Since we’ve been talking about seniors’ pharmacare, perhaps it’s time to change the modifier and resume a longstanding conversation about national pharmacare. Canada is the only industrialized country in the world that boasts a universal health care program but offers no parallel national scheme so those who need prescription medications can actually get them. The […]
Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
- 02/08/2016
- StephenKimber
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
On Jan. 15, Nova Scotia’s Health and Wellness department — Leo Glavine, proprietor — issued a gauzy, feel-fine press release headlined, “Lower Seniors’ Pharmacare Co-pays Begin April 1.” You had to carefully parse, syllable by syllable, its disingenuous first sentence — “Changes to the Seniors’ Pharmacare program mean Nova Scotians enrolled in the program will soon […]
- 02/01/2016
- StephenKimber
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
“The math is simple,” explained the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a Jan. 8 editorial about the state of that state’s film tax credit. Pennsylvania is currently in the middle of a messy budget kerfuffle. The big picture is beyond the scope of this column. But it’s worth noting that when Gov. Tom Wolf approved an emergency […]
- 01/25/2016
- StephenKimber
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
“Downhill fast.” The caption over Wednesday’s Chronicle Herald front-page photo — of skateboarders zipping down Citadel Hill — said it all. So too did the management-mandated absence of a photo credit (by Tim Krochak). The Herald, which bills itself as Canada’s largest independent newspaper, is hurtling downhill ever-faster toward its own oblivion. And that’s bad […]
- 01/18/2016
- StephenKimber
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
On Tuesday, Halifax Council will — once again — ponder the question: how many firefighters does it take to make our city safe? What kind, and in what combinations? Permanent? Volunteer? Where should firefighters and their equipment be located? And — perhaps most important — how much are we willing to pay? The answers matter […]
- 01/11/2016
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies — a.k.a the Atlantic Institute to Comfort Its Affluent Corporate Sponsors While Afflicting the Rest of Us With Neoconservative Nonsense — offers fawning support for Premier Stephen McNeil’s “fiscally responsible” decision to pre-emptively eliminate bargaining rights for 75,000 provincial public sector workers. And praises McNeil’s “important” step to wipe […]
Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
Premier Stephen McNeil says Nova Scotia’s 75,000 public sector workers are welcome to bargain collectively — so long as they don’t expect to negotiate wages. The government has determined those. Working conditions? Sure. Negotiate away, but not as part of any collective bargaining process. And since they won’t be part of the contract, don’t expect the […]
- 12/21/2015
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
An innovative anti-cyberbullying law that seemed to its framers like justice in the heat of an emotional moment has turned out to be a “colossal failure.” It not only couldn’t stand the test of a Charter challenge but must also, immediately, be struck from the law books. That’s the problem with creating legislation in the […]
- 12/14/2015
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
Last week, Nova Scotia’s 9,000 teachers decisively rejected a tentative contract with the provincial government. With their vote, the teachers instantly scuppered Stephen McNeil’s carefully crafted strategy to bring public sector unions to heel before introducing a see-we-did-it balanced budget in advance of the next provincial election. McNeil had begun strategically with the teachers, traditionally […]
- 12/07/2015
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Stephen Kimber’s freelance journalism appears in local, regional, national and international publications.
Quick now, who was Gavin Rainnie? Rainnie Drive? Doesn’t tinkle any bells yet? How about that short street that skirts the northern base of Citadel Hill from the new Halifax Common roundabout at North Park and Cogswell to the corner of Brunswick and Duke, the one thousands of us pass through daily on our way […]
- 11/30/2015
- StephenKimber
- 2 Comments
STEPHEN KIMBER, a Professor of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax and co-founder of its MFA in Creative Nonfiction Program, is an award-winning writer, editor and broadcaster. He is the author of two novels and eight non-fiction books. Buy his books
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