Did summer even happen?

Fall is my favorite season in Nova Scotia. But that doesn't make it easier to see summer pass by as quickly as it did.

As Mayor the passage of summer is marked by occasions and events: Canada Day, Pride week, Natal Day, three Council meetings, and many great community events - all fun, all important but also all-consuming.

This summer I had limited time to get away with my family. And, truth be told, my teenage children had their own priorities. Emma is starting at X this fall and has been focused on spending every possible minute with her friends who it seems she will never again no matter how long she lives. Conor has had a summer of golf, and has played close to 150 games so far. And he is playing well.

So when we had a week to spend in leisure we stayed in this beautiful province, experiencing some of the incredible glory of Nova Scotia. We had a short visit to beautiful Cabot Links (where I played once, and Conor played three times!). We had a wonderful stay at the revitalized Pictou Lodge and the opportunity to visit some of the province’s world class wineries.

I hadn't been to Cabot Links and was anxious to see this place that has rapidly become one of the most highly regarded golf courses in the world. It did not disappoint. If you enjoy golf you can't help but fall in love. Even if you don't enjoy golf, you’ll love the Links. Ben Cowan Dewar has created something remarkable, and the new Cabot Cliffs course may be even more remarkable.

Pictou Lodge is a place I hadn't visited in some years and it has become a tremendous asset to our province. The accommodations and the food are wonderful, and our whole family really enjoyed our time together.

The burgeoning wine industry is doing all Nova Scotians proud.

With much discussion about One Nova Scotia, the most encouraging aspect of all places  is the entrepreneurial leadership that inspires, creates and turns these businesses into huge assets for Nova Scotia, rural Nova Scotia at that. Ben Cowan Dewar, Brad Langille (Pictou Lodge) and wine industry leaders like Carl and Donna Sparkes, Pete Luckett, Gerry McConnell, Stewart Creaser and the Ramey family are living examples of how Nova Scotia can indeed thrive.

Feeling proud, celebrating Pride

It's Pride week in Halifax and people are happy.

It wasn't always so; the history of Pride in Halifax had a very modest start some 27 years ago. It’s not a long time ago, but at the first march some of the participants wore paper bags over their heads, concerned that their participation might be harmful to their career or their safety.

In those early years, politicians occasionally showed up to offer support. Now they all show up to find support.

This weekend over 100,000 people will line up to participate in, and watch the parade. When it comes to Pride we hit way above our weight, with the 4th largest Pride Festival in Canada.

We have come a long way, and there is still a journey ahead of us.

Just a decade ago I was elected to Parliament and in the first session of that Parliament, Prime Minister Martin introduced Bill C-38, The Civil Marriage Act. It was a very contentious issue at a difficult political time. I was proud to serve on the special Legislative Committee that was formed to manage the bill through Parliament. (Keep in mind that we were also managing through a difficult minority Parliament in which the government could have fallen on a vote of non-confidence.)

Our committee heard a huge number of speakers on both sides of the Civil Marriage Act and I had numerous occasions to speak in the House on my support of this legislation. The debate in Parliament and across the country was heated and my office was inundated with letters, emails and calls.  Some were very unpleasant.

It is hard to believe how difficult the issue was at the time. Cabinet ministers left cabinet rather than support the legislation. An NDP member was stripped of her critic position because she opposed the legislation. Some Conservatives publicly supported the legislation including Gerald Keddy of Nova Scotia. And it was a factor when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party.

I remember saying in Parliament that I believed in 10 years no one would want to reverse the decision. In fact, it was a lot less.

Canada was the fourth country to legalize same sex marriage. Today it is legal in about 20 countries including the UK, Brazil, France, Spain, South Africa and others. States in the USA have voted to allow it, and the President of the United States endorsed it in 2012. Canada played a leading role in the acceptance of same sex marriage in the world and it is one of my proudest moments from my time in Parliament.

