia Health and Partners for Care, aims to create a more positive experience for health-care providers, patients and visitors. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Sara Hartland-Rowe, the lead artist from NSCAD, and Jane Davies, the CEO of Partners for Care.
An image of the Vimy Ridge Monument is being removed from Canadian passports as part of a new redesign, which has prompted some strong feelings. Ted Barris, a Canadian military history author, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about his thoughts on the change.
Jeff speaks to three health-care professionals from the Mi'kmaw community about how important it is that they are represented within the Nova Scotia health-care system.
On Saturday, the Black Educators Association is hosting the 17th edition of its provincial spelling bee. There are close to 100 spellers registered for the competition, and three of them joined host Jeff Douglas in studio to show off their impressive skills.
Kayti Baur is a queer and disabled artist who is organizing markets for people like her, because she wants there to be year-round representation of queer people outside of Pride month. Baur speaks with Jeff about why she wants there to be spaces created for disabled folks, who she says are one of the most under-employed and -discussed groups of people who don't normally get their own spaces or events which are accessible
Our use of cleaning wipes and disinfecting sprays during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic could have been more harmful than beneficial, according to new research looking into the impact of these products. Science columnist Torah Kachur joins host Jeff Douglas with the details.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has annouced the protection of a new conservation area in Nova Scotia.The 608 hectares are located in Shelburne County, near Port L'Hebert. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Jaimee Morozof, the Nova Scotia program director with the conservancy.
As employers ramp up for summer hiring, writing effective job advertisements is a top priority for hiring managers. Now, more than ever, they’re focused on ensuring diversity and inclusion throughout the recruitment process. But what should be included in a job ad that is welcoming to all? Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Shauna Cole, founder of hirediverse.ca, to talk about how to write an inclusive job ad.
This summer, a new study will investigate a dump in the south end of Shelburne and whether or not it contributed to high cancer rates and deaths in a nearby Black community. Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Louise Delisle, a founding member of the South End Environmental Justice Society, and Ingrid Waldron, the HOPE chair in Peace and Health in the global peace and social justice program at McMaster University.
Moving across the country isn’t an easy decision for most people, but for two couples in British Columbia, it was made simple by the seasonal threat of wildfires and overpowering smoke. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Sarah Kistner and Amanda Sin about why that pushed them to move to Nova Scotia.
An aquaculture company in Nova Scotia has recently entered into a non-binding agreement with the state of Washington to look for locations to build land-based facilities that will eventually grow Atlantic salmon in tanks using recycled water. Sustainable Blue CEO Kirk Havercroft joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the new partnership.
When it comes to questions about food and cosmetics, there is an app for that. In fact, there are several! Mainstreet's Alex Guye put in a call to food and sustainability columnist Aruna Antonella Handa to find out what apps offer helpful information about the food you eat and the cosmetics you use.
From wildfires to flooding, climate change is leaving its mark on Canada. Join host Jeff Douglas as he discusses the raging wildfires in Alberta, Canada's flooding infrastructure and how it's never too early to start prepping for an emergency.
Just over a year ago, an action adventure game about a little sword-and-shield wielding fox hit PC and XBox consoles. Halifax's Andrew Shouldice created Tunic, and it has won many awards and honours. He joins host Jeff Douglas to explain the game and his inspiration for it. But be careful! There may be spoilers.
Statistics Canada is reporting more Canadians struggled to put food on the table this past year and it was toughest for people in the Atlantic provinces. Jeff spoke with Valerie Tarasuk, the lead investigator of PROOF, a research program looking into food insecurity in Canada.
Ted Barris is in Halifax this weekend for a series of talks on the Battle of the Atlantic, a notoriously long conflict that lasted from September of 1939 until May of 1945 during World War II. He spoke with Mainstreet about the pivotal role the battle played for Canada and its allies during the war.
Gordon Lightfoot died this week at the age of 84. Jacqueline Warwick, a professor of musicology at Dalhousie University, spoke with Mainstreet about Lightfoot's music and his enduring impact.
When it comes to encouraging inclusion in the workplace, how well are we doing here in Atlantic Canada? Shauna Cole, the founder of www.hirediverse.ca, joined us to discuss the results of a nationwide study into diversity hires.
Benjamin Dykeman is a program director with POSSE - Peer Outreach Support Services and Education. Its a is a youth-driven peer outreach program working to increase civilian response capacity.
On Saturday, the Black Cultural Centre in Halifax is hosting an event that aims to empower members of the Black community by teaching skills to improve financial literacy, including tips on budgeting, credit cards and home ownership. Derico Symonds and Peter Owusu are organizing the free event and they spoke with Jeff about what attendees can expect to learn.
NATO's suggested benchmark for defence spending — 2% of a member country's GDP -- is not binding, and there are no penalties if you don't meet it. And leaked documents indicate Prime Minister Trudeau may have no intention of getting there. We spoke with Ken Hansen, a former naval commander who writes for The Globe and Mail about just how realistic that benchmark is.
You’ll likely hear hundreds of them before you ever see one, says Andrew Hebda, a retired curator of Zoology at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. He joined host Jeff Douglas to answer some questions about the little seen but often heard chorus frog that's presence marks the advent of spring each year.
The province announced today it would be expanding its Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinic program from 12 locations to 26 of them. Pam Kennedy, a pharmacist and owner of Bridgewater Guardian Pharmacy, has been running a clinic at her business since February. She spoke to us about how the program works and how it’s been going thus far.
Clara Tsui from Toronto Medical Eye Associates says kids whose parents don't need glasses end up wearing specs earlier in life
Some farmers around Atlantic Canada are finding new uses for kelp. One farm is using the seaweed to keep cattle from getting gassy, which has some huge environmental benefits. CBC's Mariam Mesbah joins host Jeff Douglas to explain the new environmental — and economic — opportunity.
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about a new memorandum of understanding that will help transform the design and delivery of health services for Mi’kmaq throughout Nova Scotia.
Tim Halman, the province's minister of Environment and Climate Change, tells host Jeff Douglas what he wants Nova Scotians to know ahead of Earth Day.
Halifax activist El Jones and social worker Robert Wright join host Jeff Douglas to address how community safety has been based in policing, and what that means following the final report of the Mass Casualty Commission.
Oceans guy Boris Worm tells host Jeff Douglas why he and the Backlands Coalition want to protect the wilderness area between Purcells Cove and Herring Cove Road just outside of Halifax — before its considered for development.
Host Jeff Douglas is joined by Roy Ratnavel, who went from being a teenage political prisoner in Sri Lanka to one of Canada's most successful financial executives. Ratnavel shares his story in his new memoir, Prisoner #1056: How I Survived War and Found Peace.
Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Holness addresses that question in her 2021 documentary, Subjects of Desire, which will screen at the 13th Annual Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival in Halifax on Wednesday, April 19. Holness spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the documentary, and the inspiration behind it.
As African Heritage Month wound down earlier this year, Mainstreet Halifax loaned out a recorder to freelancer Damini Awoyiga, a teenage poet at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S. She asked her Black schoolmates about their hopes for the future, and what allies can do to offer support.
The latest fashion in modeling is fashion models that are not human. Jeff asks former model and Canadian futurist Sinead Bovell about a range of concerns it raises.
Jenn Currie, Sarah MacIsaac, and Jessica-Lynn Wiebe coaxed Jeff Douglas into Bissett Lake during the first week of spring. They'd been taking cold water dips all through the winter. They explain why in this audio, and you can see some of the adventure on the CBC NS Instagram feed -- www.instagram.com/p/CrJXllnAcEq/
Arla Johnson is the first openly Queer, and married clergy-person within the Baptist Church in Canada and she's right here in Nova Scotia. Jeff Douglas spoke to Johnson about the significance of the event.
Jenn Grant just dropped by to say hi, and it happened to be a couple minutes to airtime. So the Mainstreet team took the opportunity to use her presence to... inspire... Ryan to step up his game.
A set of Mi'kmaw regalia that was donated to an Australian museum more than 100 years ago has officially come home. Heather Stevens travelled to Melbourne last month to collect the items, and she told host Jeff Douglas about her experience.
Professional harpist and content creator Kristan Toczko puts the harp to the test in her viral videos on social media. From music to video games to movies and everything in between, she enjoys testing the instrument beyond what people assume the harp can do.
The final report of the Mass Casualty Commission says "gender-based violence is an epidemic in Nova Scotia and in all of Canada" and it warrants a "meaningful, whole of society response." Host Jeff Douglas speaks with Pam Rubin, a lawyer and trauma therapist in Halifax, who says the govenrment is failing to prevent further violence.
The Halifax Comedy Fest returns this month with 13 shows featuring a total 36 comedians, including the its host, 22 Minutes star Trent McLellan. He joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about the production of 22 Minutes, his comedic process and what we can expect at this year's comedy fest.
The CBC's Danielle McCreadie, and Sameer Chhabra are co hosts on the documentary. They tell guest host David Burke about what listeners can expect when they tune in to CBC Radio One at 4 p.m. this Monday.
Mainstreet's Alex Mason drops into Honey's Bunnies Rabbit Rescue, in Seaforth, and talks with Amy Honey. See the babies on the CBC Nova Scotia Instagram feed... https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqiOiJvwcb/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
After 31 years of singing, the Halifax's Women Next Door choir is finally bringing Canada's 2SLGBTQIA+ choral festival - Unission Festival- to town. Kim Vance-Mubanga has been singing with the choir for more than 20 years. She tells Mainstreet's Alex Guye how the Women Next Door have changed over the years, and what she hopes bringing the festival to Halifax will do.
The first African Nova Scotian ever elected to the Legislature and to serve in provincial cabinet joins Jeff to talk about the work of the Africadian Empowerment Academy, where he's on the board of directors, and about his own groundbreaking career.
A member of Team Black (and the only remaining Nova Scotian in the competition), Bradley Farquhar tells Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas why he thrives on intense physical challenges, perhaps especially when there's pain involved... and why he was under the spell of team coach Luke Willson, even when other people called Willson an 'a-hole.'
Chris Lydon, Michelle Coffin, and Barbara Emodi join Jeff to talk about the RCMP in light of the Mass Casualty Commission's final report.
Our oceans guy, Boris Worm, joins Jeff to talk about what the warming trend could mean for the future of fishing.
JP Deveau, President and CEO of Acadian Seaplants, joins Jeff in Studio A for a wide-ranging interview about the economy. After the release of the Ivany report, JP led the One Nova Scotia Coalition's working group on global competitiveness and improving exports.
Funds raised from screenings of Dawn, Her Dad, & the Tractor will go toward the DAWN Fund with the non-profit Phoenix Youth Programs. Shelley Thompson tells host Jeff Douglas why she wanted to create this fund. It officially launch March 31st, 2023.
It's been nearly two years since Jerry Grenelli, the famed jazz musician best known for his work on the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas passed away at the age of 80 in Halifax. Before his death, he'd been working on a collaboration with Susanne Chui, the co-artistic director of Mocean Dance. This weekend, Chui and Mocean Dance will present Where Dance and Music Meet, a live performance in honour of Grenelli's legacy. Mainstreet's Alex Guy went to a rehearsal last week to get a sneak preview.
Paramedics are just one of several types of health care workers set to receive retention bonuses from Nova Scotia's provincial government this year. But even with this bonus, workers say the profession still has its challenges. Mainstreet contributor Amy Grace spoke with paramedics — past and present —about life at work and where they go when they decide working the job in Nova Scotia is no longer sustainable.
