I am a white settler woman living and working in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq People. I hold privilege based on my race, education, and professional background, and I name that here intentionally. The following are not my calls to make — but they are absolutely my responsibility to raise. After … Read more
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about government accountability — specifically, about what happens when “emergency spending” becomes business as usual. The PC government in Nova Scotia has been defending its use of additional appropriations—money spent outside the regular budget process. Their argument? Government needs flexibility to respond when emergencies or opportunities arise. And you … Read more
When Our Institutions Bypass the Communities They’re Meant to Serve Nova Scotia’s $30 million hydraulic fracturing research agreement between Dalhousie University and the Houston government has sparked serious concerns from experts who led the province’s 2014 Nova Scotia fracking review. This isn’t just about energy policy—it’s about Indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice, community consent, and whether … Read more
To: Premier Tim Houston, Minister of Finance John Lohr, and Members of the Legislative Assembly From: Trish McCourt, RSW Former Executive Director, Social Worker, Non-Profit Consultant, Arts Volunteer Date: March 5, 2026 I have wrestled with whether to speak publicly about the 2026-27 provincial budget tabled on February 24th. Having just left my role as … Read more
We don’t talk enough about the hard things. There are fractures in life that don’t make a sound when they happen. They start as small hairline cracks and then they grow. Sometimes you think you can repair them. Sometimes you try harder, or longer, than you should. And sometimes, despite everything, the break becomes permanent. … Read more
We don’t often think of our legacy until we’ve experienced profound loss. My first experience with loss was when my maternal grandmother died at 59. I was 11. We were a transient (federal police force) family. We had just moved from north west Canada back to south east Canada after 7 years away. We had … Read more