City Hall: The dog park days of summer
When the Africville Heritage Trust wanted to turn the historic site of the Africville community into a properly developed heritage site—educational plaques and all—they asked the city to move the off-leash dog park that currently resides there. Virtually nobody disagrees with this. When you think of the somber dignity of a commemoration, you don’t associate…
Beards, beards, beards!
This message is to all the handsome men and cuties who have grown beards in the past while: you are making my summer SO much better. So many men, so many beards! My bus ride to work is made much more interesting because of you and it only makes summer hotter to see all you…
Share the seats?
So I get the same bus every day during the week at the same time every morning. I’m currently in university and require all my texts throughout the day. Because of this I have a large, not obnoxious bag, that I put on the empty seat next to me. The bus gets maybe half-full by…
No Soap. No Manners.
Was in line waiting to be served at a coffee shop in Dartmouth, after having a great, sunny ferry ride across then harbour with my young child and his friend. A man came over and mentioned that the soap dispenser in the bathroom was empty. The two ladies that were behind the counter seemed pretty…
Crazy-Ass Bosses
Listen I come to work every day never say a word do my job to the best of my ability, but when you decide that now I have become a target for your ranting and raving. Well I hate to tell ya you picked the wrong guy. I am sure there are great employers in…
They’ll Nickel & Dime Ya!
WTF is with the Link buses? I can never find a regular bus to get on that will take me to Halifax from Portland Hills in the morning. There is only a stupid link bus that costs 50 cents extra and is always full so you gotta stand up all the way to Halifax (a…
Meet Dr. Snip: 10 minutes of your time
We agreed to terminate the little squirt, and you agreed to a vasectomy. Then you refused the vasectomy. It’s a shame that you remain an adolescent boy. I had hoped you would mature into a man. Your choice. -Venus, “fly away fly.”
The YOU I love the most
Awake too early, but I don’t mind, because it’s another morning together. Tired, difficult, uncooperative anybody else but you I would not tolerate. It’s time for breakfast! Cheerios seemed to have helped because I finally get a smile. Let’s get dressed! What do you want to do today? Go see ducks? The park? Coffee place?…
But then I remembered
I had forgotten so many things. A smile to be reckoned with We laughed at every moment The way you looked at me Passionate encounters You were so beautiful A brain to admire A loyal friend We dreamed together Anything was possible I was so very lucky. Then I remembered and wrote them down. -AJB
24 Months for that
Twenty-four months! This is where Sharia Law should come into place. I guarantee we would see a dramatic drop in this type of crime. If it was me handing down the sentence…you would be dead as fried chicken. -Whackem
Green Bananas
I fucking hate you green bananas. I hate your hardness and gross not-ripe taste and how you make me gag. Then all of a sudden all seven of you are ripe and want to be eaten at the same time then tomorrow the uneaten ones are in my freezer waiting to become banana bread that…
Toilet Seats
How I hate waking at 3am and needing to pee. Then what makes it worse is while I’m peeing I suddenly need to poop. This causes multiple problems for me now. The first being I enjoy pooping first thing in the morning immediately before showering, not after because I get itchy. The second being I…
Day 6 at Magnetic North
I’m feeling pretty pleased with my theatre choices today. The immersive experiences of seeing a play in an elevator and a play that transformed The Bus Stop Theatre into a rural General Store (with such attention to detail!) really complimented each other. I loved the intensity of being inches from the two actors in Catherine…
Introducing, Fiasco’s new owners
If you haven’t heard, Fiasco (1463 Brenton Street) not only has a new menu, but also two new faces behind the scenes. As of early May Morné Van Antwerp and Sue Ann Lambert took over as owners, and creators—he as the chef and she, the pastry chef. And they’re a power couple, to say the…
Halifax Cycles gears up for a move
With the expiry of its lease, a re-vamped name and a new co-owner, it seems like all signs pointed to a move for Halifax Cycles (formerly Halifax Cycle Gallery, 6299 Quinpool Road). This weekend the shop, and all of its beautiful bikes, will move to 6056 Almon Street (across from the new RONA), with the…
Homemade wine at reception venue?
