Latest news with #DexterConstruction
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
N.S. chips away at dearth of hospital parking with new dedicated lot for health-care workers
Social Sharing Nova Scotia Health says at least 260 additional parking spots will be made free to health-care workers at Halifax's largest hospitals later this summer. Parking has been an ongoing issue for patients and staff of the Halifax Infirmary, Victoria General and IWK Health Centre, as some parkades have recently been torn down to accommodate renovations and expansions. Frustration over parking shortages spiked after the Houston government lifted parking fees at the start of May. At peak demand times, the hospitals are short some 4,000 spaces. Nova Scotia Health and the IWK have been scrambling to find more parking to dedicate to the hospitals. Up to $1M to grade, repave old paid lot To that end, Nova Scotia's Department of Public Works has awarded an untendered contract to Dexter Construction worth up to $1 million to fix up a parcel of provincially owned land on South Street, across from the IWK. The elimination of parking fees is already costing the province $19 million annually. A spokesperson for Nova Scotia Health said the land is already a parking lot and many of the users are IWK and Nova Scotia Health staff, but it's a paid lot operated by Impark. Dexter will grade and repave the lot before it's made available for staff to use free of charge. The health authority expects it to be ready Aug. 1. "Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health are tirelessly working to find additional staff parking spaces to address significant supply and demand challenges," spokesperson Brendan Elliott said in an email. Free parking at health-care facilities — an election promise from the Houston government — was sharply criticized by health-care workers who initially faced steep fees if they used spaces that were reserved for patients and families. Those charges were reversed after a few weeks of outcry, while a different fine for misuse of hospital parking was added. Anyone caught using hospital parking who isn't a patient, visitor, volunteer or staff member could face a $500 ticket. Health Minister Michelle Thompson told reporters last week that so far, violators are receiving warnings only. "We're looking at a very small group of individuals who are parking inappropriately in hospital parking sites," she said.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Crown withdraws environmental charges in N.S. highway-twinning case
Prosecutors in provincial court in Halifax have withdrawn environmental charges relating to a highway-twinning project on the South Shore. Eight charges were laid against Dexter Construction and a sub-contractor, Design Point. The charges stem from work the companies were doing on a section of Highway 103 near a brook in Queensland. Sediment from the construction got into the brook and eventually into a lake known locally as "the Puddle." "The issue at trial would have been whether the parties took reasonable or lawful steps to prevent the releases from occurring," Crown prosecutor Brian Cox said outside court Friday morning. "There was no actual harm to plant or animal species disclosed by the evidence in this case. It was the potential for that harm." Charges were to go to trial next month The eight incidents of sediment release stretched from late 2021 to late 2022. The charges were to go to trial next month. Cox said many considerations went into deciding not to proceed to trial, including the circumstances of the alleged offences, what steps may have been taken to comply with the environment act, what omissions may have been made, the actual impact on the environment and the impact on interested parties in the community. Cox said they also weighed the benefits of having the highway twinned and of saving the time and expense of a full trial. The Crown also stayed charges against the Department of Public Works. Cox said the stay will enable the Crown to revisit those charges in future to see whether promised remediation has taken place. MORE TOP STORIES
