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The Coast | News, events, restaurants, concerts and Burger Week for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Home of the Best of Halifax Reader's Choice Awards, the award-winning independent newspaper covers the Halifax news, politics, events, concerts, movies, restaurants, and nightlife scene.
I am kind, down-to-earth, professional, and attractive. Oh, and yes, a single father. Does the last thing really negate all the things before it? So much so that I can’t even get one date? Really? Not one interested woman? I have kids ladies, not small pox. I know that the idea of being in a…
After seven years and two general elections, Jamie Baillie is stepping down as leader of the Progressive Conservatives. Baillie submitted his official notice to Tara Miller, the PC Party president on Wednesday morning. “I want to thank my family, my caucus colleagues and the dedicated members of the PC Party for their support over the…
The Halifax “road train” will have to conduct its business without any funding from city hall. A vote at council to provide $50,000 in municipal money for the downtown people-mover was defeated by an 8–8 tie on Tuesday. Councillor Waye Mason, a member of the Halifax Community Road Train Society, recused himself from the vote. Ambassatours…
Dear straight white men, If something happens in the world relating to gender, sexuality or race identity that you feel you need to defend yourself against…don’t. I’ll be the first to say that I have a hard time understanding a lot of the injustice in the world. I sometimes find myself confused about why certain…
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is holding community hearings in Membertou First Nation this week. Journalist Maureen Googoo is live-blogging the hearings each day on Twitter and sharing coverage from her crowd-funded news site, Kukukwes.com, with The Coast. ——— More stories of pain, survival and seeking justice were heard…
For the third time in his political career, Matt Whitman has issued a public apology. The councillor stood at the start of Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting to address his Twitter fight last week with fellow elected official Shawn Cleary and his use of the word “negro” on TV. “I apologize to my colleague…
I consider voting a privilege and a responsibility. But I wish politicians would take their responsibility to voters more seriously. We elect them to represent us. Sometimes our interests coincide with corporate priorities. After all, corporations create jobs and economic opportunities and often develop products and services citizens need. Corporations can’t vote, but by putting…
When I was in bands with a bunch of men and boys in my tween/teenage years, no one bothered me. I was protected by my all-straight male bandmates. Once I launched my own solo project, all of the outside noise and interest in my music (for all the wrong reasons) began to open my eyes…
To the driver of the Colby bus to Dartmouth, your comment to me was asinine. Do you know why telling me to not say anything was exactly that? I heard you tell those getting on the bus after me they would have to get behind the yellow line. I made it no further than just…
Hey north end beer bar. You’re cool, and I like your beer. I stop by fairly regularly to enjoy pints with friends, because your place is pretty chill. You know what isn’t cool tho? Your shitty tactics of follow-unfollow on Instagram. You’re like the new friend that’s trying too hard. Guess what? I already liked…
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is holding community hearings in Membertou First Nation this week, from October 30 to November 1. Approximately 40 families have registered to make statements. Journalist Maureen Googoo is live-blogging the hearings each day on Twitter and her crowdfunded news site, Kukukwes.com. Googoo is sharing…
Specific money bills lost somewhere in my travels on Spring Garden Road while doing errands the Friday before Halloween. To whomever found it, sure would be nice to somehow get it back but I doubt I will unless you read this and respond with a kind, return to owner heart. I can tell you more…
If there’s an expert on heritage planning in Canada, it’s Marc Denhez. The author and adjudicator has over 30 years experience dealing with historic preservation and planning issues all across the world. He chaired a government-renovation industry task force, and has been honoured by the Canadian Institute of Planners, Ontario’s Ministry of Culture and received a…
What started as a Canada 150 project focusing on the stories of African Nova Scotians will continue beyond its original December deadline. “The project has received immense support,” says Harvi Millar. Millar is a professor at Saint Mary’s University, and he runs the YouTube channel for the Africentric Learning Institute. In October, ALI applied for…
I have been seeing you for a year and it took a while to warm up to you. Now that I have…I’m so hot for you! I’m pretty sure I’m falling for you but it’s only happened once when I was young so I am not sure. Right now though, it feels so good to…
I just used the public washroom at the Alderney branch library. The ladies’ room is small with two toilet stalls. To the woman in the other stall: it is incredibly rude and a violation of people’s privacy to carry on a loud, detailed cell phone call while having a copious pee, wipe, ‘n flush—with me…