Are Russian hockey player's in the NHL actually putting their families at risk back in Russia by wearing pride themed jerseys? CBC documentary television producer Alex Shprintsen breaks this down in a conversation with host Jeff Douglas.
The NHL has been trying to be more inclusive on the ice and off, especially with its Hockey Is For Everyone Initiative. It was introduced to support LGBTQ2S+ communities, but some players are not playing along. Greg Strong, a sports reporter and editor with The Canadian Press, joins guest host David Burke to talk about the situation.
Have you ever felt exasperated during, or after, a disagreement? New research published in Open Mind may explain why understanding one another during differences can be so difficult. Science columnist Torah Kachur joins guest host David Burke.
The Nova Scotia government’s 2023-24 budget shows major increases in tax revenue, and much of it is being spent on projects related to health care. CBC Nova Scotia's legislature reporter Michael Gorman gives guest host David Burke the details.
Statistics Canada has released new data that shows hate crimes are on the rise across the country, especially when it comes to sexual orientation. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Tyler Boyce, the executive director of the Enchanté Network, which is described as Canada's largest network of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations.
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union is calling on the province to take steps to make schools safer after two staff members at Charles P. Allen High in Bedford were stabbed by a student on Monday. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Ryan Lutes, NSTU president, to get his perspective.
A new Dalhousie study-abroad program offers African Nova Scotian students immersive travel experiences aimed at shifting their perspectives on what it means to be Black and a person of African descent. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch, associate vice-provost of equity and inclusion, about the program.
Nova Scotians Andrew Thorne and Jennifer Richardson are in France this week to compete in the 10th International Abilympics, a competition in skilled trades and technologies for persons with disabilities. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with the competitors on Friday. Stay tuned for more updates through the week.
Halifax poet laureate Sue Goyette has taken an unorthodox approach to her new book — mixing poetry with TripAdvisor reviews — to imagine what could one day be Nova Scotia's last living forest. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about her thought-provoking — and hilarious — new book, Monoculture.
Persian New Year is upon us. To mark the occasion, host Jeff Douglas is joined by Atefa Tabesh and Negar Haji, two Iranian women living in Nova Scotia. Negar performed a revolutionary song of Iran on her hammered dulcimer.
Jivesh Parasram will be bringing his Governor General's nominated one-man show 'Take d Milk, Nah?' to Alderney Landing for one night only on March 29. Jeff Douglas speaks to him about the show and ideas about cultural identity.
Mushing isn't necessarily the most popular winter activity among Nova Scotians, but there's a dedicated group of enthusiasts in the province. And despite a rough winter, that hasn't stopped some of them from getting creative and still making the most of it. Mainstreet's Alex Guy tagged along with Shauna Bailey and Kristy Wager as they went mushing last week.
Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, a fellow social worker and longtime colleague of Joan Glode, still remembers the first time they met on the campus of Mount St. Vincent University in 1969. She spoke to host Jeff Douglas about Glode's legacy and enduring impact on social work in Nova Scotia.
The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute will receive more than $607,000 in federal funding to hire a team dedicated to providing Black Nova Scotians with free legal advice. Executive director Robert Wright joins host Jeff Douglas in the studio.
It seem clear the Chinese government would like to influence Canadian elections, but could it ever do more to undermine public confidence in our institutions than we do ourselves? "Our ignorance is making us vulnerable to this," says Mainstreet Spinbuster Michelle Coffin. She, Chris Lydon and Barbara Emodi join host Jeff Douglas.
A growing movement of LGBTQ groups and supporters are calling on the federal government to make it easier for transgender and non-binary Americans to seek asylum in Canada. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Kimahli Powell, the executive director of Rainbow Railroad, a global not-for-profit organization that helps LGTBQ+ people facing persecution, about why that is.
A moose survey has been underway in Cape Breton to determine the moose population on the island. Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas spoke to Clifford Paul, moose management co-ordinator at the Unimaki Institute of Natural Resources and .Elizabeth Walsh, a biologist with Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, about the survey and what it shows.
Recent protests about the poor treatment of women and girls in Iran have sparked what many assume are retaliatory attacks by the Iranian regime — poisonings at girls' schools. Atefeh Yabesh, an Iranian woman who moved to Nova Scotia when she was 19, says her niece was poisoned.
Mainstreet's Spinbusters Chris Lydon, Barbara Emodi and Michelle Coffin look at Nova Scotia's clearcutting promises from the past decade. How much of it is spin?
Mount Saint Vincent University is turning 150 this year, and its president emeritus Ramona Lumpkin tells us about the world in which the school was founded and how it's evolved since then.
Jenn Grant's album Champagne Problems featuring tracks written by 13 artists is due out on June 21. The second track "How I Loved You" is out and features vocalist Amy Millan. Host Jeff Douglas spoke to them about the collaboration.
From running up a steep incline, to hauling a plane, to crossing a 100-metre deep zone, Nova Scotia's Skylar Leblanc and Jesse Benjamin have been put through the ringer in just three weeks on Canada's Ultimate Challenge. But they're still in it to win it. We spoke with Skylar and Jesse about their journey so far.
Amid reports of Chinese interference in two of our federal elections, some critics are calling for a public inquiry. Kevin Deveaux, a lawyer and former member of the Nova Scotia legislature, has travelled the world helping countries improve their democratic systems. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the state of our own democracy.
African Heritage Month offers opportunities to reflect on the history of people of African descent, but social worker Robert Wright says it tends to overlook the contributions of Black Nova Scotians today. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas about what Black people in this province might like to be able to celebrate in future years.
Othello Pollard made a name for himself in the United States as a savvy cook and an entertaining salesman before moving to Nova Scotia in the early 1800s. Dartmouth writer Kate Foster spoke shared Pollard's fascinating story with guest host Preston Mulligan.
Loblaws, the owner of Superstore, No Frills, SaveEasy, and Shoppers Drug Mart, is enjoying revenue well above what analysts predicted. Its fourth-quarter revenue rose about 10 per cent, to $14 billion — topping estimates of $13.75 billion. We ask food expert Sylvain Charlebois what he makes of this.
Jacqueline Gahagan with Mount Saint Vincent University weighs in on new survey findings from Gallup that suggest the percentage of the U.S. population that identifies as LGBT may be leveling off at about seven per cent, but it's much higher among respondents in Generation Z.
Trying to stay on budget as grocery prices continue to rise can be a challenge for even the thriftiest of shoppers. To find out how much she could save on groceries, Colleen Jones shopped around to find the best prices. Plus, for more tips on how to save, guest-host Preston Mulligan spoke to Dana Calder-Boutilier of Colchester County, a woman known online as The Coupon Nannie.
Students and faculty at the University of King’s College and the Nova Scotia Community College have won gold at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards. Trina Roache, an award-winning Mi'kmaw journalist and the Roger's Chair in Journalism at King's, spoke with guest-host Preston Mulligan about the impact of the course.
Chris Lydon, Michelle Coffin and Barbara Emodi join guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about the destructive power of spin.
The largest gathering of Black law students in Canadian history is happening right now in Halifax. Guest host David Burke spoke with students Alexandria Brittany Myrie and Grace Nkaya Kabengele about the gathering and their work.
Members of Halifax's arts community pled their case in front of the city's budget committee earlier today. Earlier this week, staff proposed a $300,000 funding cut to help reduce the city budget. Council members heard from several prominent community members about how the cuts would affect the city.
A parliamentary committee has tabled a report on Medical Assistance in Dying — or MAiD. It recommends access be expanded in a number of ways. Dr. Tim Holland, the chair of bioethics at Dalhousie University, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the new recommendations.
Every year, medical students across this country organize advocacy initiatives related to health care, through the Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee or GAAC for short. This year, Dalhousie University's GAAC representatives are focused on increasing access to contraception. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with representatives Lauren Mills and Scott Aucoin.
The Marine Riders Trails Association already has responsibility for a trail called the Blueberry Run, part of which is under water. Guest host Preston Mulligan asks him about both, and how he thinks motorized and non-motorized users can better get along.
There's often little information about people who were enslaved in the Maritimes during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Harvey Amani Whitfield has been gathering everything he can find about them. His new book, Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes, documents 1,465 brief life histories. Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Harvey to learn more.
As our population gets older, some researchers are recognizing that intimate partner violence doesn't stop at any particular age. Lori Weeks, a Dalhousie University professor, has been studying the ways of preventing and stopping the violence against older women across the Maritimes.
The Shearwater Flyer trail has been causing a headache for the Cole Harbour Parks & Trails Association. The volunteer group maintained the trail until last year, but they had enough after most of their funding was going toward repairing damage caused by ATVs. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Janice Bishop, chair of the association.
There have been calls for the Canadian government to do more to help people in Syria, where the civil war has complicated efforts to deliver aid after a devastating earthquake last week. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Ahmad Almallah, who moved to Canada from Syria in 2016.
Several pieces of Mi’kmaw regalia that were donated to an Australian museum more than a century ago are being returned to Nova Scotia next month. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Heather Stevens, the manager of the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre.
Guest host Preston Mulligan speaks with Stephanie Domet, Co-Executive Director of the AfterWords Literary Festival and a media contact for the Greater Halifax Arts Coalition, and Carmel Farahbakhsh, chair of the board of the Khyber Centre For The Arts, and Co-Director of the Everyseeker music festival.
Carol Off and Michael DeAdder told guest host Preston Mulligan about an event happening next week in Toronto -- called A Night To Honour Courageous Reporting.
Despite all the anti-bullying campaigns we've heard about over the years, people still get picked on, and even physically assaulted. It happened recently on a local ski hill when Sarah Webb's 12-year-old son was beaten up by another child. Sarah spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about how the horrible experience has ended up renewing her faith in all the kind people out there.
A new short film projected on the façade of the old Halifax library tells the story of Black migration to Nova Scotia. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with the creative team behind it, Jonathan Goldson and musician Bradley "Raslaxx" Frankson.
Nova Scotians wait an average of about 83 minutes to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic, according to new data compiled by Canadian tech company, Medimap. Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with researcher Teddy Wickland about why that might be.
Mainstreet's Oceans Guy Boris Worm is back to talk about ocean acidification, and how technology being developed and tested in Halifax could help prevent global temperatures from rising.
There is a new magazine online specifically created with Black Canadians in mind. It's called Black Maple, and it was created by Charmaine Nelson, the founding director of the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery, which lived at NSCAD University until last year.
The funeral for Tyre Nichols was held in Memphis Wednesday. The 29-year-old Black man died as a result of a violent encounter with police, which was captured on video and has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people. Is that a good idea? If you haven't watched it yet and you are considering it, how do you decide? Lana MacLean, a clinical social worker in Halifax, weighs in.
Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons, chair and federal representative for the 10th North American Indigenous Games, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how the city is preparing for the much-anticipated games.
A rare green comet that orbits our sun once every 50,000 years is now in our neighbourhood, and already an amateur astronomer has captured dazzling imagery of it.
The second issue of the Nova Scotia magazine Defy is now online, and one of the articles talks about the potential of mentoring — not only to help women succeed, but to help create more equitable workplaces.
This is Jeff's second conversation about factors that make kids in this province more likely to become victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Our guests draw on information from a report called "Hearing Them," and an extensive consultation with Nova Scotians who've had experience in the sex industry. The first conversation is also on our Listen page, cbc.ca/mainhfx, dated January 5.
