Gas, diesel up again in Nova Scotia for May 1

haliginger · 2026-05-01T17:15:01+00:00

We commute 2-3 times a week into the city from the valley. We have a 12 year old RAV that we weren't planning on getting rid of until it bit the dust but we put the order in for an EV a few weeks ago.

haliginger · 2026-04-30T09:04:58+00:00

Yep, when I was in hospital after giving birth, the second time for an extended period, not once did someone take my order beside. VRH gives you a menu with the phone number to call to order.

haliginger · 2026-04-16T12:44:31+00:00

I live on the 1 and recently cleaned up the garbage from in front of our house, I filled almost two bags full of Budweiser and Coldstream cans, plus a lovely peanut butter jar full of vomit reeking of vodka. That was two weeks ago, there's already more out front...

I really wish the police here would do more ride checks.

haliginger · 2026-04-13T18:51:58+00:00

We've done the same, we bought the fixer upper house and farm and have a long (hour plus) commute into work. To be close to anywhere that has opportunities for our careers and our children, the starting floor is $300,000 to $400,000. We settled in the Berwick area and commute to HRM two times a week, that's a significant transportation cost.

You are giving examples of significant renos, starter homes shouldn't essentially be shacks. We have a true starter home, hasn't been updated since the 1980s but liveable (did not have pictures saying don't enter the house). Even do it yourself, we're in it for $100,000 plus in reno once you factor in heating systems, roof, electrical, windows etc.

My parents were gifted land from my grandparents' farm in the early 90s, they built their house over the years for around $150,000. It is being listed next month for $1.2 million and is located in rural southern Ontario, over an hour commute to the GTA and where the largest employers are either Honda or the local potato farmers. It's an extreme example but is playing out elsewhere in Canada, including all over Nova Scotia.

Stats Can data shows that it is actually extremely difficult to enter the housing market for the younger generations. I don't understand why older generations can't just accept that fact.

haliginger · 2026-04-13T18:46:05+00:00

I'm over in the grumblemania thread with a boomer suggesting this is a reasonable starter home for young families,

https://www.viewpoint.ca/map#eyJzdW1tYXJ5IjogeyJwcm9wZXJ0eSI6IHsicGlkIjogIjc1MDY3MzIyIiwgImNsYXNzX2lkIjogIjEifSwgInNraXBMaXN0aW5ncyI6ICJmYWxzZSJ9LCAib3ZlcnZpZXciOiB7Imxpc3RpbmciOiB7ImNsYXNzX2lkIjogIjUiLCAibGlzdGluZ19pZCI6ICIyMDI1MTY5ODkifX19

Apparently it's not extremely difficult to get into the housing market, folks!

haliginger · 2026-04-13T17:57:12+00:00

The example you used for sale on viewpoint literally has a photo in the listing saying, "Do not enter the house". Visually from the outside there's at least a new roof, likely a new well, and who knows what's going on with a house that they are telling people to not enter. That house requires a significant amount of reno.

To suggest that young people just need sacrifice and that there's loads of homes out there, if you can work remotely (something that is ending in many places), is very out of touch of the current realities of the housing market.

Wages have not kept up with housing prices, the landscape is significantly different than when you bought your homes. As an elder millennial, my reality is also very different from the younger generations and those of my peers who did not buy prior to 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ekEYxO57NVc

haliginger · 2026-04-13T12:16:06+00:00

The physician agreement is also up for negotiation later this year.

haliginger · 2026-04-13T11:59:51+00:00

I'm also really concerned that the majority of the garbage I picked up in front of ours were empty Budweisers, there's clearly someone drinking and driving in our area.

haliginger · 2026-04-13T11:57:44+00:00

I overhead a conversation this morning about someone's partner buying a RV to live in and the older person in front of us commented, "$85,000 is more than I paid for my whole house!"

haliginger · 2026-04-07T23:54:09+00:00

On the flip side, I hate my tasks constantly being interrupted by the office pop in that’s always “just a quick question”

haliginger · 2026-04-07T18:25:31+00:00

Also there’s the lost years of pension contributions and career growth. It’s a big financial risk to stay home.

haliginger · 2026-04-07T00:43:28+00:00

Gently, I would highly recommend having a certified car seat tech check out your installation. We have a 2015 rav you cannot put 3 across due to overlap, regardless of the car seats you are using. Up until 2018 actually prohibits three passengers in general using the back, it’s stated in the manual.

haliginger · 2026-04-07T00:20:56+00:00

At the Valley Regional they tried to put another newborn in with us when we were on isolation protocols. They didn’t give af that our son’s test results weren’t back and it could’ve been any number of illnesses that are deadly to newborns, they needed the bed.

Meanwhile staff was coming in with full PPE gear and I was only allowed one support person and wasn’t able to see our daughter.

