Nova Scotia Health gets new administrator
CBC
Nova Scotia Health has a new administrator and this time they're based in Nova Scotia. But opposition leaders say it's nothing more than an attempt by the provincial government to mute criticism on the eve of a possible election call.
Health Minister Michelle Thompson announced Thursday that former Capital District Health Authority CEO Chris Power will take on the role beginning Nov. 6, the same day Janet Davidson's resignation becomes effective.
Davidson, who was appointed administrator after Thompson and Premier Tim Houston fired the health authority board and CEO after they formed government in 2021, signed a new contract last month. But the government came under fire when it was learned Davidson now lives in Ontario.
In an interview, Thompson said Davidson gave notice on Tuesday. She declined to provide specifics.
"We were very fortunate to have her guidance over the last number of years," said Thompson. "Very, very grateful to her for all she's done for Nova Scotians."
Power will be paid $100,000 a year, about half of what Davidson would have made. The minister said Davidson will receive $15,000 in severance to reflect the work she does before leaving her job.
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said Davidson's resignation was the right move and it was "ridiculous" for the government to have renewed her contract in the first place.
He said it's "blatantly obvious to everybody" that the premier is trying to tie up problematic loose ends before calling a snap election. He pointed to recent announcements supporting the ferry service to Maine and plans to do work related to the Chignecto Isthmus as further evidence.
"I think he's just shoring up potential threats to him in local areas before he calls an early election that, again, is a breach of his own [fixed election date] law."
Thompson also announced the creation of a new health system council, a group of three to nine people approved by her who can provide advice and monitor the quality and performance of the system. The group will meet quarterly and make recommendations by Aug. 1 each year.
People will be selected from a variety of backgrounds, including health care, data analytics and industrial engineering, and serve three-year terms with one option for renewal, said Thompson. There's no guarantee everyone on the council will reside in Nova Scotia, she said.
"Wherever we can take what's working well and experience in other places and bring it here, we will do that."
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that makes no sense.
"This government loves to rely on, you know, people in California who run tech companies to tell us how to do things," she said.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives will huddle behind closed doors at a policy convention this weekend as some Tories question the party’s direction after nearly eight years in power.
The father of a three-year-old girl that was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Cambridge in mid-December says recent charges laid to the driver bring little comfort and relief.
The start of kindergarten can be a time of excitement or anxiety for parents, guardians and children — and also for Prince Edward Island's education officials as they try to staff schools appropriately.
Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation (NNC)’s proposed hydro project is facing some backlash in Pangnirtung.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will take to the stage Friday for what could be one of the most important speeches of his political career as he tries to convince delegates at the party's Calgary convention to keep him in the job.
As his flight departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport en route to Kuwait via Istanbul, Canadian crypto fugitive Andean Medjedovic was unaware that his globe-trotting lifestyle would soon be halted.
One of the largest taxi companies in Toronto will be down to three wheelchair-accessible cabs by the end of March, as advocates and providers say the city is failing to support accessible taxi drivers.
As a deep freeze continues to envelop southwestern Ontario at the same time municipalities deal with a pressing shortage of road salt, there's a renewed focus on finding different ways to melt road ice.
Dave Lawson is a proud Canadian who has bumper stickers that say "Canada is not for sale." He's fed up with grocery products plastered with maple leaves and patriotic logos that turn out to be American imports.
The Town of Badger has issued an evacuation order for some residents as water levels on the Exploits River continue to rise.
The head of a national seniors' advocacy organization says protecting nursing home residents from sexual abuse is an important but challenging issue.
New data shows Winnipeg's fire-paramedic service fielded hundreds of reports involving the city's homeless population, but one advocate says she expects that number to go down in light of the city's limits on where encampments can be.
Former students of the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School have reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the federal government.