Details: I’m having trouble finding venues that will allow us to bring in our own liquor, specifically homemade wines. We’re both adamant that we be allowed to bring in our own wines and other liquor, as the expense of venue-provided stuff is stupid, and there’s a sentimental attachment to having wine from our parents (including…
Radiant music
When you look at painting, what do you feel? Perhaps a bit of music will put you in the mood for some artistic imagination. The fusion of art and music comes together at the Radiance music event at the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery on Saturday, June 28 from 3 to 5pm. Ron Shuebrook’s…
Truly the only World Cup coverage you need
National Geographic muses on the possibility of a Kenyan elephant soccer team (sadly, not very likely), an elephant game called “play kick-back” and which famous players the elephants most resemble (Ronaldo, Zidane). There’s also a video, the elephants are all wearing colourful blanket pinneys, and this charming conclusion: “Another little elephant rolls around on the…
Can’t Understand Not Trying
You’ve got the grace of an elephant and the mind of a spoilt child. Your dog doesn’t even bark when you’re not home, what do you think that means? Can’t wait for you to move. -Take Care You
Bicycle Bells
I would like to remind all citizens sharing our city streets and sidewalks in the proper use of a bicycle bell/horn. Cyclists should always ring their bell when approaching slower moving traffic…pedestrian or cyclists…from the front or the rear. Just a jingle, no need to lay on it. The bell is not meant to shoo…
There are still genuine people out there
Just when I haD given up on people, I came across some who have restored my faith in humanity. After my dog was hit by a car—and the person who hit him kept on driving—many people came to my dog’s aid. Made sure that I was alright and offered to drive me to the vet.…
To The Person Who Hit My Dog With Their Car
It’s bad enough when people get hit by a car—and I, myself, have recently been hit. But for someone to hit my dog with their car, and then to just continue to drive away, really makes me sick to my stomach. Whether it’s a person or an animal. It’s not OK to hit someone and…
Working Hard to Not Work at All
You know what, fuck you. Fuck you! Ohhh, you have work that needs to get done, congra-fucking-lations to YOU!! You must be the only person ever on earth who has ever had work that needed to get done. What a rare and wonderful breed you are. This may surprise you, so sit down, but the…
Touché
Me: I just get so pissed off at the older generation. Therapist: Why? Me: Because when I grew up, we were force fed the idea that if you didn’t go to college you’d be flippin’ burgers. Therapist: And? Me: And now a lot of us have gone to college, have degrees, can’t get a damn…
Day 5 at Magnetic North
Thanks (or no thanks) to a broken axle, I had to miss out on 2b Theatre’s When It Rains on Sunday night, but I did see it, and loved it, when it premiered here in 2011. I can’t fit it in now, but with shows tonight and tomorrow, you can. The festival buzz on it…
Music video premiere: Quake, “Mellow Triangles”
It’s Halifax rap video week! Get in on it with Quake Matthews’ newest for “Mellow Triangles”. Shot by BADFUN Media’s Mat Barkley and Pat Campbell, with help from Byron Kutchera (camera operator for the Trailer Park Boys, if you’re the type who cares about credentials), the crew worked collaboratively with Quake, after he invited BADFUN…
Hi
Your beautiful blues and stunning smile make my day. -I’ll Say Hi Next Time
This bitch is about humanity
Why do we keep slaughtering each other over religion? It not just religion alone, but it is religion for the large part. You would think that we would smarten up over time, but…oh no…we humans carry grudges for a long time. As a species we really are more like lemmings than anything. I wish I…
Camera on Citadel Hill
The picture I took of you with your camera Sunday night has developed in my mind. I can see you smiling. It made my heart beat faster. I wish I had stuck around instead of running away. I ran back up the hill twice more in that hour hoping to find you again and get…
Jubilant Root Beer Float Away
We are intrepid, our hearts float like neopolitan soft serve. We carry on, our bodies press against the pains of a glass covered present. We drink, be merry and wish for the star-crossed mania to punch us love drunk until we swing again in the hanging gardens of Babylon. Paint. -Just Another Blank Canvas
Hot Girl Helping a Homeless Guy
This shoutout goes to the hot girl in a black dress and jean jacket on Spring Garden Saturday night Who stopped to talk to the homeless guy and went into McDonald’s to buy him food: Your actions definitely made me rethink my perspective on life and how I am with others. Thank you! -Bystander
Dear long-haired, bearded men of HRM
I adore you. That is all. -Blushing Babe
AN OPEN LETTER TO HALIFAX BARISTAS:
1: Learn how to tamp the fucking bean right to create a proper espresso. Stop serving me this watery shit with a cum stain floating on top. 2: When someone orders a short Americano, DON’T TRY TO EDUCATE US ON HOW TO MAKE A PROPER AMERICANO, JUST PUT HALF THE FUCKING WATER IN THE CUP.…
Science as Art
You suggested we go to The Boardroom that night didn’t you? You were right. It’s the best. I saw the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen, and all I could think of was the science you’d see behind it, Earl Grey, Lupines, even The Croods reminds me of you. I’m technology-impaired, and need help, but…
Chef girl!
