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Jen Taplin

@jentaplin.bsky.social
288 followers 147 following 232 posts

Halifax-based City Hall reporter for the Chronicle Herald. Reporting since I was 12. Mom of 3.

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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"When a home sells, the CAP is removed, and the new homeowner often experiences tax shock, a sudden increase in the first tax bill." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Similar home, same street in Halifax, but some are paying thousands more in property tax
Province's CAP is supposed to help people with property taxes, but it's unfair to new homebuyers, many renters and non-profits, according to HRM report
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"They just kind of just walk along like they have been doing all summer, and we’ve seen a number of times that people almost get hit by trucks and things going across there because people are just not expecting this.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax’s Argyle Street could become pedestrian-only year-round. Here’s what to know
Opinions are mixed on turning busy Argyle Street in downtown Halifax into a year-round pedestrian-only thoroughfare both among business owners and Halifax residents
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Another serious collision happened just before Halifax’s transportation committee sat down to talk road safety yesterday. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Deaths on Halifax streets: Fatal and serious crashes persist in city’s latest road safety report
‘What you are doing is not good enough. People are getting hurt, people are dying,’ urges cyclist
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
With seating for only 10, “special guests” get an 11-course meal, with each dish inspired by a different country. It takes chefs three days to prepare it, and it takes guests four hours to eat it. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Helicopters? Check. Submersible? Check.: An exclusive look inside a six-star luxury cruise ship in Halifax
Scenic Eclipse, billed as the world’s first luxury discovery yacht, is part of a growing niche tourism sector in Atlantic Canada
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
“I think we all need somebody to walk us home, wherever home is, and whatever we believe." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
$1-million donation pays for end-of-life space inside new Mi’kmaw Wije'winen Centre in Halifax
Family of Liverpool company Mersey Seafoods funds palliative care and death doula training in the Wije’winen Centre
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“I feel like in the current world, and all the experiences and messages coming in, it’s about how everything is so broken: so broken, so broken. This is a place to go, and partner with people and try at least to fix things.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax Repair Cafe helps residents fix broken stuff — and save money
New community group in Halifax fixes pretty much any household item for free
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“Simply put – we are very much looking to create what will be an attractive modern addition to the Bedford community..." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax turns down permits for Bedford Highway cabin development built of modified prefabricated shipping containers
United Gulf appealing HRM’s decision at the provincial review board Sept. 23
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Neighbour tells me the first house was a mistake. He said he chased off the suspect. “So I jumped back in my truck, grabbed a golf club, and I started chasing the prick. I’m like, ‘if I catch you,’ but I lost him somewhere up in that green space.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
House next door goes up in flames a week later in Timberlea
Neighbour catches suspects on camera, suspects first house was a mistake
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I spoke to a witness at the scene, and he showed me footage that he said shows the second fire last night also involved Molotov cocktails. This story will be updated. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Neigbhouring house goes up in flames in Timberlea a week later
Firefighters called to Timberlea home next door where police suspect Molotov cocktail was used
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The Promenade is made up of a pair of 34-storey towers, a 10-storey building and seven heritage homes. One of these homes is a substitute for a 150-year-old house that was dropped and smashed in 2023 as it was being transported by a crane. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Triple tower development gets the green light for downtown Halifax
Twin 34-storey towers, 10-storey addition moving forward at site where historic home was dropped and destroyed
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
By this winter, it will be open for adventurers who will rocket down in carts going at around 50 kilometres an hour at top speed www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Mountain coaster, a first in Atlantic Canada, set to open soon at Ski Martock
Windsor-area ski hill building attractions to bring people out in the off-season
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“What I call the gateway network is just reinforcing (that) we need to get people coming into the peninsula but not in cars.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Gateway hubs and shared parking: AI expert has ideas on breaking Halifax’s bottlenecks
‘I feel that we all need to kind of pull together on this,’ says Frank Rudzicz about finding solutions to Halifax’s traffic congestion
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Body-worn cameras will be operating in the new year and Halifax Regional Police’s loaner armoured rescue vehicle (ARV) was put to use 35 times in the past year — mostly for high-risk search warrants, barricades, hostage taking and the odd public event. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax’s loaner armoured rescue vehicle used 35 times, mostly for high-risk search warrants
Halifax police board also approves policy guiding body-worn cameras to roll out in early 2027
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
“Because the big challenge is the mind shift, right? It’s like getting people to think about how they’re moving around the city." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
A few bumps, but Halifax’s first electric water taxi is expanding after first summer season
FlyteBoat looking to transport more commuters this fall with $5 rides and has expansion plans for St. Margarets Bay
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
“Other aspects, including digital technologies, will be implemented over several years as we continue to work with our information technology, municipal government and policing partners.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Nova Scotia is finally getting photo radar — or is it?
