Winter Parking Ban Notifications

 Winter Parking Ban Notifications

     So it is that time of year yet again that we the people will most likely end up with unwanted presents on our windows when we come out of work or the house during the day or night. The winter parking ban in HRM will be enforced between the hours of 1 a.m. & 6 a.m. during any and all declared snow/ice events as of December 15, 2014 up to and including March 31, 2015.

     We can all stay well informed & plan ahead by & or subscribing to HRM's CityWatch notification system or listening to the radio or reading the newspapers or by following @hfxgov on twitter. All you have to do is register at this link HRM Winterized site they will do their best to send out timely updates by phone, email, and/or text message to you about the possible status of the overnight winter parking ban('s) within HRM. You can provide up to 2 phone numbers and up to 2 email addresses, or a combination of both when registering online.

*NOTE: The registration pages are currently not compatible with CHROME web browsers (Also not currently optimized for use with Smartphones.) please use Internet Explorer or FireFox 

     Now it is best that if you even have a doubt about the weather during the night your best bet is to secure off-street parking during the winter months as a precaution (Better safe than sorry).

     If you have questions about the municipal overnight winter parking ban and or have an issue with submitting your information online, you can call 311 or email contact@halifax.ca to get further information and or clarification on this all.

     It is recommended that you do not rely solely on the CityWatch notifications for parking ban information due to delivery issues via the internet and or phone notification's. You can also check out their website and or their Twitter feed at @hfxgov or by calling 311.

     If you had signed up for this service last year this service has not stopped it simply hibernated during the non-winter season and is now back up and running for you already. If any of the information you entered last year has changed it is recommended to go back online again and update the information.

Note: the use and collection of the information that you provide online is listed below.

In accordance with Section 485 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), the personal information collected on this form will only be used by CityWatch for the identified mass notification purpose, for the purpose of clarifying the information submitted, for providing updates or seeking further information on this same subject. If you have any questions about the collection and use of this information, please contact HRM’s Access and Privacy Office at 1-902-490-4390 or accessandprivacy@halifax.ca.

The CityWatch notification system is effective and efficient, but you should not rely on it exclusively for updates. This system supplements, rather than replaces, other communication methods used to broadcast winter parking ban information, including HRM Public Service Announcements, websites and social media channels. CityWatch notifications are dependent upon external providers such as your wireless carrier or email delivery service. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) cannot guarantee that notifications will be received by the intended recipient. Service costs from your carrier are your responsibility.

     I honestly hope and pray that this helps everyone in avoiding a parking ticket this year, but will be pleased if it only helps a handful of people instead. For every dollar we do not give to the government is a dollar that we get to keep in our pockets for something more important.

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Persistent persistence

So I have been searching and searching for some time and I have finally found the regulations that are supposed to be followed when anyone is pumping gas at a gas Station, this information was definitely not easy to find, but in this case persistence paid off. Weeeeehhhoooooo.

The information I am stating is a summary of the copy and paste that I did below from on the online site with the link to the direct information for verification.

So with the information I have found I have been able to confirm (for Nova Scotia and possibly for all of the Maritimes but can not confirm) it is illegal for any employee to allow you to dispense fuel while your vehicle is still in operation (defined as the engine is still in operation and not shut off). You also can not smoke within 7.5M of any pump and the same for boosting a vehicle with a defective battery and or starter system.

Now alot of people get upset over the fact of boosting their vehicle or having to shut their vehicle off while pumping the fuel, but moat people do not realize that if the employee that is working allows you to do any of those items and a inspector comes in to the station and sees this happening there will be a fine issued not only to the employee but also to the person that is performing this violation, now I have not been able to get a concrete answer as to what the fine is for either parties but it has been confirmed when presented to police officers as well as the local fire marshal.

Now I have as most of you have also noticed that there are some gas stations around that have Sighe up also indicating that the use of cellular devices while pumping gas can not be used, nowhere in any of the information I have found online or by verbal inquiry have confirmed that it is illegal for people to use their cellphones, so why is it that these gas stations have these signs up and enforce this rule when it is not currently on the books for enforcement?.

made under Section 84 of the Environment Act 
S.N.S. 1994-95, c. 1 O.I.C. 96-57 (January 31, 1996), N.S. Reg. 21/96 as amended up to O.I.C. 2000-200 (April 19, 2000, effective June 15, 2000), N.S. Reg. 62/2000

Restrictions on activities near dispensing units 
13 (1) No person shall smoke within 7.5 m of a motive fuel dispensing unit where motive fuel is being dispensed.