The set of Snake in the Grass is an intricately designed backyard terrace with a dilapidated shed and overgrown tennis court. A woman enters from the brush looking rather like a goblin, and plucks a spooky tune at the piano. She scurries away when she hears someone coming to the house. We learn that this…
A city councillor’s use of the word “negroes” while stating that it’s impossible to be racist against Mexicans has prompted the latest public tweet storm between Halifax’s elected leaders. The back-and-forth between city councillors devolved out of Halifax West Armdale representative Shawn Cleary’s statement Tuesday that he would personally no longer use the term “marijuana”…
When did people decide it was OK to talk at full volume in movie theatres? Are you aware of how whispering works? Why did you spend 18 fucking dollars to see a movie in IMAX and then talk through the whole fucking thing? And did you think the 100 other people you were sharing the…
While researching this week’s cover story on the history of the Elmwood building at South and Barrington, The Coast ended up speaking with dozens of current and former tenants from the past 40 years. They shared their memories—and a couple ghost stories—about what it was like living at the ageing historic property. Here’s what they…
To the taxi driver who stopped traffic at a non-existent intersection to insist I cross in front of you while three cars waited behind you. Unless you’re handing the $697.00 out the window for the jaywalking fine, I’m going to wait and cross when it’s clear. Also, holding up three cars and your passenger to…
Nocturne applications will now include a series of optional self-identification questions about race, gender and religion, as a direct result of discourse about the gap in representation and visibility of Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour within the local visual arts community. Kelly Markovich, the programming director for October 14’s Nocturne festival, says this year…
“So much of mankind’s varied experience had passed there—so much had been suffered, and something, too, enjoyed—that the very timbers were oozy, as with the moisture of a heart. It was itself like a great human heart, with a life of its own, and full of rich and sombre reminiscences.” —Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of…
A group of entrepreneurs is bringing a new dimension of terror to the traditional haunted house experience this month at Mic Mac Mall. The folks behind Waypoint Gamery—an up-and-coming mirth merchant hoping to dabble in board games, escape rooms and virtual reality rentals—is doing some spooky market outreach with an installation at the Dartmouth mall…
The Florida Project Opens Friday, October 27 Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane 5657 Spring Garden Road “I’ve been very influenced and inspired by The Little Rascals,” says Sean Baker. “And that’s no joke—in every one of my films is a link to The Little Rascals.” The writer-director is on the phone between sold-out screenings at The…
A Spooky Night at the Movies Friday, October 27, 7:30pm Bethany United Church, 7171 Clinton Avenue $5-$30 For tickets: 902-445-0521 A Spooky Night at the Movies, an annual silent horror film screening hosted by Bethany United Church, is back for its sixth installment—this year it serves up 1925’s horror classic The Monster. Organist Shawn Whynot,…
An evening with Scaachi Koul Sunday, October 29, 7pm Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Road $20 “It was funny and sad.” That’s how Scaachi Koul’s mother reacted after reading Koul’s book, One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. Although short, it’s an accurate review. In this…
Ban the big rigs An 18-wheeler truck parks and takes the space of three or four cars in a no-parking zone near my home to deliver one or two small boxes to a restaurant. This is happening on a daily basis. I have observed similar deliveries being made all over the downtown area of Halifax…
Q In a frank exchange early in our courtship, I told my girlfriend that I have no kinks. As a faithful reader of Savage Love, I’m obviously not opposed to kinks—but I’ve never had any inclinations in that direction and am probably a typical hetero vanilla. As a result, I’m damn near clueless in that…
Macbeth is arguably the best play about ambition written in English. It’s been performed for centuries, and will hold relevance as long as humans behave the way they do—which is to say, as long as people seek power for power’s sake, audiences will see those people in these characters. It is a cathartic experience, to…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21) “You never sing the same song twice,” said chanteuse Billie Holiday. “If you sing it with all the same phrasing and melody, you’re failing your art.” That’s an extreme statement, but I understand what she was driving at. Repeating yourself too much can be debilitating. That includes trying to…
“I love stuff,” says Mark Schaay, one half of Retrospekt, mid-century modern furniture store and 166 Ochterloney Street’s newest tenant. “Everybody needs a hobby I guess but it’s certainly turned into a lot more than that.” A collector with an eye for design, Shae teamed up with Val Plavan about a year ago to thanks…
Cowabunga, dude! The heroes in a half-shell will be making an appearance harbour-side in Dartmouth this week, care of the folks at Giant Robot Comics (114 Woodlawn Road). Owner Darryl Wall has been bringing everyone from the Transformers to Jem and the Holograms to important HRM landmarks for years, via exclusive comic covers sold at…
