Affirmation Belonging Care

After 49 years, 11 months and 20 days married to Farris there are so many reasons to celebrate.

Find Farris Fall 2023

We have so much for which to be thankful! For most of the almost 50 years we were blessed with children: Kim for 49 of these years, Chris for 48, Patrick for 44, and George for 39. With thanks to their partners, Crystal, Tyler, Nea, and Katie, we have shared the last 23 years anticipating and celebrating the addition of Lilly, Miles, Gabe, Reid, Locklin, and Skyla to our lives.

Tyler and Gabe 2022

How did a supposedly happily introverted engineering student from a 4 person nuclear family with an engineer father, teacher mother, and engineering student brother find himself unable to envision a future that did not include an extroverted, people person, with lots of friends, six siblings, and more aunts, uncles, and cousins than I could count?

Find Farris Ben Eoin 2024

I have come to believe that our love is based on the complementary nature of our personalities. The A,B,C’s of my attraction and continuing love for Farris, from my analytic personality, are Affirmation, Belonging, and Care. Farris kind of Affirming Person does not always defend me as being right, but she respects and understands that I may have a different opinion, even if it is wrong! Belonging is unconditional regardless of the temperature or tension of the day or time. Care shows up where, for many reasons, it is needed. Certainly in times of physical and mental distress, Farris brings care. In times of distance resulting from inattention, dispute, aggravation, or distraction the path to restoration is care and Farris brings it.

Farris and David July 4 1975

Our Golden Anniversary is a special time for gratitude as we recall memories of our marriage and affirm the faith, hope and charity that supports our journey and pray these virtues will guide us to our Diamond Anniversary.

No Kings No Uranium

Political heat is the radiation that may indicate a dangerous attitude of “My way or no Highway” beginning to glow as Premier Houston reacts to less than enthusiastic support of renewing uranium mining in Nova Scotia.

Some Press Coverage of Uranium Mining in NS

Haley Ryan of CBC News reports that Premier Houston sent West Hants and Pictou County lengthy lists of projects and groups that have seen provincial funding.

Houston said the province has invested about $227.3 million into Hants County — aside from health care — through about 88 projects and groups since he took office in 2021.

The list of projects and funding recipients included flood-risk infrastructure, public housing maintenance, Highway 101 twinning, the Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia, legions, bridges, Mermaid Theatre, ground search and rescue teams, and a bullet point item saying simply "various programs."

"These are just a few of the investments and I have no doubt that your council has many more wants and needs. We would love to be able to meet every ask, but to do that, we need the resources to move forward," (Ryan, n.d.)

Taryn Grant of CBC News reports that the Province plans to issue exploration licences for uranium this summer even as some municipalities ask the province to hit the brakes on uranium exploration in N.S.

"We just have had no communication," said Coun. Brian Connell, who put forward the motion in Annapolis.

"No one can believe how fast the province is moving on this, and many feel that that is by design," said Coun. Alison Smith, who put forward the motion in Lunenburg.

Coun. Alison Smith says the Municipality of the Distrtict of Lunenburg is not taking an advocacy position yet on uranium exploration and mining; it simply wants things to slow down. (Alison Smith/Facebook)

Smith said she was not asking for a vote on whether uranium development should happen. But she noted that there may be an opportunity to take such a stance in the near future.

Last month, Smith and her colleagues asked for a staff report on the risks of uranium mining and exploration in the LaHave River Watershed. Smith said she expects that report back next week.

"When we have more facts in front of us, we may want to take a 'for' or 'against' advocacy position," she said.

The request for a pause builds on several months of public outcry about the province's plans for uranium development. (Grant, n.d.)

In a report by Lyndsay Armstrong of The Canadian Press, published by the CBC, Mi'kmaw chiefs in Nova Scotia advise that continued failure to consult on uranium exploration is a harmful mistake. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young says 'The lack of consultation is unacceptable,'

In her statement, Young said the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia understand that Nova Scotia's economy is facing international pressures.

"But any resource development in Mi'kma'ki must include our consent and participation as we are the rightful owners of these lands, waters and resources," Young said, speaking as co-lead of the environment, energy and mines portfolio on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs.

Rosalie Francis, a Mi'kmaw lawyer whose firm is based out of Sipekne'katik First Nation, said the province risks further damaging their relationship with Mi'kmaw communities and sabotaging the potential uranium industry by failing to consult adequately and early.

"By choosing not to consult, it scares away investors, destroys the relationship and gets us back to starting at zero," Francis said in an interview Tuesday.

"It all comes down to trust, and this completely diminishes any kind of trust." (Armstrong, n.d.)

Taryn Grant of CBC News reports that Premier Tim Houston says the province will keep pushing for more resources development even after there was zero interest in Nova Scotia's call for uranium exploration.

The mining association said the province is "on the right track," and now needs to streamline the permitting process for mining projects.

Opposition politicians said the lack of bids on uranium licences begs questions about Houston's "agenda."

"Where is the urgency coming from when Nova Scotians didn't ask for this and there doesn't seem to be interest from industry?" said NDP MLA Lisa Lachance in a statement.

Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said he was not surprised.

"Obviously, at this point right now, industry isn't looking at uranium in the province," he told reporters. "I think we need to engage with communities and take a pause." (Grant, n.d.)