(2) No person shall operate the engine or motor of a vehicle into which motive fuel is being dispensed.

(3) No person shall use jumper cables for the purpose of starting a vehicle, within 7.5 m of a motive fuel dispensing unit.

(4) No person shall dispense motive fuel

(a) into the tank of a vehicle while the engine or motor of the vehicle is in operation;

(b) while a person is smoking within 7.5 m of a motive fuel dispensing unit where motive fuel is being dispensed; or

(c) while a person is using jumper cables for the purpose of starting a vehicle, within 7.5 m of a motive fuel dispensing unit.

(5) The approval holder at an outlet or place at which motive fuel is stored shall post in a conspicuous place on or near the pumps or place from which motive fuel is dispensed a no smoking symbol and post a sign warning that smoking, jump-starting a motor vehicle or operating a motor vehicle while motive fuel is being dispensed, is prohibited.

(6) Nothing in this Section prohibits the operation of a vehicle if the operation of the motor or engine is required for the delivery of motive fuel.

Effective date 
17 These regulations come into effect on, from and after February 1, 1996.

[*Effective January 22, 2013, the Emergency Spill Regulations, N.S. Reg. 59/95, are replaced by theEnvironmental Emergency Regulations, N.S. Reg. 16/2013.]

also the contact email which I have sent off a email to and will update this blog once I get a reply is regofregs@gov.ns.ca

This information came from this link:. http://www.novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/envmfuel.htm

Attempted murder anyone

So as I am sure that everyone is aware there have been several incidents this year and last year of people being hit in crosswalks for 1 reason or another.

Now I am not gonna say that the fault lies with the driver of the vehicle or the pedestrian, but rather it is a 50/50 fault to start with.

Now I have done 2 other short blogs about each side of the situation from both perspectives.

I know from personal experience that alot of drivers are not paying attention when they are driving. I personally always stay on the sidewalk till all the traffic on both sides of the road have come to a stop and make sure that the driver('s) see me.

With that being said there are still times that while I am starting to cross the road another vehicle will try and pass the stopped cars and come very close to hitting me. I have also seen this happen other times to other people as well and of course I never have a recording device out to capture the incident

Now at the same time I have also waited on the side of the road at a marked crosswalk to cross the road and numerous cars do not slow down or even stop for me to cross the road.

Now what prompted me to do this blog/rant was this tweet that was sent out today from Haligonia.

@haligonia: Driver ticketed after pedestrian hit on Oxford & Coburg http://t.co/YgXpk8s7Iq
m.twitter.com/haligonia

A 31-year-old man was issued a summary offence ticket under section 125(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. This ticket carries a fine of $693.95 and four points on a driver’s license upon conviction.

I ask what is the point of issuing a "summary offence ticket under section 125(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk." when this obvious effect on anyone for the fact that this is happening more and more.

The offence should also come with a criminal charge as well for either attempted murder (if the person does not die) or murder (if the person does die) "or the possibly of a lesser charge of attempted manslaughter and or manslaughter itself; now this is if the driver of the vehicle is found guilty of course.

Now if the pedestrian is guilty of causing the incident then they should be criminally charged as well because they are just as liable as the driver is if they caused it, however I have not been able to get any specifics as to what they can be charged with, if you know please comment and let me know.

To wrap this up I do believe that this would be the only wake up call that could be made so people start to take this issue on a more serious note.

Vehicles and crosswalks

     So I have been doing some light research lately on Crosswalks so I thought I would also look up the information on what would happen if the pedestrian was in the wrong with crossing the street like I did for for a driver of a vehicle was in the wrong, so here we go.

     The information I have found is from the "Summary Offence Ticket Booklet" I got online from the DMV which was current as of the date I downloaded it and last updated as of effective September 1, 2012.

     All the fines are the same despite the section and or subsection that is violated for this situation.
1st offence - $399.91
2nd offence - $687.41
3rd/Subsequent offence - $1262.41

     If a pedestrian moves into the path of a vehicle while in motion and it is impractical for that vehicle to come to a safe complete stop the pedestrian is then in violation of section 125 subsection (3) of the Motor Vehicle Act.

