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Spooky sweets: Vanilla ghost cupcakes recipe

Bryce Goodyear
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Spooky sweets: Vanilla ghost cupcakes recipe

Welcome to The Student Chef!

Every other week, I’ll be sharing recipes tailored to the student experience — from

cheap student-budget meals to middle of the week “I’m too tired for this shit” meals,

to fun and fresh new meals — because everyone deserves a little treat after a long day of too much caffeine and cramming for a midterm. 

You don’t always have to rely on instant ramen and Monster Energy drinks to get your meals in. There are plenty of recipes I plan to share with you that might be a little bit more nutritious.

This week’s recipe is a bit of a splurge, but I had to go all in with the spooky and sweet vibes for this Halloween. I present to you vanilla ghost cupcakes! They’re soft, fluffy and delicately flavoured with the perfect hint of sweet vanilla. 

I decorated mine with ghost faces and spiderwebs for the Halloween season, but feel free to explore your artistic side with these. They’re simple white cakes, so they can act as the perfect canvas. This recipe makes 18 servings, so they’re great to share with friends and family, or great to hoard all to yourself because, like I said, you really do deserve a little treat every now and then — or a big one. Enjoy!

Also, thank you to my friend Chelsea Ewer for drawing our cat chef mascot, Charlie.

Vanilla ghost cupcake ingredients

Cake ingredients: 

  • 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
  • 1 3⁄4 tsp baking powder
  • 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • A dash of cinnamon
  • 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
  • 3 egg whites (no yolk)
  • 1⁄2 cup milk, warmed
  • 3⁄4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Icing ingredients:

  • 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
  • 1⁄4 tsp salt
  • 4 cups icing-sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 egg yolks, beaten
  • 2 tbsp milk

Preparation and baking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a cupcake sheet with wrappers. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients until smooth. Gradually combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring after each addition. When finished, the mixture should roughly resemble the consistency of pancake batter.

2. Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter, then bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

3. For the icing, beat butter until light and creamy. Gradually add salt and sugar, beating well. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, and blend until smooth. Pour in the milk, and mix until the icing has a smooth consistency.

4. Ice the cupcakes and enjoy!

University of King’s College student to premiere documentary at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival

Sally Skinner
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University of King’s College student to premiere documentary at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival

In July 2023, Emily Claire Russell was under the blazing Spanish sun, walking alongside a sick horse. One month later, the 21-year-old was walking the halls of the University of King’s College. 

This November, at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, Russell is premiering her newest documentary which recounts her 1,100-kilometre horseback journey from Spain to France. 

Nomad and Mare is Russell’s second short film, written, directed and produced by herself. It documents her long-riding journey from Catalunya, Spain to the south of France, with a pony named Belle, during the summer of 2023.

Planning the trip of a lifetime

Russell grew up on a farm in Ontario until it was sold when she was 16. She then began working with horses as a wrangler, but after spending time on farms in British Columbia and Europe, she became disillusioned with the work.

“It was about training horses and producing them for sale. I felt this disconnected me from the horse and how I started on the farm,” said Russell.

Once Russell decided to move forward with her trip, the next step was to find the perfect partner to share the journey. Instead, she found Belle. 

“Belle was such a basket case when we started,” said Russell. “She was not trained. She bucked people off, and there was no hope for her. She was never gonna be a show pony. And then over the course of the journey she became this incredible creature, my spiritual, emotional guide.”

Russell said she ran into problems from the get-go.

“We spent six weeks preparing, but everything went wrong,” she said. “The horse nearly died of colic, and I couldn’t find any tack, so all of my preparation dissolved immediately.”

“I decided that I would just try it. I would give it one day.”

Russell faced challenges along the way

When Russell reached the 1,100 km point, she had to make the decision to stop for the sake of Belle’s health, and her own. This was despite the fact that she believes a “long ride” is not considered valid amongst seasoned riders unless it breaks the 1,500 km threshold.  

“I was unbelievably miserable. I was distraught over the fact that I had to leave without that sense of completion because I hadn’t come to the point yet of creating the journey itself,” she said. 

Russell’s pony, Belle, wasn’t the most conventional choice for the journey. (Image credit: Emily Claire Russell)

Despite the disappointment, the journey was not without purpose. 

