UPDATED: Here’s where to get tickets for Michelle Obama in Halifax
The news broke in Truro in June, as part of a celebration of the Nova Scotia Co-operative’s upcoming 75th anniversary slate: Michelle Obama–yes, the most-loved, best-dressed FLOTUS since Jackie Kennedy—is coming to Halifax. She’ll be delivering a speech live from the Scotiabank Centre stage on October 18. And while we’re sure your credit card is…
Every big show happening in Halifax (and beyond) in August 2023
Wondering how to make the most of summer’s scant time? We’re breaking down all the big shows, from Jerry Seinfeld’s outdoor show to Matt Mays’ Shore Club return to the Buskerfest’s waterfront takeover to Emancipation Day and Natal Day celebrations. Get ready to light up the group chat with some great plans—and if you notice…
HFX Wanderers FC dethrone Hamilton’s Forge FC in 2-1 home thriller
Two days before HFX Wanderers FC would topple Hamilton’s Forge FC 2-1 at Wanderers Grounds, erasing the memory of four years of struggles against the defending Canadian Premier League champions, fullback Zach Fernandez offered his own pitchside prognostication of his club’s Friday fortunes. “I think we’re more confident [compared to] the last result,” he told…
Hartlen Point residents push for renewed, independent impact assessment of DND site
How much heed will federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault pay to concerns about the potential impacts of a 93,000-square-metre military testing site in Hartlen Point? That’s the question a group of Haligonians and 20,000 petitioners are waiting to have answered before July 8, 2023. The conservation group behind Protect Hartlen Point—a collective of Eastern Passage…
Meet the Halifax author writing about queer joy
At first blush, it’d be easy to see K.R. Byggdin’s Wonder World as lifted-from-life, the sort of roman à clef that many debut authors write to make a splash: Like their protagonist, Isaac Funk, Byggdin relocated from small-town Manitoba to Halifax in search of queer community, and like Funk, Byggdin is part of the city’s…
Halifax announces events for Canada/Kana’ta Day 2023
For the second year running, Halifax is shifting the focus of its official July 1 celebrations, aiming to honour the 156th anniversary of the confederation by, as a statement from last summer put it, creating “an event that is inclusive of all our country’s incredible people.” But what does that look like in action? For…
Where to watch the 2023 Canada Day fireworks in Halifax
So, you’re looking to cap off a full day of revelry with a literal bang on Canada Day? Here’s the game plan: make your way to the Halifax or Dartmouth waterfronts to ensure a prime view of the fireworks, which will begin at 10pm on Saturday, July 1. While arriving early obviously means getting a…
Everything you need to know about the 2023 Halifax Mural Festival
Taking forgotten and overlooked walls around the city and reimagining them as blank canvases, the Halifax Mural Festival asks why the world (or at least the city) can’t be more art-filled and rife with wonder. If you’ve ever needed a nudge to look up from your phone while out and around, you’ll find it here,…
Nova Scotia’s fixed-term lease legislation is still leaving Haligonians in the lurch
Evan Walker and his wife, Krista, thought they had found the perfect home to raise their five-year-old son, Tristan: Three bedrooms, good neighbours, on a quiet cul-de-sac in Bedford’s Southgate neighbourhood. All for $2,200 a month. They can walk their son to his pre-primary classes at Bedford South Elementary. Other kids live on the street.…
The Grand Parade podcast: Halifax’s regional plan should have your attention—and excitement
In this week’s episode of The Grand Parade, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman record in front of a live audience at the Halifax Central Library. On the list of things to discuss: Halifax’s regional plan review and how it might be the biggest forward shift in the city’s future since the rebuild after…
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Turo can make car ownership in Atlantic Canada more affordable
In recent years, Canadians have struggled to rent cars from rental companies due to supply shortages, especially during peak travel and tourism months. Thankfully, however, they were provided with another option. To fill the car rental void, Turo, Canada’s leading peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace, stepped in to offer Canadians a unique alternative that connected communities. Turo…
Meet the Halifax rapper breaking barriers and spitting bars—all while wearing a hijab
When Masuma Khan—noted Halifax activist and rapper—lists the likes of Busta Rhymes, Lauryn Hill and Notorious BIG as key influences on her art, it’s hardly surprising (not just because her picks are inarguably classics of the genre). See, like her heroes, Khan—who makes music as rapper General Khan—spits while knowing that the mic in her…
Three cruise ships arrive in Halifax Harbour this week
The busiest weeks of Halifax’s cruise season are still ahead, but as June comes to a close, 32 cruise ships have brought an estimated 46,000 visitors to Halifax’s waterfront so far in 2023. There’s good and bad that comes with that: As The Coast has reported, environmentalists warn that cruise ships are among the most…
July 1 could be the beginning of the end of the carbon tax
Ever since Canada’s national media decided to cover the unified conservative political campaign against the federal government’s implementation of a carbon tax as though it had a legitimate chance of succeeding in the Supreme Court, there has been a lot of misunderstanding about what a carbon tax is. The technical mechanism by which the government…