     If a pedestrian leaves the curb or any other place of safety to cross a roadway when the pedestrian-activated beacon is not activated for the pedestrian to cross the road then the pedestrian is in violation of section 125 subsection (4) of the Motor Vehicle Act.

     If a pedestrian cross's the road outside of marked crosswalk zone and fails to yield right of way to the on coming traffic, then the pedestrian is in violation of section 125 subsection (5) of the Motor Vehicle Act.

     Now the question I pose is this. How does a driver prove that the pedestrian did not stop while he/she was driving down the road?. Is the driver able to video record the incident (where as most people now have wireless devices that can record high quality video and sound on them at almost all times; For example having the wireless device mounted on a dash mounted phone holder recording everything that is happening from the front windshield out)? If so who would they then take it to to report the incident; and would the would be offender be charged for the offense?.

     Leave a comment below and let me know what you think and or know.

Youth who are a minimum of 16 years old are considered adults when charged with offences under the Motor Vehicle Act or the Motor Vehicle Inspection Regulations.

Where was that audible sound from

     While I was researching License plates and crosswalk rules, I came across something interesting. it is Section 114 subsection A which is listed as Failing to give audible signal before passing.

     What is defined as an audible signal when driving a vehicle?. Are you supposed to honk your horn at the vehicle in which you wish to pass. If so how many honks are you supposed to do before you do pass them?.

     Also if you are supposed to honk your horn at them could that not cause more harm than good! By doing that you could startle the other driver and thus be the cause of an accident.

     This is definitely 1 Motor Vehicle Act that I would love to have posed to an officer and or traffic division judge for clarification on.

     Leave a comment below and let me know what you think and or know.

     Failing to give audible signal before passing Section 114 subsection A Out of Court Settlement which has the out of court fines of 1st offence - $284.91, 2nd offence - $457.41, 3rd/Subsequent offence - $802.41

License Plates

     So I have been doing some light research lately on license plates. The information I have found is from the "Summary Offence Ticket Booklet" I got online from the DMV which was current as of the date I downloaded it and last updated as of effective September 1, 2012.

     So I have found that not completely clearing your license plate of snow or anything else that is concealing it or partially concealing it is a chargeable offense by the police or thereof of the DMV  if viewed while the vehicle is in operation.

     This is pursuant to Section 20 subsection 2 of the "Motor Vehicle Act" within Nova Scotia. The first offence will cost you $227.41, the second offence will then cost you $342.41 and the final and subsequent offence will then cost you $572.41.

     Now these fines are the out of court cost. If you do take this to court to try and fight the charge, the charge will then increase.

     So why is it that more people do not clear their license plates off and or why is it that the proper authorities are not enforcing this requirement? Is it due to not knowing this requirement for the average driver or is it a low priority for the proper authorities in which to enforce this law!.

Youth who are a minimum of 16 years old are considered adults when charged with offences under the Motor Vehicle Act or the Motor Vehicle Inspection Regulations.

Handicap spots and idiot's

    So this has been on my mind for some time and finally I have time in which to put this down for all to read. I work in a customer service business in which me and all other employee's have access to view the entire parking lot at all times of the day and night. As all business's have we have parking spots for customer's and employee's to use. Of which there is about 8 or 9 spots total; 1 of those spots is designated for handicap people with proper documentation in and or on their vehicle to use.

    Now with this when we all go for our driving exam and or test we are all told and taught not to park in the handicap spot('s) ("unless otherwise permitted to do so") out of courtesy and requirement by the law. However it appears that this day and age no one cares about what is right and or wrong any more in regards to this and other matters.

    So why is it that people still park in the handicap spots and feel they have the right to do so?. I see soo many people do this it is ridiculous and when it is pointed out to them they get upset that you noticed and said something to them.

    Case in point. I was working a shift starting from 3pm and ending at 11pm 1 winter night. During that time there was about 10 vehicles parking in that spot. Surprisingly all but 1 took it nicely when I told them they were parked in a handicap spot and 1 even moved their vehicle and came back in and finished their transaction. However 1 person took severe offense to it and even said that there were no markings showing the spot as such. Now granted it had been snowing all day and all night. However I also had been spending my entire shift clearing the parking spots of snow and ice. I indicated to this person that had he been paying attention he would of seen the Handicap spot painting that is under his truck, I even pointed it out to him and said also he will be able to see it when he backs his vehicle up. I am starting to think that maybe just maybe all handicap spots may have to start looking like this.

Pay attention and you shall see this.