Just for the rad chef girl I met today: Damn I wanted to ask you out but was chicken! I hope I see you again! You’re cool beans! -The Almost Chef!
Ignorance is Bliss
To the group who wrote “let your cat in jerk” on the sidewalk with our coloured chalk last night: Your graffiti art is a monument to the human indulgence of judging and condemning someone while ignorant of the facts. (1) Duh, you used our coloured chalk from our front steps. Coloured chalk on front steps…
Out of the Blue
Thanks so much to the thoughtful person who decided to pay it forward and picked me as their victim. Thanks so much for the lovely cupcake, it was yummy! -TCP on Barrington
Huh?
Why is it that when people come to the house to see the occupants they feel they should park their vehicle in the driveway thus blocking an occupant’s car from leaving? It is a low-traffic residential street with LOTS of available street parking, usually right in front of the house. Is it not obvious that…
“No jobs in NS,” my sweet ass
My brother has been CRAZY looking for work lately. He has sent off like 100 applications in the last month. He got offered four jobs this week. Now he doesn’t know if he wants any of them, and I’m like, “Dude! WTF!? I know people out of work for a year!’ -Pick one and bail…
Common Dog Marauders
I don’t like rules any more than you do. Yeah, I break ’em when I can, when I’m sure they don’t have negative impacts on others. I know my dog loves to run loose, but I take her to dog parks for this. There’s one just kitty corner to the Common, where Cogswell and Rainnie…
I’d like to thank the Academy…
So although Facebook is technically the bane of societal existence, it’s a great opportunity to see what assholes really think of you. I’d like to thank you for publicly humiliating me by failing to appreciate the three months of scheduling, planning and coordinating your event PLUS the 26 hours of date-specific project-related work I recently…
A hate for Love
I don’t love you I don’t love you, don’t love me I am nothing And that is what I have to give you I have nothing Look toward the sun Rising up and out and from We are nothing And nothing we are from We are one But not the way you want to be…
From here…
How is it that a person can reach a certain point in their existence, yet no point has been reached? Some of us struggle; some not so much. I have to believe that the struggle has to end, that the one person willing to help end this angst, is indeed, out there. -…Another Celestial Body…
Fireman Love
To Harold and the other gentleman at the Bayers Road station: thank you for taking care of my daughter after she suffered a massive nosebleed from a swing accident at the playground next door. You took her mind off the pain and blood and at the end she didn’t want to leave. Thanks again from…
Don’t Steal Bike Parts
Hey, so this bitch isn’t going to even touch the topic of cycling, that’s a whole other can of worms to which I could dedicate a whole Coast’s worth of bitches. It’s about the bikes themselves. Whoever you are out there that takes great pleasure in stealing lights, seats, bags, whatever you can put your…
New Library
OK, someone has to say it: Have you seen the new library building? WTF!?!?! Was the construction crew fucking drunk when they built the top floor, or is the architect a sexually frustrated Rubix cube addict? Clearly, some creative designs lack common sense. -Not Getting It
Sorry to have inconvenienced you, GRINCH!
I was riding my bike south on Oxford, passing the Coburg intersection. Yes, I was on the SIDEWALK at this stage. I do this because there is barely enough room for two cars on that intersection and it was rush hour and I’m carrying a toddler (and if you’re in the right lane, I’m sure…
Nova Scotia rocks!