Listen to the 8 Halifax musicians who will power your playlists this summer
From powering road trips to setting the atmosphere on the back deck, playlists are fuel for summer’s sunshine-y days. No pressure, but the right song in the right moment is what takes a moment and turns it into a memory, fuelling your main character aspirations with a dose of cinematic energy. Here, Team Coast is…
Take a self-guided walking tour of Halifax’s craft breweries this summer
Picture this: It’s a postcard-worthy summer afternoon in Halifax, and you’re somewhere on the thirst scale between “gee, a flight would be nice right now” and “a pitcher sounds more like it.” Maybe you’ve spent the morning at the Common, hopping between marathon Spikeball sessions. Perhaps you’ve returned sunburned from the beach and need something…
Nova Scotian podcasts perfect for a beach day
F inding your ideal beach read or hand-picking your favourite tunes to listen to while lounging in the sun is something we’ve all done, but what about finding that perfect beach podcast? Here’s a guide to some of the hottest Nova Scotian podcasts you can take to the beach and beyond this summer. ARTS &…
Your guide to group bike rides in Nova Scotia this summer
L ooking for a new way to explore and make new friends this summer? Halifax’s cycling community is bigger than ever, meaning there are plenty of options for you to ride your way into a new social circle and bond over a shared interest. Whether you’re looking to gain more confidence biking on the roads,…
Lunenburg is the ultimate book lover’s day trip
Never say booksellers lack a sense of humour. Not in Nova Scotia, at least. As you approach the homey and bright Lunenburg Bound bookstore on Montague Street, across from the Lunenburg School of Arts, you’re greeted by a sandwich board sign. In another tourist town, or another bibliophile’s paradise, it might boast of vast collections…
The North American Indigenous Games are the biggest festival in Halifax this summer
When the opening ceremony to the North American Indigenous Games kicks off at Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre on July 16, 2023, it will not only mark the start of one of the largest sporting events to be hosted in Mi’kma’ki—the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people that forms present-day Nova Scotia—but also the culmination of a…
Every big show happening in Halifax (and beyond) in July 2023
Wondering how to make the most of summer’s scant time? We’re breaking down all the big shows, from Sudan Archives at Jazz Fest to Broadway’s Book Of Mormon to the Halifax Pride Parade to the 2023 North American Indigenous Games. Get ready to light up the group chat with some great plans—and if you notice…
8 Nova Scotian cafes that make a damn fine cup of coffee
In Twin Peaks—David Lynch’s 1990s TV show that was both the first prestige series and a primetime soap—central character FBI Agent Detective Dale Cooper is almost always filling time between cups of coffee. Fandom lore (and an “autobiography” of the fictional character that was published in 1991) says Cooper first sipped the hot stuff when…
Take an ice cream bicycle tour of St. Margaret’s Bay this summer
Of Nova Scotia’s many charms, my favourite might well be the province’s fondness for ice cream. I’m not talking about the Instagram-worthy waffle cones you’ll find for $8 on Spring Garden Road and Halifax’s waterfront—no, my heart holds a special place for the other kind. I’m talking about the side-of-the-road convenience stores you’ll find from…
The Grand Parade podcast is doing a live show!
Next Tuesday June 27, Martin and Matt are doing a live recording of The Grand Parade podcast, so come on down the Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Public Library to watch us suffer through an hour or so of imposter syndrome! Doors will open at 7pm and recording will start at 7:30 and last…
Dig into the ultimate sandcastle competition
If you’re not careful, it can feel like an act of futility: Since the end result falls under the old adage that nothing good can last, why exert yourself? Why lug the pails full of sand only for the tide to wash it away? For 43 summers now on a beach in Nova Scotia, there’s…
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Reignite your love for the Halifax waterfront
The Halifax waterfront is a must-see destination for visitors to the area, but we have to admit that as locals we have a soft spot for it as well. Why not wander down and see what the ocean breeze has to offer you now? It’s about time we rekindle our relationship with the waterfront. Like…
A documentary on the Halifax artist you need to know, a new Trailer Park Boys series and more in this week’s film and TV news
Another week, another call for “action” on film sets across the city as shooting season picks up to its busiest time of year. As the local film and TV sector continues to grow—in a press release from last May, the province says “the film industry contributed about $180.8 million to Nova Scotia’s economy in 2021-22”—Team…
Jenn Grant’s back with the positive pop album you need to hear
When The Coast calls Jenn Grant on a sunny Friday morning in May, about a month out from her new album Champagne Problems’s June 21 release, the kinetic energy is palpable. “How long do you want to speak for?” the singer-songwriter asks, ambient car noise almost drowning her out. We agree on a tight half-hour,…
Everything you need to know about HRM council’s June 20, 2023 meeting