“Being out there was so immediate, and so it was reduced to such essentials,” said Russell. “It was food, it was water, it was a place to sleep. And there was a fantastic easy simplicity in that and such a control that I had over my own world and my immediate experience of life. It’s led to a complete transformation in myself. I’m not the same, certainly not the same person.”

Russell is excited to share her journey at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, an event she’s been attending since she was 11. She says she knew this festival was the place to share her documentary with the world.

“I wanted to go to Banff, and it’s one of the only festivals I applied to. When I found out that I got into the festival… I stood up, started hyperventilating, sobbing, crying. It was a visceral reaction.”

Russell added the excitement comes with the fear of sharing her journey with the world. 

“There’s no take backs,” she said. “This exercise in vulnerability is now going to be shown to thousands of people, all of the people that I have ever been connected with that care to keep up with my life.”

After parting ways with Russell at the end of the summer, Belle retired to  a farm near Paris, France. They will be reunited when Russell visits France this spring.

“She’s very fat and plump, in a field. She’s lovely,” said Russell.
Nomad and Mare will premiere at Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, both in-person and online, on Nov. 3. It will be available to watch here.

Top five Halloween events in Halifax

Anaam Choudhury
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Top five Halloween events in Halifax

As the crisp autumn air settles over Halifax, the city comes alive with an eerie excitement for Halloween. From family-friendly festivities to adults-only parties, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Here are five Halloween events to check out in Halifax.

Bluenose Ghosts Festival 

The Bluenose Ghosts Festival takes place every year at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth, and is one of the most popular Halloween events in the HRM. The remainder of the festival runs from Oct. 23-31 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each night. 

There are a variety of attractions catering to different age groups and scare tolerances, making it a versatile event for families and thrill-seekers alike.

One key attraction is the Terror Manor: House of Darkness, the scariest haunted house in the Halifax metro area, according to the event’s website. Others include the Escape Room Challenge and the Creighton Crypt Ride, a simulated casket ride. They also offer spiritual readings and a haunted park in which visitors can take spooky selfies in a themed setting. 

Tickets are available for purchase on-site every night until 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. Attendees are highly encouraged to come in costume to celebrate the festive Halloween season.

Science, Spirits and Boos: 19+ Halloween Party

The Discovery Centre will transform into a spooky laboratory on Oct. 26, for Science, Spirits and Boos: 19+ Halloween Party. 

This unique event combines the thrill of Halloween with hands-on science activities, offering a fun and educational experience for adults. Guests can explore interactive exhibits, participate in Halloween-themed experiments and enjoy themed cocktails. It’s an excellent opportunity for science enthusiasts and Halloween-lovers alike to celebrate the season in an unconventional setting.

Spooky Role-Playing Game Halloween at the Board Room Game Cafe 

For those who prefer a more low-key Halloween celebration, the Board Room Game Cafe  is set to host a role-playing game Halloween event on Oct. 31. This gathering is perfect for tabletop gaming enthusiasts who want to add a Halloween twist to their favorite role-playing games. 

Admission is $10 plus tax, and the café will feature specially curated Halloween-themed games and campaigns. Whether you’re a seasoned role-play game player or new to the genre, this event offers a unique way to celebrate Halloween while engaging in imaginative storytelling and strategic gameplay.

Spooky Reading Night 

Fathom’s Spooky Reading Night on Oct. 30, at Radstorm on Gottingen Street, is set to be a memorable event that combines the thrill of Halloween with the joy of storytelling. Tickets are $2 for Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College students and $5 for general admission. 

Whether you’re an avid reader or just looking for a fun way to celebrate the season, this event offers something for everyone. With local talent and an inviting atmosphere, it’s an excellent way to embrace the spooky vibes leading up to Halloween. 

Local authors and storytellers will take the stage to share their favourite spooky tales. The lineup will feature a mix of established writers and emerging voices from the community, coupled with Halloween-themed refreshments. Don’t forget your costume — come ready to enjoy an evening filled with horror and literary delights!

The Halifax Citadel Ghost Tour

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site runs ghost tours Thursdays through Sundays throughout October. (Image credit: Anaam Choudhury)

The Halifax Citadel Ghost Tour offers a spine-chilling journey into the haunted history of one of Canada’s most iconic historic sites. Tours are scheduled every Thursday to Saturday throughout October. This guided tour takes place at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, a 19th century British fort located atop Citadel Hill. 

