It may have taken a day longer than we anticipated, but Monday’s federal election saw Mark Carney’s Liberals regain the popular vote and for a minority government—narrowly missing out on a majority. Nationally, the election saw a record-breaking voter turnout. Elections Canada estimated that 7.3 million Canadians voted early—a 25 per cent increase from the […]
Julie Lawrence
Julie Lawrence is a journalist, communications specialist and intersectional feminist from Halifax, N.S. She is the Editor of The Coast Daily.
Posted inFood + Drink
Savour the moment
The 2025 Savour Food & Wine Show—hosted by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia —as part of the Savour Food & Wine Festival celebrated its 21st show Monday night with an incredible evening of food and drink at the Halifax Convention Centre. The annual event encourages locals, visitors and foodies alike to celebrate the culinary […]
Posted inArts + Music
Local artist turns grief into a thing of beauty
The space feels sacred; the stories it holds makes the air thick. Each piece of art is given space and room to breathe. Each story is tragic and each painting is beautiful, somehow capturing the essence of the loss without descending into darkness. As I walk around the show at Applehead Studios on Barrington Street […]
Posted inArts + Music
Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival to celebrate 15th anniversary on National Canadian Film Day
It all started 15 years ago because people in Black communities had nowhere to tell their stories. That first year, the Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival screened about eight films. This year, they received over 100 submissions from all around the world. “This year, about 50 per cent of the films are local, but we […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
We asked, you answered
On Tuesday we asked for your opinion on whether I should risk detention by traveling to Florida for a much-needed vacation. You certainly didn’t hold back and offered a wide variety of opinions—from the deeply unkind (thank god for trauma-induced tough skin), to the hilarious to the incredibly thoughtful. A few caveats right off the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
City council making moves
Money matters After weeks of humming and hawing and much discussion, council has approved the 2025/26 municipal budget. The budget includes municipal operations, Regional Council-approved priority initiatives and investments to purchase, construct and rehabilitate municipal assets. Basically, all of the costs associated with running (and hopefully growing) Halifax. The 2025/26 municipal budget includes an operating […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Sexism vs. Misogyny: They are not the same and the difference matters
Nova Scotia is in the middle of a crisis—and we’ll say it over and over until everyone believes it. Since Oct. 18, seven women and one man have been killed in incidents of intimate-partner violence. In five of the seven homicides, the perpetrator then killed himself. As a province, we also own two records: the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Ground-breaking psychology training program coming to Halifax
The kids are not alright. According to Mental Health Research Canada, 1.25 million youth in Canada need mental health support every year, yet more than half of them aren’t receiving it. The numbers are stark: surveys suggest roughly one in four young people have had thoughts of suicide; tt is now the second leading cause […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Queer, trans and allied organizations across Canada have penned a powerful open letter—and you can sign it too
March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). This day is dedicated to celebrating transgender people, their contributions to society and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. Transphobic sentiments continue to escalate among the far right in Canada. In the United States and United Kingdom, bills and laws are being issued […]
Posted inArts + Music
Every big show happening in Halifax in April 2025
Spring has sprung, the days are getting long and as the calendar finally flips from March to April, there’s a brand-new lineup of shows coming to Halifax. As always, The Coast has you covered at what’s happening in town: Crypthand Crypthand is a new Canadian play that imagines the early life of Anne Lister, a […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Obladee, Ob-la-da, life may not go on for beloved downtown wine bar
Obladee Wine Bar—on the corner of Barrington Street and Sackville Street—is barely visible through the jungle of scaffolding. If potential patrons are making a decision based on curb appeal, they would most likely veer away from it, if they noticed it at all. The scaffolding has been in place since July 2023 when HRM issued […]
Posted inArts + Music
ZUPPA turns 27 but isn’t scared of dying
Turning 27 can be a cursed year for great creative people, but Halifax-based Theatre Company Zuppa Circus—now known as just ZUPPA— hopes to sail through the milestone without joining the ominous and infamous 27 Club. The Coast caught up with three of its members on a Zoom call, and they seemed healthy and happy. Their […]