On April 4 I rose in the provincial legislature, and gave the following members statement: Speaker, as we debate whatever it is we are debating today legislation - there is a much more important debate going on. It’s not really a debate, but a competition and that is the SEDMHA hockey tournament. It starts today. I want to wish, in particular, all the teams from the Dartmouth Whalers an excellent tournament. I wanted to take this time to do my annual thank you to the Dartmouth Whalers Hockey Association and all hockey associations in the province. I know we all have our particular ones that we cheer for. I have to say that I spent a lot of time in East Hants this year and Eastern Shore, and usually came out victorious, so that’s fine. In particular, I want to thank the U-13 Sea Orcas coaches and parents, volunteers Neil Fisher, Brian Cormier, Jason Murphy, Katy Mattatall, and Moira Fisher, and the U-11 Huskies: Jean David Paradis, Joe Triff, John Joyce Robinson and Maya Belanger. Thank you to all those parents and volunteers who make hockey so fun for our kids.
Fixed-Term Lease Protest
On April 4 I gave the following members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature:
On March 7th, tenants gathered for an ACORN rally calling on this government to ban landlords from only using fixed-term leases. As I’m sure we all know, fixed-term leases end on a predetermined date. They circumvent the need for a landlord to have a good reason to evict someone, and they provide a way to get around the temporary rent caps. One of the tenants present at this ACORN demonstration was Dartmouth North constituent Margaret Anne McHugh, a senior who herself has a fixed term lease. Margaret Annetold Global News that she and other tenants in her building on fixed-term leases were living in fear. As a senior, Margaret Anne is on a fixed income, and worries that she, her partner, and her fellow senior neighbours could be thrown out and replaced by someone who can pay more rent. Then where would they go that they could afford? That this could and does often happen is a failure of the system. All of us in this Chamber must heed the calls of constituents like Margaret Ann McHugh and make the needed changes to end the fixed term lease loophole.
Sébastien Labelle Bus Stop Theatre
On March 27 I rose in the Nova Scotia Legislature to give the following members statement:
On this World Theatre Day, I rise today to honour Dartmouth North resident and all-around amazing person Sébastien Labelle as he prepares to leave his position as executive director of the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op. Sébastien started as executive director of this vital and vibrant art space in 2016. Under his stewardship, the co-op has purchased the building it is housed within and seen the theatre and lobby space through a major renovation and improvement. The space is now much more physically accessible and has an extra space in the basement which is used for smaller performances, workshops, and community events. He did all of this through a pandemic in which the world saw theatres close for extended periods of time and income from and for the arts dry up. As executive director, Sebastien has helped lead the member-run Bus Stop Theatre to be a truly open and available space - a place where diverse and Indigenous North End artists feel ownership and pride for the space. It’s a place where everyone, artists and audience alike, can feel safe. Sébastien’s legacy is an organization that’s viable and strong and a building that is sound and beautiful. The word on the street is that he’s doing this to spend more time with his family, but we will see about that. I ask all members to join me in thanking Sébastien Labelle for his contribution to the Bus Stop Theatre and in wishing him well in whatever comes next.
Recognizing Trans Drag Performers
In honour of #TransDayofVisibility I stood in the house on March 26 to recognize Grit and Glitter events and the Trans performers that were part of the Transgender Day of Visibility drag show at the Kings Arms Commons in (correction) *Wolfville* that weekend. Here’s what I said:
Madame Speaker, to do drag has always required both a lot of glitter and a lot of grit. This is especially true for the trans drag performers who are putting themselves and their art out there amidst current anti-trans and anti-drag rhetoric, organizing, and policies. This Saturday, the trans-owned Glitter and Grit events will hold a Transgender Day of Visibility drag show at the Kings Arms *Commons in Wolfville*. This weekend’s show will spotlight trans performers and trans stories, and the organizers bill it as an opportunity for the public to “support and learn more about the trans community.” This weekend’s performers and organizers are taking centre stage at a time when it is not especially safe or comfortable to do so, and I am grateful to them. This morning, we raised the trans flag outside Province House in recognition of the Transgender Day of Visibility this coming Sunday, March 31st. We in this House owe it to all people putting themselves on the line, and all trans people in the province, to do everything we can to push back against the tide of anti-trans hate and policies and create a Nova Scotia that is truly safe, welcoming, and supportive of the transgender community.