Expect to hear true accounts of unexplained events that have occurred within the fort’s walls as you explore dimly-lit corridors and dark tunnels. The tour runs for 70 minutes, and tickets are priced at around $16.  Reservations can be made online through Eventbrite or at the site’s front kiosk prior to the tour. Whether you are new to Halifax or just want to know more about the city’s history, this tour will certainly bring unforgettable chills and thrills.

The sounds of fear

Ferris Kerr
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The sounds of fear

If you were lying in bed with the lights off and suddenly heard a slow repetitive creaking somewhere in your home, you would bolt upright. If deep in a forest, late into the evening, a low humming emerged from the trees, you might be inclined to hold your breath. Or maybe if you’re in a silent dark basement and hear a grating, quivering metallic note pierce the void, you might let out a little scream.

In film, these horrifying scenes are made more frightening by the creepily crafted soundtracks that haunt horror classics. For decades, horror movies have engaged and terrified viewers through music. Some tracks have seen massive success and emerged as cultural phenomena, such as the anticipatory Jaws (1975) soundtrack or the messy Get Out (2017) score.

Setting the scene through musical deviation

Creating horror soundtracks is rooted in storytelling and expectation. Horror films manipulate the viewer’s sense of safety through auditory and visual trickery, using instruments, pacing and themes to capture the spooky vibe.

Jacob Caines, the associate director of music at Dalhousie University, says horror music utilizes deviation to evoke reactions from audiences. 

“If something shifts away from what you expect it to be, it’s going to sound uncomfortable,” Caines says. “In Western tradition, we’re used to notes being held in one place… Anything to do with the expectation of a norm and the shifting of a norm will sound weird and jarring.”

Horror music bets on the viewer’s comfort with a theme, a series of notes or an instrument that elicits ease. When these norms are attacked, the scene shifts to one of dread. 

Caines says, “It’s maybe the most eerie when you take something that should be by all accounts major, happy, nice, calm and they make that unsettled.” 

This technique is expertly done in Midsommar (2019), the Ari Aster indie horror film, in which a jovial, lush scene begins to feel off with a sudden shift in musicality. As the harped-filled, shaky track grows noisier, the character’s grasp on reality crumbles in tandem with each note.


Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s well-loved 1975 masterpiece, engages in musical pace subversion. Rather than using instruments to deceive listeners, John Williams composes with varying tempos. The classic theme is a growing ‘duh-duh’ which foreshadows impending dangers. It begins patchy, with deep and slow string bumps but quickens with the interjection of brass at random intervals. This use of expectation and subversion allows listeners to follow the piece, and grow anxious with it, as it recedes and grows again with the scene.

Incorporating film themes

Caines also notes the use of theme as a tool for composers to subconsciously worry listeners. 

“The ‘Dies Irae’ pops up everywhere. For seven or eight notes, it’s pretty evocative… It’s a kind of cheat code for feeling uncomfortable about something.” 

The Dies Irae is an ancient string of notes utilized regularly in forms of musical storytelling to evoke a sense of incoming death. Its use is extensive, from Disney’s The Lion King (1994) to The Shining (1980). There is a subliminal understanding that when the Dies Irae plays, death follows suit. Next time you watch a movie, pay extra attention to scenes involving death. You may hear the seven descending notes.

Horror music incorporates these three elements into composition repeatedly: musical expectation subversion, musical pace interruption and hidden theme messaging. How, then, do horror films feel new and dreadful each time? 

Caines says, “Everything needs context. I don’t think there’s anything that works across the board without context.” 

Pulling directly from the film itself is a trick as old as filmmaking itself. Diegetic music refers to compositions that incorporate sounds originating within the world of the film itself, creating an immersive connection between the music and the narrative. Take James Wan’s Insidious (2010), a story about a boy who becomes a vessel for a demonic entity. As worlds collide and life and death switch places, the sound design and composition do the same. Door slamming and floorboard creaking sounds add percussion and rhythm to the soundtrack while bringing together music with the scene’s story.

Horror music is scary because, like the film it inhabits, you’re never sure of what comes next. Will it be a loud, cacophony of grating screams? A gentle, looming lullaby? Or simply silence, with a low, incomprehensible sense of dread around the corner?

Halifax’s Oxford Writers League brings together local writers

Calvin Borghardt
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Halifax’s Oxford Writers League brings together local writers

Writing is solitary, so many writers crave community. The Oxford Writers League (OWL) offers such solidarity.