I’m so fed up with the criticism I hear about Nova Scotia. Everyone is Alberta this, Alberta that!! Here are things that make NS more desirable than Alberta: -Better weather -More physical beauty -Way nicer, down to earth people -Cheaper housing Yeah yeah, Alberta has work and lower taxes, but people like to exaggerate about…
Kindness of Strangers
I was with an elderly lady in a wheelchair that was involved in an accident Tuesday afternoon. Everything turned out OK, but I was so shaken I didn’t properly thank the people who helped us, both on the sidewalk, and inside the store. You were all so kind, and helpful. Blessings. -A Grateful Caregiver
Customer Service
What is it with idiot people who come to shop with the brains of a slug? Rude people who think that that the world spins around them, people who think that break times are for them. Must be government employees who sit on their asses all day. People who figure customer service is the same…
History Repeating Itself
I hope the city councillor for Peninsula North can loosen her ah helmet long enough to ah realize that not all of the ah voters who elected her, don’t “only” consist of ah notably vocal group of ah persistent whiners. A great number of us are in fact dog owners. We pay taxes in this…
Day 3 at Magnetic North
Magnetic North is more than just 11 days of plays. There are activities happening all over the city that showcase Halifax to the world, and bring Haligonians “up close and personal” with theatre practitioners from across Canada. A great example was last night’s Oval Roller Skating Party, which is presented in collaboration with Nocturne Art At…
Magnetic North Theatre Festival 2014
It was just under a year ago that I began to hear the buzz in Halifax that Magnetic North would be coming here. I had a sense that this was kind of a big deal. Magnetic North is, after all, Canada’s only national theatre festival—-a veritable movable feast that exposes Canadians to theatre from across…
Summer playlist: Summer in the city
The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster” It turns out no amount of melted butter can mask the flavour of the clawed beast. Many Cape Breton summers as a freak-of-nature lobster-hater yield many charred hot dogs consumed during lobster cookouts. “Hot in Herre,” Nelly Your stinky office lacks a crossbreeze, your bedroom is like a sauna and you’re…
How we roll: Halifax’s best lobster rolls
The Shack Oyster Bar The Shack is the antithesis of a greasy fish ‘n’ chips joint—all of its seafood is freshly shucked or steamed. The Crobster Roll is bursting with a creamy lobster and snow crab salad, heightened with fresh dill and mustard seed. This waterfront snack is perfect on a sunny day. Queen’s Wharf,…
Cool your jets
Despite what the rest of these pages want you to believe, summer is the actual worst. Between hay fever, swamp ass and the ever-rising cost of your cat’s flea medication–to say nothing of living in a city that in the summer seems to trade working for all-hours porch-lounging while bumping Top 40–June through early September…
Acting out: A summer’s worth of theatre
June 19-29;
Magnetic North Theatre Festival Canada’s only national theatre festival, Magnetic North, is descending on Halifax and Dartmouth and bringing with it some of the best touring theatre from across the country. Enjoy plays (including east coast stories produced as part of Eastern Front Theatre’s Stages Theatre Festival), take part in workshops, sit in on…
Music Festival Survival Guide
Rich Aucoin It’s easy to think of festivals like an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT buffet and stuff yourself such that it depreciates the overall meal of experiences. I recommend just picking a few things you want to see each day and focus on just having a relaxing day outdoors with your friends. Don’t be afraid to get muddy…
Summer’s top food events
June 27-29 Right Some Good Lucky for us North America’s original pop-up food fest has crossed the causeway, and will share with us a little bit of the magic that’s been taking place in Cape Breton for the last few summers—Michelin chefs, a feast on a navy ship, master chef competitions and a (free) street food…
Hot drinks, cool breeze
Chebucto Coffee Coffee doesn’t always have to be your grab-and-go drink. Looking for a change of pace? Unwind at Chebucto’s haven of relaxation. Isolated from its java-pouring counterparts and shops, this patio invites its customers get out of the house to feel just as at home.> 6430 Chebucto Road, 404-5885 Humani-T Cafe, north end There…
Hottest movies of summer
Carbon Arc The local movie series kicks off its fourth anniversary with the excellent Lukas Moodysson jam We Are the Best!, about a pre-teen punk rock trio, on June 27. (The day before catch the Thrillema entry The Sacrament.) Also on the docket are Hedwig and the Angry Inch (July 17), The Guild (July 18…
We are the World Cup
1 Niche Lounge A summer sports fan’s internal debate: whether to stay holed up inside, vitamin-D-free glued to the TV or enjoy the sweltering summer days that can be few and far between. Team Niche knows this problem all too well and finds the happy medium by putting a massive screen on the patio—you can…
Where are my poly people?
