Biggest Maritime stories of 2023 from A to Z: Part Three

CTV Atlantic’s top stories of 2023 from A to Z continues. This list picks up at the letter “R.” Here you can find part one and part two.

Rentals: In September, new regulations came into effect for short-term rentals in Halifax. Building owners can only rent out single rooms or whole units in residential zones if the owner lives in the building. Renting basement apartments or backyard suites must now be on a long-term basis of 28 days or more.

Airbnb’s in commercial zones remain unaffected by the change.

Charlottetown became the first city in the Maritimes where building owners will require a license to implement short-term rentals.

Sharks: People caught multiple sharks on camera in the summer, including a Maine resident who saw a great white shark feeding on a whale carcass, and a New Brunswick fisherman who hooked a great white shark while fishing from his kayak.

Some Cape Breton Islanders found a shark washed ashore, and divers in Halifax found another shark dead in shallow water.

One expert said there have been more shark sightings in 2023 than in previous years, which means shark populations are growing and conservation efforts are working.

Tourism: Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Sydney, N.S. welcomed a record number of vessels, and Halifax hosted more than 180 cruise ships with 300,000 passengers. Officials say the year was good for “rebuilding” tourism after a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understaffed: Multiple industries have experienced staffing shortages this year.

A survey showed that some business owners in every province are working eight-day weeks because of labour shortages.

The RCMP 911 operators union called for a recruitment plan to address staff shortages. In New Brunswick, some Saint John city workers, including 911 dispatch employees, went on strike. CUPE Local 486 later agreed to ratify a tentative agreement with the City of Saint John.

For years, a national shortage of veterinarians has put pressure on clinics, and some maritime veterinarians are “struggling to make it” because of burnout and stress.

Horizon Health in New Brunswick said it’s trying to fill psychology and psychiatry vacancies following the Lexi Daken coroner’s inquest. Daken was a 16-year-old girl who died by suicide after seeking psychiatric help at the Dr. Everett Chalmer’s Regional Hospital emergency room.

In March, CTV News reported that some provinces were competing to attract health-care workers with recruitment bonuses.

Later on in November, all four provinces decided to try and work together to recruit and retain health-care workers to help with staffing shortages.

Vaping: Flavoured vaping products are banned in three Maritime provinces to help reduce youth vaping. However, some experts think that the ban is not working as effectively as intended, due in part to non-compliance from vape shops, according to Kristin Farnam of New Brunswick Anti-Tobacco Coalition.

War and wildfires: The conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated this year. After a temporary ceasefire and hostage exchange in November, the Israel-Hamas war continues into 2024.

Russia invaded Ukraine almost two years ago in February 2022. Recently, Russia launched a record number of drones, and Putin claims Russia will intensify its attacks.

Wildfires in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick ravaged communities in two provinces. In Nova Scotia, the fires displaced thousands of people and the military was called in to help.

X: Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion dollars. In 2023, he changed the recognizable blue bird logo and rebranded the social media platform as X.

Youth: Nova Scotia hosted the North American Indigenous Games, highlighting the sport and culture of Indigenous people across North America.

Prince Edward Island hosted the Canada Winter Games, and young athletes came from across the country to compete.

Zellers: The Canadian retail chain Zellers made a comeback this year after most of its locations closed nearly a decade ago. The new pop-up stores appeared in existing Hudson’s Bay stores across the country.