Alexa Yakubovich, an assistant professor of community health and epidemiology at Dalhousie University, was involved in research that surveyed service providers and survivors of intimate partner violence in Toronto. She's now embarking on similar research here in the Maritimes.
A study that followed nearly 120,000 people for 36 years sheds light on what kinds of foods contribute to longevity. Dr. Iris Gorfinkel tells guest host Preston Mulligan that the results strongly point in one direction.
Premier Tim Houston spoke with host Jeff Douglas about this week's changes to the health-care system and what's next for his government as it tried to tackle the crisis.
Dr. Jan Sommers, medical lead in emergency at Colchester East Hants Health Centre, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how VirtualEmergencyNS works and what it means for patients and health-care providers.
Mainstreet's Alex Guye checked back in with youth who are taking part in a 'fashion hacking' program for LGBTQ+ youth and allies at the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning in Dartmouth.
A Nova Scotia business called Different Rooute aims to get youth of colour more involved in outdoor activities and spaces. Mainstreet's Alex Guye speaks to founder Fawn Logan-Young about why representation is important.
For the next two years, Jackson Fairfax-Perry will be 2b theatre company's emerging artist-in-residence. He's a member of the indie pop group Hillsburn, but what you might not know is that Jackson also works in theatre as a sound designer.
Laura Eramian, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University, studies friendship and wants to know why some people are choosing to buy homes or split rent with their friends.
Jesse Wente's bestselling memoir is “Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance.” He speaks with host Jeff Douglas about the meaning of truth and reconciliation and coming to terms with his own background.
Onya Hogan-Finlay and Kim Kelly are the owners of OK Sea Salt in LaHave Islands. Onya spoke with Mainstreet about the importance of being an open and proud queer-owned business in rural Nova Scotia, and why the company has been extra busy this year.
Ken Hansen, a former naval commander who writes for The Globe & Mail, shares his thoughts on the F-35 jet fighters replacing our air force's aging CF-18s.
Can Pac-Man be compared to a finely aged wine? Mainstreet's Spencer McPhee tells us why some video games are timeless.
The family of a 37-year-old woman who died after waiting more than six hours to see an emergency department doctor in Amherst, N.S., is demanding answers from the provincial government. Reporter Nicola Seguin joined us in Studio A to share Allison Holthoff's story.
Daniel Murray, coach of the Nova Scotia cross country ski team, says the sport remains popular in the province. He tells Jeff about how the sport has grown and changed over the years.
Isabelle Germain was the arena announcer for the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships that wrapped up in Halifax last night. She spoke with Mainstreet's Emma Smith about what it was like to be the voice of the tournament for spectators.
A new report by the YWCA Halifax, called Hearing Them, details why some youth in this province are vulnerable to exploitation. The goal is to understand and address those risk factors in order to keep children and youth safe. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dametre Samuels, Charlene Gagnon and Lila Pavey to learn more.
Freelance producer Amy Grace introduces us to some of the people behind Shelter Movers. It's been operating in Nova Scotia since 2019 and is the only service of its kind in Canada. It provides moving and storage services to individuals and families fleeing abuse.
Michael Ungar, Canada research chair in child, family and community resilience at Dalhousie University, shares ideas on how to set yourself up for a great winter, without forking out hundreds or thousands of dollars on new exercise equipment.
Accessibility advocate Paul Vienneau sees a lot of drivers in downtown Halifax parking in spots reserved for people with disabilities. Sometimes they admit to him that they are fully able bodied. We hear from him and Victoria Horne, director of parking services with the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The pride flag of a recently opened business in the Annapolis Valley has been vandalized four times. But the businesses owner say after an outpouring support, "the love far outweighs the tiny little bit of hate.”
The community of Barrington, N.S., is mourning the loss of one of its residents who went overboard off Cape Sable Island on Boxing Day. Grief specialist Serena Lewis joined Jeff Douglas to talk about processing grief at this time of the year.
Earlier this month, First Baptist Church on Oxford street held their annual Carols by Candlelight service. Mainstreet's Alex Guye went to hear about the Filipino choir, Harana Singers of Nova Scotia, who were the guest performers at the event.
Usually in Iran, the winter solstice would be marked with a celebration called Yalda Night. But on December 21st, Mitra Mansouri of Halifax posted this on social media: "Yalda is not always smiling pomegranate and watermelon. Yalda is sometimes a fight to celebrate freedom." She speaks with Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas.
Michael Ungar, the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience at Dalhousie University, talks about how to approach the holidays to make sure they're merry and bright.
The Inuit Games and Winter Feast take place this weekend at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre. Mainstreet Host Jeff Douglas stopped by the centre to learn about high kick and knuckle jumping.
The Smith family of New Minas faced off against the Wabano family in Wednesday's Family Feud Canada. Martina Kelades spoke with host Jeff Douglas about what she calls an "extraordinary" experience.
Host Jeff Douglas visited Chebucto Connections in Spryfield to meet the many volunteers who are assembling and delivering holiday food boxes as the need grows.
Nick Jennery from Feed Nova Scotia updates host Jeff Douglas on the need the organization is seeing this year, and how people are stepping up to help.
The 2022 Nova Scotia Human Rights awards were held at the Halifax Central Library Friday morning.The ceremony began with the song Strrog Woman performed. .Elder Dorene Bernard received the inaugural Wel-lukwen Award on behalf of the Grassroots Grandmothers. Elder Daniel Paul also received a Wel-lukwen Award and spoke to Mainstreet's Jeff Douglas.
Senior Crown attorney Josie McKinney spoke with Mainstreet about her role and the difference it's making.
A new online course rooted in the concept of two-eyed seeing is teaching health-care providers about cultural safety so they can better serve Indigenous patients. Mainstreet spoke with two people who've been working on this for years.
Pre-primary students at Nelson Whynder Elementary in North Preston are preparing for their school's Christmas concert. Host Jeff Douglas stopped by to find out how it's going and he was greeted with a spontaneous group hug.
Ellen Whitman, a forest fire research scientist with Natural Resources Canada, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the risk assessment released by the province this week. It looks at how climate change will bring fiercer floods, fires and extreme weather.
As Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week gets underway, Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas spoke with two advocates who have been working to get more people tested for HIV. Dave Miller and Sean Rourke told Jeff about the outreach work they've been doing in First Nations communities across Atlantic Canada.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about cases of influenza more than doubling in Nova Scotia since the last reporting period.
Sheila Wildeman, a professor at the Dalhousie Schulich School of Law, and researcher Simon Snyder spoke with Mainstreet about the project that details Nova Scotians' experience with disability, and how they understand their human rights.
Mainstreet visited North Grove in Dartmouth where Grade 7 students from John Martin Junior High were helping to package affordable meal kits for the centre's market. North Grove functions as a community hub, and is a place where people gather to grow, cook and share food.
December 1st is World AIDS day, and executive director of the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia, Chris Aucoin, lays out planned events and what the future of HIV testing could look like in the province.
Athanasius Sylliboy, a two-spirit Mi'kmaw nurse practitioner working in Millbrook, has been performing as Anita LandBack at drag shows throughout Halifax.
A conversation between a Mi'kmaw linguist and a francophone. Linguist Bernie Francis and Bernard St-Laurent, former host of CBC Radio's C'est La Vie, which explored life in French-speaking Canada, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about "French intrusions," or Mi'kmaw words that have their roots in French.
A growing program through the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia is giving newcomers the chance to gain skills before entering the Canadian workforce. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with a former participant, Saeed Fallahtafti, about his experience in the program.
Ann de Ste Croix from the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia says survivors of domestic violence are often filling out 20 or 30 rental applications, just to find a safe place to live. Guest host David Burke spoke with de Ste Croix about their struggle as Mainstreet marks International Day for the Elimination of Gender Based Violence.
Rebecca Rose, the author of Before The Parade: A History of Halifax's Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Communities, 1972-1984, and Dan MacKay, the creator of the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia, discuss the importance of physical queer spaces in Halifax.
Anya Waite, newly back from COP27 in Egypt, is a professor at Dalhousie University and the senior writer for a new research paper about how carbon is sequestered in the Barents Sea.
More and more great white sharks have been popping up in Nova Scotia waters and staying longer than usual. Mainstreet's Oceans Guy Boris Worm told host Jeff Douglas why this might be happening.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says individuals in Canada have received "credible" death threats from Iran. This comes amid anti-government protests and the three-year anniversary of what many call Bloody November, which left more than 300 people dead in Iran. First, host Jeff Douglas spoke with Nahal Fakhari about the anniversary, and then with Atefeh Tabesh about the death threats.
It was an exciting morning at Shubenacadie District Elementary School. Artist Quentin Syliboy was there, and he brought with him bins and bins of art supplies. He spent the morning talking with Grade 3 students about his own journey to becoming an artist, and gently guiding them as they made their own creations. Mainstreet's Emma Smith was there.
Chris Stevens has been driving a school bus for 23 years. He says a lack of spare drivers means he often has very busy days, sometimes driving multiple routes to get kids to and from school.
Zainub Beg works for Nisa Homes in Halifax and spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how the house will specifically support Muslim women and children who may not feel comfortable accessing support elsewhere.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, reiterated his advice to Nova Scotians about proper hand washing, staying home when sick and vaccination as respiratory illnesses put a strain on the province's health-care system.
A new graphic novel written by Nova Scotia author Lynette Richards tells the story of a sailor who was aboard the SS Atlantic when it went down off Lower Prospect in 1873. Richards told host Jeff Douglas about Bill, the subject of "Call Me Bill," and how he defied gender roles for that time.
A lot of people seem to be getting sick this fall, and infectious disease experts say things could get worse during the winter. According to the Canadian COVID-19 Index, Nova Scotia's situation is severe. Dr. Tara Moriarity told host Jeff Douglas what that means.
Julie Lawrence, editor-in-chief of Defy Magazine, has given a lot of thought to sexism and misogyny, and how they function in the workplace. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about why she wants the magazine to become a movement.
A new book brings together a variety of perspectives on the Atlantic fishery and Indigenous rights. Editors Fred Wien and Rick Williams dropped into Studio A to talk about "Contested Waters: The Struggle for Rights & Reconciliation in the Atlantic Fishery."
Lynette and Colin Peters describe why they started The Cerberus Helmet Project on their property near Lawrencetown, N.S., and how they see it helping veterans transition from military to civilian life.
Kevin Leboeuf, co-founder of Educated Beards, spoke with Mainstreet about what it was like to transition to civilian life after a 14-year career with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Editor Maya Eichler and contributor Marianela Fuertes spoke with host Jeff Douglas about their new book, "Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia."
Jessica Lynn Wiebe, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran and multi-disciplinary artist, spoke with Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas on Remembrance Day.
Dan Stovel is the Regional Emergency Management Coordinator for King's County Regional Emergency Management Organization. The organization had a vulnerable persons registry set up back in 2019, and Dan breaks down how they were able to do it.
Decades after the Second World War, what remains of Camp Norway in Lunenburg? Peter Rognerud says an old rifle range is still standing, once used by the soldiers who lived at the camp, including his father, Einar Rognerud. Peter spoke with host Jeff Douglas about his father's experience at the Camp.