Q I’m a fairly boring person by your column’s standards in that I’ve always identified as a straight male into typical relationships. I’ve realized, after multiple long-term relationships that were unsatisfying, that monogamy isn’t for me. I would like to have a main, fulfilling and committed relationship without limiting myself sexually or emotionally. I’ve struggled…
Swim town
Crystal Crescent Beach Trade water temperature (it leans on the cold side) for beauty—Crystal Crescent boasts crystal-clear swimming, white sand, walking trails and the out-of-town feeling without going too far. Directions: Follow Herring Cove Road to Old Sambro Road then take a right. After 17km(ish) take a right on West Pennant Road, your first left…
Word on the street: Halifax’s food trucks
Food Wolf Latin/Asian fusion fantasia, home of the K-dog @foodwolf Cheese Gypsy More crazy cheese and bread combinations to crave @cheesegypsy My Three Cousins Dalhousie’s very own food truck, serving shish taouk, falafel and greek fries 6226 University Avenue Nomad Gourmet Bangin’ breakfast, gourmet burgers, big badass burritos @nomadgourmet Bud the Spud Halifax food truck…
Sarah Burwash’s brief Sojourn
She may call north end of Halifax home, but the woods are never far from Sarah Burwash’s imagination. “I’ve always been drawn to the wilderness,” says the 27-year-old artist and illustrator. Best known for her watercolour drawings of woodland clearings with playful critters, slender trees and bright-faced figures, Burwash moved to Halifax from the west…
My Favourite Summer Movie
Wet Hot American Summer Because I went to camp for 10,000 years, was a councillor and am drawn to romantic summertime drama as well canoeing and water sports. Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon and Janeane Garofalo are three of my favourite humans that I don’t know. —Jenn Grant, musician How would you feel about a surreal…
Glamp counsellor
Proper drink ingredients Limes, bitters, homemade maraschino cherries, herbs, you get it—there’s a fine line between drinking a cocktail and drinking some alcohol in a cup (in this case, a coupe). Bone marrow You know what tastes good with bone marrow on it? EVERYTHING. You can roast a hunk or two in a pan on…
Summer is beer
① PATIO Tis the Saison North Brewing Co. Summer Saison (5.5 percent) French for “season,” this style was traditionally brewed at the end of winter and unleashed in the summer. Considered a “farmhouse ale”—North’s specialty— named because of its earthy, rustic character, Saison was kept on hand to quench the thirst of farmhands during the hot…
Hot Summer Guide 2014
Dive into our 19th annual Hot Summer Guide for the season’s top concerts, festivals, art exhibits, movies and sporting events, plus fashion, food trucks, road trip inspiration and what to pack on your next glamping trip. Click here to see it all. Related Stories
Hot summer concerts 2014
June 28 Bastid’s Coast 2 Coast BBQ I was stoked when I saw Skratch Bastid on the turntable at a Raptors game. The Halifax DJ and producer is kind of a big deal and he’s touring Canada with a party in tow, hitting the Waterfront Warehouse with A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad, locals Jorun…
Magnetic North’s field notes
Magnetic North is pointing east right now as the national travelling theatre festival of new Canadian shows opens in Halifax. The event, which alternates each year between Ottawa and a different Canadian city, provides a kind of one-stop shopping opportunity for presenters and producers from across the world to experience some of our country’s best…
Must-do sports events
June-August Anchor City Rollers Derby competitors have a gift for naming. Local skater alter egos include solid gold like Punchy Bruiser, Smackeroni N’ Cheese and Demon in the Rough. So, it makes total sense Halifax’s first all-female roller derby league has begun its third season with a new identity—-the Anchor City Rollers. The volunteer-run league…
Love in the Resolutes Club
It’s easy to feel behind the times when it comes to restaurants, with new places opening and old places closing like clockwork, almost as regularly as the sun rises and sets. But it’s not often you feel a hundred years behind the times. Started in 1901, the Resolutes Amateur Athletics Club of Halifax is the…
