A boiled lobster on a plate can be a lot to deal with. There’s the shell, the spiky bits and all that melted butter. But eating local lobster is a fantastic way to help Nova Scotia fishers while enjoying some of the very best seafood in the world. What’s a conscientious consumer to do? Lean on […]
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.
Posted inNews + Opinion
Lifelong lifeguard sees change over the decades
Mike Melenchuk stopped being a certified lifeguard about a decade ago, but as the executive director of the Nova Scotia Lifesaving Society, he’s still keeping his feet wet. He tells The Coast that since he first started patrolling beaches like Rissers, Rainbow Haven and Aylesford Lake, drownings have decreased significantly in the province at both […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Where to go when you gotta go
Public washrooms are always important, but especially so during COVID-19 when marginalized communities may have less access to retail store and coffee shop washrooms. “At the basic level, everyone in our community deserves access to hand washing and washroom facilities,” HRM public safety advisor Amy Siciliano told Coast writer Lezlie Lowe. Here’s a comprehensive list […]
Posted inLifestyle
Thirst things first
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inFood + Drink
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inFood + Drink
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
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 […]
