
Nova Scotia fixed-term lease loophole to remain in place despite some abuse: official
A Nova Scotia government official says his department is aware that fixed-term leases are being abused by some landlords, but says legislative changes won't happen anytime soon out of fear of unintended consequences.
Gary O'Toole, associate deputy minister of Service Nova Scotia, told a legislature committee today that before any changes can be made the department needs to understand what the long-term consequences will be.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
However, department official Melissa Mosher told the committee that there are no statistics to track the use of long-term leases or the number of evictions that result from them.
O'Toole, meanwhile, was unable to give an example of an unintended consequence the government is trying to avoid.
Landlords are able to get around the province's five-per-cent cap on rent increases if they rent a unit to a new tenant.
Story continues below advertisement
Mark Culligan, of Dalhousie Legal Aid, says the government's stance doesn't make any sense, saying he believes the use of fixed-term leases amounts to a 'handout' to landlords.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa defaced with red paint
In Ottawa, the National Holocaust Monument has been defaced with what appears to be red paint and the words 'feed me' painted across the front. The monument is located a short distance west of Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa. View image in full screen Workers from a cleanup crew spread a tarp to cover red paint spelling the words 'FEED ME' on the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa on Monday, June 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick. View image in full screen Workers from a cleanup crew spread a tarp to cover red paint spelling the words 'FEED ME' on the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa on Monday, June 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick. Global News reached out to Ottawa Police who said they 'are aware of the incident and are investigating,' with no other information as of yet. Story continues below advertisement Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi posted on X that this was 'A disgraceful, antisemitic act of vandalism.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The National Holocaust Monument honours the memory of six million Jews and all victims of Nazi atrocities. Defacing it is not protest—it is hate, and I condemn it,' he added. Deborah Lyons, Canada's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, said on X that the monument 'is a sacred space of remembrance and reflection to honour the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.' 'Vandalizing the monument does nothing to bring peace to the Middle East. It is an act of vile antisemitism and a hate crime. Full stop,' Lyons said. 'This is a disgusting display of Jew Hatred in our nation's capital. I will be speaking immediately with the relevant federal authorities & law enforcement agencies about this. May the memories of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust be a blessing.' Conservative Party deputy leader Melissa Lantsman also called the defacement a 'disgusting and cowardly act.' 'Defacing sacred ground in honour of the millions of victims of the Holocaust in the middle of the night with spray paint isn't protest, it's vandalism,' Lantsman wrote on X. 'Someone this pathetic deserves to be identified and held accountable.' Story continues below advertisement Located at the corner of Booth and Wellington in downtown Ottawa, the National Holocaust Monument has been a target of vandalism in the past, with a 2020 incident investigated as a hate crime. More to come.


Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Halifax mayor's proposed pause on new bike lanes ‘scapegoating': cycling activist
Some cyclists in Halifax are shifting into high gear in anticipation of a motion coming to Halifax Regional Council this week. Mayor Andy Fillmore has indicated in a memo to council that he's looking to put a pause on future bike lane development until a staff report on road congestion can be completed. He is expected to bring forward a motion at Tuesday's meeting to request the pause across the municipality. But cycling activists say Fillmore is going back on election promises he made on the campaign trail last October. 'It's such a turnaround for Andy Fillmore,' said David Trueman, the chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition. 'During the election campaign, he said, and I quote, 'A fully connected bicycle network should be the priority for HRM.' So, for him to turn around like this is just crazy.' Story continues below advertisement Trueman used the words 'amazed,' 'disgusted' and 'astounded' to describe his reaction to Fillmore's comments 1:48 Andy Fillmore elected mayor of the HRM For his part, the mayor said the motion is just to re-evaluate the design and cost of the all-ages and abilities (AAA) bikeway network project, which he said has ballooned to almost $100 million. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'So this is what I'm asking council to do, to take a pause on rolling out further bike lanes until we can figure out which ones, which of the individual bike lane projects, are going to make congestion worse and then redesign them so that they don't,' Fillmore said. 'That's simple, that's all I want to do.' He added he is not opposed to bike lanes but said it needs to be done effectively. Story continues below advertisement 'We simply can't take away capacity for cars without replacing that ability to move around the city with something else, and that's where we failed. So, that's what I want to fix,' he said. 2:01 Advocates express concerns as Halifax bike network completion date delays further However, Trueman takes issue with the idea that cycling infrastructure is contributing to traffic congestion in the city. 'I believe that he is scapegoating people cycling. He's looking for a target to score political points. Because he knows that bicycle lanes don't cause congestion,' said Trueman. Meanwhile, other councillors are considering Fillmore's motion. 'We have to prioritize where we need the services and where we need to spend the money effectively,' said Coun. John Young, who added that looking for cost savings is important. But Trueman argues that postponing the project won't necessarily make the project cheaper. Story continues below advertisement 'The cause of the escalated cost is the delay in building it. It was all supposed to be built by 2024, and the cost would've been much lower, but because of so many delays in the city the costs have escalated,' he said.


Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Australian journalist hit by rubber bullet while reporting from L.A. protests
Australian television journalist Lauren Tomasi was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet on Sunday while reporting live from downtown Los Angeles on the large-scale protests over U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and subsequent deployment of California National Guard troops to the city. Tomasi, a 9News correspondent, was reporting live when an officer behind her raised their firearm and fired a round at close range, which was captured on video. 'After hours of standing off, the situation has now rapidly deteriorated — the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of L.A.,' Tomasi said, before the officer could be seen raising his gun and firing the rubber bullet at her. 'You just f—ing shot the reporter!' a voice off-camera yelled from the crowd. Story continues below advertisement Tomasi's crew then asked her if she was OK and she replied, 'Yeah, I'm good. I'm good.' The shooting took place about an hour after Tomasi was caught in the middle of a group of protesters as she was trying to talk over the sound of gunfire. 'They've told people to get out of this area, and protesters have been refusing,' Tomasi said. 'We are safe here. It's just noisy. But you can see the volatility. I can see police here are firing rubber bullets at these protesters.' On Monday, Tomasi told 9News that she is safe and unharmed after the incident. 'I'm OK, my cameraman Jimmy and I are both safe. This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents,' she said. 9News also released a statement, confirming that Tomasi was 'struck by a rubber bullet.' 'Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information,' the outlet said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also issued a statement saying that 'all journalists should be able to do their work safely.' Story continues below advertisement 'Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists,' the department said. Australian Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to demand 'an urgent explanation' from the Trump administration. 'US authorities shooting an Aussie journalist is shocking, unacceptable and must be called out,' Hanson-Young wrote. 'The Prime Minister must seek an urgent explanation and tell President Trump to stop his cops shooting at our journalists.' 'Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.' Tensions in Los Angeles escalated Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump's deployment of at least 300 California National Guard troops, blocking off a major freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. Story continues below advertisement Many protesters dispersed as evening fell and police declared an unlawful assembly, a precursor to officers moving in and making arrests of people who didn't leave. Some of those remaining threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier that spanned the width of a street and others hurled chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 Freeway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. The Sunday protests in Los Angeles, a sprawling city of four million people, were centred on several blocks of downtown. It was the third and most intense day of demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 National Guard troops spurred anger and fear among many residents. The guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention centre where protesters concentrated. They stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted 'shame' and 'go home.' After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Story continues below advertisement Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were 'overwhelmed' by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who show up at demonstrations to cause trouble. Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained on Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. It's not the first time Trump has activated the National Guard to quell protests. In 2020, he asked governors of several states to send troops to Washington, D.C., to respond to demonstrations that arose after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers. Many of the governors he asked agreed, sending troops to the federal district. The governors who refused the request were allowed to do so, keeping their troops on home soil. This time, however, Trump is acting in opposition to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who under normal circumstances would retain control and command of California's National Guard. While Trump said that federalizing the troops was necessary to 'address the lawlessness' in California, the Democratic governor said the move was 'purposely inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.' Story continues below advertisement — With files from The Associated Press