Just as Canada was front and centre when it was a difficult issue, so were others. TD Bank, under the leadership of Ed Clark, took a position in favor of supporting same sex employees when it was seen by some as a radical position that could harm the business. Mr. Clark was stalwart in ensuring that the principled position didn't waver, even when the bank might have faced pressure and loss of business from its position. I have joined Ed and the TD team each of the last two years during Pride Week celebrations here in Halifax.

Ten years ago some people suggested I didn't need to be part of Pride festivities. It was said by someone that my support for equality was well known and I didn't need to be part of the 'radical' stuff. There are still some great people who think that Pride is too 'out there' and 'flamboyant'. 

Perhaps that's the whole point, that after years of being silent and hidden, we now celebrate how far we’ve come. It is a wonderful time in Halifax where people are exuberant, where we can celebrate our differences and a middle-aged male Mayor can wear a dress at a baseball game and have fun.

But we do have a journey to complete. Two years ago we lost Raymond Taavel and last year Scott Jones was attacked and permanently injured. Scott,a remarkable man, is the Grand Marshall of this year’s parade. So as we celebrate gains made, we continue to work toward a more equal society.

With all of the issues and challenges our society faces, surely we can agree that managing who loves whom is not one of them.

 

 

 

Good advice, Mr. Burns

“O would some power the gift to give us to see ourselves as others see us.”

The old bard wasn’t speaking of Halifax when he wrote those words; in fact he was alleged to be referring to a louse in a woman’s hair at church. Nonetheless, it is always good advice to try to understand how other people view us.

I suspect that usually it is less positive than we might hope, but sometimes we might be surprised that we judge ourselves more harshly than we should. In the past week I have spoken with hundreds of people who are visiting Halifax for Web.com golf, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, the Jazz Fest and much else. In the paraphrased words of Sally Field, “They like us, they really like us.”

I often tell people that the constant challenge as Mayor is to embody the great optimism I feel for the City while not forgetting that we must keep knocking down the obstacles to even greater success. But the fact is that we have an amazing place here.

On a short stroll last Wednesday evening from City Hall to the Maritime Museum (for US Consul Richard Riley’s annual Fourth of July soiree) I stopped to chat with three groups of tourists who are in Halifax for the Tattoo. They were visiting from Washington State, Massachusetts and Florida. Some were first time visitors; others had been coming for more than 20 years.

They were effusive in their praise, calling Halifax the most beautiful city they had seen. Players, officials and spectators from the Web.com were similarly impressed. One of the pros from Mexico called it the nicest city he had visited on Tour, and they all enjoyed the restaurants, bars and diversity of our downtown, and shared how excited they will be to come back.

I have blogged before about how visitors love to come here….from visiting naval fleets to convention delegates. We may have to just accept that we have a great piece of the planet here in Halifax, and Nova Scotia. And yes, we can make it better.

If people love to come here let’s give them every reason to do so.

Halifax is hosting more events than ever. We had the very successful golf tournament at New Ashburn and we have Davis Cup tennis in the fall. We have Hockey Day in Canada, and the Men’s university hockey championships this winter. Then in early 2015 we have the Ford World Men’s Curling championships. We will host our second We Day for in November and the 2015 Canadian Country Music Awards too.

It is a busy and wonderful schedule of events. Events like these matter, because they bring people to Halifax, and that is what we need.  Along with our universities, our business sectors are also opening up opportunities for people to not just visit, but to stay. The Nova Centre and new Central Library will do the same.

The next time you are cranky about Halifax, find someone who is eyeing their map or needing directions. Ask them what they think of Halifax. See us through their eyes, and be proud.

We have an amazing city which will only get better when we believe in ourselves.

Here's to the graduates

We are in the graduation season.

I have been to many graduations. As Mayor and formerly as an MP I have attended all kinds of graduations, for high school, junior high school, elementary school, pre-school, hockey school, barbershop school, mechanics school. I have attended university convocations, community college ceremonies, and others.

This year marks the most important graduation I have ever attended as my daughter, Emma, will graduate from Dartmouth High School and head to university. Now I better understand the tears of pride that I have seen on the parents of graduates as I suffocated in the heat on stage at the Dartmouth Sportsplex for so many years. I couldn't be prouder of my baby girl as she takes this major step in her life. It even eases the pain of re-mortgaging our house to buy a prom dress.