OWL, a writing circle for Halifax writers, meets every Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at West Ender Coffee for writing sprints.

The league applies the Pomodoro technique. During writing exercises, the host sets a 45-minute timer, and participants write until it chimes. After the writing session, participants take a 15-minute break. The host then resets the timer for a second round, repeating the process. Conversations tend to conclude most meetings.

“I think as writers, we’re naturally introverted,” said Jessica Marsh, one of the participants. “We spend a lot of time on our own, so this is a way for us to be together but also be separate at the same time.”

Marsh compared the league’s meetings to “children parallel playing.” In parallel play, each child engages in their own activity while enjoying each other’s company. Marsh learned the value of writing sprints from participating in National Novel Writing Month and Pomodoros activities.

OWL’s origins

The host of the writing group’s meetings is Heather Jessup, creative writing program coordinator and an associate professor in the Department of English at Dalhousie University. Jessup attributes the group’s founding to the writer Shashi Bhat, the author of The Family Took Shape and The Most Precious Substance on Earth, the latter of which was a finalist for the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction.

According to Jessup, Bhat visited Dalhousie to give a talk about craft and process. Afterward, the audience asked her how she makes time to write. Bhat described belonging to various writing sprint groups. They’d meet in cafés, write in silence and chat between Pomodoros.

“In this age, where we share a lot of things on social media or digitally, it feels really nice to physically be in a café together once a week and see each other’s faces, and then these minor check-ins end up happening,” Jessup said. “Even though we’re spending most of our time not talking, I honestly think there comes this artistic community and intimacy that wouldn’t happen in the same way just online.”

An inclusive community

Some participants are not students. Tom MacIntyre met Jessup while he was on the job, loading compost into her car. Jessup mentioned she teaches creative writing and invited MacIntyre to attend the group’s meetings.

“I’d not really been inspired for quite a long time,” MacIntyre said. “I thought that being around a bunch of people who are working on creative things, maybe I’d absorb some [creativity].”

According to Ella Ratz, another participant, there’s value in working alongside people who aren’t your immediate family or your best friends. 

“Getting to regularly interact with and meet new people is such a stimulating thing for the brain, I think,” Ratz said.

Another appeal of the event is accountability. 

“If you’re sitting there and you’re writing at home, you would be tempted to check your email or look at social media,” Marsh said. “But here, surrounded by other writers, you know that everybody is doing the same thing; everybody’s writing, and you’re also on the clock.”

Jessup used the Pomodoro technique to complete her dissertation and her first book. She hosts and attends OWL meetings as a fellow writer, not as a professor.

“I have noticed, as a professor, that a lot of projects come out of simply an hour and a half a week from attending [meetings] regularly,” Jessup said. “I’ve had a number of grad students, for instance, say, ‘I was able to finish my master’s thesis because I had this community of people.’”

Everyone is welcome to attend the group’s meetings. There is no need to RSVP. Participants can bring anything they’d like to work on, even emails and assignments.

Dal Creative Minds Festival of Art comes to The Grawood

Robyn Holysh
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Dal Creative Minds Festival of Art comes to The Grawood

Live music drifted from The Grawood through the empty halls of the Student Union Building at Dalhousie University on Friday, Oct. 4. The tables outside the bar were missing their usual Friday night studiers. Instead, students crowded in the bar for the second Festival of Art, an event run by the student society Dalhousie Creative Minds.

Art vendors filled the booths as musicians took to the stage. 

Third-year University of King’s College student Charlie Graf was one of the many musicians featured during the night.

“We have played for three quarters of a year now together, doing shows, but I will never not be nervous,” said Graf. “Before every single show I am pacing back and forth, but this event was really nice.”

Playing with a band of five called Waking Up Biscuit, Graf was behind the microphone, guitar in hand, for most of the night. 

Artists, friends of artists and those looking to appreciate art, crowded The Grawood. Some sat cross legged on the ground in front of the stage, others stayed further back, swaying to the music on their feet. 

“It is really nice bringing [the music] first to my band and they’re like this is cool, let’s do something with this,” Graf said. “Then you work on it for like a week, two weeks, a month, and then you get to show it to people and hear how they react to it and see what parts they connect with. It feels really good.”

