Member's Statement - GEO Project, Public Good Society of Dartmouth

March 24, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone light on issues in our communities, and one of the most troubling is people’s access to technology and the internet, even in urban areas where connectivity is strong. In the (Inaudible) pandemic as workplaces, places of worship, and community groups pivoted their operations online, it became clear that those who did not have a computer or the internet were missing out. Never mind not being able to connect with family and friends - important public health information; school, work and health appointments; and even 12-step programs went virtual. Many people were left out or left behind. This is where the GEO Project came in. Created by the Public Good Society of Dartmouth in partnership with Lake City Works, GEO - Getting Everyone Online - provided free internet, computers, webcams and headsets to those who needed them. It was a real lifeline for people in Dartmouth North and beyond. This past fall, the Bhayana Family Foundation awarded the GEO Project one of their Invisible Champion Awards. The internet has become a basic necessity, and this province must find ways to get Nova Scotians who live on low incomes connected.

Question to Premier about Race Based Data March 23

We know from other jurisdictions that COVID-19 has hit racialized communities harder. In Toronto’s second wave of the virus, nearly 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases were among racialized groups. I can table that. It is a virtual certainty that this problem exists here in Nova Scotia, but we just don’t know for certain because this government has refused to collect race-based demographic data in health care, despite years of work and advocacy in the African Nova Scotian community to get this done. How does the Premier expect to address racism in this province if his government won’t collect basic data on the problem?

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VIOLA: THE MUSICAL  - CONGRATULATIONS TARA TAYLOR Members Statement

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Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the efforts of Dartmouth North's Tara Taylor, who has written, directed, and produced a new musical, Viola: The Musical. Featuring a cast and crew of 36, most from the African Nova Scotian community,…

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BUS STOP THEATRE: THREAT OF CLOSURE - Members Statement

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Mr. Speaker, today is World Theatre Day and I rise to voice my support for the Bus Stop Theatre. In his book, The Empty Space, Director Peter Brook states, "I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage."…