I remember my own graduation, in the last century, from Prince Andrew. As a baby boomer I was part of a graduating class of about 600 students as I recall. I must say that back then I really don’t recall thinking that much about whether to attend university, it was assumed that I would go and I did. Today's grads put more thought into their decisions and, I think, are under more pressure to make the right choice.

In any event, this year is special for our family. And our other child, Conor, is graduating from junior to senior high school. Now that is definitely a much more celebrated advancement than it was when I moved from Caledonia to PA.

But in this season of celebrating scholastic success there are some ceremonies that are particularly heart -warming for me. On Monday evening I attended the Dartmouth Learning Network learner celebration. This wonderful organization is celebrating 30 years of helping adults who have had challenges to their ability to achieve scholastic success.

With a very small part time staff (who are fabulous) and a bevy of volunteers, they offer tuition free programs for adults with low literacy skills, assist in acquiring high school equivalency and prepare for employment. When these students graduate, it is a big deal. It is an honour to listen to their stories of perseverance and success.

Many of us are able to coast through much of our learning journey due to circumstance and natural advantage. Not so for these folks; they have worked and worked to achieve their goals. (Check them out at www.dartmouthlearning.net).

Next week I will attend a celebration of graduates from Pathways Spryfield. I visited them a few weeks ago, and was able to see them in action. They support young people to stay in school, provide mentoring and are making an incredible difference in our community (www.pathwaysspryfield.ca). Another group that is working on ensuring that our students achieve their goals is BridgeCat who use the Arts to reconnect students to educational attainment (http://bridgecat.ca ).  Another of my favorite programs is the ACEE program (Access to Community Education and Employment ). This unique program is designed to help youth with disabilities to transition to further learning or the job market (http://www.ilns.ca ).  As well, I have attended the graduation ceremonies of the FLECs program (Flexible Learning and Education Centres) of the Halifax School Board.

To hear the stories of these young adults who have had to make special effort to graduate is amazing. And the families who have supported the grads deserve (and receive) special recognition as well as the students.

Here is the thing. We all congratulate our new grads, and love to see them with pride and self-confidence. They deserve it. But there are many graduates who have taken a longer, more difficult journey. In some cases it is through absolutely no fault of their own. In some cases they will readily admit that they made mistakes and made their own journey, and their families journey more angst ridden.

In any event, to see people achieve their goal is special. And when they have travelled a more difficult route it is even more special. Congratulations to all of our graduates, of all abilities, of all ages, of all circumstance. We need you all, and we wish you well. Enjoy your special day

Big debate, big decisions

On April 29 we had a marathon Council meeting that started at 10 a.m. and finished at 10 p.m.  But, I have come to realize after 10 years in elected office that longevity is not necessarily a mark of success.

Meetings can be long, legislative sessions can be long, and political careers can be long without being marked by achievement. Politicians are not successful simply by outlasting others. Certainly there are cases where this is so, but many politicians survive by avoiding decisions or acquiescing to popular will. Popular opinion does not always lead to right decisions.

When I ran for Mayor I said I wanted to help create a Council atmosphere where there is respect for each other, and where policy overcomes personal animosity. And I have seen that happen. People tell me they see a Council that is more focused and strategic. This is very important, but it is only a platform from which to govern effectively - to make decisions, to move the ball.

I have no appetite for a Council that agrees on everything, where debate is perfunctory. Democracy demands difference of opinion, it is based on it. But effective democracy thrives when differences are considered and decisions are made without fighting or rancor. Legislative bodies that operate on the best democratic principles are increasingly rare which is why I take great pride in our Council.

Sure, some of the Councillors irritate me on occasion, and I irritate them. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as we keep some perspective.

So back to April 29...

On that day Council heard -  and rejected - an appeal on 22^nd Commerce Square; approved the new city brand; passed a new sister city framework; and held a public hearing on planning amendments for Nova Centre, which were approved.

We had a good debate on the issues, some of them contentious. But we made decisions and we are moving ahead.