'Digital technologies' still years away, says the province,  even as new Traffic Safety Act is on track to be proclaimed this fall
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
As it is, someone hoping to escape the city at one of these beaches generally needs a vehicle and a hope of finding a parking space. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Bus to the beach? New Halifax report looks at options for transit service to Eastern Shore beaches
Parking and limited ways to access to Rainbow Haven, Lawrencetown beaches have long been issues
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Ridership on Halifax Transit bucked a trend in the 2025-26 fiscal year, and not in a good way. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Ridership drops on Halifax Transit, bucking the trend of large increases
But the good news is not as many overcrowded buses because of ridership losses
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
“It really came from a comment that was made that said, ‘Folks will do anything for a breeze.’” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Just a breeze machine: Art project turning heads and fan blades on the Halifax waterfront
Created by a Halifax firm for a Winnipeg event, the Breeze Machine is making a statement across Nova Scotia
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
“You get 28 buses down here, just with passengers, right? And then you have all your visitors on top of this, and they’re saying, ‘We got to go.’" www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Stinking up the view: Peggys Cove public bathrooms struggle to keep up with heavy tourist season
Composting toilets next to the viewing platform can cause nauseating odours
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
K. I don't tend to post other people's stories that often (and I should do that more, I know), but this is a terrific story. It also has my daughter playing baseball in the b-roll. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
cbc.ca
Women's pro baseball is back and Canadians hope it comes north
Women's professional baseball has returned after 70 years with the inaugural season of the WPBL underway in Illinois. The league's success has inspired Canadian girls and raised hopes of an expansion ...
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The very top paid position on the list — earning far above the others — is unexpected www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax sunshine list: Who made more than $100,000 working for city hall this year?
Top earner is a police constable who is injured and received over $600k in benefits
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Hello there. I'm back to writing after 2 weeks of filling in for an editor and taking a week off myself. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Paddles and rackets down: Halifax balks at $2-million pickleball facility, delays proposed tennis dome
Community group is on its own to fund recreation project in Dartmouth, grant money at risk by delay in Gorsebrook tennis dome
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
One developer wants to build 11 towers ranging from 12 to 52 storeys, and another is proposing a 33-storey tower with 415 units. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
52-storey tower, 11 others proposed for Halifax peninsula neighbourhood
Two developers of the Young Street Lands Future Growth Node share their plans
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
An HRM-ordered deadline to remove infill on the Northwest Arm has come and gone, yet the rocks still remain. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Northwest Arm infill still there as deadline expires on Halifax’s order to remove it
Halifax developer has applied for new permit to cover the infill construction
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“I don’t do anything. It just feels like my body just moves without me thinking about it.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
World champion and a newly discovered acting talent, North Preston’s Elayce Clayton knows no limits
Fresh from an international gold-medal victory, this 10-year-old has never lost a competition in her life
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
"I think we do need it to make the existing fleet work." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax’s mayor wants to buy a new diesel ferry — do we need it?
Youngest ferry in the fleet is now eight years old and cost about $6 million
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
“I’m really disappointed that we’re restricting the ability of democracy, especially in rural areas." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Why Halifax is doing away with paper ballots for the 2028 election
It would save the municipality about $800,000 to drop paper ballots and vote only by internet or phone
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
"When people are stuck in traffic, everyone sits there and thinks what would happen in an emergency right now? We lived it. We went through it.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Most-vulnerable Halifax neighbourhoods ranked for emergency exits, connectivity
Lasting effects continue for Hammonds Plains residents from the 2023 wildfire: 'The PTSD is real'
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
“We have such a great city, but here we are with transit; we’re trying to encourage people to take transit, but yet we cause these obstacles. December? You’ve got to be kidding me.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
'Embarrassing': Another delay hits Halifax Transit tap-to-pay rollout
‘December? You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Dartmouth councillor censures transit managers, delay will cost over $200k
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
They’re only allowed up to eight storeys in this neighbourhood but, with a heritage registration, they can go higher. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
South-end Halifax church hopes to survive with 14-storey residential development
First Baptist Church on Oxford Street can go higher than eight-storey limit because of heritage status
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
“We’re looking at probably two-and-a-half years before we know what the option will be…” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Nova Scotia looking at crossing options for MacKay bridge
A request for proposals is going out for a contractor to evaluate long-term options across the Halifax Harbour Narrows
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Rank, owned by brothers Joseph and Anthony Ramia, purchased the Dartmouth mall from Ivanhoe Cambridge II Inc. in 2021 through a numbered company. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax tried to get new owner of Mic Mac Mall to pay deed transfer tax — and failed
Supreme Court of Nova Scotia sides with Rank Inc., developer of major housing project M-District, in a decision against Halifax
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The Halifax Regional Municipality held a news conference to kick off the second, and major, phase of construction at this crucial choke point that’s already often a nightmare to get through. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Construction about to let loose on Windsor Street Exchange
Light disruptions this year, but major closures and detours coming early 2027
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Two things need to happen before the properties can go up for sale: HRM has to install the land-use strategy for the area and the lands must be declared surplus. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax’s Cogswell construction is done, but when will they sell the land?