Kerian Burnett MSI Congratulations
I gave the following members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on March 22, 2024:
Speaker, Kerian Burnett, a migrant worker from Jamaica, got very good news recently. She finally got her MSI card in the mail. This was the result of a multi-year fight to get health coverage in the wake of her 2022 cervical cancer diagnosis. As a migrant worker in the strawberry fields, Kerian was not eligible for MSI, and her two surgeries cost $81,000. In 2023, Kerian was approved for the Interim Federal Health Program. In January of this year, she was granted a work permit through to July 2025. That work permit made her eligible for MSI. Though Kerian now has medical coverage, many migrant workers do not, as their work permits are not long enough to qualify. Kerian and No One is Illegal, Halifax/Kjipuktuk, which has supported her through her treatment and fight for coverage, are calling on the provincial government to immediately provide migrant workers with MSI coverage when they arrive in Nova Scotia. I congratulate Kerian on receiving her MSI card. I wish her good health, and I stand in solidarity with No One is Illegal and migrant workers, and their call for MSI for all.
Honouring Bruce Anderson on his Retirement
On March 22 I rose in Province House to give the following members statement:
I rise today to pay tribute to Dartmouth North resident Bruce Anderson on the occasion of his retirement after nearly 40 years of service at Bedford Institute of Oceanography. Bruce is a third-generation worker at BIO, working as a multi-disciplinary hydrographer. His colleagues describe him as an unfailingly pleasant, welcoming, knowledgeable co-worker who has been silently responsible for so much of what is great about working at their office. He organizes monthly coffees, open houses, retirement parties, pizza parties, and a giant Christmas potluck. He tracks people’s birthdays and special events and provides onboarding for every new employee. He does it all with good grace and humility. know his co-workers are sad to see him leave, but I also know they will wish him a very happy retirement. I ask the whole House to join me in wishing Bruce Anderson a very happy retirement and, wish him all the best in the hopefully less busy years to come.
Ramadan Greeting
The Ramadan greetings I made in the and brought to the Dartmouth Masjid Iftar this past Friday:
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on March 11, 2024, with the first sighting of the crescent moon in Saudi Arabia the Sunday prior. Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, giving, and coming together as a community, deepening connections to faith and each other. It is a time for spiritual rejuvenation - fitting, as we enter Spring - reflection and growth. I know that during this Ramadan, many of our Muslim brothers, sisters, and siblings will be holding the people of Palestine from all faith backgrounds in their hearts and prayers, and I extend my own prayers in solidarity. On Friday night, I will be attending a Ramadan iftar at the Dartmouth masjid, one of my favourite events of the entire year. I ask this House to join me in extending a wholehearted Ramadan Mubarak to the vibrant Muslim community in Dartmouth North.
Recognizing the Take Action Garden Group
On March 20 I rose in the Nova Scotia legislature and gave the following members statement:
Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the children and the leaders of the Take Action Society garden group. In 2012, the Take Action Society - a community action group in North End Dartmouth - created a garden from an unused tennis court behind Harbour View Elementary School. The garden includes a teaching greenhouse and an outdoor classroom that can seat up to 150 people. Every year, students grow seeds in their classrooms, which they then transplant into the garden in the Spring. In the Summer months, families and children from the community help care for the garden and share in its harvest. The garden also supplies food directly to the community through its Dirt to Door program and donations to the local food bank. I ask the House to join me in recognizing these amazing young gardeners of the Take Action Society garden group and the Take Action Society as a whole. I cannot wait to see - and taste - what you grow this year.
The Practice Movement Centre in Dartmouth
While the Practice Energy Movement Centre is located in Dartmouth South, one of the co-owners, Laura Kieley, lives in Dartmouth North. Thus, I feel qualified to make this statement. Recently, the Practice, co-owned by Amy Tattrie, was awarded the Canadian Choice Award for Best Yoga Studio in Dartmouth. The Canadian Choice Award recognizes small and medium-sized businesses that are at the heart and soul of this country’s business community. Located along the shore of Lake Banook, the Practice aims to create space for community, movement, and stillness through yoga, cathartic cardio, and meditation. Just over a year ago, members of our very own NDP caucus and staff attended a yoga class at the Practice in support of the YWCA. I ask the House to join me in congratulating Laura, Amy, and the Practice team on receiving this great honour and thank them for keeping Dartmouth and we in the NDP caucus moving and mindful.