New research has revealed that the entire Arctic is going to melt in summer at least once during the next generation, and perhaps many more times. Susanna Fuller, who works for a Halifax non-profit that focuses on marine conservation within Indigenous and coastal communities, spoke with guest host David Burke to give her perspective on these findings.
With Remembrance Day coming this Friday, Mainstreet's Rob Doublett thought he should learn more about the day, so he turned to some little people for their insights. He spoke with students at Joseph Giles Elementary School in Cole Harbour.
Kim Stanley Robinson's book "The Ministry for the Future" paints a picture of the future — and points us toward climate solutions. Stan spoke with guest host David Burke about how he finds hope in the midst of climate disaster.
Mainstreet's Spinbusters Chris Lydon, Barbara Emodi and Michelle Coffin look at the record of Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston. Is he a man of action or someone trying to consolidate power?
Greg Richardson's son Adam was only 14 years old when he died from a drug overdose. Greg has since worked with Halifax Regional Police and Autism Nova Scotia to implement a training module around interacting with people on the autism spectrum. Mainstreet's Host, Jeff Douglas, spoke with Greg to hear Adam's story, and with Billy Gillis and Jill Cormier of Autism Nova Scotia to talk about the training modules themselves.
The Kearney Lake Masjid hosted a community conversation in October to help build safe spaces for Muslim women and Girls. The conversation was the first in a series planned in collaboration with the Halifax Regional Municipality to help address Islamophobia. Muna Saadi, a volunteer with the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre spoke to Jeff about the initiative.
The family of five-year-old Easton Oetting from Sarnia Ontario was diagnosed with Duplication Syndrome by the research group Care4Rare Canada. Mainstreet's science columnist Torah Kachur tells host Jeff Douglas that only a lucky few people with the rare genetic disorder get a diagnosis.
Proposed legislation to amend the Halifax Regional Municipality charter — giving the minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the power to unilaterally nullify bylaws created by HRM Council — has one Beachville resident concerned. Carolann Wright spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how Bill 225 could affect development plans for the area.
Timmins, Ontario comedian Derek Edwards will be touring Nova Scotia again with another 90-minute show. Mainstreet's Jeff Douglas about his new show called "In Praise of the Ostrich."
A new book on the Halifax Public Gardens describes it as North America's finest Victorian public gardens. Mainstreet's Carsten Knox spoke to one of the book's authors, Robert Pace, who is also chair of the Public Gardens Foundation.
About a week ago, Nova Scotia's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing brought forward Bill 225 which would amend Section 204 of the HRM Charter. Section 204 essentially gives council agency and autonomy in creating bylaws. Minister John Lohr proposed to amend Section 204, allowing the minister to veto bylaws that council democratically passed. He spoke with host Jeff about what Bill 225 means.
Lisa Soucy-Francis, Cat Moore and Melanie Robinson-Purdy are three beaders whose work is being highlighted during this year's Mi'kmaq History Month. They talk about how they started beading and what it means to them.
Can you be racist against white people? That's just one question that is addressed in the new book, "Frequently Asked White Questions." It was written by Nova Scotia university professors, Alex Khasnabish and Ajay Parasram, who joined host Jeff Douglas to discuss their new book. It will be available Nov. 1.
2SLGBTQ+ youth and allies gather together to learn about fashion at the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning once a week. Mainstreet's Alex Guye stopped by.
Last Friday, Nova Scotia's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing brought forward proposed legislation which would amend Section 204 of the HRM Charter, which essentially gives council agency and autonomy in creating bylaws. Minister John Lohr proposed to amend section 204, which would allow the minister to veto bylaws that council democratically passed. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Mayor Mike Savage about the proposed amendments and how it could impact zoning and city planning.
Halloween is just around the corner and kids at Joseph Giles Elementary School in Cole Harbour are pumped. As Mainstreet's Little People Big Problems returns, Rob Doublett consults with the kids about the beloved candy extravaganza.
Gymnasts For Change Canada is "urging and imploring" federal sports minister Pascale St-Onge to initiate an independent third-party judicial investigation amid the "toxic culture and rampant child abuse entrenched in Canadian gymnastics." Kim Shore, the group's national spokesperson, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the reports and the desire for an investigation.
Cathy LeBlanc and David Chapman have a new book, a culmination of work they've been doing together for nine years. It's called "Mi'kmaw Moons: The Seasons In Mi'kma'ki." The book reflects the learning Cathy has shared with her niece, Holly, starting when she was seven. Cathy and David spoke with host Jeff Douglas about their new book.
Mainstreet's Alex Guye was at the Fort Anne National Historic Site in Annapolis Royal on Monday, where efforts were underway to find unmarked graves of Black Loyalists and their descendants. She dropped by the studio to tell host Jeff Douglas all about it, and what they found.
Amanda Refuse was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2013. Her condition has been largely under control until this month, when it had been six weeks since she had a bowel movement. She says she felt forced to take drastic action to get answers — travelling to a private clinic in Montreal and paying for a colonoscopy, which is available for free in Nova Scotia, out of pocket.
They say dead men tell no tales — but that doesn't stop authors from telling their stories. Filmmaker and writer Craig Ferguson has done this in his new book, Dead in Halifax: Stories of Adventure, Scandal, Heartbreak and Heroism. He spoke with guest host David Burke about the book and how it came to be.
A new album by Bingly and The Rogues dropped today. Thegroup write songs for kids, but for this album they did things a little differently. It's not only for kids — it's also written by kids. Nine-year-old Eva Laudadio wrote and performed one of the songs. She spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye, and guest host David Burke spoke with author and musician Justin Gregg about how this album came together.
Mitra Mansouri just spent a month in Iran, witnessing the unprecedented protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her mandatory headscarf too loosely. Mitra spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about what she saw during the unrest.
Michael Halpin, an assistant professor in the department of sociology and social anthropology at Dalhousie University, talks about his new study into incel culture and the dangers it poses.
Calum Ewing has researched a wreck down the road from his home and believes the sandy ruin has been there since October 26, 1937, and may be the final remains of Halifax Harbour's longest-serving ferry. He's puzzled by talk Transport Canada may dispose of it. He spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Mason. See photos in this article -- bit.ly/3VMBG5G
The Spinbusters examine the controversy with Premier Tim Houston and Speaker Keith Bain, and ask if you should care, and look at what the government has done for healthcare in the last year.
The driver of a stolen vehicle is facing multiple charges after Halifax chased him through a residential area yesterday afternoon. Some residents have expressed concerns on social media about reports of police cruisers driving at high speeds, up on lawns, without sirens or flashing lights. We hear from some of them, as well as Councillor Shawn Cleary.
Dana Mills, a disability advocate and author, is living with obsessive compulsive disorder. He tells Mainstreet NS host Jeff Douglas that it's important for people to share their experiences and help dispel the stigma surrounding the condition.
Amanda McDougall, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, wants to know why residents in her region are still waiting for assistance in clearing storm damage post-Fiona, despite repeated requests for help from the provincial and federal governments.
Owen McCarron, warden of the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, weighs in on a proposal to consolidate the town and county of Antigonish.
The town and county of Antigonish are proposing to consolidate. The decision will be made this fall by councillors alone but some residents want to have a more direct say in whether this happens. Mainstreet hears from Laurie Boucher, mayor of the Town of Antigonish, and Chad Brazier, an organizer of the group Let Antigonish Decide.
Four young women — Jahtaya Skeete, Shabad Kaur, Dejhani Allen and Damini Awoyiga — gathered in Studio A with Susie Brigham, co-chair of N.S. Girl, to talk about their involvement in a special event for International Day of the Girl Child.
A disability advocate and the brother of Ryan Mills, whose mother is spearheading a community housing initiative being built in Kentville, doesn't understand why Nova Scotia can't say when it will close its large housing institutions for people with disabilities. Dana Mills has a son with autism spectrum disorder and tells Mainstreet NS host Jeff Douglas about his concerns.
Nikki Gullet with the Protect Hartlen Point group is hoping October Big Day raises awareness about a major birding spot that's set to become a military warship systems testing facility.
Tareq Hadad tells Mainstreet's Emma Smith that a conversation on an Air Canada flight helped him to change a fellow passenger's views on refugees and immigrants.
Kate Sherren from Dalhousie University's School for Resource and Environmental Studies spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the need for a managed retreat from parts of our shoreline.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is hosting an interactive art project called Cover and Conceal - A Gift to Ukraine. It's being put on by Jessica Lynn Wiebe, an interdisciplinary artist who is also a Canadian Forces veteran.
We hear some of the moments from today's Sisters in Spirit walk, organized by the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, and then speak with Carol McBride, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada.
Anne Camozzi, an advocate for people with disabilities, wants to see the creation of a vulnerable persons registry that would make EMO aware of who to check on when power, phone, and other services go down. Keith Copeland, the EMO coordinator in Hampton, N.B., explains how the registry works in his community.
Barry Haner in Bible Hill and Darla MacKeil, a municipal councillor in Caribou, describe what it's been like living with no power since post-tropical storm Fiona hit the province on September 24.
Mi'kmaw has officially been recognized as Nova Scotia's first language, but linguist Bernie Francis says it wasn't that long ago that some judges wouldn't even provide translation to Mi'kmaw speaking people accused of a crime. He also offers some suggestions for how you can use the language — even if you're an English speaker.
Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny told host Jeff Douglas about how his community helped other First Nations after post-tropical storm Fiona left many without power or fuel for generators.
Artist Quentin Little Wolf Syliboy from Sipekne'katik First Nation spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how he got into painting and what he'll be sharing at Grand-Pré to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Treaty Day.
Waddie Long, a certified trainer with the Forest Safety Society and an instructor of Natural Resources Environmental Technology at the NSCC, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how to stay safe while cleaning up tree damage post-Fiona.
Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation, in the Antigonish area, was impacted significantly by Fiona. We checked in with Tanya Francis, the education director for the community.
Anne Camozzi, who lives with a disability in Antigonish, tells host Jeff Douglas that she felt cut off from her community during and after post-tropical storm Fiona. She says the province should create a vulnerable person registry as part of emergency planning.
Antigonish County has been severely impacted by post-tropical storm Fiona. The area is still largely without power and telecommunications are spotty at best. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Laurie Boucher, the mayor of Antigonish.
Dave Giles, who founded All EV Canada where he is a training and development manager, tells host Jeff Douglas the dos and don'ts of generator safety.
Meinhard Doelle, a well respected environmental lawyer and Dalhousie professor, died over the weekend when his bicycle was hit by an SUV. Nova Scotia environmentalist Susanna Fuller speaks to guest host Preston Mulligan about a key figure in the province's environmental movement.
Tim Webster, a research scientist and leader of the Applied Geomatics Research Group at NSCC, explains how the Coastal Flood Risk Map can help project storm surge for different parts of the province.
Carla Nickerson, the owner of Always Proud in Barrington, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about why she opened the store for her youngest son and how it's helping others in the community.
Twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini was apprehended by Iran's morality police for having "unsuitable attire." She was allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. She died in police custody last week. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with a Nova Scotian who knows what it's like to be arrested by Iran's morality police. We're not using her name out of concerns for her safety.
Teo Ferguson explains what dating in Halifax is like as a Black, queer non-binary person. Ferguson shared his dating experience as a panelist on the new season of the show "1 Queen 5 Queers," which is streaming on Crave this month.
It's not just bees — all insects are in decline globally. Paul Manning, an assistant professor in the faculty of agriculture at Dalhousie University, tells host Jeff Douglas how to make your lawn bug friendly this fall.