Perhaps consultation with other elected representatives, possible industrial partners, and Mi'kmaw communities before executive proclamations to continue pushing for more resource development would be a more democratic process with a higher probability of offering less “smoke” and more “fire”.

References

Armstrong, L. (n.d.). https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/uranium-exploration-consultation-mikmaw-chiefs-1.7559302. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/uranium-exploration-consultation-mikmaw-chiefs-1.7559302 

Grant, T. (n.d.). There was zero interest in Nova Scotia's call for uranium exploration | CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/there-was-zero-interest-in-nova-scotia-s-call-for-uranium-exploration-1.7559745 

Grant, T. (n.d.). 3 more municipalities ask province to hit the brakes on uranium exploration in N.S. | CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/3-more-municipalities-ask-province-to-hit-the-brakes-on-uranium-exploration-in-n-s-1.7558276 

Ryan, H. (n.d.). N.S. premier says municipalities who want funding must allow 'economic development' after uranium concerns | CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-premier-municipalities-want-provincial-funding-must-allow-economic-development-uranium-1.7562763 

Responding Seriously to Housing Needs

Erica Alini, reporting for the Globe and Mail, writes that Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged billions of dollars in financing for makers of prefabricated homes to help end the country’s housing shortage.

Factory Fabricated and Shipped to Site

Mr. Carney has promised to provide $25-billion in loans and $1-billion in equity financing for companies that largely build homes in factories rather than on construction sites. The federal government will also place bulk orders of prefabricated housing to help jump-start a nascent industry, according to the Liberals’ election platform.

“We will create an entirely new Canadian housing industry,” the Prime Minister said in his first press conference since the election win.

It’s a big, bold bet that could make it faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly to build a chunk of the 3.5 million homes that official estimates show Canada needs to add by 2030 to restore housing affordability, industry insiders and academics say. (Alini et al., 2025)

Sean Silcoff, Technology Reporter and Rachelle Younglai, Real Estate Reporter, at the Globe and Mail, note that the technology is available to make prefab homes faster. And all levels of government are under pressure to create affordable housing, with many Canadians shut out of home ownership or struggling to pay rent.

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with Oliver David Krieg during a visit to Intelligent City in Delta, B.C.

 

“Now is the time to try this again,” said Peter Hass, general manager of the new venture, called Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing Inc., which expects to produce modular components for about 3,000 housing units a year once its factory opens. (Turley, 2025)

Max Fawcett, in an article in Canada’s National Observer, offers the opinion that Canada’s Conservatives still aren’t serious about housing. Jacob Mantle, the newly-elected thirty-something Conservative MP for York-Durham, rose in the House of Commons on Tuesday, June 10, to make a point about housing costs.

“My generation refuses to live in a shipping container,” Mantle said. (Fawcett, n.d.)

Fawcett comments:

For what it’s worth, I suspect many members of his generation (and mine) would be happy to live in the sort of modified shipping containers that are being designed and built right now, including the ones in his own city. But modular housing is so much more than just the use and conversion of shipping containers. It’s an entirely new approach to homebuilding, one that uses factories and their inherent economies of scale to drive down costs. They can be one or two-storey, single or multi-family, and configured in any number of layouts and sizes. In an environment where driving down construction costs is a nearly existential issue for Mantle’s generation, you’d think he would be more open to new ideas and economic innovation — especially when it promises to use more Canadian materials and labour. (Fawcett, n.d.)

George, Joel, Dave and everyone from the Prefab Homes Nova Scotia Team say:

You put the kettle on…

“Of course we handle the permits and site prep. Delivery, utility hook-ups, all the finishing’s too, that’s doing the job right - delivery in 90 days or less” (Prefab Homes Nova Scotia, n.d.)

https://www.prefabhomesnovascotia.ca/studio

 

The Prefabricated home, delivered and quickly made ready for occupancy, is being offered as a way to address our housing needs. Local companies are ready today to respond!

References

Alini, E., Raitt, L., Kelly, C., & McLister, R. (2025, May 5). Mark Carney's bet on prefabricated homes has promise – and big risks. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-mark-carneys-bet-on-prefabricated-homes-has-promise-and-big-risks/ 

Fawcett, M. (n.d.). Canada’s Conservatives still aren’t serious about housing. Canada's National Observer: Climate News. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/12/opinion/conservatives-still-arent-serious-about-housing?nih=KO9k2fpYhTw9rlRDCmdZHAfFIG6V6Bt1OhCLrUXRVbc&utm_source=National+Observer&utm_campaign=b9cfb40fce-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_06_12_01_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cacd0f141f-b9cfb40fce-276932429 

Prefab Homes Nova Scotia. (n.d.). Fastest, Strongest, Most Money Saving Homes. Prefab Homes Nova Scotia. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.prefabhomesnovascotia.ca/?fbclid=IwY2xjawK3zi5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF4UDVJcTB1UTVWbURrZ3NuAR7vjtpGdmX-wwTABLuNsRrpqoM-CPLutZFfyxWA2TQ3LOPRu0PUpJjIPCQ3ug_aem_cMkxdeRY9KyWTLWnnN_HJg 

Turley, J. (2025, June 10). Mattamy Homes founder Peter Gilgan to start prefab housing factory in Ontario. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-mattamy-homes-peter-gilgan-prefab-housing-factory-ontario/