This is the evolution of handicap spots if we don't do something quickly.

    So I did some researching on what it would cost if a police officer was to see this and issue a ticket for parking in a handicap spot, the information is below with links to the source of the information as well.

    Now the same thing goes as well for "Fire Lanes". There are numerous people that will also park in a fire lane and feel justified about doing it as well. Are we as a society becoming so ignorant to the rules set forth that we no longer care either?. Information and source link also for this fine is listed below as well.

    Now case in point on June 02, 2013 in reference to the rules and regulations I was making a left hand turn from one road to another that also has a cross walk on it, now when there is someone in the crosswalk they have the right away until they are clear of the road entirely. So naturally I stopped and was awaiting this person to finish crossing the street before I continue on. However the person behind me did not like this and went around me and came within 1 meter of hitting the person crossing the street legally. Luckily I was able to get a shot of the plate and sent it to the police, now if anything came of that I do not know.

This car just went around me when I was stopped for someone in a crosswalk on Victoria rd.

    Here is a great Blog for some additional stats and info on crosswalks and other crosswalk data as well done by John McKiggan.

    I have even got to the point now of having a video camera with me every day just in case in see any infractions like this again so that they can be reported and action taken on the person that is putting other people in jeopardy.

    There was also a recent Article from Global News about an App called “SpotSquad” which would unleash a lot of parking bounty hunters. Currently they say it violates our rights because everyone is entitled to their privacy, however if you are breaking the law what right do you have to privacy, If I can see it why cant anyone else? The police can already issue a ticket if they see you breaking the law, so why can they not act on it if you report it to them and then they confirm it. Your privacy is inside your vehicle not the outside of it in public. To date it is still being debated and I say go for it, bring it out for the people to use, in the end we would have less violators doing the things that should not be done.

    A fire lane is a marked lane in a parking lot that is near a structure. Parking is prohibited in fire lanes to ensure the access of safety equipment to the structure in the event of an emergency. Fire lanes are defined as passageways or access roads that allow fire apparatuses to pass through. They are not intended for normal vehicle traffic. There are certain requirements that must be met when designing a fire lane. Because fire trucks and other apparatuses are so large, there must be certain accommodations made for them. Though these can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, they are generally similar. Fire Lanes also provide clear space for egress from a burning building and should therefore be wider for larger occupancy buildings.

Source Info: http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/sots/NSSOTbooklet.pdf

My name is Wilcre and you can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/

Finally banned peewee bodychecking starting next season for Hockey Nova Scotia.

Finally banned peewee body checking starting next season for Hockey Nova Scotia.

     So the board of Hockey Nova Scotia has finally voted today March 12, 2013 to make it illegal to body check anyone for PeeWee players and some Bantam/Midget leagues (11 - 12 year old players) as well. These changes take effect as of this September 2013 for the start of the new hockey season.

     So why has it taken soo long for them to do this?. There is plenty of proof through out the ages to prove that body checking is used as a form of gangsterism in hockey. Look at Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, do a quick Google.com search for "Sidney Crosby injuries". You will see that he has missed more time than most for playing hockey than most people that have been playing it longer than him.

     The longer hockey continues to go on the worse the game gets and the injuries as well, there was a report done by the Mayo Clinic from Rochester, MN Link showing that for every 1000 hours there are a average of 2.2 injuries happening (this is for all injuries not just for body checking). So why is it that it has taken soo long to come to this conclusion and movement to ban body checking. Hockey is no longer hockey, it is now more of a battle between the 2 teams as to who can get rid of the good/excellent players on the other team first so that they will not win.

     Hockey Alberta, which governs hockey in Alberta Link, put together a committee 2 years ago to come up with recommendations on body checking. The first time they tried to pass it through to get it approved it was denied and the 2nd time it was approved; They say that parents are split 50-50 on the issue of it being banned. I say give the parents a reality check and then take that money spent on the committee and put it to good use instead of wasting it like they and everyone else has done.

     There should be no doubt or question on this, theses are our children playing, their safety is first and fore most and fun of the game is 2nd to none.If you want to see these types of injuries or brutality, then go watch wrestling where it is expected and choreographed and the pay and health care are a lot better.

     This should not of taken as long as it did to go through but at the same time it should be enforced for all levels of hockey so we can back to the basics of the game as it was intended and not what we have now "A boxing match with occasional hockey break outs".