September is a beautiful time to visit Nova Scotia. The ocean is at its warmest and the busy summer crowds have started to dwindle. But for one woman, coming to Halifax wasn't just about the weather or the scenery. Adina Horwich was here this week on a very personal pilgrimage. She tells her story.
Nova Scotia filmmaker Koumbie spoke with Mainstreet about what it's like to premier their first feature-length film at FIN.
The first monkeypox pre-exposure vaccine clinic opened at the Halifax Sexual Health Centre on Thursday for people most at risk of exposure to the virus. The clinic will be taking appointments up to Oct. 6. Executive director of the centre tells guest host Carolyn Ray 430 people made appointments for a vaccine on launch day alone.
Mainstreet's Jeff Douglas and Alex Guye were shown around a community initiative in Cherry Brook on their first stop of a tour of Cherry Brook, North and East Preston. Akoma Holdings Inc. is developing housing, economic and recreational opportunities at the site which formerly housed the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children.
Liz Leclair says she was deeply uncomfortable listening to Truro health facility staff mocking the use of pronouns for transgender and non-binary people as she awaited an operation. She tells guest host Carolyn Ray she has written to the health minister and hospital and hopes it will be a learning and teaching moment.
Stephen Augustine, Hereditary Chief of the Mi'kmaq Grand Council, shares his thoughts on the passing of Queen Elizabeth and where he sees the role of the monarchy in reconciliation. He spoke with Mainstreet's Emma Smith.
Etta Jamieson of Truro celebrated a big birthday last week. She turned 100 on Thursday. To mark the occasion, she knit a children's cap for every year of her life and she's donating them to children's hospitals. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with Etta about her efforts.
The annual pumpkin regatta in Windsor, N.S., that transforms giant gourds into personal vegetable craft to be raced across a man-made lake has been cancelled indefinitely. Danny Dill the owner of the Dill Family Farm and Vanessa Roberts, the long-time logistics coordinator for the regatta tell guest host Carolyn Ray why a federal government order spelled the end of the event.
For the first time, Nova Scotia now has someone who is dedicated to studying palliative care. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with Dr. Mary Ellen Macdonald, the first J&W Murphy Foundation Endowed Chair in Palliative Care.
Researchers at Dalhousie University have found a way to recreate the strength of spider silk in the lab. They believe it could help treat nerve cell damage, and even paralysis. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with Jan Rainey, a professor in Dal's department of biochemistry and molecular biology. He's been working on this research for more than a decade.
Halifax filmmaker Kevin Hartford is bringing his dark comedy, Lemon Squeezy, to the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival this month. It's about a high school student who gets casually rejected for prom and then becomes convinced he's instigated a biblical apocalypse. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with Hartford about his new film.
Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health says people should know the risks associated with alcohol consumption after a national advisory organization proposed new guidelines earlier this week. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dr. Robert Strang about the new guidelines.
A survey by Engage Nova Scotia found new Canadians to this province are half as likely to feel an overall sense of community than the provincial average. They're also more likely to feel lonely, and like they don't belong. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Sarah Wiseman, a founding member of Pictou County Safe Harbour, and Bahati Maganjo, who is originally from Rwanda and moved to New Glasgow in 2021.
Eric Chiang, who left his successful bakery business in Hong Kong to move to Halifax in 2020, is now starting a new bakery from the ground up by selling his Hong Kong-style cookies and pastries at the Halifax Brewery Market.
Adsum for Women and Children is getting ready to open a 25-unit affordable housing development for people experiencing housing insecurity just outside of Halifax. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with Sheri Lecker, the executive director of Adsum, to get an update about the development.
A new tick-borne disease called anaplasmosis is on the rise in Nova Scotia. It's transferred to people through the bite of a black-legged tick. Host Jeff Douglas spoke to Dr. Todd Hatchette, the chief of microbiology for the central zone of Nova Scotia Health, who gave some insight about the emerging illness.
A new free workshop is happening at the Halifax Central Library this week and it's all about creating common ground for Nova Scotians — even if they disagree. The six-part series, called "The Same Page," brings together speakers from many different fields. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Ajay Parasram, one of the speakers and the co-author of the upcoming book, "Frequently Asked White Questions."
Rev. Wallace Smith Sr.'s Sunday sermon this week will be his last as the leader of St. Thomas Baptist Church in North Preston, N.S. The senior pastor of over 21 years and member of the gospel group, The Sanctified Brothers is stepping down from the pulpit after over two decades.
The pastor of North Preston's St. Thomas Baptist Church is giving his last sermon on Sunday. We reflect on Rev. Wallace Smith Sr.'s legacy in his community, and beyond, with his granddaughter Reeny Smith.
This month marks a year since the US and its allies left Afghanistan and the Taliban seized control of the country. The Rainbow Railroad has been trying to get people out of Afghanistan ever since. The non-profit organization helps LGBTQI+ people facing persecution for their gender identity and sexual orientation. Executive Director Kimahli Powell spoke with Mainstreet's Jeff Douglas.
Members and supporters of Nova Scotia's Ukrainian community gathered in front of city hall in downtown Halifax Wednesday to celebrate 31 years of independence from the Soviet Union. The event marks the fourth year the Ukrainian flag has been raised at Halifax's Grand Parade on Aug. 24 — Independence Day in Ukraine — and comes half a year after Russia invaded the country.
Hood Habits, a new musical by Tara Taylor, is set to take the stage this week in Halifax. It's based on a graphic novel of the same name, written by educator and former CFL player Curtis Bell. It tells the true story of a program he started for at-risk youth in Toronto back in 2009. Mainstreet's Emma Smith dropped by a rehearsal to meet some of the cast and crew.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced $17.9 million to expand HIV screening and self-testing in Canada. Dave Miller and Dr. Sean Rourke, both who work in the field of HIV/AIDS, welcome the new funding, which will be a game changer for the community.
Sebastien Labelle, the executive director of the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op, gave host Jeff Douglas a tour of the renovated space on Gottingen Street.
Isaac Cook, a senior inclusion consultant at Simply Good Form Inc., spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the newly released Stats Canada numbers, and what they say about gender diversity in this province.
Michelle Thompson, Nova Scotia's minister of health and wellness, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the rationale behind some of the government's decisions during this wave of the pandemic.
Dr. Andrew Lynk, chief of pediatrics at the IWK Health Centre, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about a new report on child and youth well-being in Nova Scotia called "One Chance To Be A Child."
With most provinces now releasing only weekly COVID-19 numbers, Tara Moriarty, director of the Moriarty lab at the University of Toronto, tells Jeff she felt more information was needed. Her calculations for the number of new infections on April 13 revealed a startling number of actual new COVID-19 infections in Nova Scotia.
Noelle McGough and Charlene Helm are entrepreneurs and co authors on a collaborative book called, 'Women Who Lead: Timeless Life, Career, and Business Secrets from Inspiring Women Around the World'. They talk about how they met and their chapter, in the book called 'Your Yes, Your Success'.
Kevin McMullin the Business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 727 which represents paramedics in the province says right now one in five paramedics is off the job in Nova Scotia. McMullin tells Jeff there are various reasons for the shortage.
COVID-19 and staff shortages have put a strain on Nova Scotia's health sector. Mandy Grant of Dartmouth tells Jeff Douglas she saw the effects on the hospital system first-hand before and after her recent surgery at the QEII Infirmary in Halifax.
Colin Sproul, President of the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, tells Jeff Douglas how he thinks the federal government should facilitate Indigenous access to fisheries, and how he's worried the government might do it.
Research published in the international journal Nature last week suggests that for the first time, the world may now be on track to meet the international target of limiting global warming to an average of two degrees. How certain are we? Can we have a little celebration, or is more study needed? Host Jeff Douglas spoke with oceans expert Boris Worm to learn more.
The federal government has announced it will provide Sipekne'katik First Nation with $326,700 to help ongoing research at the site of the former Shubenacadie Residential School. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dorene Bernard, a Mi'kmaw elder and residential school survivor, and Marc Miller, the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, who were at the announcement on Wednesday.
Three climate researchers have been crunching 60 years of weather data to better understand what's happening with extreme weather events in Nova Scotia. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dalhousie University students Samantha Rebitt and Cambrie Levy, and assistant professor Manuel Helbig, about their work.
A single mother living in the heritage district of Lunenburg, N.S., is fighting to get back into her apartment of six years after the water and power were shut off when the landlord began demolition work on the building earlier this month. CBC Mainstreet's Emma Smith spoke to the tenant and the landlord.
Mainstreet's Alex Guye spoke with Doug Tingley, chief operations officer of Day and Ross about the company's partnership with nonprofit organization Truckers Against Trafficking, and the training people can receive to help spot trafficking on the road.
An art installation that has evolved across many mediums over the years, will now come in the form of an orchestrated stage production. Holly Carr is a visual and performance artist. She talks about why she began the Light in the Forest Wellness project, and what she hopes in can do for people.
And what can a guy who lived in a bathtub in Ancient Greece, and a she-wolf in Dante's Inferno, tell us about what we're up against when we try to part with our stuff -- and avoid accumulating more? Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas talks with professional organizer Kim Eagles, and Atlantic School of Theology prof David Deane.
Soil scientist David Burton tells Mainstreet producer Alex Mason why "soil is becoming sexy", what healthy soil can do and why it's important amid ongoing climate change. This is part two of their conversation.
David Burton, a professor in the Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University, tells Mainstreet producer Alex Mason how soil plays a key role in sequestering carbon and mitigating the impacts of climate change. This is part one of their conversation.
When we talk about climate change, we don't often talk in detail about the people in communities affected by rising tides or storm surges. But these are among things Patricia Manuel studies at Dalhousie University, as a professor in the School of Planning. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with her as part of Mainstreet's series this week on climate change.
Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Strang, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about what he wants Nova Scotians to keep in mind this long weekend, and why he wants more people wearing masks.
All week long, Mainstreet is airing conversations about climate change. Our oceans guy Boris Worm starts it off by speaking with host Jeff Douglas about the role the ocean plays in mitigating climate change.
Nova Scotia's former deputy chief medical officer of health, Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed speaks to Jeff about the complex framework that public health physicians work with in handling pandemics.
Jeff Douglas speaks to Carl Yates, the Interim Chief Executive Officer at AFNWA and Chief Wilbert Marshall, chair of its board of directors, about what the latest proposal from government means.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Lisa Barrett wants Public Health to reconsider a mandatory mask rule. We also ask Tim Caulfield at the University of Alberta what he makes of where we stand with our public health measures at this moment in the pandemic.
Université Sainte-Anne is about to enter its sixth week of a strike. Fourth year student Emily Fisher, and English professor Darryl Whetter talk about it's affects on faculty, students, and what this means moving forward.
Carol Anne MacKenzie, president of the Antigonish Highland Society, spoke with Mainstreet's Alex Guye about the history of Tartan Day and how it's being celebrated this year.
Dalhousie University professors, Archie Kaiser and Sheila Wildeman, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about their concerns that the bill is being rushed, and that the public is not being adequately consulted.
Gloria Johnson of Eskasoni spoke with host Jeff Douglas about her childhood in the 1950s, and how elders and Grand Council members helped her and her siblings avoid going to the Shubenacadie residential school.
