Grief and ritual normally go hand in hand. Ever since humans began living and dying, people have been moved by the need to fully acknowledge death and move through it—often with the help of their community. And though on the surface COVID-19’s greatest crime is death, its greatest punishment falls on those left behind. […]
Caora McKenna
Caora was City Editor at The Coast, where she wrote about everything from city hall to police and housing issues. She started with The Coast in 2017, when she was the publication’s Copy Editor.
Posted inBest of Halifax
What’s so special about Halifax, anyway?
In the BOH survey we asked “What makes Halifax special to you?” and we got back a pile of answers on the same theme: It’s the perfect size. Whether readers say it “feels more like a neighbourhood than a city,” or is “too small for a secret affair,” they agree it’s the epitome of a […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
A look inside Halifax Regional council’s head and the next four years
All but one of Halifax’s councillors will take their oath of office this evening. Promising to do their very best, not steal, and otherwise work their job in the service of the grand municipality that is HRM. The reported winner for District 11, Patty Cuttell, won’t be joining her colleagues tonight as Bruce Holland—who lost […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax Regional Council is about to get a bit more diverse
In a record-breaking year for number of candidates running, Halifax elected a fresh crop of councillors to direct its fate for the next four years. As the last of the results poured—District 11 has gone to a recount—the big winner of the evening was gender parity—with eight seats going to women. With a big number […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Twenty two yes/no questions with Halifax Regional Council candidates
The Coast asked candidates a series of yes/no questions about who they are, their life experiences, and what they think. Of the 82 candidates who signed up to run, 58 answered the survey. To browse each candidate’s answers, check out the mobile browser app we made to help the people of Halifax make a decision […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Everything you need to know about voting in Halifax’s elections
Every four years Halifax Regional Council gets a reset. It’s a good thing. New faces bring new ideas, and new ideas make for better cities and municipalities. The 16 districts that make up this 5,490 square kilometre municipality range from Peggys Cove to Ecum Secum, up to Upper and Middle Musquodobbit. The councillors elected to […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Not sure which district you live in? Look it up here
Type in your address to learn which HRM district you live in. Related Stories
Posted inNews + Opinion
Not sure who to vote for? There’s an app for that
There are 16 districts in Halifax Regional Municipality. They stretch from Hubbards to Ecum Secum and life inside each one chugs along at its own unique pace. Every four years each district decides who will represent it at the decision making table that is Halifax Regional Council. Decision time is now, and with a […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Council approves three initiatives to try and fix the housing crisis
Unable to set rent controls or force developers to make sure a certain proportion of units in a building are affordable—because these are provincial jurisdiction—Halifax Regional Council has gotten creative to try and make things a little bit better for the folks in this city who don’t own their own home. At this week’s council […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Building shaped like half a cruise ship will come to Halifax’s waterfront with few changes
Remember what it looked like when Halifax’s waterfront was stuffed with cruise ships lined up along the boardwalk? Then, COVID-19 came and the scene is a mere memory. But, Southwest Properties has swooped in to save us all, with its proposal for a building that looks like half a cruise ship getting an “almost but […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Everything that happened at Halifax Regional Council this week
It’s 2020, the news is happening on Instagram. For a full minute-by-minute recap of this week’s marathon council meeting head over to our Instagram page to watch city editor Caora McKenna’s live reporting. It includes swipe up links to relevant articles, breakdowns of the legalese that often leaves people drowning, and some fun survey questions […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
All eyes on Sipekne’katik First Nation
First, an introduction: Maureen Googoo has been working in news for more than 30 years. The journalist from Indian Brook First Nation—Sipekne’katik—has been covering Indigenous communities for an Indigenous audience since 2015 through her independent publication, Ku’ku’kwes News. She covered the clash between Indigenous fishers practising their right to a moderate livelihood in Burnt Church, New […]