Since that meeting we have passed the revised Regional Plan, had a robust discussion on Dr. Don Clairmont's review of public safety, dealt with another step in the future of St. Pat’s Alexandra school site, and approved the general outline of the massive redevelopment plan for the Cogswell interchange lands.

Not only are we making important decisions, we are making decisions that align with our strategic goals: economic development and growing the population. From this flows all the things we want to do to better our community.

This past weekend I was at Federation of Canadian Municipalities meetings where I was proud to represent our city and our Council.

We have taken on new initiatives in areas like housing, health, accessibility for disabled citizens, and public safety. We have new and exciting development in Halifax, particularly in the urban core,. Our new Central library will open in the fall and is garnering international accolades and the Nova Centre is progressing. We have managed our budget effectively so that we have been able to hold the line on taxes, which amazes many other municipalities.

As we move further from a brutal winter and into summer we have much on our plate. But I think we have shown that even though we will disagree on issues we will find a way to get things done.

 

 

Thoughts on the passing of Jim Flaherty

Jim Flaherty passed away yesterday afternoon. I heard the news as I came out of a committee meeting at City Hall. It was shocking, and I felt very sad.

I could hardly call him a friend, but like most MPs on the Hill I liked Jim. He was engaging and friendly, and felt he wanted the best for his country.

On many occasions I disagreed with Jim and with a good number of policies he and his government implemented. While our views of government were very different,  I think our view of the world was more similiar.

Jim was clearly an emotional man who cared deeply about life's most important things. He was a private man who worked hard to shield his family, particularly his kids, from the intrusions of public life and I admire that.

But his emotions escaped on occasion. When he announced the Disability Savings Plan, he was brought to tears as he spoke of its importance. One of his boys has a mental disability and it mattered to him. I remember watching the press event where he struggled to maintain a calm demeanor.

We saw that emotional side again when he was asked about Mayor Rob Ford, a family friend. One didn't have to be a Ford fan to admire the loyalty and concern that the Finance Minister had for his pal.

The thing is, these things should matter. So often our politics is a politics of artifice, of faux emotion, false indignation and staged spontaneity. Questions are practiced, talking points are followed and politicians are more props than real people.

Jim Flaherty was different. We saw that recently when the counter-productive proposal of income splitting was questioned by him ( and most economists). It was repudiated by colleagues as unhelpful postulation, but I think it was simply how he felt.

To me, the saddest part of his passing was that it happened as he was making the transition from political life to post-political life. Those of us who run for public office should not complain about the burdens that come with the honour of being elected. But it can be a very demanding job that can exact a heavy personal toll.

I am often asked for advice on how to get into politics; a better question might be how to get out. People who give great consideration to the decision to enter politics are often ill unprepared for their exit. Often the end comes suddenly, and is jarring. I know, it happened to me, as it happens to most.

As a case study look at the Premiers of Nova Scotia over the past half century. Gerry Regan was defeated in 1978. John Buchannan was pulled to the Senate at a low ebb of popularity. His successor Donald Cameron was defeated by my father John Savage. My father resigned because he felt another leader had a better shot at success. That leader, Russ MacLellan was defeated by Dr. John Hamm who was reduced to a minority before resigning. Rodney MacDonald was defeated by Darrell Dexter who was defeated by Stephen McNeil. Each of these people with the possible exception of Dr. Hamm left politics with less leverage than they entered. It is a harsh business.

This is why it is wonderful to see politicians who make a decision to leave on their own terms. Frank McKenna had it right. He said he would be Premier for 10 years, and he was. In 2006 he was under great pressure to re-enter politics and succeed Paul Martin as national Leader of the Liberal Party. When he announced he was staying out he uttered a line that went something like..."after successfully escaping the trap, I don't want to get caught going back for the cheese."

It seemed that Jim Flaherty had done it right as well. He had served his time, and he was leaving public life (perhaps to support his wife Christine, another public officeholder). Whatever anyone thought of his tenure, he had been a faithful leader. He had served his province and his country. He could look forward to a more stable life, a private life with his sons, a lucrative private sector career. But we never know what's next.

