Well, Hartlen Point is currently breaking my heart in two but I have not lost hope that Canada may come around to protecting it.

Interestingly enough, I asked the DND project people if there was any chance Hartlen Point could be designated as an OECM when I met with them 2 years ago. They had never heard of an OECM and asked me to send them more information about it. With the help of the PR firm, Prospectus, they learned to use a lot of the community questions and our words against us. I personally find this to be terribly un-democratic and very concerning.

Fast forward 2 years the federal government have just announced they will created more OECMs with a focus on Coastal habitat.

But this has to be strategic to create them after destroying an ecologically sensitive, almost pristine coastal headland on an important migratory path. There likely is not another one like it that is owned by the feds anywhere in Canada. So sure, after you destroy the only one, you can talk about protecting them. Most uncool.

Anyway, DND intends to build an LBTF at Hartlen Point. Possibly the largest LBTF in the world. Certainly the only LBTF that will send radar into a migratory path for birds. Also, home to lobster spawning grounds, and frequented by surfers. And the only sea to sky sunrise and gorgeous entrance to Halifax Harbour. Really this is where you want to build this? Boggles the mind.

For sure another location could work, but the Navy seemingly want to sit by the ocean and watch their toys sail by. The project is way over budget and rampant with scope creep. While people sleep in the streets we are pouring money into this project that will be completely obsolete before it’s even built. It is ridiculous through and through.

Representatives from the NSBS were told it would be a small facility and not much of the headland would be affected. But after convincing their board members of this, they announced this:

“The building is anticipated to incorporate office/planning/meeting areas, warehousing, technical workshops, training areas, operations areas, and laydown areas, among others. Associated site infrastructure is anticipated to include paved vehicle parking, trailer space and security fencing. Road access and municipal service extensions are expected to be required.”

I hardly see how window decals on the building will come close to meaningful mitigation given the scope creep and destruction of habitat. Sure birders will still have access to the site but I can’t imagine it will be a place that will be positive for birds to visit. It will sometimes be deadly for them.

“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum….”
― Noam Chomsky, The Common Good

Moving the Osprey nest in collaboration with the NSBS is a great example of what Noam said. Meaningless in the grand scheme of things really.

The IAC refused to visit the site in person. I have no concept how they can make informed decisions without a physical visit. Minister Guillebault refused to answer questions (can’t imagine he has visited the site either), and the feds refused to acknowledge a petition signed by 23K people. Rumor has it Margaret Atwood may even have signed it!

So now we have a petition in circulation that will be acknowledged by Parliament.

Hartlen Point : Petition to the Government of Canada

But I digress. I’ll take a page from the incredible Freeman Patterson and try to show the beauty of the place instead of being political. It is a lot more difficult to be positive but sometimes Mother Nature lends a hand.

I took all of these photos at Hartlen Point and have many more. I have not lost hope that the project can’t be scaled back and the site can be better protected. And at the very least, Canada can answer the community questions and answer our ATIPs. Protecting democracy is so important, especially now.

Just one question though. Who is going to tell the birds not to fly into the path of the radar when they are testing?

This old house came with rodent issues, which were never properly addressed by the previous owners.

There was just no way I would ever use poison.  Our property is surrounded by woods, so we have Owls and Hawks who frequent our yard.

We even have nesting Northern Goshawks.

And all those birds of prey eat rodents.  And all these birds of prey will die if they eat a rodent who has ingested poison.  Period. 

None of this nonsense of about second generation poisons being safe, that is simply untrue no matter what unscrupulous sales people might say.

Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides. SGARS are the deadliest concoction of ingredients used to (mis) manage nuisance rodents.  All anticoagulant rodenticides kill birds of prey or other wildlife who eat rodents who have ingested poison.

So yeah, hard no for me.  And makes no sense anyway as the birds of prey will eat the rodents. And honestly I don’t want the rodents dying a miserable death from poison anyway.

So, rats were what we had to deal with.  Norway Rats are super cute and not much of a concern frankly if not in the house. 

As long as nobody in the neighborhood is using poisons that kill the Owls and Hawks then the rodent population will stay low as they are a source of food for raptors.  See, Mother Nature has a plan. 

