Support Workers, Carbon Tax, and Healthcare

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Happy end of the school year for all who celebrate! I am looking forward to a great summer in Dartmouth with excellent events planned from now through August beginning this weekend with Open Street Sundays returning to Portland St. on June 25 from 12pm-4pm. See the bottom of this newsletter for more info!


Gas Prices

As many of you know, gas, diesel and home heating fuel costs will go up July 1 by about 14 to 17 cents a litre because of the federal fuel charge, also known as the carbon tax. With this will come quarterly rebates that will cover the added cost for some Nova Scotians, but not for all. The first quarterly rebate cheques should arrive this summer; the amount will vary based on the number of people in the household. Residents of rural communities will receive an additional 10%. The federal government has said that the “average” family of four should expect to receive approximately $248 every three months.


This comes on the heels of historic cost of living increases on everything from food to housing to power. We all saw this coming and it seems accurate that other provinces negotiated better deals. Unfortunately, the Province refused to negotiate with Ottawa and so we are stuck with the federal backstop of carbon pricing.


There are many ways that the Province could be stepping up around the cost of living at this difficult time, and we continue to put forward practical solutions like stabilizing the housing market, cutting the tax on groceries, freezing senior and family Pharmacare fees, and permanently increasing and indexing the thresholds for home heating programs like HARP. If you’re struggling financially, please take a look at my resources page.

children were denied access to schools and education workers remain the lowest paid in the country. Students deserve the opportunity to go to school as is stated in the Inclusive Education Policy, and workers deserve a living wage. This will remain a live issue as these workers go back to the bargaining table within the year. I spoke with Todd Veinotte about this issue last week. Listen to my interview with Todd here.


Healthcare

Unfortunately, another doctor will be leaving our community. Dr. Myneni of the Dartmouth Medical Centre is moving on as of July 24th, 2023. If you were a patient of Dr. Myneni, be sure to register for the Need a Family Practice Registry, and if you’re already on the list, ensure all your contact information is up to date. Be sure you’re also up to date with the various pathways for receiving care. My office created this document to help.


With over 148,000 Nova Scotians now without access to consistent primary care it’s clear that the approach to fixing health care is not working for people who need access to a family practice. We will continue to push for all Nova Scotians to have a family health home where they can access primary care and be followed for any conditions required.


In other news, last week the Nova Scotia Health Authority launched an Emergency Department Wait Times website. Predicted wait times for 10 emergency departments across the province can be found at www.nshealth.ca/edwaittimes. These will include the emergency departments at the Dartmouth General Hospital and QEII Health Sciences Centre (Halifax Infirmary site) in Halifax.


The predicted wait times are based on recent data, are shown as an approximate range, and are updated hourly. The page also allows users to look at forecast wait times up to 12 hours in the future. Due to changing demands in emergency departments, these wait times are not guaranteed and may not be the time a person will need to wait once they arrive.


Blue-Green Algae at Oathill Lake

The Department of Environment and Climate Change issued a warning about blue-green algae in Oathill Lake at the end of last week. It’s distressing to see a bloom so early in the season and at a lake that is so well stewarded by the Oathill Lake Conservation Society. Get more information about blue-green algae here. See my work on the issue of Dartmouth’s urban lakes here.

As always, if you need assistance, please reach out to my office at 902-406-2301 or claudiachendermla@gmail.com.


Have a wonderful weekend,

Claudia

Resource Spotlight

Mi’kmaq Online Talking Dictionary

With June being National Indigenous History Month in Canada, the Mawita’jik Competition Pow Wow at the Sportsplex in a couple of weeks, and the North American Indigenous Games beginning in July, it’s a great time to brush up on your Mi’kmaw vocabulary.


The Mi'kmaq Online Talking Dictionary hosts over 6,000 words with at least three recorded Listuguj pronunciations of each word. Visit www.mikmaqonline.org.


Nige' giso'qon wenaqiaq!

Beadwork design on a dark background.

Provincial

Offshore Wind

The Province released it’s road map for offshore wind development in Nova Scotia this week. Check it out here.


Deadline for Accommodations Operators: June 21

Tourist accommodations in Nova Scotia have until Wednesday, June 21, to include registration numbers in their online listings on platforms such as Airbnb, Expedia, Vrbo, TripAdvisor and Booking.com.

Under the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act, all short-term rentals in Nova Scotia are required to register with the Tourist Accommodations Registry each year. Changes to the regulations that took effect April 1 require accommodations that sell through online platforms to include their registration number in their listings.

Accommodations that don't comply with the new legislation by Wednesday could face fines of up to $7,500 and have their listings removed from online platforms.

Community

they've gotten a rent increase they're not sure is legal, are being threatened with renoviction, their building has been sold and more!


If you have questions about what to do in these types of situations, your rights as a renter, and tenancy law in general join us for this information session.

Volunteer

Resources

Dartmouth Food Calendar

Every month Carla Foxe from the Halifax Public Libraries puts together the Dartmouth Food calendar. Please share this resource with anyone who could use it. Download PDF version.

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Claudia Chender MLA