While some Mi'kmaw leaders are pleased with Friday's apology from Pope Francis, some are waiting for more concrete action. Reporter Tom Ayers spoke with Stephen Augustine, a hereditary chief, and vice president of indigenous affairs at Cape Breton University and Jeff Douglas spoke with Trevor Gould, a local historian and a Curatorial Assistant at Mi’kmawey Debert for their reactions.
Jeff speaks with Brian Knockwood about the importance of wellness retreats to the mental health of community members in Sipekne'katik.
Infectious disease specialist and member of Nova Scotia's expert vaccine panel, Dr. Lisa Barrett tells Mainstreet Nova Scotia guest host Carolyn Ray about the state of COVID-19 ten days after the province listed most restrictions.
Artist and activist Reed "iZrEAL" Jones was part of the Word Iz Bond collective and has performed across Canada. One of his pieces is in the new collection "AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets." He spoke to Jeff about the importance of looking at things from a different perspective.
Last week we heard about the shortage of formal dresses in Halifax due to pandemic related supply chain issues. However, if it's a prom dress you need, there are places to turn. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with the founders of The Glass Slipper, an organization that collects and distributes prom dresses to students in financial need.
Gord Johns, an NDP member of parliament in British Columbia, has a private members bill before Parliament that would reshape the way Canada approaches illegal drug use. He was just in Nova Scotia meeting with community groups about this, and he spoke with Mainstreet producer Alex Mason.
Annika Voltan from Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia spoke with guest host Carolyn Ray about what she's hearing from non-profit groups as public health restrictions lift, but COVID continues to spread.
Many people who found themselves stuck at home a lot during the pandemic turned to jigsaw puzzles to keep themselves occupied. A Dartmouth business owner has found a way to turn the works of local artists into puzzles. The CBC's puzzling reporter Colleen Jones filled Jeff in on the details.
Robert Perkins has built a wetland on his land as a way of encouraging nature and in tribute to someone he loves. Mainstreet producer Emma Smith paid a visit to his property near Fall River, N.S. and was given a tour.
The ending of the state of emergency in Nova Scotia on Monday also meant an end to the province's ban on 'renovictions.' The CBC's Shaina Luck tells Jeff about the case of one woman in Dartmouth who is being told she either has to move out or agree to a much higher rent.
Iconic Canadian band Blue Rodeo plays at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax on Saturday. Jeff Douglas spoke to front man Greg Keelor who said his songs are inspired by his Nova Scotia roots.
A proposed new livestock bylaw in Liverpool is upsetting some residents who say they haven't been consulted. The bylaw imposes strict limits on how many chickens or sheep people can raise on their property. The CBC's Colleen Jones joined Jeff to talk about an issue that has lots of folk upset.
A two-day Reimagining Care Summit for Service Providers was held recently to address issues queer and BIPOC people experience when accessing care. Rae Paul and Calen Sack of the Youth Project in Halifax coordinated the summit and spoke to Jeff Douglas about what came out of it.
Two paintings being exhibited at a Halifax taproom by a local gallery were stolen in broad daylight and in full view of security cameras. As Adriana Afford, the owner of Argyle Fine Art tells Jeff Douglas, the cameras show a man calmly putting the paintings into a paper bag and walking out of the taproom.
Inna Viriasova, a faculty member at Acadia University, is trying to bring her sister and niece to Nova Scotia from Poland, where they've fled the war in their home country of Ukraine. But, as she tells host Jeff Douglas, the process is very complicated.
Samantha Dixon Slawter, owner of Styles by SD in Dartmouth and the co-founder of the Black Beauty Culture Association, spoke with Mainstreet's Emma Smith about a new workshop series she's facilitating for young Black Nova Scotians.
Kate Beaton made a name for herself in the comic world, creating web comics under the name "Hark! A Vagrant!" She spoke with guest host Carolyn Ray about the coming debut of "Pinecone & Pony" on Apple TV.
Joyce Liu is the founder of Off the Eaten Path and the creator of the Halifax Asian Food Festival. She hosted the inaugural festival one weekend last fall. She tells Mainstreet's Emma Smith that this year she is expanding the festival to a full week of food.
Brandon Boyd is a 24-year-old aspiring Halifax filmmaker who has autism spectrum disorder. Boyd recently made a short video calling on the film industry to better reflect the experiences of people with autism. He tells Jeff Douglas Hollywood has a long way to go when it comes to representation.
Amy Grace, a writer and creative producer in Nova Scotia, is fascinated by the creative process. She speaks to Jeff Douglas about how some people are learning to be creative without letting "hustle culture" make them lose sight of the important things in their lives.
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage says Meagher Park, known to some as People's Park, which is currently occupied by tents and makeshift structures will eventually be returned to the public once solutions are found for housing people living there.
Don Bowser is an anti-corruption expert with deep ties to Ukraine who is helping set up a supply chain from Poland into Ukraine. Speaking from an undisclosed location in eastern Poland, he tells Jeff Douglas that he's concerned about shortages of non-lethal military equipment.
Victoria Lavack, a spokesperson for P.A.D.S. Community Network tells Jeff Douglas that until appropriate permanent housing options are provided for people without homes there has to be a moratorium on evictions of people living in city parks.
Justin Cottreau's goal is to raise money and awareness for the people of Ukraine by hiking 511 kilometres this summer. Mainstreet's Alex Guye met with him to ask about his fundraising idea.
Nik Basset, the education and GSA coordinator at the Youth Project in Halifax, spoke with Mainstreet producer Alex Mason about efforts at elementary schools to set up more student-led groups that connect queer students with allies and resources.
Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard talks about her new book, "A Child of East Preston", and how growing up in that community shaped her life.
A small group of unhoused people have been living in tents at Meagher Park, also known as People's Park, in the west end of Halifax since last summer. People familiar with the situation are saying the city and province need to do more. Emily Keast, who lives nearby, tells Mainstreet's Emma Smith that residents also have many concerns.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on foreign nationals to travel to Ukraine to help defend against the Russian invasion. Now, a fourth generation Ukrainian-Canadian is prepared to leave Halifax to join the fight in his Great Grandmother's homeland. Dustin Rekunyk explains his decision, and why it was so easy to make.
Keonte Beals speaks to Jeff Douglas about the importance of mentorship in the Black community and how the mentors he has had over the years have changed his life.
Brian MacDonald, the executive director of Aman Lara speaks to Jeff Douglas about how volunteers from Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada are helping get Ukrainians caught in the conflict to safety.
Michelle Coffin, Chris Lydon and Barbara Emodi are back to look at how political leaders are chosen and how potential leaders pander to an influential minority within their party.
Lex Brukovskiy, a 38-year-old living in Meteghan, has decided to return to his native land in an effort to help his family and the growing number of refugees entering from Ukraine into Poland.
To mark this year's International Women's Day, Mainstreet celebrated the life and poetry of the late Maxine Tynes. We share some of her poetry, hear from people who knew her, and learn more about her legacy from Evelyn C. White, who wrote a piece about Tynes for a new Canadian collection called "AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets".
Tamara Cherry is a former crime reporter who published a peer-reviewed paper last year about trauma survivors and the media. Host Jeff Douglas asked her whether she thinks RCMP officers who responded to the mass shooting in April 2020 can testify about what happened while adhering to the Mass Casualty Commission's intention to take a 'trauma informed' approach at the inquiry.
Host Jeff Douglas shared feedback Mainstreet received from people who live near Meagher Park on Chebucto Road in Halifax.
Host Jeff Douglas checked in with Laura Patterson, a volunteer at what's known as the People's Park tent camp on Chebucto Road in Halifax. Police returned to the park as volunteers were erecting a screen tent on wooden pallets in place of a pantry that was previously taken down. Jeff also read statements from Halifax Regional Police, and Coun. Lindell Smith.
David Dean, an instructor with the Atlantic School of Theology, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the idea of selective sympathy. He recently posed this question on Twitter, in relation to the violence in Ukraine: "Do I care more because the society it's happening to (the shops, streets, the people) looks like mine?"
When you think of major military powers that have neighbours that they do not consider to be real countries, Russia and Ukraine likely come to mind. What about China and Taiwan? We ask defence analyst Ken Hansen if the situation there is comparable.
On the weekend, Halifax Regional Municipality released a statement about a structure removed from what's known as People's Park on Chebucto Road — citing safety reasons. Laura Patterson, a volunteer at the park, tells host Jeff Douglas about the conditions for residents living there, and what kind of help they need.
WARNING: This tape contains distressing details. The commission looking into the murders of 22 people in Nova Scotia laid out its theories this week about what happened in Portapique the night of April 18, 2020. The first clip in this compilation of evidence presented to the inquiry is of Roger Burrill, senior attorney for the Mass Casualty Commission, explaining what was learned from the children of Greg and Jamie Blair and Lisa McCully's children. In the second clip, Burrill walks through the eye witness accounts of a couple who encountered the gunman, and survived. The fourth and fifth clips focus on the first responders to the scene that night.
John McKiggan, the co-lead counsel in a proposed class action lawsuit on behalf of persons who have been waitlisted for the Disability Sup[port Programs and other social assistance. speaks with Jeff Douglas about that comes next.
Gail Prosper threw her back out earlier this month. After being taken to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital by ambulance, Prosper says she was left on a stretcher, in a hallway for hours, without being checked in, assessed, or given anything to make her comfortable. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Prosper, as well as Aaron Prosper and Madonna MacDonald from Nova Scotia Health.
Leah Creaser, a master's student and member of Acadia First Nation, developed and taught Mi'kmaq Traditional Knowledge Connections in Science at NSCC's nautical institute last fall.
Shahanz Hamo, who moved to Nova Scotia with her husband in 2016, has been trying for four years to bring her Syrian family to join her from Turkey where they fled to during the civil unrest in their homeland. She joined Linda Wieser and Kacy DeLong, two members of the South Shore Refugee Family Reunification group, to speak with Emma Smith about the experience on Zoom.
Marine ecologist Boris Worm speaks to Jeff Douglas about a study that said ocean heat content was at a record high in 2021 and what it means for ocean life and the planet.
Some 2.7 million viewers tuned in to see Team Canada tackle the U.S. in the women's hockey final a week ago. Halifax's Jill Saulnier spoke with host Jeff Douglas about what it was like to be part of that gold medal moment.
Stan Serebriakov of Halifax's Ukrainian community talks about what his family and friends have been going through back in Ukraine, and the impact of the statements made on Monday from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
CJ Blennerhassett, a Registered Midwife and President of the Association of Nova Scotia Midwives , tells guest host Preston Mulligan how provincial investment in more midwife positions could help alleviate long waitlists for prenatal care in the province.
Jodell Stundon, a photographer and a filmmaker, speaks to guest host Preston Mulligan about his documentary called Finding A Way Out, a very personal look at his own struggles with depression. The short documentary screens digitally as part of the Halifax Black Film Festival, which runs from February 24th to 27th.
Hadi Saifi, a Hazara Afghan man who moved to Halifax in 2021, is desperately trying to get his family to safety in Canada. Alex Guye of Mainstreet spoke to him recently about his efforts to raise funds to reunite his family..
Artist Lou Sheppard talks about his solo exhibition Phase Variations opening on Feb. 22 which shines a light on queer history.
The African Nova Scotian Music Association hosted an online event this call called Lift Every Voice for African Heritage Month. It included a video of Zamani performing a song she wrote in honour of civil rights hero Viola Desmond. The song was commissioned by the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.