I was unhappy to have to kill any critters at all but because the rats were so well established in our crawl space for many years, I had no choice but to trap them.  I killed 4 in total, and they all died super fast and happy with a taste of peanut butter being their last experience.  I got super strong heavy duty plastic traps that were specifically for rats.  You must use the right size trap (don’t use a rat trap to kill mice or a mouse trap to kills rats) so it works instantly and not cheap out on the wooden ones.  The last thing you want is an injured animal suffering.  It’s bad enough you must kill them so quick is best. Don’t use traps outside either, you run the risk of injuring or killing other wildlife and birds, and for the love of all things good never use a glue trap.

Rats don’t go very far from their nest.  And they like familiarity.  They like food and nesting materials.  Temperature is not as important. And because they stay close to the nest if they venture out they are quickly exposed to predators. So if you can discourage them from being close to the house that also helps nature take it’s course more quickly.

The crawlspace under my office has a dirt floor, and the rats were tunneling into the space because it had batts of insulation they like to nest in.  So, sealing the tunnels and removing the insulation were step one.  Of course, we tried trapping the rats first to hopefully encourage them to vacate the area, but again too well established so they ended up sealed in and trapped.  Then we removed the insulation which was no easy task.  Rodent urine is not good for you to breathe in so had to be done by professionals and I had the space spray foamed at the same time.

Also, the crawl space had some spots where rodents might enter the proper basement.  That would be a problem and thankfully none were coming in but picked up heavy duty steel wool that is designed for rodent control and sealed everything up and covered over with heavy poultry wire.

There are also 4 mature apple trees in the yard.  And when I first moved in I was overwhelmed with home repairs so lost control of the apples on the ground so was actually feeding the rats. They were dragging apples into the crawlspace to eat.  Oh my.  So, I’m also much more mindful about that now and did a lot better this fall.  Made a few apple pies, and the rest went to friends with horses and the odd apple gets thrown in the woods for deer.  I’m not a fan of feeding wildlife but try to find some balance of course and if you leave them on the ground the deer eat them anyway so I just try to do my very best. And I figure a green bin full of apples won’t be good if a Black Bear comes through the yard either.

It’s been about 6 months and there is no sign at all that any rats have come back so problem solved.  Now the crawl space is clean and conditioned and heated too, so it makes the room above warmer, and there is nothing bad to breathe.  Money well spent.

I mean you could just keep paying 100 bucks a month for people to bring poison and never have your problem solved, or you can do things right on your own.

Depending on what type of rodents are entering your space, different solutions will be needed but it’s all the same.  Make it so they have no access.  Clean so there is no food or nesting material.  Trap the ones that are already in.  Lather rinse repeat as needed.

Any rodents that are outside will be very quickly eaten up by birds of prey.  And who doesn’t love to hear an Owl or see a beautiful Hawk fly by?

Our resident rodent eaters include Barred Owl, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Coopers Hawk, and Sharp-shinned Hawk.  I have seen all of them in my yard, here is a Sharpie doing a quick flyby.

I have seen the Coopers many times but not gotten a decent photograph yet.  I think it’s really neat I have all 3 Accipiters visiting the yard.

There are also Great-horned Owls in the neighbourhood although I haven’t seen or heard one since I moved in.  I saw them once at my other house about 2km away in Eastern Passage.

There are also Bobcats around, and we’ve seen a Short-tailed Weasel.  Of course, lots of Fox too.

Mother Nature has a plan.  It is possible to coexist in harmony and do as little harm as possible. 

Being a nature lover and hobby wildlife photographer, I want things to survive and thrive.  The most annoying critter we had visit the yard yet was a porcupine.  I mean they are cute and quite harmless but with two dogs that is not a creature I want hanging around my hard.  But just picking the apples from the tree the next morning sent him packing.

All creatures need to eat and have shelter.  You just need to do some research and stay a step ahead of things to enjoy a little wildlife in your yard.

Beautiful critters are all around and don’t generally cause much harm unless humans create problems.  So that means keep your garbage bins locked up, clean up fruit and veggie gardens.  Don’t use poisons.  And enjoy the results.

Back in the summer my partner and I heard about the evictions happening at the Halifax Library and went down to bear witness. Here are a few of the photos I took.

It was a huge turning point for HRM as it sparked a ton of attention (Turkeys from airplanes for sure) about the homeless crisis in the city.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Things are definitely on a much more positive trajectory now and I’m so excited that the portables will open today (January 12) in Dartmouth!