Lifespan of A Mattress OutFest
I gave this members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on March 18, 2024:
Mx. Speaker OutFest is the largest queer arts festival in Atlantic Canada, and it will take place in Halifax from April 23rd to 28th. OutFest Emerging Stage will feature the inaugural production of Lifespan of a Mattress, written and partially performed by Dartmouth North resident Sara Graham. Sara and the play’s director, Rooks Field-Green, are the co-artistic directors of Think of the Worst Theatre. In Lifespan of a Mattress, Aubrey, played by Sara, is a chronically ill person traversing the medical system and queer relationships while trying to keep their room tidy, all from their very own bed. The play has various mask-mandatory shows between April 24th and 28th to make sure that more people can have a chance to take in that show. Think of the Worst Theatre is also hosting the Crafters Resistance Community Quilting Workshop during this year’s Mayworks Kjipuktuk-Halifax Festival. Throughout April, attendees will work on three quilts, which will represent buildings in Halifax that could be housing. I ask all members of the House to join me in congratulating Sara, Rooks and all involved in OutFest, and thank them for their contributions to art and culture in Nova Scotia.
Dartmouth High Hockey Food Drive
I gave this members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on March 18, 2024:
Mx. Speaker, at the end of February, members of the hockey teams at Dartmouth High School collected food throughout Montebello, Keystone, Crichton Park, and central Dartmouth neighbourhoods for their joint food drive. Together the teams gathered over a full pallet of food plus monetary donations that they donated to the Dartmouth Community Fridge, Margaret’s House, and Feed Nova Scotia. Those who donated were entered into draws for prizes from the Zatzman Sportsplex and downtown Dartmouth Stone Pizza. As the Dartmouth High School Spartans hockey wrote on Facebook - and as I have spoken about many times in this Legislature - food insecurity affects many people in our own community of Dartmouth North and throughout Dartmouth. I am always inspired by the youth of Dartmouth North, and I am especially proud of these Dartmouth High students who are doing their part to end food insecurity.
Walter Borden publishes The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time
I gave the following members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on March 7:
Speaker, New Glasgow-born Walter Borden is a provincial and national icon of stage and screen. He also occupies the centre of my very first memory of seeing theatre when he toured to my elementary school and performed in the gym in Shad Bay. In 2023, Nimbus Publishing released Borden’s semi-autobiographical play, The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time, which he has been creating over the course of the last 48 years. The play draws upon Borden’s life experiences as a Black gay man and civil rights activist alongside the likes of Rocky and Joan Jones. It is considered one of the first Canadian theatrical productions to delve into male homosexuality from a Black perspective. Excitingly, The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time is the first of three books acquired by Nimbus to be penned by Borden, the next two being a poetry collection called Africadian Mi’kmaq Songs in the Key of the Universal Anthem and a memoir entitled A Word or Two Before I Go. I look forward to learning more about Walter Borden’s life or, as he calls it in The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time, “some itty bitty madness between twilight and dawn.”
Deepwater world premiere from Villains Theatre
I gave the following member statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on March 7, 2024:
Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to Villians Theatre’s new theatrical production Deepwater, which was written by Dartmouth North resident, Dan Bray, and directed by another Dartmouth North resident, Burgandy Code. The play will make its world premiere at the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax from March 13th to 17th. Deepwater is an original, dark mystery, which takes place in Hants County, Nova Scotia. Audiences accompany a police inspector as she looks into a seemingly inexplicable tragedy involving a reclusive marine biologist and her young daughter. The play explores the unknowable nature of life and relationships, and the ways that humans and deep sea creatures alike must create our own light in the darkness. @brayowulf is the co-founder and artistic director of Villains Theatre. He is a Merritt Award-nominated and -whinning playwright, and interdisciplinary theatre and visual artist. Burgandy Code, a Merritt nominee and winner herself, is a 37-year veteran of the theatre in Nova Scotia - an actor, director, dramaturge, playwright, and teacher. I am thrilled that both of them have chosen Dartmouth North to call home. I wish them lots of good wishes and broken legs on the opening of Deepwater.