Dalhousie Creative Minds is a society on campus that promotes artists and creates a community of like-minded, creative individuals. It is the second time they have hosted this festival and they are hoping to host more similar events. 

Third-year King’s and Dalhousie student Lola Drewery, the founder of Dalhousie Creative Minds, started the society in February 2024, which has since garnered major interest. She encourages people to follow the society’s Instagram to keep up to date on upcoming events. 

“I thought that Dal needed some more societies that uplifted art and brought students together who like to do creative stuff,” she said. 

Vendors sold handmade art products during Dalhousie Creative Minds’ Festival of Art. (Image credit: Noor Mohrez)

As the night progressed, more people filtered in. The lights were dim as The Grawood staff hurried between tables and vendors to serve thirsty customers. 

Vendors at the tables displayed their work and talked with those passing by who were interested in their art. They presented jewelry, clothing and drawings. Drewery’s own booth displayed her photographs taken during her summer tree planting work. 

“I am a photographer,” Drewery said. “I have always taken photos, and I have always appreciated art. I’ve got childhood friends who like music. So, I wanted to do that type of stuff and meet people who do that type of stuff and I know other people want to as well.”

The event attracted creators of all different kinds. Fin Taylor, a fourth-year King’s student, is a visual artist who was selling decks of hand drawn tarot cards and doing readings. 

He found Dalhousie Creative Minds at a career fair and noticed they were looking for vendors. 

“I drew these when I was 12, actually, and I’ve just had stock in my basement since then. So, I figured I might as well try to get it back out there,” Taylor said. 

Taylor’s table laid out his favourite cards in the deck for viewers as they meandered between artists. His drawings were full of colourful sketches and fun characters. 

He explained how he got into tarot cards and readings.

“I found it at just the right time when I didn’t have anything going on with my summer. And I was like yeah I can draw a full deck of tarot cards, easy. And then I just did it.”

The energy in the bar was high all evening, bringing many artists together. 

Drewery said, “I am just happy people are loving it as much as I do.”

Your vote matters!

Jenna Olsen
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Your vote matters!

Students are able to vote in the Oct. 19 municipal election for mayor and district councillors if they meet the following eligibility requirements: Voters must be 18 years old by the first advanced polling day, a resident of Nova Scotia for six months before the first advanced polling day, a resident of the HRM before the first advanced polling day, and a Canadian citizen on the first advanced polling day according to the website for the Halifax Regional Municipality. 

The HRM’s voting requirements also emphasize that “Students who meet basic voting eligibility are considered a resident of either where their family home is located or where they are attending school, but not both. All residents are only able to vote in one municipal election in Nova Scotia.”

Voting takes place between Oct. 8 and Oct. 19. In order to vote, residents must be on the list of electors. Voters who have not previously registered can contact the municipality’s voter helpline by calling 902-490-VOTE to get on the list of electors.
The Gazette attempted to interview the three current frontrunners for mayor in the upcoming municipal election. While Pam Lovelace and Waye Mason agreed to answer our questions, Andy Fillmore did not respond after multiple requests for comment. The current mayor of Halifax Mike Savage is not running for another term.

An interview with mayoral candidate Pam Lovelace

Jenna Olsen
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An interview with mayoral candidate Pam Lovelace

The Dalhousie Gazette spoke with mayoral candidate and current District 13 councillor Pam Lovelace. In a phone interview, she answered questions on the issues at the forefront of students and Halifax residents’ minds this election cycle. Election day is October 19.

What should voters know about your political background?

I am a councillor for Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), a former deputy mayor and I teach local government at Dalhousie University where I modernized a local government course for [the] Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development.  

What should voters know about your policy proposals?

I’m advocating for modernization in our taxation system, removing the provincial government off of the property tax bills, both residential and commercial. I’m advocating for the transformation of Halifax transit and creating a capital region transportation commission with budding municipalities who are sending in tens of thousands of single-occupancy vehicles every day and working with the provincial government to create that commission. 

The provincial government is on the property tax bill. They take 30 per cent of the property tax bill for residential property taxes and that is all for provincial responsibilities. I’m advocating to remove them. The property tax revenue should not be split with the province. The province already has the highest sales tax [and] one of the highest income taxes in the country. So we need to get the province off our tax bill because we don’t get any of the sales tax or income tax.

Why is it important for students to vote?