Last night I watched the portion of the January 11th council meeting dedicated to the modular housing, and one thing that I thought was very positive was Tony Mancini’s suggestion that HRM has a summit on homelessness. My general impression from council is that the members want to help, and may be a few steps removed or naïve about the circumstances that some people live under so keep in touch keep conversations flowing and be kind. We need to build community. Maybe I watched too much Sesame Street in the 70s…I dunno but I digress…

Anyway, there are many great partner organizations to bring into the discussion as he mentioned, but there are also key individuals who could add a lot of knowledge.

Rachelle Sauve, is one person they may want to bring into the conversation. She moved to Halifax in the summer and in my opinion is a wonderful addition to our community of HRM with her strong background in grassroots anti-poverty work. She volunteers extensively at the People’s Park helping to distribute donations, being a friend to residents, and cleaning up the site. I personally think it would be very beneficial to invite her to any conversation the city or province wants to have about how to help the roughly housed population. I attended a workshop she conducted at the People’s Park this summer and it was incredibly informative and eye opening. Smart lady! There are a number of other people who volunteer at the park who may also be good to speak with about the situation on the ground and how the community can help.

At any rate, governments are not really in the business of making things better, unless the voters ask for it. Community fixes things so roll up your sleeves and talk to your politicians too please.

Last week some of my friends gave me donations to bring to the people who are tenting in various locations throughout HRM.

Not everything I received was easily donated but I did get it all figured out and still working on finding more information.

If you drop by Meaher Park to bring donations make sure what you bring is something they can use as they have no storage space, no ability to cook, and unless it’s cold, no refrigeration. If you go by during the day there is a good chance you may encounter a volunteer from the community or a resident you can speak with. You can leave things there if nobody is around but be aware that the wrong donations are almost as bad as no donations.

Unless there is a direct request for the specific day cooked meals are not a good donation. If they are not eaten they end up in garbage and attract rodents and odors. Snacks like Granola Bars or other single serving snacks more useful.

$10 Gift Cards for places like Tim Horton’s or MacDonalds or anywhere else someone might get an inexpensive beverage or food and a chance to warm up also good, especially when it’s cold out. If there are places nearby that are open 24 hours also good for people to get out of the elements for a bit.

Specifically at the People’s Park they can use firewood. A proper firepit was donated by some firefighters and it helps keep the area warm.

For all the tenting sites or areas you find people who are roughly housed these are often very useful donations.

• personal care wipes
• garbage bags
• rubber boots
• paper towels
• socks
• underwear (long johns and tights in winter)
• warm gloves (not mittens)
• disposable gloves (for site cleanup)
• AA and AAA batteries
• Jogging Pants and Hoodies (mens Large often the winning size but inquire if you can)
• backpack (empty, with working zippers)
• handwarmers
• tents
• winter sleeping bags

All of this is fluid, and I recommend speaking with people on the ground if you are able.  I’m sure they could also use more physical volunteers from the community if you can spare a few hours.  

There are things they have too much of at the tenting locations, and no ability to store such as feminine protection, deodorant and other personal care items/toiletries that may be donated to other locations. I’m trying to find out who accepts these items and you could check with organization and food banks in your area as well.

There are a couple of spots where roughly housed people can take showers or do laundry. There are set hours which may change and appointments may be needed.

the Hub – operated by Shelter Nova Scotia

Ark Outreach

Adsum and Out of the Cold provide public showers and washrooms

Trying to find out who accepts pet supply donations for the roughly housed pet owners?

One thing that really irks me is that some organizations require people to have a fixed address to access services. I found this was the case with the Eastern Passage foodbank and have voiced my concerns and trying to find solutions.

If you check this guide from Feed Nova Scotia on how to find food in the province you will see they are quite under-represented in many low income communities.  If you type in your community in the locator, you may be surprised!

You really need to think outside of the box, and for the current times. Many things that worked years ago simply do not work anymore. 

Please get in touch with any information you have.

So what about the people who are still living in tents when it’s -10 and getting colder?  Good question that nobody seems to have answers to.  I’ve heard murmurs of frostbite circulating and would expect no less in January in Nova Scotia.

There will always be a very small percentage of the population who for varying reasons, will not come inside.  As of January 15th there are still 4-5 people sleeping in Meagher’s Park in tents, and the other 20 or so are still outside but who knows where.  Likely different spots every night near any wind resistant area or heating vent they can access.  I’m sure there are people who do have ideas about how to help these people.  Housing for all is the resounding answer from people who work with our marginalized population, and really shouldn’t we all have some type of housing?