Dr. Joanne Langley, a pediatric infectious disease physician at the IWK Health Centre, served for 10 years on the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization. She spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the province's gradual reopening plan.
As Nova Scotia deals with its first avian flu outbreak, guest host Preston Mulligan speaks with Lisa Bishop-Spencer of Chicken Farmers of Canada and Lori Ansems of Turkey Farmers of Nova Scotia for the latest developments.
A new study led by Shen Malloy of Dalhousie University underlines the importance of getting back to cutting out single-use plastic, which actually jumped 29 per cent during the pandemic. Mainstreet also hears from a local maple syrup farm owner, who says she's run into issues going green.
Guest host Preston Mulligan speaks with two women -- one who worries she is still a long way from getting breast reduction surgery, and another who successfully challenged provincial policy around the procedure but then found the policy change had not been taken to heart by some surgeons.
20-year-old Tanner Tolliver talks with guest host, Preston Mulligan on hockey in Nova Scotia, some of the racial barriers he's faced in the sport, and heading to play in the NCAA for Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.
Nova Scotians have been remembering the life of activist Wanda Robson this week, after she passed away at the age of 95 last weekend. She was the youngest sister of the late civil rights activist Viola Desmond. Freda Potter knew Wanda for over 30 years, and she shared a few memories about Wanda in a letter.
Robert Huish founded a course about activism, social justice and protest at Dalhousie University. He spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the point in which protests no longer become protests.
Trent joins guest host Preston Mulligan to talk about why he has the same feeling you'd get if your older brother moved out and you finally got his cooler bedroom.
Preston Mulligan hosts two conversations about ways symbols and references related to the Holocaust are being appropriated in protests over public health restrictions and mandates. The first features Jody Spiegel, director of the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program with the Azrieli Foundation, and Arik Drucker, president of the Atlantic Jewish Council. The second features Jody Spiegel and Jeremy Maron who is curator of Holocaust and Genocide Content at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
The Trafficking and Exploitation Services System has launched a new website aimed at service providers, educators, parents and caregivers, as well as survivors of human trafficking. Charlene Gagnon, manager of advocacy research and new initiatives at YWCA Halifax, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the new resource and why it's needed.
Nova Scotian Claude Chiasson thought something had smashed into his roof and exploded, but it turns out the sound came from underground. David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, explained the winter phenomenon of frost quakes to guest host Preston Mulligan.
Conservative MP Stephen Ellis from Cumberland-Colchester spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the protest that's stretched into its 12th day in downtown Ottawa.
Robin Metcalfe, a former director and curator of Saint Mary's University Art Gallery, is giving a talk on Feb. 14 called "Why People Hate Art." He spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about people's distaste and distrust of contemporary art, and how these expectations are shaped by commercial pop culture.
Dave Shipley, the CEO of Beauceron Security in Fredericton, spoke with the CBC's Mariam Mesbah about how social media bots are used to manipulate the way you see the world, in a targeted attack on our democratic institutions.
Nina Kent, the owner of Originative Products, is holding online workshops this week to teach women how to design and create moss bags, which are used to carry babies.
Kiersten Rajaraman prepared as much as she could for the birth of her first baby, and for the sleepless nights that would follow. But she never expected breastfeeding to be so hard. Now, she's turning that challenge into a way to give back to other families in Nova Scotia who are in need.
Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease specialist in Halifax, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about Nova Scotia's current hospitalization rates, and how we can begin to live with COVID-19 while also recognizing there's still a lot of uncertainty.
Truro's municipal deer hunt is helping researchers learn more about the species, including whether they've contracted COVID-19. Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark from Dalhousie University tells Mainstreet about what they’ve found so far.
When Paula Grant-Smith was growing up in Africville, her father worked as a porter, and he eventually became a conductor. She shares his story with guest host Preston Mulligan.
Junior Achievement Nova Scotia is launching their annual Company Program; a 15-week crash course in starting and running a business. It brings local entrepreneurs and high school students together to share skills and ideas... and organizers are hoping the program will be in-person this year for the first time since the pandemic.
Rob Batherson, the president of the Conservative Party of Canada, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the days and months ahead for the party after a majority of Conservative MPs voted to remove Erin O'Toole as leader.
People are remembering Dalhousie biology professor Jeff Hutchings as a principled advocate for science and as someone who was committed to sharing accessible scientific information to the public. He died on the weekend at age 63.
Guest host Preston Mulligan spoke with Gerald Gloade of the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre to learn more about Apuknajit.
Kyle DeYoung from the Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the plight of LGBTQ+ people in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Their experiences are part of a new report by the Human Rights Watch, which you can read here: https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/01/26/even-if-you-go-skies-well-find-you/lgbt-people-afghanistan-after-taliban-takeover
Nova Scotia’s African Heritage Month began this week, with the theme of "Through our Eyes: The Voices of African Nova Scotians." Designer Paul Adams Junior tells Mainstreet about how he brought this theme into the poster for this year, and how it feels to create something his community can take pride in.
N.S. truckers say they’re confident the millions in a crowdfunding account will be distributed amongst their colleagues or a veteran’s memorial fund. But Jessica Davis, a former CSIS analyst and current security consultant, says there are still many unknowns.
Melanee Thomas, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about some of the forces driving what organizers call the Freedom Convoy headed to Parliament Hill.
"Retro snowsuit rentals" are in full swing in North End Halifax. The shoulder pads, the hot pinks and blues... the full body zipper. CBC's Erin MacInnis catches up with the man behind the growing collection.
The Child Welfare Advocacy Coalition is calling on the Nova Scotia government to end the practice of effectively disqualifying parents whose children have temporarily been taken into government care from receiving child benefit payments.
Jennifer Sylliboy, a researcher with the Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources, spoke with guest host Preston Mulligan about the decline in the population of American eels and the cultural impact that's having on Mi'kmaw communities.
At the border between Ukraine and Russia, tensions have been escalating for the past few months. Many Ukrainian Canadians fear the situation may worsen, and they worry for family and friends. Hear Mainstreet's Alex Guye speaking with Anastasiia Mereshchuk, a member of the Ukrainian Congress of Canada's Nova Scotia chapter. She hasn't been able to visit family in Ukraine for more than three years.
A couple months ago, Mainstreet spoke with Halifax resident Katherine de Sousa about the reality of living on income assistance in Nova Scotia. de Sousa is back to talk about a crucial document she thinks everyone on assistance should read to help self-advocate — the Employment Support and Income Assistance program policy manual.
Cathy Akinkunmi, owner of Eunoia Lifestyle Shop in North End Halifax, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about why this wave of the pandemic has been particularly challenging and what she wants the government to do about it.
Lincoln Alexander, who was born 100 years ago Friday, was the first Black Canadian to sit in the House of Commons. Senators Donald Oliver and Wanda Thomas Bernard talk about his life, legacy, and sense of humour.
Mainstreet's oceans guy Boris Worm tells host Jeff Douglas about the discovery of 60-million icefish whose nests are occupying 240-square-kilometers of the ocean floor off Antarctica. And this is weird— they have clear blood.
Tara Slone, co-host of Rogers Hometown Hockey and Top of Her Game on Sportsnet, joined host Jeff Douglas to talk about some of the outstanding inequities in pro-women's hockey in Canada.
Nell Turner, a grade 11 student at Dartmouth High School, spoke with the CBC's Erin MacInnis about how her first day back to in-person classes went and how she's feeling about the semester ahead.
Health Canada just approved Paxlovid, a pill designed to help your immune system fight off COVID, relieve symptoms, and shorten the length of your illness. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dr. Lisa Barrett, who was part of the group charged with developing use recommendations for Paxlovid.
Halifax musician and producer Asif Illyas was hospitalized with COVID-19 last spring. He spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the harrowing ordeal and how music helped him get through it.
On Monday, the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners will hear from the group that's been tasked with looking into the issue of defunding the police. The Subcommittee to Define Defunding The Police released its final report on Friday. Committee chairperson El Jones, a well-known community activist and educator, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the report and its recommendations.
Dr. Afua Cooper, a Black studies professor at Dalhousie University, shares the history of broken promises and unbreakable spirits of nearly 1,200 Black Loyalists who sailed for Sierra Leone in January 1792.
1,200 Black Loyalists left Halifax Harbour on 15 ships headed for Sierra Leone 230 years ago this Saturday. We'll talk with a member of a vocal group in Sierra Leone about this shared history, and three Nova Scotian students about what they're learning from this history.
In this segment on the impacts of Omicron, we hear from Dr. Kirk Magee, a doctor who oversees emergency care at hospitals in the Metro area, two union leaders who represent people who work in long-term care, and Dr. Lisa Barrett, who talks about the "mild" characterization of this variant that's in danger of overwhelming Nova Scotia's hospitals.
Jan. 10 was the first day of remote learning for Nova Scotia students during the fourth wave of the pandemic. Host Jeff Douglas checked in with two parents to hear how Day 1 went. He also spoke with Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia's minister of education, to hear what her department is doing to make classrooms as safe as possible.
A new video series put together by Halifax Public Libraries is working to spread awareness about social issues that impact the African Nova Scotian community. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Rajean Willis, the host of the new series, Our Stories, Our Experiences.
Donna Buckland, the executive director and owner of Giant Steps Children's Centre, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how her centre is dealing with Omicron and what she's hearing from her counterparts across the country.
Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas spoke with Andrew just before the debut of his new CBC-TV show about suburban family life. You can also watch episodes on CBC Gem -- https://gem.cbc.ca/media/run-the-burbs/s01
We hear from two experts about finding the right masks for children, during a time when COVID-19 is running rampant and respirator masks are in short supply. First, you'll hear from Dr. Catherine Clase, a member of the Centre of Excellence in Protective Equipment and Materials at McMaster University, and then from Barry Hunt, the head of the Canadian Association of PPE Manufacturers.
What do you do when life gives you lemons? A lot, apparently. Laura Mulrooney, who owns a bakery in Chester, N.S., recently received thousands of lemons from a local grocery store after an ordering error. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Mulrooney about how she managed to distribute and use the lemons over the holidays.
A new CBC original comedy series based on Mark Critch's bestselling memoir details his first year of junior high and growing up with his father, 1980s radio personality Mike Critch. Host Jeff Douglas spoke to Mark, the host of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, about the new show and what it's like playing his own father. The program will premiere on CBC Television and CBC Gem on Tuesday, Jan. 4.
Mi'kmaw artist Alan Syliboy spoke with host Jeff Douglas about why he started posting Daily Drum photos on social media, and why he wants people to use the drums and not only see them as pieces of art.
Due to the sheer number of COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia, more and more responsibility is being transferred to individuals. So what do we need to know about how to take that up, and look after ourselves and those closest to us? Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease specialist and clinician at Dalhousie University, has some answers.
Robert Labradore, Buck Levesque and Lenley Melvin with Boreas Heritage Consulting spoke with host Jeff Douglas about how archeology has brought them closer together and closer to their Mi'kmaw culture.
Last year, Patricia MacNeil and her family started a campaign called Jammies for Grammies, which buys pajamas for folks in long-term care homes, for Christmas. She spoke with host Jeff Douglas about why she's giving back in the name of her daughter Alyssa.
Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease specialist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the changes to Nova Scotia's testing strategy and what people can do to keep themselves safe during the holidays.
Amy Paradis with Municipalité de Clare explains the idea behind the holiday video that was made by residents of Clare, and released last week on Facebook.
