It’s September in Halifax and that means one thing: frosh. Welcome to all of you, particularly those from away, who are finding themselves in Halifax for the first time. In the interest of being proper hosts, we at The Coast thought to give you, the newbies, some coveted information that will make your transition here […]
Shayla Howell
Posted inNews + Opinion
When goats fly
When 23-year-old Jacob Deng returned to Duk Padiet, the village in South Sudan where he was born, his older sister Abiol ran from him screaming. Eighteen years earlier, in 1987, the Sudanese government attacked and burned down his village. Jacob, the only male left in his family, escaped, but his family presumed him dead. Now, […]
Posted inArts + Music
As seen on TV
Glasgow doesn’t reveal itself immediately. Pulling off the 104 at Westville Road, you have to drive about five minutes until you meet Stellarton Road, then it’s another left, keep driving past the strip malls and the obligatory Tim Horton’s until you meet George Street. And then you see it. The little bridge that crosses the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
On common ground
I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know: Halifax can be a tough place to meet new people. Blame it on our size, which in this case, really does matter. With approximately 380,000 people living in Halifax, there are plenty of interesting people to meet. But with only 380,000 people living in Halifax, dating […]
Posted inArts + Music
The evolution of Tanya Davis
A year ago, 26-year-old Tanya Davis had no friends to hang out with. She had just moved to Halifax from PEI to pursue a career as a poet/writer/musician, but had no connections and no album to peddle. She spent her afternoons at Steve-O-Renos writing and thinking, and her nights at live shows hoping to connect […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
International embarrassment
On a recent visit to Halifax, former American president—now international HIV/AIDS activist—Bill Clinton appealed to the audience to ask themselves three defining questions: 1) What do you want to see happen in the coming century? 2) How can that be accomplished? 3) Who’s going to do it? On August 13, Clinton will be in Canada […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Risky business
There is a known theory in the restaurant business that says to be successful, you should try to be the third owner to take over a location. The first proprietor, so it goes, does all the heavy lifting, financially speaking. She’s the one who puts in all the required electrical work, installs the ovens, fridges […]
Posted inArts + Music
The right Fitz
The perfect fit. We’re all seeking it—for our jobs, our jeans, our lovers and our leaders. But perfection usually proves elusive and we end up settling for pretty good or make-do solutions. Once in a while, though, fate throws us a bone. Like, for example, Thom Fitzgerald hooking up with Halifax Pride to curate and […]
Posted inArts + Music
Hello Bombgurl
“I’m a poster girl for inappropriate art,” says Melissa Ryan. The petite 31-year-old Halifax artist is sitting in her north end apartment/studio, with her brown wavy hair in pigtails, surrounded by the odds and bobs of different projects she’s working on. Here are small canvases with splashy pop-art paintings piled up on a shelf above […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Democracy watch
Canadians have learned a few things about Haiti from our mainstream news outlets. We’ve learned that it’s the birthplace of our governor general, Michaelle Jean. We’ve learned it’s been affected by Atlantic storms this hurricane season, and we’ve learned that the UN is playing its part to disarm local gangs. What we haven’t learned is […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
New word order
In it, a single word can pull double or even triple-duty, serving completely different functions, depending on its context. The recent decision by the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board to cancel a high school trip to Neptune Theatre’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird provides a unique opportunity to watch the English language at work; here […]