It’s so important for students to vote because I hope this city is where they will continue to live and work and potentially have families. I’m excited about ensuring that young people actually recognize that this is their city and the only way to create change is to make their voice heard on election day and to ensure that we are addressing their concerns, whether it’s around affordability, safe streets, helping those who are living unhoused on our streets, ensuring that we work with businesses to expand and create good paying jobs, as well as creating a much more functional transportation system, so it’s affordable for young people to get from one end of the municipality to the other.

How do you propose to support students?

What I’m focused on is providing affordable living. At this point in time, our municipality has become very unaffordable for students and young people to actually live and work in. And with the high rate of unemployment that we’re seeing for young people right now between the ages of 18 and 25, I’m focused on making sure that we have job opportunities and good paying job opportunities for students and young people, so that they can live, work, play and thrive in the HRM.

How do you propose to address the affordability crisis?

The first thing I want to do is get the province off our property tax bill. The second thing is to streamline our development process to make sure that we reduce any time gaps or unnecessary fees in that system so that builders can build quicker and cheaper, and that [the] municipality and [provincial] government [are] cutting the red tape so we’re not adding unnecessary costs. I want to make sure that we’re working with the universities to quicken the process of building student housing that meets the needs of students. We’re looking at more options for housing for students because we know that some are moving here with their families to attend school. They need access to affordable daycare, for example, so that they can complete their studies and have their families here with them. I’m looking forward to sitting down with the student unions and working with student groups to ensure their voices are involved and included in policy development at HRM.

How would you propose to address the tent encampments?

I think what we’ve been doing with the tent encampment in working better with the provincial government is getting us to the point where we’re finally seeing the numbers in tents actually drop, because there’s more housing options and more community housing options for people. In addition to that, we finally have a good system where the intake for individuals is much more streamlined and collaborative with the community service providers who are assisting those folks, and assessing what kind of housing they actually need. I feel like we’re on the right path, but we’ve got to get more smaller homes and shelter homes up and running and at the same time. So while we’ve been working through the administrative aspects of providing opportunities for people to get employed in this sector, we’ve also been working with the community services organizations to help and support them in scaling up and recognizing where the gaps in the system are, so we can fill those gaps.

Mayoral candidate Waye Mason weighs in on his policies

Mary MacDonald
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Mayoral candidate Waye Mason weighs in on his policies

The Dalhousie Gazette reached out to mayoral candidate and current District 7 Councillor Waye Mason for an interview about his policies and platform for the upcoming HRM municipal election. Mason emailed replies to the Gazette’s questions about his policies, opinions and what we think students need to know. All of Mason’s quotes were taken verbatim from his emailed statement. 

Describe your biography and knowledge of municipal affairs that positions you as the most qualified mayoral candidate.

I’ve been on Council for 12 years, before that I worked in the music and cultural industries and taught for five years at NSCC. I’ve got experience at navigating City Hall and I will hit the ground in a full sprint – keeping projects moving that will directly impact housing and affordability over the next several years.

Thousands of students attend post-secondary institutions in HRM. What municipal issues and concerns affecting students can you identify that are within the mayor’s ability to address?

The thing I am hearing over and over from residents from one end of HRM to the other are housing, affordability, and transit. I am proud to be the first and so far only candidate to release a comprehensive and detailed platform, that has solid, pragmatic and realistic proposals to make real improvements on all of those issues. We need to build more housing, do whatever we can to make municipal services affordable for those facing income challenges and invest in fixing transit, making some routes operate 24/7, investing in short term fixes, and ultimately building bus rapid transit.

What accomplishments are you most proud of during your two terms as councillor for Halifax South End/Downtown?

Major projects or investments I’m proud of include the streets capings of Argyle and Spring Garden, the new Common Pool, the South Park bike lane, buying five new ferries, purchasing the Shaw wilderness parklands, and getting the land donated by HRM to support the construction of a new Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre.

Bringing in plans that move us away from car dependent transportation through the Integrated Mobility Plan, adopting and funding HalifACT, our climate action plan, and protecting our green and wild spaces through Halifax Green Network plan are huge steps forward were all huge accomplishments. Successfully navigating our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, renaming Peace and Friendship Park, and working to build a real and lasting partnership with the Mi’kmaw filled me with joy.

What are your top three priorities if elected HRM mayor?