PWHL Nova Scotia Players
The Professional Women’s Hockey League premiered on January 1, 2024 with a game between Toronto and New York. On that historic New Years day, there were many players from Nova Scotia on the ice, as there has been since. Nova Scotians making her-story in the PWHL include: Toronto players Captain Blayre Turnbull of Stellarton, defender Allie Munroe of Yarmouth, and goaltender Carly Jackson (CJ) of Amherst. Jill Saulnier of Halifax plays forward with New York. As I speak, the PWHL Toronto is actually on an eight game - yes eight game! - winning streak, the longest current winning streak for men’s or women’s professional hockey. Yarmouth’s Allie Munroe also got her first goal of the league on Wednesday night, contributing to the 3-1 win over Boston. Tonight, on International Women’s Day no less - Toronto goes up against the league's current #1 team Montreal, and Montreal’s “Captain Clutch”, Marie-Philip Poulin. I wish all of the Nova Scotian players just the best inaugural season and thank them for being possibility models for all of the young women and gender conforming youth - like my daughter - who play hockey in this province and around the world.
Couch of HOPE
I gave the following members statement in the Nova Scotia legislature on March 6, 2024:
Speaker, in the absence of a truly universal mental health care program in Nova Scotia, accessing timely and affordable or free mental health care is a significant challenge for Nova Scotians -a challenge that is being alleviated in part by a not-for-profit in Dartmouth, the Couch of HOPE. In 2020, when founding counsellor Michelle Labine and her colleagues noticed that their sliding-scale counselling spots were all full, it became clear that more radical action was required. At the same time, Michelle’s group practice was hearing from Master’s of Counselling students who needed clinical practicum hours, and that’s when Couch of HOPE was born. Clients dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, relationship issues, grief, life transitions, and more meet with a counselling therapist intern who is supported by a practicum supervisor and professor. In 2023, Michelle was named the United Way Invisible Champion for her work with Couch of HOPE. Recently, Couch of HOPE partnered with the North Grove to offer appointments to people there on site.
I ask the House to join me in expressing my deep gratitude to Michelle and the whole Couch of HOPE team for doing their part in making mental health care truly accessible in Nova Scotia.
Alan Collins Film Retrospective
I gave the following members statement in the Nova Scotia legislature on March 5, 2024:
Speaker, Alan Collins is an established filmmaker living in Dartmouth North whose work explores themes of identify, culture, and art. Alan’s films have recently been the subject of a retrospective held at Christ Church in downtown Dartmouth on the last Friday of every month, followed by a question-and-answer with the director himself. Featured so far in this roundup of Collins’s work is 1989’s One Warm Line: The Legacy of Stan Rogers; The Beauty of My People; and Drowning in Colour: The Art of Wayne Boucher, about Nova Scotia abstract artist Wayne Boucher. Coming up in the series is My Life So Far, about Alan and his wife Violet’s daughter, Cassandre, whom they adopted in Haiti, followed by a very Dartmouth film, Terminal, which documents a day in the life of the Dartmouth bridge bus terminal in 2014. The retrospective will wrap up with the documentary Searching for God in India, andthen Relative Happiness, based on the novel by best-sellingCape Breton novelist Lesley Crewe. I ask the House to join me in congratulating Alan Collins on this rich retrospective and thanking him for his contribution to Nova Scotia through film.
Dense breast screening
On March 6, 2024 I spoke in the Nova Scotia Legislature about the need for follow up screening for people with dense breasts. Here’s what I said:
Mme Speaker, I rise today to call on the government to change the policy regarding follow up breast screening for people with dense breasts. Currently in Nova Scotia, people with breast density category C or D (that is, the densest breasts), are made aware of their breast density rating. That means, that when they get a regular mammogram, any signs of cancer or other issues could be obscured by the dense breast tissue. The problem is that in NS, if someone has dense breasts, they don’t have access to screening that could detect cancers accurately and prevent spread of the disease. I represent a women, and probably many women, in this situation. Women whose cancer was undetected because they couldn’t get access to follow up breast screening, and was in stage 4 before they were diagnosed. Cancer, if detected early, has a much better chance of being defeated. A person’s quality of life is generally going to be better with less treatment. Cancer is cheaper to treat if detected early. It only makes sense that we offer followup screening to all people with breast density C and D. I urge the government to change this policy as soon as possible.