CBC just posted an article about Finland’s success in ending homelessness and Finland is not the only country to have made great headway so there is hope.

I found Friends of Boston’s Homeless on a recent web search and wonder if we might start a similar organization here in Halifax?

Also there is a lot of talk about defunding the police these days and a lot of people don’t like that idea.  Often it’s because they are stuck in their sick desire for punishment that is deeply seated in culture (don’t let me go down this road it will be ugly) or just because they don’t understand what is really means.  The thing to focus on is refunding social services and letting police do policing, and let the people who have other expertise answer those calls for help.  The police are more than happy not to have to deal with non-police matters, I assure you.  

When doing a little research on poverty I came across the idea of the 3 P’s – Policing- Prisons-Poverty and it makes a lot of sense as they rarely produce good outcomes and are quite obviously interconnected.  You really need to get to people before they are on the street to make any headway.  

I am not comparing people to pets in any way but I do come from a strong background in animal rescue/animal welfare and a friend who was the director of a well known shelter used to say that by the time a pet is surrendered to us it’s on it’s last chance.  If it doesn’t get to us, it has likely run out of chances.

Nobody in Canada should be running out of chances.

The pandemic points out a lot of inequity in our systems.  We have the opportunity to do better so let’s roll up our sleeves.

One serious question though…where are the feds in this mess?  There are almost certainly federal regulations and tax structures that fuel the housing crisis.  Also, the CHMC gets in the way of affordable builds.  More top down think-tanking needs to be looked at not my area of expertise but I do love learning.

All the best for 2022…we can do this HRM!

Angela Granchelli

PS – cash is still king. You may not feel comfortable giving people cash, I don’t in fact. But you can give money to partner organizations who have boots on the ground and know it will get to people.

Out of the Cold

Adsum for Women & Children

Bryony House

Feed Nova Scotia

Shelter Nova Scotia

I was birding with friends from Newfoundland and New Brunswick at Hartlen Point yesterday. We found 63 bird species which is a huge list for one day. We found a flock of fall migrants right on the back of the golf course in the area that overlooks the water where Hartlen Point and Silver Sands merge.

The migrating flock included two Canada Warblers. Canada Warbler was listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2010. The SARA provides protection for individual Canada Warblers and their residences. Canada Warblers and their nests are also protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

I snapped this photo from the golf course of Silver Sands Beach.This demonstrates how Silver Sands Beach and Harten Point are integrally connected. Hartlen Point, which is one of the most important migratory bird points in North America which people coming here from all over North America to bird each fall.

Mother Nature does not operate within survey boundaries, and to the birds and wildlife, the entire area is one and the same.As well, Rainbow Haven Beach and the Peter McNab Kuhn Conservation Area are quite close in proximity, from a coastal point of view. Even during the bird fallout of Carribean birds during Hurricane Dorian last September, the birds had a feeding loop from Hartlen Point to Rainbow Haven and Silver Sands in between. Many were able to refuel and get back home after a few days or weeks, and would have perished without those feeding grounds.

As you can imagine, Cow Bay Lake receives huge amounts of migrating shorebirds. Many of the same birds who are attracted to the Peter McNab Kuhn Conservation Area that borders Rainbow Haven Beach in the flats, such as Black-bellied Plovers. We do have protection for Shorebirds and other birds under the Migratory Bird Act that should be considered here.Anything that happens development wise has huge impact to the ecology of the entire area.

If you look at an aerial map from the perspective of a bird who has just migrated 3000km upon arrival this is all one big landing strip. Any wetlands near the coastal areas, such as the barrier ponds at Silver Sands, are precious freshwater to drink after a long trip.

In a perfect world, I would like to see the entire coastline of Silver Sands and Hartlen Point protected by a group such as the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.

Perhaps that is too lofty a goal, but there are stakeholders here who can invest in a community treasure for all to preserve something we can all be proud of for generations to come.Surfers, families, swimmers, dog walkers, birders, nature lovers, solitude seekers, and many generations from the community have enjoyed the Silver Sands Beach for many years and should continue to in peace and harmony.Environmental impacts to the area need to be taken seriously protection of wetlands and coastal areas need to be greatly tempered with the interests of developers.