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Last week Nova Scotia saw a small but notable rise in COVID-19 cases. While many cases were due to travel, one ‘hotspot’ was identified and was concerning. I’m pleased to report that Dr. Strang noted today that he feels that this is under control, but it’s more important than ever that we stay vigilant about wearing masks, maintaining physical distance where possible, and keeping a small social circle.
We just learned that the legislature will be prorogued on December 18th until at least February of next year. Our legislature has not met since March. I am frustrated on your behalf that I have not been able to put the questions you’ve brought forward to the government directly. With prorogation, all legislative committees are also suspended. This is concerning for us, as issues around health, government spending, natural resources, veterans, and community services certainly will not themselves be suspended during this time.
Our office continues to assist people with issues and we have been vocal via letters to Ministers and in the media with your questions regarding issues of COVID-19 planning—including education, long-term care, healthcare access, lack of progress on a public inquiry into the April shootings, affordable housing, and more. I commit to you that I will continue to bring your issues forward and ensure that the voices of Dartmouth are heard.
If there is a small silver lining to the lack of legislative activity, it is that I’ve had more time to spend walking the neighbourhoods of Dartmouth South and chatting with residents about their hopes and concerns. It’s a joy to have the time to connect with our amazing community and keeps me and my colleagues grounded in our primary work of representing you.
Many residents remain concerned about the lack of housing options, and the steeply rising rents across Dartmouth. We know from Welcome Housing that there are more than 300 people in the HRM who are either without housing or who are facing homelessness. While residents across the Province are sounding the alarm, with HRM working to do what it can to meet the challenge, we have still to see any decisive action from the government. We’ve been told that an announcement is coming shortly from the Minister of Housing and Municipal affairs and we can only hope that it will provide some concrete options for those in need of housing.
The other key issue I’ve encountered on the doorstep and in our office is health care. People are concerned about the second wave of COVID-19, about plans for long-term care and frontline workers, and about access to things like elective surgery and blood collection. We continue to monitor all of these issues.
My staff and I recently had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the provincial department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal to discuss a number of issues I’ve been hearing about from constituents. Chief among them is the overpass and cycling infrastructure surrounding the Circumferential Highway. Those who commute on foot or by bike will know that in the wintertime, this area is notorious for not being properly cleared of snow and ice. This is because that particular pathway is under the shared responsibility of the Provincial and Municipal government, which makes for something of a bureaucratic nightmare around what should be a relatively easy fix.
Hope is on the horizon that these issues will be resolved soon, and in the meantime please contact our offices if you have any issues regarding the Circ or its overpasses. I was also proud to raise the issue of pollinator pathways. The environment is top of mind for everyone and a young constituent of ours has been working to save the Monarch butterfly population by growing and distributing swamp milkweed throughout Dartmouth. She came to us in the spring with the idea of planting these pollinator pathways along our provincial roadways, and we got a very positive response from TIR.
I want to again thank everyone for your kindness and vigilance these past months as we move through the pandemic. It’s not over, and I join Public Health in asking you to keep up the good work as we head into the holiday season. We will all be so tempted to let our guard down, but together we have the opportunity to avoid the fate of the rest of the country outside of our bubble and continue to enjoy the relative freedoms of hugs from loved ones, a functioning economy, and health and safety for all Nova Scotians.
Kindest regards,
Claudia
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