Joan Baxter
@joanbaxter
Author, independent investigative journalist, member ICIJ global network - environment, climate, and corporate capture my obsessions - allergic to hypocrisy, propaganda and greenwashing grifters. Still writing after all these years. Opinions my own.
The OPEC oil crisis in the 1970s led governments to reduce speed limits to reduce fuel consumption, and automakers to dramatically reduce the size of the cars on the road. Sure would be nice to see govts in North America doing the same now, and automakers shrinking the bloated pickups and SUVs.
Visitors to Nova Scotia who fly in to the Halifax Airport are now greeted by a big question mark where the tourism booth and tourism greeters in tartan once welcomed them. Now, they get this great big question mark. Welcome to Tim Houston’s Nova Scotia?
Premier Tim Houston was drowned out by boos at the African Nova Scotian gala last night, after he slashed crucial arts, education, minorities, heritage, environment & climate programs. But the right wing, corporate-funded Fraser Institute likes him & failing to read the room, he’s bragging about it.
Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy beat Pierre Poilievre in the 2025 federal election. When the Liberal Party looked dead in the water, long before Carney, Fanjoy was wearing out his shoes knocking on doors to defeat PP. PM Carney should listen carefully when Fanjoy speaks. And Fanjoy is speaking now:
Wonder which “enemy” NS Premier Tim Houston wants to “Defend Nova Scotia” from now? Next stage, a NS Department of War?
Sipekne’katik First Nation has issued a press release saying Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, Attorney and Justice Minister General Scott Armstrong, and L’nu Affairs Minister Leah Martin are “banned as undesirables” from Sipekne’katik lands. The fine for trespassing is $50,000.
Mi’kmaw land protectors on Hunter’s Mountain in Cape Breton, Unama’ki, are determined to stop clearcutting & destruction of moose habitat on unceded Mi’kmaw lands. They say they’re not moving, even tho N.S. Premier Tim Houston’s govt has passed a law to criminalize such encampments on Crown land.
Nova Scotia - a province known for endless rainy days & many bountiful rivers & lakes - is into its 4th month of extreme drought. This is the French River, that provides Tatamagouche with water (or not). Climate crisis kicking in. But: let’s frack and clearcut anyway, says NS Premier Tim Houston.
Two weeks in Vancouver, the city of superb public transit and bike lanes, and I dream of this for the rest of the country.
On Main Street, in Vancouver, for a few hours this past weekend, pedestrians ruled. It was a joyous community party and great for local businesses too.
Guesses of what this natural beauty is and where it is are most welcome. Mother Nature is the best artist of all. Bar none.
This is what rivers in Nova Scotia look like today. This is climate change. But NS Premier Houston didn’t mention climate change when he announced the wildfire risks and bans on forest access (except, of course, for industrial forestry operators and miners) because of “dry conditions?”
In Nova Scotia, we don’t have licence plates on the fronts of our vehicles (money saving gambit by the provincial govt?), which makes it impossible to identify a vehicle from the front. More and more, it seems we don’t even need ‘em on the rear. What Freedom!!! NS - Canada’s Dump Truck Playground!
Now isn’t this cozy and cuddly: Nova Scotia’s environment minister Halman getting lessons at the Mining Association of NS (aka MANS, appropriately) meeting, the day before Halman announces new permitting processes for metal mining. Seems MANS is now governing NS, Premier Houston’s ventriloquist.
This little old pickup looks lean and small compared to the bloated SUV of today.
The Now-Great-Again United States of America will stop “ideas” from crossing the U.S. border illegally. Trying to picture the ICE brain surgeons brandishing scalpels to remove thought crimes at border crossings. Sounds messy. And bloody.
An unequivocal, powerful message to N.S. Premier Tim Houston from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, who inform him they remain opposed to fracking and “will not see it happen on our unceded and traditional territory.” Houston, you have a big problem with your plans to frack this province.
Trent Vichie, owner of EverWind Fuels that is busy collecting subsidies & big bucks from the Canadian public - $200 million and counting - for “green” hydrogen in Atlantic Canada, donated to Donald Trump last June. It wasn’t much but it tells us where his loyalties lie. (Open Secrets is great.) 🧵