Last week, members of the Friends of Halifax Common local advocacy group declared that they are ready to sue the HRM over the alleged privatization of the publicly-owned Wanderers Grounds, where Canadian Premier League soccer club HFX Wanderers FC plays its home games. The reason, according to lawyer Ronald Pink’s cease-and-desist letter to Halifax mayor Mike […]
Matt Stickland
Matt spent 10 years in the Navy where he deployed to Libya with HMCS Charlottetown and then became a submariner until ‘retiring’ in 2018. In 2019 he completed his Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College. Matt is an almost award winning opinion writer.
Posted inNews + Opinion
The Grand Parade podcast: Nova Scotia’s property tax cap is subsidizing millionaires and landlords. Here’s how to fix it.
Take heed of the old phrase, “Be careful what you wish for.” Back in 2005, when Nova Scotia introduced its Capped Assessment Program, the stated goal was to keep seniors and families in their homes that might otherwise have been priced out. The solution of the day was to limit property tax increases to no […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Everything you need to know about HRM council’s July 11, 2023 meeting
Something funny happened in the Halifax Forum debates. Some councillors inadvertently admitted that they have no confidence in the city’s ability to implement its large strategic plans—like the Integrated Mobility Plan or the Bus Rapid Transit plan. Want to know why? Well you’ll have to keep on reading, that information is the digestif at the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax is bee-coming a pollinator city
HRM’s environment and sustainability standing committee had a special meeting Thursday to talk about bees and phosphorus. First on the agenda was an application to make Halifax a bee city. City staff recommended waiting until the city has hired a naturalization coordinator before making the application, and that coordinator is in the process of being […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Caribbean Bliss offers great eggs Benedict *and* inspo for city planning
The best way to judge a breakfast place is to order the eggs Benedict, because there are only two correct ways to make the dish. The first correct way to cook an eggs Benedict can only be found in greasy spoon diners. Greasy spoon Hollandaise sauces are usually made by adding water to some powdered […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inGuides
How to get into camping in Nova Scotia’s great outdoors this summer
This story was updated in June 2023. It was first published Aug. 9, 2022. One of the best things about living in Canada is that there is a lot of land, and we know how good being in nature is for us. It’s no wonder being in nature is an essential part of our lives. […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