I disliked many of the things he did, but I liked the man. He was a happy warrior, who enjoyed the cut and thrust, but always had a smile even in the midst of the battle. Jim liked politics, and he liked people. He could look back at his day and laugh, and keep moving. He seemed to be an optimist, and he had wit. We need more of that in today's politics, and now we have less.

Jim Flaherty and his family are in my prayers. I am saddened.

We balanced the budget: Now what?

This week we passed a balanced budget in Halifax that continues to pay down debt and deliver a high level of services and programs while rolling back property tax rates. It was also the second year in a row that Council unanimously approved the budget.

That doesn't mean that everyone was 100 percent happy with what is included or omitted. But it means that Council participated throughout the process, made suggestions and recommendations, and recognized the integrity of the budget-making journey that made them comfortable. 

I am very proud of that. For the second consecutive year we had a disciplined, rigorous process the included wide participation from Councillors. Last year we did it through Finance committee, this year through Committee of the Whole and in both cases we began in early January and wrapped up in late March. Senior staff presented their departmental budgets with supporting rationale and took questions from Council. We also added a public component this year whereby citizens could express their views online, at Community Council and at Committee of the whole. 

We made budget documents available to citizens, and we made some videos to help people better understand our budget. All in all it was a process that worked and Councillor Bill Karsten chaired the meetings throughout and did an excellent job.

Our staff, led by CAO Richard Butts and CFO Greg Keefe, deserve credit for their diligence and openness in working with Council to produce a very prudent budget. In recent years while many people have been skeptical of how government operates, our staff and council have made remarkable strides in opening up information and shedding additional light on our city finances.

So we received some congratulations on our budget which is nice. But I am left with a couple of thoughts.

As much as I think our financial situation is the dividend of good planning and common sense, we are in a privileged position relative to most other municipalities in Nova Scotia. We have a strong economic base, and continue to benefit from growth. We have strong sectors, and some very positive developments coming our way.

Ray Ivany pointed out the challenge facing Nova Scotia and the necessity of everyone playing a role in our economic recovery. I want Halifax to be part of that positive direction, and I have personally committed to working with the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and other partners. The answer is not to diminish the strength of Halifax but to leverage it as the major economic engine of the Nova Scotia economy.

The surest way to do it is to focus on innovation and bring more people to the province. Last year our city became involved in a Local Immigration Partnership for the first time and I see this as an opportunity to work collectively to bring people to NS.

We reduced tax rates for both residential and commercial taxpayers. We did this for one reason.....we could. But I am not of the belief that all taxes are bad, and should be eliminated or reduced.

I am very pleased that we as a city have been able to hold the line on municipal tax, but at the same time mindful that residents of our city are feeling the daily squeeze in other areas, water bills, power rates and the rising price of oil.  While governments should be prudent in how they spend money, we need to balance that prudence against the community benefits of doing more in some areas.

This year we are committing to invest more in the arts, providing better service to people with disabilities and committing funds to improve our downtown areas. These are all things I, and others, campaigned on -  areas where we can leverage private investment and build a better community.

I don't often use the term taxpayers, not out of any lack of respect for those who pay the bills, but because I was elected to represent all citizens, including taxpayers. Many citizens do not pay property tax directly, but do so indirectly through rent.  Others, due to age, or circumstance do not pay property tax and they are still members of our community and entitled to receive services from the municipality.

Indeed, the people who will most significantly impacted by the decision we make today are too young to vote or pay taxes. Others may be more likely to pay tax in the future if our economy thrives and success can be more widely shared. Our initiatives for diversity and inclusion may help make that happen.

And of course, I hope that many of our future taxpayers in Halifax have not yet even heard of our city. They are in many places in the world that we need to reach, with a message to come to Halifax. They will build new prosperity for themselves and our province.

So as we produce a 'good news' budget we should not lose sight of the big picture. It’s not just about celebrating holding the line on taxes today; it’s about building a Halifax for tomorrow that is better, more open and diverse. It’s about a Halifax that is part of one Nova Scotia where we can all celebrate our growth together.