[Image-1] With the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference happening next week on the other side of the pond, we’re highlighting a few of the exceptional (and Halifax-based) initiatives that are tackling climate change and fighting the good fight here at home against environmental degradation. Solar City Solar City is a nationally lauded program created […]
Leah Batstone
Posted inLifestyle
Visitors’ lounge
Bruce the rickshaw puller How many of your passengers are from out of town? This year, I’ve only had out of town passengers. At Buskers it’s more Halifax or Nova Scotian people, but tourists when cruise ships come and stuff. Where are most of them from? The cruise ship here today is from the States, […]
Posted inArts + Music
Open hearts, open farms
“The idea is to give people who want to express themselves in poetry a place where they could send it. I think of it as being a ‘pick-up game of poetry,’ where anyone is welcome to play,” says Mary Ellen Sullivan, who’s a regular contributor to Open Heart Forgery. OHForgery is a free, monthly collection […]
Posted inArts + Music
The Halifax All-City Music Program
If you’ve ever wondered how Nova Scotian musicians developed their skills, one answer is the All-City Music Program. Running for over 40 years, it supplements The Halifax school board’s music programs by offering honour choirs, jazz band and string programs. To join, students audition. “Some people who went through the program are Janet Dunsworth of […]
Posted inArts + Music
Hello, Click
In indie-dominated Halifax, Hello, Click stands out like a neon suit on Spring Garden. Energetic, catchy pop-rock tunes, dashed with hip-hop and house elements, are Hello, Click’s key to overwhelming success—its EP release show in March was sold out. Why six band members? “It’s necessary,” says bass player Tony Kaill. “Each of us always has […]
Posted inArts + Music
WijeratneWorks
Dinuk Wijeratne is a pianist-conductor-composer, and opposite him on the music-genre spectrum is the talented DJ Skratch Bastid. This apple and orange team is joining two other musicians this summer to form the super-group, WijeratneWorks. The band will be playing an epic set of three, 20-minute pieces, composed by Wijeratne, at the Halifax Jazz Festival. […]
Posted inArts + Music
Dark for Dark
If the New Music Issue had a “newest band award,” Dark for Dark would peacefully steal the title. Forming this spring, Dark for Dark includes drumming Jess Lewis, key-pounding Laura Peek and strumming Rebecca Zolokower. “I went to a cabin in the winter and songs just came to me,” says Zolokower. “I asked the girls […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Anchored away
The Business Development Bank of Canada is taking votes for the winner of its Young Entrepreneur Award, and in first place is Zane Kelsall, co-owner of Two If By Sea Cafe. Kelsall always wanted to create Anchored Coffee, a roastery specializing in direct-trade and high quality coffee. The grand prize grant of $100,000 would be […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Schmidtville neighbours object to proposed new building
The tug-of-war between preservationists and developers continues after the Mary Ann site open house this week. The Mary Ann construction, planned for September, is the latest luxury-living project by WM Fares Group and BANC Group; the proposed nine-storey building will face Clyde Street between Birmingham and Queen Streets. It’ll contain 135 units, with the main […]
Posted inArts + Music
Y-Level? Because we love you!
Eyelevel Gallery is giving new kids on the art-grind a chance to shine. It’s been doing so annually for about ten years, since the Y-Level art show began. Several emerging Canadian artists—meaning they are in their last year of school or graduated two years ago—and similarly, an emerging curator, put together the installation-based show. “I […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
John Newcombe killed
In the early hours of June 1, John Newcombe was shot five times outside Winston’s Pub in Clayton Park. The 27-year-old had attended a live music show at the pub and was gunned down afterwards, while having a cigarette. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooter ran off down Willett Street. Police haven’t […]
Posted inArts + Music
Alice Burdick Hollers at you
In slow-moving Mahone Bay, where bright buildings teeter on ocean rocks and tourists flock to nibble fresh fish ‘n’ chips, everyone knows everyone. It’s typical small town behaviour and Alice Burdick loves it, although she’s simply known as “The lady up the street with some kids.” Raised in Toronto, Burdick finds writing inspiration in the […]