Jen Taplin
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jentaplin.bsky.social
Jen Taplin
@jentaplin.bsky.social
Halifax-based City Hall reporter for the Chronicle Herald. Reporting since I was 11. Mom of 3.
“We’re redeveloping it as a complete community, blockable with ground-floor commercial, upper-storey residential and with significant land set aside for park access," said one of the developers.

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18,000 housing units proposed in Halifax wilderness
Residents have their say at open house for Highway 102 West Corridor Special Planning Area
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November 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
“Designated encampments were always meant to be a temporary emergency response.”

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Halifax closing all designated homeless encampments within two years
Homelessness in Halifax has increased by 400 per cent since 2018, but city staff say fewer than 100 people are sleeping rough.
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November 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM
“The dog was thrashing him around; it had his arms in his jaw. It was very violent.”

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‘I just started punching it in the head’: Halifax 13-year-old, mom awarded Carnegie medal for heroism during dog attack
Windsor Junction family uses the spotlight to call for change in Nova Scotia’s response to dog attacks
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November 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The proposals are for a 64-unit building and a 22-unit building, both oceanfront on Main Road. They far exceed the 12-unit maximum for the area.

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Eastern Passage housing developments a mistake in more ways than one, say neighbours
HRM looking at exceptions for waterfront developments after unintentional bylaw changes
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November 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Bill Skinner looked around the room and muttered, “Unbelievable.”

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8,000 housing units on the shores of Sandy Lake in Bedford? Neighbours have their say
HRM hosts open house for provincially designated special planning area in Bedford-Hammonds Plains
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November 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Over 1,400 short-term rentals have exited the business in Nova Scotia in the year since the province instituted regulations aimed at boosting the housing supply.

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Airbnb, rental operators challenge restrictions in Nova Scotia, minister says measures are working
Airbnb pitches success stories to Nova Scotia municipal leaders
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November 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
“I wonder what the province is prepared to do to address both the short- and the long-term issues of drought in this province," says Lunenburg mayor.

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Nova Scotia launches drought committee to come up with solutions for dry wells
Extreme drought conditions this year mean many Nova Scotians still have dry wells heading into winter freezes
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November 6, 2025 at 7:50 PM
“As a mom, it was challenging to find a spot in a daycare. There are not enough daycare spots in the city for families. We need this expansion for our families in the community."

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Fairview daycare operator hoping her expansion can offset recent closures in Halifax
80-spot daycare closed in Fairview earlier this year, creating even more demand
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November 6, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Jen Taplin
Golf course hoping Nordic spa in Timberlea is a hole-in-one
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Golf course hoping Nordic spa in Timberlea is a hole-in-one
Links at Brunello golf course wants to build a spa between holes 10 and 18
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November 4, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Tracy Kinch found her 16-year-old son in the ditch and started resuscitation.
“I don’t know how much time we were there before the fire and EMS got there, but it felt like a long time.”

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Halifax teen dies on a clear road in good weather. Now his family is demanding changes
Halifax family calls for guardrails, speed changes and more on Old Sambro Road
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November 3, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Jen Taplin
‘My heart is breaking’: Halifax reggae singer helping out Jamaicans devastated by hurricane Melissa
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‘My heart is breaking’: Halifax reggae singer helping out Jamaicans devastated by hurricane Melissa
Jah’Mila collecting money and donations after Category 5 storm slams Caribbean
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October 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
It was an attempt to move downtown Halifax homes in the path of demolition for bus lanes to the front of the line to be considered for heritage status.
But it didn’t work.

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Appeal shot down to fast-track heritage status for Halifax homes facing demolition
Community group pushing to save Robie and North Street homes from bus lane construction
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October 23, 2025 at 5:39 PM
“We always told her how strong she was — and you could see in her face that she knew it too," said the mom of five-year-old Adalind Gaul.

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Fall River girls who died in boating accident remembered as an ‘old soul’ and ‘a little spitfire’
HRM community steps up to support families with a meal train and online fundraisers
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October 22, 2025 at 12:29 PM
“Her presence touched countless hearts, and her love for her children knew no bounds."

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‘Kind and gentle’ father and ‘wild and a loving’ mother died in a head-on crash in Nova Scotia
Fundraisers launched to pay for funeral costs, support families through devastating losses
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October 21, 2025 at 11:58 AM
RCMP dog teams searched 40km of Pictou County and didn’t find anything.

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Cadaver dogs come up empty in search for Jack and Lilly Sullivan
Nova Scotia children have been missing from their Lansdowne Station, Pictou County home since May 2.
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October 8, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Today, Halifax council debated a strategy for increasing the deed transfer tax – that’s the money the municipality gets when a property changes hands – and tiering it instead of using the flat rate it has now.

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Halifax aims to boost and change deed transfer taxes on property sales
New system would bring in at least an extra $25 million a year to pay for construction projects
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October 7, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I've been over at Province House this week and it's a learning curve for this City Hall reporter. 🫠 Here's one of two I wrote today:

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Bill on wearing military uniforms expected to be law in Nova Scotia by Remembrance Day
Legislation would ensure military members can wear uniforms on provincially owned and operated buildings
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October 2, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I feel so lucky that I had the chance to speak with her 2 years ago. A career highlight.

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‘My job is to give people hope’: Dr. Jane Goodall in Halifax this week
Ahead of her sold-out show on Saturday, Goodall talks about what keeps her going at nearly 90
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October 1, 2025 at 8:36 PM
“Remember when your older brother would sit on you until you cried uncle? I’m at uncle.”

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Halifax dumps transit-only corridor idea for Spring Garden Road
Pilot project from 2022 that was paused five days in is not coming back.
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September 25, 2025 at 6:31 PM
“Always warming when travelling through, as they are a reminder that the little things can make us smile.”

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Eye-conic landmark disappearing from Nova Scotia highway
Googly eyes painted on boulders on Highway 103 are being broken up for twinning construction
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September 25, 2025 at 2:55 PM