     Also here is a visual from a Youtuber USAHOCKEYHQ that posted a video titled "USA Hockey breaks down examples of body contact that would be considered legal and illegal" on May 16, 2011

Disclaimer: All company names and logos belong to their perspective owners and not me. Original article was from the Halifax Metro  News at this link here http://ow.ly/kWQ88

Gas And Dash is a crime

     OK so I am an employee with a gas station in the Maritime's, we do enforce the prepay system as of 7pm AST, but yet people still get upset that they have to prepay.
     We still have 2 or more Drive Offs a week and for normally $50+ dollars and that is just the 1 site I work at that is 24/7 site. There are hundreds of gas stations throughout the Maritime's/Canada.
     Every time there is a drive off we have to call the cops, they have investigate it, thus taking them away from other priorities in the area that are more important than a Gas And Dash, that is alot of man hours wasted every year.
CBC just aired a video article on this as well http://bit.ly/Gas-and-Dash. There is no difference between prepaying your fuel and paying once your done other than the Gas company is not out the cost of the fuel when you have to prepay first.
     The order you have to go through to get your gas currently is

1. Pump your gas
2. Walk inside
3. Wait in line (If there is 1)
4. Pay
5. Walk back out of the store
6. Get in your vehicle and then leave

     Prepaying just requires you to go inside and pay then pump then leave, this only changes point number #1 & #4. now for the people that say they do not know how much gas they are going to need, well 75% or more of people these days pay with a credit card or a debit card or gas gift card, almost all gas stations now do pre-authorization's for the gas, thus if you under pump you are only charged for what you pumped and not the original amount you selected, no fuss no muss.
     As for the people that pay cash a little more exercise wont kill anyone by walking back in to get your change and or receipt, it is not hard to do at all.
     People just do not like change (or in some situations exercise) and the fact that the thief's ruin it for the whole.
     (also why do you have to pay for your groceries before you can leave the store and eat them! why can't you eat them then pay for them?)
      Also the thief's are getting smarter as well, I have seen them take their license plate off and then gas and dash, I have seen them use stolen plates, I have even seen 1 guy use a stolen car with a stolen plate from another car, the thief's are getting smarter and more brazen as well. make sure you make a comment here and at this site here http://bit.ly/WilcreNews957, that is where I posted this at originally but expanded upon it here.
     Also there are people out there that say the offender should have to do jail time for their crime, I do agree in a way, but why should they go to jail and live free, get free meals, a roof over their head, TV time and exercise and such all on our tax dollars (This is really another topic all together), make them do time yes, but do not give them creature comforts and make them do hard labor while they are in prison, they are there for a reason not a vacation.
     CBC News ran a article on Wednesday October 4, 2006 1:21PM PT about "B.C. to implement 'Grant's Law' to protect gas station workers", more info on BC's Grant's Law can be found at this link HERE with contact information for the Director of Communications for the BC Federation of Labour.

*All rights and privileges belong to their perspective owners, all links and images used for reference material and lead to their original owners.

Nova Scotia Child Maintenance & its effects

     The child support in Nova Scotia is 1 sided for the parent that has the children. the monthly money that is given to the parent that has the children is solely based on the income of the parent that does not have the children no matter how much the parent that has the children makes, for most they have a minimum wage job but there are a few of the lucky people that do not, that goes for either parent.

     I like many others have the minimum wage job while my ex has a job that pays well above minimum wage but yet what she makes hourly is not taken in to account for the money that has to be paid out by me to her, she gets my money plus money from the government and her job as well as more GST when it is issued plus baby bonus and or any other government program for single parents that is out there. most people that have the kids get more money monthly than they make at work while the one that does not have the children don't make much more than you would get while being on social assistance. The only way for the parent that does not have the children to get ahead is to have a job that is off the books (Which if you speak to a lawyer they will even agree to that) but even then that can come back and bite you in the end.

     also if at any time the parent that doesn't have the children gets a pay raise in any way other than a minimum wage increase it has to be claimed and thus the monthly payout is increased again so any pay increase is nullified and a hindrance for the one that got the raise for they are no better off. Also if child maintenance says you owe back pay then they will take their normal cut of your pay cheque plus they will take the arrears as well bit by bit, but in most cases like mine they were taking up to and including 90-95% percent of my pay every 2 weeks, so working 50+ hours a week on the books can net you after tax's $100-$150 if your lucky. but yet when you go and try to point out to the system what they are doing to you everyone says you called the wrong person and or department and you have to talk to so and so and the cycle restarts itself again. And with all of that being said the person paying the child support has no say in how the money is spent once it has been paid out which is wrong and should be changed.

