A state of emergency, a new department, and an old problem Nova Scotia refuses to face
When Sipekne’katik First Nation declared a state of emergency over illicit drug use and overdoses, it exposed a quiet but telling gap in Nova Scotia’s governance. A department created under Premier Tim Houston specifically to address mental health and addictions had not yet reached out to the community, even as the declaration spread publicly. The moment landed against the backdrop of earlier tensions — including the banning of Houston and two ministers from Sipekne’katik lands — raising broader questions about how the province engages marginalized communities when public health crises emerge.
Black Community Support Line: 1-866-732-1253 Ext. 2
The Black Community Support Line (1-866-732-1253, Ext. 2) is available to provide resources, support, and navigation to those of African descent across Nova Scotia. #blackhealthmatters #novascotia #canada #health
Jamaican migrant worker granted federal health care after being fired from N.S. farm [VIDEO]
A migrant worker who was diagnosed with cervical cancer shortly after arriving in Nova Scotia has been granted health insurance under a federal program.
Kerian Burnett arrived from Jamaica in April 2022 to work on a strawberry farm, and says she was fired after her cancer diagnosis and left without medical coverage.
Her lawyer, Thiago Buchert, says that after nearly eight months Burnett has been admitted to the interim federal health program.
Healthcare for all: Kerian Burnett’s story [July 16, 1pm – Antigonish, 283 Main St.]
Kerian Burnett is a mother of six and grandmother of two. Last year, she left her home in Jamaica to come work on a strawberry farm in Nova Scotia. While working here, she received the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. While migrant workers like Kerian support Nova Scotian farms and our economy, they are unfairly excluded from provincial healthcare coverage (MSI). Without access to MSI, Kerian is now expected to pay for expensive healthcare costs out-of-pocket
Scholarship named in honour of health advocate to be awarded to Black students in Nova Scotia
A memorial scholarship for Black students studying health professions has been established in the name of a community and health advocate who was also the first woman in Nova Scotia ordained by the African Orthodox Church. The Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC) will host a free hybrid event Saturday, Feb. 11 at noon at […]
Migrant worker facing bill from Nova Scotia after insurance for cancer treatment cancelled
A migrant worker from Jamaica who learned she had cervical cancer shortly after she started working at a farm in Nova Scotia says she owes the province nearly $65,000 after her private insurance was cancelled. Kerian Burnett, 42, recently completed chemotherapy treatment, but she said she’s yet to receive a CT scan needed to track […]
Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch explores the stories of loss and grief in the Black community
“We don’t think about loss with land, we don’t think about loss with education and culture, we don’t think about the impact of … post- traumatic slave syndrome, and how we’ve been impacted by that,” Dalhousie professor says in episode of new web series.