Developers, non-profits and a major hotel chain are interested in snapping up properties in downtown Halifax
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
“Marnie joins our organization at a consequential moment.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax hires another Ontario import, this time as CAO
Marnie Cluckie from Hamilton is HRM’s new chief administrative officer
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
“It makes me mad,” said Adele. “We never sit on the deck anymore and we’re paying extra for a corner unit, and we can’t even sit on our deck.” Tilley calls it “inhumane” for the older folks who live in that building. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Bedford neighbours push back against ‘unbearable’ and ‘inhumane’ car wash noise
'We want to do the right thing' says Jack's Car Spa owner Mickey MacDonald
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
“It’s easy to miss that point. ‘So what are those wealthy people bitching about?’ And what we’re bitching about is first we’re stopping something that’s very bad from an ecology point of view.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax developer ordered to remove infill on Northwest Arm
Infilling investigation is the first test of Halifax's two-year-old infilling restriction bylaw
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
@timbophoto.bsky.social was out in the fun today: www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
In pictures: Halifax celebrates Canada Day
Perfect weather for mid-week holiday but temperatures expected to reach over 30 C this week
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Victims of dog attacks — canine, human and “other” — are piling up in Halifax. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Serious dog attacks are on the rise in Halifax — what’s being done about it?
In the past six months, there have been 66 attacks, most victims are humans
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
“It’s going to stand out like a jagged tooth on the Bedford Highway..." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Nine-storey addition to heritage property in Bedford shot down because it’s too tall
Neighbours speak out, and Halifax councillors reject development proposal
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
“The people of Dartmouth deserve better than to see yet another piece of their heritage removed.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Dartmouth family urges Halifax council not to erase their legacy ball field with cricket pitch
‘The people of Dartmouth deserve better than to see yet another piece of their heritage removed’
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
HRM AG said there were elements to these infractions that “moved past the line of clearly not just compliant and started to make me ask whether they were a little worse than not compliant.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax mayor’s office is being investigated by RCMP for financial irregularities
Municipal auditor general flagged four transactions and sent report to police
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
“Nothing might come in or something really spectacular might come in." www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Time to test if Halifax wants to save this heritage building
Demolition plans for Memorial Library building paused for expressions of interest
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
So Mayor Andy Fillmore lost a bet…
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
He flew around the moon, and then a bit around downtown Halifax looking for parking. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Milestone-making Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen touches down in Halifax and at the Canso Spaceport
Nova Scotia should be proud to ‘put Canada in a position to become a launcher’
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
“I mean, it was a time of tremendous unknown, tremendous tragedy, tremendous sadness, and we feel very blessed that we were able to maybe help in a little way.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
25 years after 9/11: Bedford woman recounts the 'tremendous unknown' as she spent days with a group of six strangers stuck in Nova Scotia
Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, airport call out for 9/11 memories to honour East Coast hospitality ahead of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
An Ontario import will be the next chief of Canada’s oldest fire department. www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Halifax Regional Municipality hires their first female fire chief away from Toronto Pearson airport
She is the first female fire chief in 30 years since amalgamation and likely in all of Halifax’s history
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
In her victim impact statement, Deveau told Hatfield, “You chose the wrong girl.” Incredible story by the amazing @tinacomeaunews.bsky.social www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
'Evil walks among us': Sexual assault survivor shares her story of being raped as a teenager
Kayla Deveau of Yarmouth, N.S. is sharing her story of being raped when she was 14 years old by someone she trusted. She says she needs to share awareness about sexual violence.
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
I came across this graffiti image I found on a random wall in Rome: The Angel by street artist Harry Greb, dedicated to journalists killed in Gaza.
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Jen Taplin @jentaplin.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
“While this is good news that we have a full water supply now, something important is that this doesn’t eliminate potentially being in the same situation that we were in summer.” www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
saltwire.com
Enough rain? What is needed to avoid another dry summer of water conservation orders in Halifax
Halifax lakes are full, but we’re not out of the woods yet
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