     The intent of the money is to be there for the children to get them what they need food/clothes/schooling, but unfortunately most parents that get the money spend it on stuff they want or say they need instead of using it for the children. it is not uncommon for the single parent to have the newest toys TV's, Cell Phones, Computers, cars and such all because of the monthly income they have from the Ex's and the government and their own jobs as well (They live high on the hog while the other is living on the slop).

     What should be done is have the monthly maintenance fees be accounted for as to where they go and how it is spent, also the actual monthly payment should be calculated on both parents income, for example, my income from my job is lower than my ex's; so say if i make $11/H and she makes $13/H the $2 difference should come off of what Is paid to her (Putting me at a lower rate of pay and making it a little easier for us to live), this way the parent without the children can live in a 1 bedroom place and not a low income place and afford to have food on a regular basis instead of depending on friends and or family for help with money and or food to survive pay cheque to pay cheque. People have always cried unfair and or discrimination for one reason or another yet no one has ever done anything about the child maintenance that is paid on a monthly basis by the large portion of the population.

     This link here http://bit.ly/P6TzEV will give you a calculation of approximately how much you would have to pay monthly based on the number of children you have and what province you live in.

     And as it states on that link

• The number of children;
• The province or territory where the paying parent lives; and
• The paying parent's gross annual income.

     At no time does it mention the person that has the children because to the government it does not matter how much they make just what you make and how much they can take from you. Also the rates that are to be paid have a habit of changing, the last change was done on December 31, 2011.

     If you base the monthly payment say on $26000 gross income a year the new payment http://bit.ly/NIEs6p would be $380.00 + 1.3% where as the old payment http://bit.ly/N72lmU would of been $388.00 + 1.67%. As for the % after the dollar amount I assume is a monthly fee collected by the government probably for handling or what not.

     Now the $26000 gross income is based at $11/H, but after tax's all that is seen is $22039 (Approximate), that is almost $4000 that is not seen by the average person but yet is taken in to account when paying child support and should not be, that should make the monthly child support payment be $312 + 1.72% that's a difference of $68 a month, that can and does go along way for food and such.

     Now the Total Monthly Income (Gross) for $13/H is $2253.33 which in turn is Annually $27040.00 but has a tax pay out over the year of $4209 which in turn leaves them $22831 yearly ($1902.58 monthly) after tax's.

Canadian Income Tax Calculator 2012 was used http://bit.ly/MzQhtt

     With that stated  without any deductions of any sorts there is no real big difference in the pay at the end of the year, but when filing tax's there is a big difference in the returns that are given back between the 2 people. So why is it that child maintenance is taken before tax's are deducted yet when filing for your yearly tax return you can not claim it in any form.  "Q - Can parents claim or deduct child support payments for income tax purposes? A – This depends when the child support order was made. The Income Tax Act was amended in 1997. Before the amendments the rules were that the paying parent could claim child support payments as a tax deduction, and the receiving parent had to claim the support as income. If your child support order or agreement was made before May 1, 1997, the old tax rules continue to apply, unless you obtain a new order or agreement or vary the order after May 1,1997. Child support orders made or varied since May 1, 1997, cannot be claimed as a deduction by the paying parent and the receiving parent does not have to claim the support as income." Source http://bit.ly/L70Zds

Women & The Workplace

Women & The Workplace

By: Kevin Cresswell

I just read a article titled “Here's To women & their Work – No Matter Where It Is Done” by Brenda Mac Donald (“Two Cents' Worth”) which is a freelance writer from the Halifax Municipality area, the article is in the March 14, 2011 Dartmouth (HRM East) Community Herald.

She writes about women & the work place & their stature within it & or being a stay at home mother. She does make a good point in that women are not truly treated equal to the male counterparts as they should be; especially if they can do the work just as good if not better than the male counterpart for the same job/position. What sparked her in to doing this article is something that she read in a paper on March 07, 2011 which was done by a Jennifer Kim which was published in the Chronicle Herald from the Canadian Press Article called (Child-Care “Gap” Will Hurt Economy). Now Brenda MacDonald does not know Jennifer Kim & can only go by what was printed in the article which she states “I do not know how much of her interview was edited out”.