Nova Scotia has been reporting record COVID-19 case numbers this week, just ahead of the holidays. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, about the rising case numbers and what it means this holiday season.
As the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre is forced to shut down its shelter in Halifax, two board members reflect on the importance of Mi'kmaw community, hospitality and helping others. Hear Jeff Douglas's interview with Roger Lewis and Raymond Sewell.
Jayson Surette is from Acadia First Nation. He told Jeff Douglas some of what it means to be a Drum Keeper, and a bit about the origins of grass dancing, which is one of the oldest dances in Mi'kmaq culture
A new toy trend has hit the market this holiday season and its appeals to children's sense of treasure hunting. 'Blind box' toys are items that are usually packaged in opaque plastic or cardboard boxes, which means the toy is a mystery when purchased. As CBC's Erin MacInnis explains, kids can't get enough of these surprise toys.
On Monday, Mainstreet played a joke from Stewart Francis' stand-up on CBC's Laugh Out Loud. The joke was about a reaction Stewart got from his podiatrist, saying "either I have ugly feet or he has Tourette's syndrome." That punchline didn't land with two listeners. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Keira-Jill Gass-Lachance, a Grade 10 student at Citadel High, who lives with Tourette's syndrome, and their mother, Lisa Lachance, who is also the MLA for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island.
The Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre released a statement today saying they are restructuring their North Park Street Shelter "in light of program gaps", meaning it will officially close December 31st. We'll hear from MNFC's executive director on why this difficult decision was made, and from shelter staff who sent out their own statement saying there are other reasons for this closure.
There has been a history-making apology from the federal government to thousands of people whose lives have been scarred by sexual assault and discrimination within the military. Former navy sailor Emily Dean tells host Jeff Douglas about how her 2017 complaint was mishandled, and what she's thinking about the apology.
There was chaos on the roads around Dartmouth and parts of Halifax on Monday afternoon as Halifax Harbour Bridges shut down the MacKay Bridge to remove four lighting poles. Spokesperson Steve Proctor talks about why they had to move quickly to remove the poles.
Back in 1835, newspapers - including ones in Nova Scotia - spent a lot of time writing about a slave rebellion happening in Brazil. Bruno Veras talks about his work looking into these reports at NSCAD University’s new Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery.
Brian George Tweeted photos of himself blocked in by a snowy curb after the first major snowfall of the season. He's asking the city to "do better."
Jayden Porter of Petite Riviere, N.S. is selling homemade candles from her kitchen. All the proceeds go to families in her community who need a helping hand. She is now taking donations of old jars for the candles, which keeps them out of a landfill and her own costs down.
People returning to Canada from some countries are required to quarantine in hotels over concerns of the omicron variant. Military veteran Susan Harpelle of Cole Harbour tells host Jeff Douglas about how her test results have been delayed, and while she waits her medication is running low.
The December 6th Fund provides micro-loans of $500 to women leaving abusive situations, and this year the YWCA in Halifax have issued 104 loans to 54 participants. Executive director Miia Suokonautio talks about the impact these loans can have.
The leatherback turtle was once found in oceans all over the world, but in 2021 its population is rapidly declining. Kathleen Martin from the Canadian Sea Turtle Network speaks with host Jeff Douglas about the pressures these creatures are facing, and how to help them.
Morgan Toney of Wagmatcook First Nation brings his fiddle and voice to join Jeff Douglas for another Mainstreet Backseat Traffic Jam. The Mi’kmaw musician talks about how his song ‘Aqantuk’ came about after news of the remains of Indigenous children were found at former residential schools across Canada.
Indigenous communities are one that has been disproportionately affected by birth alerts. But now that Nova Scotia has finally ended the practice, what does this mean to communities and how will they begin to move forward? Karen Bernard, director of the Jane Paul Indigenous Resource Centre tells more about the work she does for First Nations women in Sydney, and what the banning of birth alerts means to her.
Some people who run farmers markets are not happy with how much they have to pay for their Nova Scotia Power bills and it's gotten to the point that some are saying they'll have to shut their doors. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Justin Cantafio, the executive director of the Farmers' Markets of Nova Scotia, to get some clarity on the situation.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia has launched a new podcast that features Black artists talking about their work. "Unfinished Work Podcast: Blk Scotian, Blk Art" is hosted by three interdisciplinary African Nova Scotian artists: Kate Macdonald, l'thandi Munro and Kordeena Clayton. They're exploring themes of healing, practice and representation and inviting other Black artists into those conversations along the way.
On Friday, Halifax announced a plan to set up enough modular housing in the Centennial Pool Parking lot for 38 people. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Jeff Karabanow, a housing advocate, about the nine new modular units and got his thoughts about their location.
On Thursday, members of the African Nova Scotian community released a statement calling on Premier Tim Houston to include more Black representation in cabinet and health-care leadership. To understand the weight of the voice behind these calls, host Jeff Douglas spoke with Carolann Wright, the spokesperson for the group, Black Family Meeting.
Riley Nielson-Baker, a master's student at Dalhousie University studying political science, and Dylan Thompson, a gender-affirming care advocate and transfeminist, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about why they've created a new gender-affirming care policy they hope Nova Scotia will adopt.
Putting test kits together has become a critical job during the COVID-19 pandemic and it wouldn't be possible without the many volunteers. On Tuesday, host Jeff Douglas and Halifax musician Jenn Grant visited the volunteers in Burnside to help build home test kits, and to learn more about the essential work they do each day.
Don Oliver grew up in Wolfville, N.S., in the only Black family in town at the time. He went on to become a lawyer, a national vice-president of the Progressive Conservative Party and the first Black man to serve in the Canadian Senate. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Oliver about his new autobiography, A Matter of Equality.
There are an estimated 8,000 people in Canada living with HIV, but they don't even know it. That's why scientists and advocates are working to end HIV in Canada by introducing more testing and better access to resources. On World AIDS Day, host Jeff Douglas spoke with Dr. Sean Rourke, a scientist with the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and Dave Miller, the Atlantic HIV Stigma Index co-ordinator for REACH Nexus, about their efforts.
A new production put on by the Dalhousie Arts Centre has reimagined the childhood classic Peter & the Wolf to tell the Mi'kmaw story of the Wolverine & the Birds, or Ki’kwa’ju. Host Jeff Douglas and Mainstreet's Alex Guye met with the actors, musicians and directors involved to hear how the theatre production will unfold.
Bob Gloade, chief of Millbrook First Nation, spoke with host Jeff Douglas about a campaign by the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs to dispel some of the common misconceptions around the Indigenous tax exemption.
Suzy MacLean from Woozles children's bookstore and Mike Hamm from The Bookmark have a few ideas on the shelf for your holiday shopping list!
A new program put together by Prescott Group in Halifax is helping Nova Scotians with intellectual and developmental disabilities find and discuss career opportunities, while also getting support from others. Earlier this month, host Jeff Douglas had the chance to visit one of the meetings and speak with the Job Links program co-ordinators and some of the participants.
Cory Matheson (Gaelic name Coraidh MacMhathain) has gained a TikTok following sharing how Celtic languages like Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh have influenced today's words and questions. He speaks with host Jeff Douglas about taking pride in that history.
Mainstreet continues its conversations with scholars at Halifax's Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery at NSCAD University. Tonya Paris, aka Sam'Gwan the artist, joins us to talk about her work 'Freedom is No Game' representing Indigenous and African peoples on a chessboard.
Mi'kmaw filmmaker Catherine Martin has been named the 2021 Portia White winner, and named Catherine Gloade of Millbrook First Nation as her protégé which carries a $7,000 award. They join host Jeff Douglas to talk about preserving the legacy of Gloade's late mother, residential school survivor and activist Nora Bernard.
Halifax's new Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery at NSCAD welcomed its first group of scholars this fall. Mainstreet catches up with fashion curator, Jason Cyrus, to talk about style as armour among Black Canadians.
Woody's return is all thanks to Mohammed Issa's team at Eureka Technologies in Lower Sackville. Issa shares the details of how they brought back such a popular tree - and even Jimmy Fallon has taken notice.
Holodomor is a Ukrainian word meaning starvation by hunger. The tragedy happened in 1932-33 when several million Ukrainians died during a famine engineered by Joseph Stalin. Lyubov Zhyznomirska tells Mainstreet about plans to mark the event this Saturday, including a documentary screening and candlelight vigil.
Rick Mercer always managed to draw a line between his public face, and his private life but during the pandemic, he sat down and wrote a memoir. It's called "Talking to Canadians" and he spoke with host Jeff Douglas about it.
Nigeria-born Halifax writer Francesca Ekwuyasi has won Creative Nova Scotia's 2021 Emerging Artist Recognition award for her debut novel, Butter Honey Pig Bread. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Ekwuyasi about the award and what it means to her.
Msit No'Kmaq is a book that draws together stories from dozens of young Indigenous people who sailed on a tall ship from Halifax to France back in 2017. The collection will officially launch on Tuesday at Mount Saint Vincent University. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Brennan Googoo, who lives in Millbrook First Nation, and was on the voyage, and Shane Theunissen, an associate professor at MSVU, who co-edited the book.
Tamsin Michael Robson is holding an ecumenical service tomorrow at St. Andrew's United church to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance. Robson tells Mainstreet's Jeff Douglas about why they are putting this event on and what attendees will experience.
Zonghua Ai is a master's student at Dalhousie University who's particularly interested in the plants and mushrooms that can be found right outside her classroom door. Last fall, Ai began documenting all of the mushrooms she could find on campus—and posting about them on Instagram.
Jennifer Lane, a PhD candidate at Dalhousie University, tells host Jeff Douglas about her work researching how LGBTQ people are stigmatized in the healthcare system. Lane says improving education and empathy within doctors’ offices and hospitals for LGBTQ patients means everyone benefits.
We recently heard an impassioned plea from a Halifax resident about how difficult it is to eat well on social assistance. Katherine de Sousa spent a whole day reaching out to members of the Nova Scotia legislature after seeing a cry for help from a friend on social media.
The New Horizons Baptist Church says a major renovation project has run over deadline, and racked up huge costs that the congregation is struggling to cover.
There's a lot of talk right now about the effects of climate change and the challenges involved in mitigation, but new research from the Global Carbon Project comes to some surprising conclusions about the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Mainstreet's oceans guy Boris Worm spoke with host Jeff Douglas about the new findings.
Brent Ward is also the Co-Director at The Centre for Natural Hazards Research. Hear the conversation about what all these disasters mean in relation to climate change and whether there's a correlation.
Students in Grades 7-12 at the school in Caledonia took part in a land-based learning exploratory day. The Mainstreet's Alex Guye was there.
Bernie Francis, a linguist and Mi'kmaw elder, spoke with Mainstreet's producer Alex Mason about how time is cyclical in the Mi'kmaw language and culture.
Content creator Willow Raven tells host Jeff Douglas about giving up her day job for a career online. She uses platforms such as OnlyFans, which allow adult performers to create content that their fans can view for a monthly subscription.
A new project is seeking to understand the experiences of young Mi'kmaw, Maliseet and Wolastoqey men and how they feel about their sexual health. It's part of research being done by the non-profit group Healing Our Nations, the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre and Dalhousie University. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Matt Numer, who runs the Sexual Health and Gender Lab at Dalhousie University, and Dave Miller, a community health educator with Healing Our Nations.