Sourwood Cider 5576 Cornwallis Street One of the city’s newest cider joints has installed a small-but-mighty patio so you can sip and stay physically distant. As the name implies, its house-made ciders are often sour, and pair nicely with its snacky food menu. Off Track Brewing 275 Rocky Lake Drive This Bedford brewhouse has a […]
Victoria Walton
Victoria was a full-time reporter with The Coast from April 2020 until mid-2022, when the CBC lured her away. During her Coast tenure, she covering everything from COVID-19 to small business to politics and social justice. Originally from the Annapolis Valley, she graduated from the University of King’s College School of Journalism in 2017.
Don’t pass me by: Nova Scotia’s hidden gems
You’re planning a weekend road trip. Maybe it’s somewhere you go every summer, or maybe it’s a whole new Nova Scotian adventure you’re inspired to take because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. This province has countless popular tourist destinations that are usually packed to the brim with come-from-aways. But they won’t come this year, so […]
Paddling towards equal representation in the outdoor industry
Different Strokes Paddle Program launched in HRM in late June with the goal of getting more diverse people into kayaks and out enjoying nature. Founder Alexi Rodriguez is offering free one-hour lessons to BIPOC folks who are interested in learning how to kayak or improving the skills they already have. When Rodriguez took the Outdoor […]
New cone on the block
Saints Supreme Soft Serve is a new pop-up from the folks at Apartment 3 Coffee in Lower Sackville (833 Sackville Drive). Co-owners Alex and Heather Stephen had been churning over the ice cream idea for a while, but the pandemic convinced them it was finally time to make it a reality. “Because of all this […]
Get your fix of frozen treats
Now that you’ve indulged in the cotton-candy-coated cones at Saints Supreme Soft Serve, check out all the other cool places in town you can get brain freeze this summer. Fun & Shakes 1365 Hollis Street Head to this new spot for extra AF ice cream treats while you’re down on the waterfront. Booza Emessa 819 […]
Restaurants can return to full capacity, if they have the space
Premier Stephen McNeil made a major announcement this afternoon to help restaurants during the pandemic. At least it sounded like a big deal. As of today, June 26, restaurants and bars in Nova Scotia are allowed to operate at their full capacity, not the 50 percent limit the province imposed when the first stage of […]
Halifax’s largest catering and tourism groups have laid off almost all staff this summer
H alifax’s economy is taking a hard hit with COVID-19 and the effects are still setting in. Although restaurants, bars and events spaces have begun to re-open, that doesn’t mean everyone is back to work. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that the 50 percent capacity has affected us as much as the fact that there’s no […]
Halifax gets its first vegan chain restaurant
Copper Branch, a “quick-serve vegan” restaurant, opened a Halifax location last Sunday, June 14. The downtown spot is the 68th location for the Quebec-based chain, mainly across Canada and the US with a handful in France and Belgium. There’s one in Dieppe, NB, but this is the first in the province. “I’m plant-based, my husband […]
The Harbour Hopper prepares for a summer with no tourists
On July 1, Transport Canada regulations will allow boats and watercraft of all kinds to get back to business. Although it spends about half its time on the roads, the Harbour Hopper is classified as a vessel. “Obviously COVID’s affected every business, but in the case of our vessels it hasn’t made a huge difference […]
Salons and barber shops booked up for weeks after re-opening
Starting on May 27, Marvin Upshaw was bombarded with phone calls. The owner and head barber at Ascension Barbershop began taking bookings as soon as Premier McNeil and Dr. Strang announced the re-opening, scheduling appointments starting June 5. “Our clients have been nothing but supportive, always contacting us saying, ‘Book me in ahead, I’m waiting […]
Thirteen people more deserving of a statue in Halifax than Cornwallis
Halifax’s public figures are not as diverse as its citizens, especially when it comes to who is cast in bronze and put upon a pedestal. There’s The Emigrant statue that was erected at the waterfront in 2013, and the 2017 statue The Volunteers recognizes three women who volunteered in the Second World War. But our most […]