I for myself have never had a problem working for a female or having them work with me, I treat the males & females the same & expect the same from them no matter what.

Now Brenda does make a very good/excellent point that the mothers that do stay at home to care for their children full time do have a very hard job, they normally get paid very little in a monetary value & work exceedingly long hours every day of the week with little to no time off for themselves through the week/s & or months, but they do get paid the overall best benefits anyone could ever ask for, they get constant hugs & kisses & the chance to see their child & or children grow up & get them to see the first steps & words & them smiling all them time. For me there is nothing better, Unfortunately I was the one that unfortunately had to continuously work the over time & take the shifts that were given to me to make sure we could make the ends meet every month. So for me I cherished every minute I had with my children when I could, But I do know I would rather of been the stay at home father & let my other half work instead.

Brenda also goes in to saying that “she asked a passing acquaintance what she did & she was told that 'I don't work, I'm a stay at-home mom'”, later in the day when she was thinking about it the word “JUST” even though it is a small & trivial word, tends to minimize & diminish even the most wonderful things; & I agree with her being a stay at home mom or parent is not as easy as some think it is, in actuality it can be harder than a 8 hour work day at a actual job itself.

Now the article Brenda does make reference to “Parents” but it appears to be a main focus of mothers in general, she does reference a website of www.internationalwomansday.com & March 8^th in conjunction with “it is a global day celebrating the economic, political & social achievements of women past, present & future” which is a great thing in of itself; but why is it that when it comes to parenting most of the achievements are seen as being lacking from the mother & not the father of the children as well, there are not just dead beat fathers but also dead beat mothers as well, but in the news print & or media all that is usually noted is the fathers.

I agree that women & men need to be treated as one in the same whither its work in the house “ tending to our future our children” or out of the house. I say it's time that people take their blinders off from their eyes & stop walking around with their eyes wide shut & provide the respect & admiration for one & all for what it is they do no matter what it is & do not judge people from the surface that they see; man & women were created equal & have the same faults no matter how big or small they are.

Tufts Cove to cost $93 Million

Nova Scotia Power was given the OK on Monday to spend an extra $8.7 million on its Tufts Cove waste heat recovery project. (TIM KROCHAK / Staff / File)

     Here is another article that I was able to come across, this time done by JUDY MYRDEN; It is about NSP (Nova Scotia Power) and the Tufts Cove project to cost $93 million which is up from the original cost that put out on Sept. 12, 2007 in the amount of $66.2 million, this is the second increase since it was put out 3 years ago, the first increase was approved on May 28, 2008 to increase the budget for the project to $84.3 million.

     This means that they were approved to increase the spending to get this project done the first time by 18.2 Million not even 1 year after it got started; Now we are in to year 3+ and the project is still not done but they were approved for another financial increase for the project of $8.7 Million more, this does not seam right to me, power rates seem to go up every other year, yet the company is consistently making a profit every year, Nova Scotia Power Inc. earnings rose to $22.4 million from $16.6 million, so they have had almost 8 Million more in profits this year, but yet they still want a rate hike for the consumers, when is enough enough for large companies, no company needs to make this much money after all is said and done; at what point is this going to be considered greed, when all the poor/old age and such can no longer afford to have power where they live.

     Who here wants to have a possible rate increase from Nova Scotia Power of 18% (industrial) and 12% (residential), I know I do not, sure I use power, but I know I am using right around the same amount now as I was back in 2000, my rates have gone from Basic Charge of $21.00 to $21.66 and a per KWH of $0.0835 to 0.11612. That is a basic charge increase of $0.66 (3.1%) and a increase of 0.03262 (71.9%) per KWH used and yet get hit with a high wind storm and we lose power for who knows how long; I say increases like that should have results that can be seen and tested.

local Christmas tree certification

     I just read a article on the News 95.7 website about "local Christmas tree certification" by Doug Cogswell. It states that all lots that sell Christmas Tree's that are grown here in Nova Scotia will have a banner indicating that they were grown locally and cut down within a maximum of 10 days of them being displayed for sale to the public, so other than having to go out and cut down your own tree and then bringing it home; The tree you get should last a lot longer than in previous years due to not knowing when the tree you picked out was cut down no matter what you were told.

     I say this is a good turn of advents to the local consumer and should make it a better time of year for the young children in all of us walking in to our houses and having the great smell of pine wafting through the house.