Stephen Kimber

Halifax councillor Lindell Smith is more than a symbol

Skimber — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:30:54 +0000

First, of course, there is the symbolism. Lindell Smith is Halifax's first Black city councillor since 2000.

But not just... Early in his race for District 8, a campaign worker warned the corn-rowed, goateed Smith he'd have to "deal with people looking at you like you're Snoop Dogg trying to be a politician." Rather than change, Smith made sure voters in white neighbourhoods also got to know bright-young-local-library-assistant-crime-prevention-advocate-inspirational-public-speaker Smith, too.

Halifax has a new city council. Now what?

Skimber — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:18:21 +0000

Now what?

With this year's municipal elections history, the question becomes: what should our new-old council do first?

Answering that question is complicated by the reality our mayor and councillors are elected individually and independently. We don't have political parties at the local level, either traditional or uniquely municipal parties.

While that can be positive -- councillors don't have to toe a party line, so they can better reflect their constituents -- it can also be negative. Candidates don't run on a shared platform they can implement, or a be held to account for, and the lack of party organizations make it more difficult to get out the vote on election day.

Lil MacPherson won't be elected mayor of Halifax, but that was never the point

Skimber — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 14:09:44 +0000

It will come as a surprise to no one -- least of all to Lil herself -- when I predict Lil MacPherson will not be mayor of Halifax after all the votes are counted this Saturday.

But that was never the point, especially for MacPherson.

And that is a point the rest of us should also consider.

Although you may not need a weather forecast to know which way the electoral winds blow, consider this reality tsunami. The most recent public opinion poll from Corporate Research Associates -- taken this summer -- showed incumbent mayor Mike Savage with the support of an overwhelming 85 per cent of decided voters.

Encroaching development a defining issue in Halifax municipal elections

Skimber — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 14:36:19 +0000

North Preston's Miranda Cain tells Metro's Zane Woodford the key issue in her District 2 is "lack of recreation." Rod Brunt's main concern, reports Haley Ryan, is cycling safety on Halifax's "shark-infested" streets. "Our issues," Musquodoboit Harbour's Kim Young tells reporter Yvette d'Entremont, "are just basically the oppression of rural development."

And so it has gone as Metro reporters fanned out across the Halifax Regional Municipality's 200 urban and rural communities scattered over a land mass the size of Prince Edward Island to ask a sampling of the region's 400,000 residents what they see as the most important issues our politicians should focus on in the lead-up to the October 15 municipal election.

The path to diversity in Halifax city council is straightforward

Skimber — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:40:30 +0000

It goes without saying the Tilt-a-Whirl that is Halifax city council has too long tilted toward men, who traditionally also happen to be white, middle-aged and middle class, usually involved in business of some sort and been recycled through at least a couple of election wash-dry cycles.

There are plenty of people -- count me among them -- who believe it's time for change: for more younger voices, women, councillors of colour, diversity of life experience and perspective.

The question -- far more complicated to answer -- is how to make that happen.

Following the upcoming October 15 municipal election, four of the 16 incumbent councillors -- three of them men -- will automatically return to their familiar chairs simply because no one challenged them.

Red flags for Nova Scotia Liberals in next provincial election

Skimber — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 14:04:11 +0000

Could the answer to the pressing-to-pundits question -- why hasn't Stephen McNeil called the much-anticipated-by-pundits fall provincial general election? -- be... "Halifax Needham."

Last week, the NDP's Lisa Roberts, a former journalist and community activist, convincingly won that north-end Halifax riding with 51 per cent of votes in a byelection. McNeil's chosen standard-bearer, Rod Wilson, the executive director of the high-profile North End Community Health Centre, garnered a dismal 33.6 per cent.

There are, of course, historical explanations.

The NDP have held this seat for the last 18 years.

Sobeys racial profiling a case of poor public relations, worse corporate behaviour

Skimber — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 15:25:30 +0000