Everything you need to know about summer ’14’s festivals
June 15-22 Editor’s Pick The Nova Scotia Multicultural Festival This summer marks 30 years of the Nova Scotia Multicultural Festival. It’s an immersive week of cultural education with artisans, performances, a parade, AMAZING FOOD (there’s a full line-up of international hot dogs), workshops and a health and wellness series across Halifax and Dartmouth, throwing a spotlight…
Five art exhibits to see this summer
Ursula Johnson: Mi’kwite’tmn (“Do You Remember”) This summer, be sure to catch artist Ursula Johnson’s first major touring solo exhibition at Saint Mary’s University, before she embarks on a national tour with the work. In Mi’kwite’tmn, Johnson explores ideas of ancestry, identity and cultural practice. It’s an exhibition that sheds light on the state of…
Summertime radness
Seagrass dangly pendant by TORI.XO, $180, Boutique Joliette, 1870 Hollis Street Dartmouth City of Lakes tote, $32, Kept Shop, 127 Portland Street. BC suede block heel sandals, $95 Biscuit General Store, 1661 Argyle Street Esther Williams high-waisted polka-dot bikini, $99 Biscuit General Store, 1661 Argyle Street Cloudburst sundress, $190, J&R Grimsmo,1533 Barrington Street Charcoal Filter Water Bottle,…
Aboriginal Day’s unity and solidarity
“I think hip-hop got adopted very quickly by First Nations culture because of the idea of the struggle. Especially with hip-hop being born from the struggle of New York, it was something that First Nations children and kids growing up on the rez could identify with, and rightly so,” says Ian Campeau (AKA DJ NDN)…
Summer playlist: The Girls of Summer
Blondie, “Dreaming” Debbie: Thanks for the cup of tea. I wish you’d figured out that my suit and tie is all an act, that I feel as far away from my dreams as you do. Hope you find yours someday. Camera Obscura, ”Let’s Get Out of This Country” Tracyanne: It’s true, you’re better than this…
The ultimate road trip
Consider this epic infographic your vacation inspiration, an adventure kick-starter. Pick a corner of the province, pack your bags and start exploring.
Tracks
Mia Wasikowska walks four camels across Australia, obviously. Based on Robyn Davidson’s true 1977 story, this festival delight also stars Adam Driver as a field photographer for National Geographic who stands in for most of Robyn’s human interaction. Wasikowska continues to build on a varied, interesting resume in diverse films including The Kids Are Alright,…
Summer playlist: Scene it
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, “Falling Slowly” Once was the sleeper Irish romance of the summer of 2007, about a pair of nameless musicians falling in love through song. This is the song and scene people remember the most. Request it at one of the seven weddings you’re going to this season. Madonna, “This Used…
Free Will Astrology
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cancer (June 21-July 22) Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has a collection of Japanese art that is never on display. It consists of 6,600 wood-block prints created by artists of the ukiyo-e school, also known as “pictures of the floating world.” Some are over 300 years old. They are tucked away in drawers…
Letters to the editor, June 19, 2014
Wheels and feet I’d like to respond to a key detail in the letter against bike helmets by Coast reader Michael Murphy, namely, the notion that because most transport head injuries occur in automobiles that it is somehow hypocritical to require bike helmets, but not car helmets (“Brains matter,” Feature by Erica Butler, June 5/Letters,…
Granville’s Gourmet by Day closes
After five years of sandwiches, wraps, homemade soups and coffee fixes at Gourmet By Day (1810 Granville Street), the little downtown breakfast and lunch spot announced via its Facebook that it was bowing out of business for good. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id =…
Sex workers, supporters rally against Bill C-36
Red umbrellas were fitting for June 14’s rally in support of sex workers. Many of the 40 or so people who attended carried them, not only to shield their bodies and signs from the pouring rain, but as an international symbol against discrimination. Advocacy organizations and people in the industry gathered in cities across the…