My five-year-old almost became fatherless today because I was cycling in the HRM. Portland Street in Dartmouth is a four-lane monstrosity where the speed limit is 50, but most people drive at least 70km/h, especially down the Breakheart Hill. (And enforcement is not an effective deterrent because suburban development doesn’t provide enough taxes to support…
HRM council to consider a plan that will fix everything
On Tuesday, June 20, the Halifax Regional Municipality’s committee of the whole will meet before the normal council meeting. For people who have active social lives, the committee of the whole is still a formal meeting of council, but the rules around debate are more relaxed so councillors can have a more fulsome discussion about…
Meet Halifax’s most dedicated—and unofficial—breaking fire news expert
If you followed the maelstrom of news updates emerging from the Upper Tantallon wildfires, it is almost assured that some of what you read—be it from The Coast, or any other news outlet—began, at some point, with the work of Twitter personality @HRMFireNews. Halifax’s most persistent source of fire updates has become somewhat of an…
Visual Arts Nova Scotia announces new Executive Director
Visual Arts Nova Scotia—a by-artists, for-artists organization that supports and spotlights visual art in the province—announced a new executive director today. Therese Cruz, based in Shelburne, has a background in jewellery design and passion for painting and rug-hooking. In a press release announcing Cruz’s taking the role, VANS says she is motivated “to be in…
Nova Scotia’s primary care waitlist surpasses 148,000
Fifteen percent of Nova Scotians are officially waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner—the highest tally the province has seen since Nova Scotia Health launched its Need a Family Practice Registry in 2018. As of June 1, 2023, there are 148,431 people on the province’s primary care waitlist. That’s an uptick of more than…
Halifax band Mama’s Broke plays first hometown shows since NPR Tiny Desk appearance
If, when first listening to Mama’s Broke, you can’t stop imaging the open road—a single lane carved through the spine of the Appalachian songbook; an artery of tarmac taking hard corners over harmonies soft as wheat fields—your imagination’s got the right instinct: The duo’s origin story began on a stretch of highway between Montreal and…
A new film screening series launches for Halifax’s horror movie junkies
Josh Lake is here to debunk the myth of elevated horror. You can keep your Jordan Peele and your CGI-generated nightmares: He’d rather have vintage scares in the form of retro movies, thanks very much. “I’m really impressed by people doing a lot with less,” the programmer and creator of the new, bimonthly screening series…
A Roman orator meets a deadly snake in Halifax Harbour this week—sort of.
We’re odd creatures, us humans. It’s one of the great mysteries of the universe that our species can send astronauts to the moon and ships to all corners of the globe—but ask us to name those ships, and our inspiration stops after about… seven names. (And that’s not counting Boaty McBoatface.) On Wednesday, the Danae…
Nataline MacLean survived an online mob, divorce and drinking too much. Her new memoir will help you get through your own mess, too.
It’s been a decade since the worst year of Natalie MacLean’s life, and she’s finally ready to talk about what happened. When the bestselling author and four-time James Beard Award winning food journalist answers The Coast’s call days in advance of the Halifax launch of her new memoir, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the…
The Wanderer Grounds podcast: Watson heroics power HFX Wanderers FC past Valour FC in 2-0 thriller
In this episode of The Wanderer Grounds podcast, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman recap a raucous 2-0 home victory for HFX Wanderers FC—the Canadian Premier League soccer club’s first win of 2023, as well as the first under new coach Patrice Gheisar. Matt apologizes for doubting Mo Omar’s midfield merits, Martin digs deep…
Explaining the wildcards at play in the Tantallon wildfire
There’s a fascinating way in which movies shape our view of the world. And it’s not in the more common toxic ways most people are familiar with, like romantic comedies teaching generations of men that stalking is the most romantic thing they can do to woo a woman. Nor is it the subtle racism taught…
The only Atlantic Canadian in the running for Canada’s biggest art prize is from Halifax
Today, the Sobey Art Award, the biggest prize in Canadian visual art, announced its 2023 shortlist—a five-artist rundown of the most exciting creatives in the country—all of whom are vying for the prize’s $100,000 purse. Among them is none other than Halifax’s Séamus Gallagher, an artist who has been making waves in the city with…
Halifax Pride announces festival and parade dates
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the parade route was unknown, when it has, in fact, been published. The updated text below reflects this change and The Coast regrets the error. Is there even a Pride this year? It’s a question that’s been tossed around some group chats I’m in, it’s been…
The radical self-empowerment of Shania Twain
The skin was important. A diagonal line from collarbone to thigh. And to be braless underneath an open, semi-sheer black shirt. Then, the posture: confident, at ease. It’s symbolic, all of it. She wanted a visual that was self-empowering, something that depicted the vulnerability, the responsibility, the very statement of being comfortable in your own…
Mothering is work, yes. But this new exhibit proves it is art, too.