Banook Paddles Up Campaign
I gave the following members statement on March 5:
Banook Canoe Club is a beloved institution in Dartmouth and has been for generations of athletes, families, and community members. If you’ve been along the shores of Lake Banook lately, you’ll notice that the canoe club is currently hoisted in the air and undergoing major renovations. The iconic red buildings have been showing signs of aging, are at risk of sliding into its namesake lake, and are not physically accessible to many with disabilities. To fund these ambitious and much-needed alterations, the canoe club launched the Paddles Up Capital Campaign, a $5 million capital campaign to breathe new life into BCC while respecting the building’s heritage. At this very moment, the Paddles Up campaign is running a raffle, which closes on March 8th for a $10,000 Micmac Mall shopping spree. I encourage everyone to support Banook Canoe Club’s revitalization efforts through the Paddles Up Capital Campaign and hope these efforts help ensure Banook Canoe Club is a vibrant part of our community for another 100 years and more.
Ceasefire now - jenn grant
I made the following members, statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature March 4, 2024:
On February 27th, local songbird Jenn Grant released an anthem that she wrote with her partner, Daniel Ledwell, called “Hello Everyone (Ceasefire Now).” The song, which calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, features over 35 musicians from across Canada, Ireland, and Australia, along with the voice of Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza The lyrics are haunting but also beautiful, reflecting on some of the horrific images we’ve seen coming out of Gaza and dreaming of a time in which Palestinian children will be free to dance. It ends with two familiar chants: “No one is free until everyone is free,” and “By the tens of millions, we are all Palestinians.” All proceeds of the streaming and purchasing of the song go directly to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, adding to the funds that Jenn previously raised from her paintings of several well-known Palestinian journalists. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jenn Grant and her collaborators for using music to call for what we all should be calling for: a ceasefire now.
IWK's Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic
SUSAN LEBLANC: I want to introduce a few people from the Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic at the IWK Health Centre who have joined us today. They’re over in the gallery opposite, and as I say their names, I’ll ask them to rise. Dr. Allanna Munro is an anaesthesiologist who specializes in chronic pelvic pain. Leah Pink is a nurse practitioner who works in the clinic. Linda MacEachern is a social worker who provides pain education and counselling at the clinic. Kathryn Hawkins is a pelvic floor physiotherapist who provides pain education and treatment in the clinic. Also working in the clinic but not present today are two gynecologists who specialize in endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain: Dr. Elizabeth Randle and Dr. Brigid Nee. Also, we would like to welcome today Maggie Archibald and Faith Lamoureux, who have shared their stories of accessing care for endometriosis in Nova Scotia. Of course, all of this is in light of the fact that today, March 1st, marks the beginning of the very first Endometriosis Awareness Month in Nova Scotia. I would like everyone to welcome our guests.
THE SPEAKER: Welcome, and thank you for being here and for all that you do. The honourable member for Dartmouth North. IWK CHRONIC PAIN CLINIC: IMPORTANT WORK -THANKS
SUSAN LEBLANC: Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of the IWK Health Centre’s Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic. In 2021 the clinic opened, the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada, thanks to the hard work and advocacy of clinicians and the public. When it opened, nurse Leah Pink said: “Drawing on the expertise of multiple health care professionals and by using innovative strategies to provide care we will better meet the needs of this underserviced patient population.” This interdisciplinary care model is the gold standard. Endometriosis costs our medical system in ER visits and many often-unnecessary tests, due to a lack of understanding and the long delays people face in getting diagnosis and treatment. It also costs those who suffer from endometriosis in wages lost while unable to work, and time away from family and friends, and pain and money for physiotherapy, and other out-ofpocket expenses to manage chronic pain. Thanks to this clinic, more Nova Scotians have access to the treatment and support they need as well as qualified support. I ask the House to join me in thanking Dr. Allana Munro, Leah Pink, Linda MacEachern, Kathryn Hawkins, and their colleagues for their work in expanding badly needed endometriosis care in our province.