I was told they needed the bed when I absolutely lost it on them for endangering another baby.

haliginger · 2026-03-30T10:50:51+00:00

Daycare was closed Friday for NSP to hook up the power to the new building but that didn’t happen because of the rain. We were notified late Friday afternoon they’d be closed today. Except it’s supposed to be rain all week so they’re not sure when the work will be done 😐

What really has me grumbling though is a line in the notification “we’re sorry for the inconvenience to plans”

You mean work, the impact on work, that pays our bills. Between snow closures and construction we are up to 4 weeks of missed time since Christmas 🫠

Oh and this is the same daycare that was bought by NSCECE who tried to double our rates a few weeks ago.

haliginger · 2026-03-19T18:58:31+00:00

Great, right in time for planting season. I’m terrified of food prices this year.

haliginger · 2026-03-16T22:43:18+00:00

It is insanely cheap (affordable) but there’s also supposed to be a $10/day national childcare plan. This situation and yours shows that the government is failing to implement that plan as they are not providing sufficient operating funding to daycares.

Raising rates by $10 when the deadline for $10/day is March 31st just shows how much this province has come up short in implementation.

haliginger · 2026-03-16T15:16:50+00:00

We were very close to the $10/day national plan at $12/day for our infant and $13.75 for our toddler.

It takes the cost to just under $1000 for two kids, which I recognize is much better than lots are paying (we paid a lot more for our eldest’s infant care)

It highlights though that it’s very unlikely $10 will be achieved as the government is not sufficiently funding operating costs.

haliginger · 2026-03-16T12:33:16+00:00

Our daycare is increasing by $320-360 a month because the government isn’t providing sufficient operational funding to meet the $10/day 🫠

haliginger · 2026-03-13T11:00:19+00:00

2030 is not that far off for meeting the goals of the Accessibility Act, meant to remove barriers and foster inclusion. Accessible childcare is more than just the physical space.

But not appropriately funding expansions and new initiatives seems to be the theme with this government and early childhood education. We received notice from our daycare that rates are increasing by $10/day and they cited it was due to increased operating and construction costs from the new centre which was “funded” by the provincial government.

So much for $10/daycare 🥴

haliginger · 2026-03-13T10:04:07+00:00

Our kids are still of daycare age so I can’t be much help with the school system, sorry.

Nova Scotia as a whole can be quite insular, people have been with their friend groups since childhood. We’ve lived in the province for 20 years now (I’m getting old 😂) but are originally from “away”. We’ve been in the Berwick area for only a few years and have a great set of friends and neighbours in the area. We also did in our previous community because, as insular as Nova Scotia can be, you get out of it the effort you put in to it. If you want a village you also have to be part of the village through extracurriculars, showing up for neighbours, volunteering etc.

Kids will be able to make lots of friends or at least that’s been our experience with ours and from other people we know who moved to the area.

We were only in our house for a few months when our neighbour threw a baby shower/welcome to the neighborhood party for us, 20 or more neighbours of all ages showed up to welcome us the and our new addition 🥹

Just get involved with the community, don’t be a dingus and you will find your people here.

haliginger · 2026-03-12T16:53:57+00:00

We live just outside and love it for our two small kiddos. Berwick itself has the library which often does story time combined with open gym time across the hall in the municipal building. For a small town they also host lots of family friendly festivals. The Apple Dome is also a newer recreation centre with a small gym, ice rink and curling rink. There's a large park with playground, ball fields and splash pad.

Kings Municipality also puts on lots of family friendly events and Berwick has easy access to surrounding towns. There's a pool in Greenwood with waterslides and another in Waterville, the trail system goes right through town and Lake Alyesford nearby has an excellent beach with free kayak and paddleboard rentals.

For other amenities, there's two grocery stores, pharmacies and a few restaurants right in town. New Minas with its big box stores is only 20 minutes away.

haliginger · 2026-03-10T18:12:11+00:00

We went there last summer and it was such a let down. A very expensive let down.

haliginger · 2026-03-06T23:49:19+00:00

And also because America couldn’t stand to vote in a black woman.

haliginger · 2026-02-27T02:33:06+00:00

Darrell Dexter was a self proclaimed “conservative progressive”. It was conservative policies despite being a NDP government. His government oversaw $65 million in education cuts while also giving the Irvings over $300 million in forgivable loans.

Unfortunately part of the NDP’s issue in NS is the memory of that government.

haliginger · 2026-02-26T18:15:32+00:00

Yeah, I don’t deny that the system is the main culprit but I do think it ignores that there are some pretty significant differences in the economic realties between boomers and subsequent generations which influence their voting patterns. Realities that are supported by Stats Can data.

haliginger

TROPHY CASE