Anyone who has spent time mothering knows that it is undoubtedly and irrevocably work. But could it also be an art? Jessica Winton and Sally Morgan certainly think so: Along with fellow artist Ruth Douthwright, they’ve formed The Sense Archive, which is currently showing the exhibition This Body of Work through a partnership between Eyelevel…
The speech that stole the show at this year’s Atlantic Book Awards
Get ready for your to-be-read pile to grow even taller: Last night, June 7, saw the annual Atlantic Book Awards Gala take over Halifax Central Library’s Paul O’Regan Hall, getting lit(erary) as it celebrated some of the top tomes of the last year. Halifax author K. R. Byggdin was the evening’s star, taking home the…
Good times are brewing at Stillwell’s newest taproom
The balloons are still hanging over the Kempt Road doorway into Stillwell Brewing Co.’s newest venture when a visitor arrives on Tuesday, thirsty and in the mood for a tour. It’s been two days since the Halifax craft beer mainstay opened the doors to its latest location—a taproom, hi-fi and retail store within its north…
Cruise ships meet delayed car carriers in Halifax Harbour this week
The ancient Greeks had a thing for swans. Zeus, it is said, turned himself into a swan to seduce the Spartan queen Leda. The former king Cycnus transformed into a swan after his death. So, too—depending on the story’s teller—did Orpheus, after he was murdered. If you look into the night sky in summer and…
Every big show happening in Halifax (and beyond) in June 2023
Wondering how to make the most of summer’s scant time? We’re breaking down all the big shows, from Rich Aucoin’s album release show at The Seahorse to Two Planks and A Passion’s outdoor theatre offerings. Get ready to light up the group chat with some great plans—and if you notice we’re missing something, email us!…
Halifax, Vivek Shraya has your soundtrack for Pride Month and beyond
This week, two very different—but equally glamorous—divas are making Halifax glitter on back to back nights: Yes, Shania Twain is playing a long-sold-out show June 12 at the Scotiabank Centre—and trust, her girls are ready to go. But the evening before (June 11 at Alderney Landing Theatre) pop princess and multi hyphenate artist Vivek Shraya…
The Wanderer Grounds podcast: How to solve HFX Wanderers FC’s winless woes?
Patrice Gheisar is in a pickle: Eight games into the HFX Wanderers FC head coach’s debut Canadian Premier League season, his team has only lost twice—but the club hasn’t managed to find a win, either. At the quarter-mark of the CPL season, Gheisar’s Halifax side sits at the bottom of the league standings, with six…
The Grand Parade podcast: How the HRM could have avoided the worst of the Tantallon fire
In this episode of The Grand Parade podcast, Coast reporters Matt Stickland and Martin Bauman reflect on the harsh lessons learned from the Tantallon wildfire—including how the HRM was warned about the risks of a scenario like this 20 years ago. Matt educates Martin on as-of-right development, and how it enabled the suburbs around Halifax…
A major retrospective of one of the 20th century’s most overlooked artists is on view at Halifax’s Blue Building Gallery
New York is quick to call dibs on June Leaf, since she was part of the city’s historic Bleecker Street scene (the street gets its bohemian cred for being HQ for generations of bohemians, a longstanding locale for Leaf and her contemporaries as they re-shaped abstract art in a post-World War Two era). The Whitney…
Rain brings wildfire relief in Halifax, but threat not fully over
On any other week, a seven-day downpour weather forecast in June might have prompted a spree of four-letter lamentations across Halifax. Not this time. Not for a while, either, one imagines. As firefighters surpassed a week of battling a 950-hectare wildfire that has prompted the evacuation of more than 16,400 Haligonians, every droplet on Saturday…
Mera Cafe + Bar is big on storytelling
It’s a bright Halifax afternoon, and Mera Cafe + Bar head chef Sunpreet Singh takes a break from the kitchen to survey the scene: The restaurant he and co-founder Khushkaran Chahal first teased in October on the ground floor of the Jade Apartments (1595 Barrington Street, or what used to be the old Discovery Centre)…
Jane Kansas, travelling light
Editor’s Note: Jane Kansas, an artist, activist and queer elder, passed away in late 2022—a loss felt by many Haligonians. On her first birthday since we lost Kansas, a memorial will be held Monday, June 5 at the Bus Stop Theatre (2203 Gottingen Street), with the opportunity to remember her from 1pm until midnight. An art…
Son of a Critch gets third season, Moonshine premieres this summer in this week’s local film news
It’s peak season for the film industry in Nova Scotia, with hundreds of sets calling “action” all over the province. Team Coast is keeping track of the ever-growing biz (in a press release from last May, the province says “the film industry contributed about $180.8 million to Nova Scotia’s economy in 2021-22”) with weekly updates…