Set up Housing Halifax, an arms-length agency to make affordable housing get built faster, get a traffic operations centre built to reduce congestion, and set up civilian-led response teams to de-task the police and provide alternative health focused response for homeless, mental health and other social work calls for help.

What should voters know about your political background?

I am not a member of any political party. I got into municipal politics as an activist who had worked to help make my community a better place, specifically fighting to keep my kids school from being closed by the school board! I think it is important to have leaders in the municipal space who are not identified as active party members, as you have to work with whoever else gets elected at Council, and whoever else gets elected provincially and federally, whatever their stripes.

How do you propose to address the tent encampments?

No one should live in a tent. No parks should have tents. Right now though, there is no housing for a lot of the people in tents, so we need to support folks in managed encampments with portapotties, water, etc while housing and shelter is built.

We need to make sure the encampments are safe for both people living there and the neighbours around them, and we need to make sure the province works to house ALL the residents, including the folks with the highest needs. While most folks living in tents are low needs, and just need a roof and a door they can lock, some need more help. HRM will work with the province to make sure they provide needed wraparound services for mental health and drug addictions for those that need it.

We are probably 12-18 months away from being able to get our parks fully empty of tents, though I expect over the next period of time that we will reduce the approved spots, and slowly roll it back to just a few places.

The Dalhousie Outdoors Society petitions union for more funding to subsidize high trip costs

Robyn Holysh
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The Dalhousie Outdoors Society petitions union for more funding to subsidize high trip costs

Anticipation was building as Megan Small waited with other members of the Dalhousie Outdoors Society for a snorkeling trip to Terence Bay Beach. Small is one of many students who loves to participate in the society’s trips funded in part by a levy from the DSU.

“Snorkeling, you don’t get to do every day,” she said. “Having people that are willing to take you and teach you and [allow you] to learn is an amazing thing.”

The Dal Outdoors Society is the largest student society at Dal, with close to 1000 members registered this semester. The society is free for students to join and runs outdoor trips, lends free outdoor gear and offers member discounts to local outdoor stores. 

The Outdoors Society is a levied society and doesn’t receive money from the university. Instead, it’s funded via student fees allocated by the DSU. The society currently receives $0.50 per full-time Dalhousie student each semester and $0.25 per part-time student. 

Megan Cooper, president of the Outdoors Society, believes the funding and support they’re receiving from the union is not enough. They are petitioning the DSU to increase the levy to $1 per full-time student and $0.50 per part-time student. 

“We are at capacity in terms of all of our trips being booked in a day, most of our gear is booked out for weekends a week before. We can’t provide more,” Cooper said. “And at the same time … there is so much demand.”

The levy from the DSU isn’t enough to subsidize the cost of many trips, with members having to pay additional fees to attend. Cooper is hoping a levy increase will make the cost of trips more accessible for students.

“Last semester we put out a member survey,” she said. “We put out a bunch of survey questions to a bunch of students and said ‘where are we failing you’ and a lot of people said trips were too expensive.”

Small is a trip leader for the society and became involved last year. She also emphasized the importance of making trips accessible for all students. 

“We are all university students and some of the trips are more expensive,” Small said. “So, having them cheaper would be more accessible for more people. I think it would help get people out doing more things and make them more happy.”

During the long weekend at the end of September, most of the shelves in the society’s gear library sat empty. Almost all the gear had been rented out with nothing but an abundance of snowshoes and other winter gear left unclaimed on the warm September day. 

“Students want to go outside and they want to explore outside of Halifax. It’s great for mental health and great for building community and we think that we are an important resource,” said Cooper. 

As of Sept. 30, the petition has approximately 180 student signatures. This was before the petition was advertised on social media and support and signatures were generated solely through word of mouth. To get the levy request on the DSU’s agenda, the petition needs 1054 signatures. The Outdoors Society has been promoting the petition on social media and plans on encouraging members to sign it at their Annual General Meeting on Oct. 7. 

Cooper said, “We are 40 students just like you, writing honour theses, going to five classes, working part-time jobs and we put in a lot of work on top of all of our other responsibilities. I think signing the petition is super easy and helps us to continue to provide all of these services.”

Small believes the society plays a key role in helping students explore what the province has to offer outside of Halifax. 

“For me, it’s just about being able to get off the campus and see what Nova Scotia is really about,” she said. “It’s very different being on campus all the time versus actually going out,” she said. “I am from Ontario and I wanted to see Nova Scotia.”

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