Despite customer backlash and operational issues, the Nova Scotia Energy Board has approved a rate increase application from Nova Scotia Power—with conditions pending. Though a final rate increase was not set, the board reported in its decision on Wednesday that it will be “slightly lower” than Nova Scotia Power’s original ask of 3.8% in 2026 […]
News + Opinion
Coast newspaper coverage of Halifax city news, breaking news, HRM municipal politics, city hall news, local business, downtown development, Dartmouth, Sackville, Bedford, Nova Scotia, Halifax councillors and the mayor
Nova Scotia’s budget cuts will hurt the nonprofit sector more than COVID ever did
The last three weeks have been some of the most demoralizing — and also some of the most galvanizing — of my career in the nonprofit sector. When the Houston government tabled its provincial budget, it did so without consulting the communities it was gutting. Indigenous communities, Black and African Nova Scotian communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ groups, […]
‘Canada Shore’ cast credit fans as season ends, reflect on rapid rise
As the first season of Canada Shore comes to a close, cast members say life after the show feels both familiar and entirely different. The reality series, which streams on Paramount+, follows 10 young Canadians living together in Kelowna, B.C., capturing their party-driven lifestyle and interpersonal drama. Ryleigh Gregory, originally from Bridgewater, N.S., and now […]
Best NSFW AI Chats 2026: We Tested Every Major Platform So You Don’t Waste Your Money
We spent $400 testing the top NSFW AI chat apps. Here’s our honest ranking, including which ones are worth paying for and which ones you should skip entirely. My editor asked me to write this article three weeks ago. I said yes because it sounded easy. Test some AI chat apps, write about them, done. […]
Managing Anxiety: Finding Support and Practical Tools
Across our community, anxiety has become one of the most common concerns bringing people into counselling. At Your Counselling, therapists regularly meet individuals who describe a similar experience: racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, persistent worry, or a sense of tension that follows them throughout the day. For some, anxiety appears during major life changes such as […]
The Fashion Revival brings sustainable style to Dalhousie campus
Rows of clothing racks lined the back of the McInnis Room at Dalhousie University on Wednesday evening, filled with vintage jackets, reworked denim and thrifted pieces waiting for new owners. At the front of the room, an auditorium with nearly 200 seats faced a stage draped in fabric, thread and yarn. Layers of textures and […]
Our readers tell us their thoughts on the provincial budget
Last week, we asked our readers in our daily newsletter about the provincial budget. The Nova Scotia government released its 2026-27 budget on Feb. 23, titled “Defending Nova Scotia.” The budget originally axed $130.4 million in grants to organizations, as well as a five percent annual cut to the civil service, and a three percent […]
What Nova Scotia’s budget cuts mean for students like me
By now, many people have heard of Premier Tim Houston’s budget cuts. To save $130 million, the Houston government has slashed 287 program grants and funding in Nova Scotia. Numerous grants and ongoing projects will essentially be cut off. The bulk of these grant reductions will impact arts programs, tourism and culture, and many of […]
Best AI Girlfriend Apps and Sites of 2026
Look, I’m going to be upfront with you. A couple years ago, if someone told me I’d spend a month testing AI girlfriend apps for a living, I’d have laughed them out of the bar. And yet here we are. It’s 2026, the robots are flirting with us, and honestly? Some of them are pretty […]
From Dartmouth rinks to world podiums: Julia Snelgrove’s rise in speed skating
The 18-year-old long-track speed skater from Dartmouth says she’s never been someone who sits still for long. On the ice, that restlessness has turned into momentum, and now, medals. At the most recent international junior competition—the ISU Junior World Speed Skating Championships in Inzell, Germany—Snelgrove won silver in the 500 metres and bronze in the […]
‘Extreme loss’: Venues expect to feel the pressure of cuts to arts and culture
The outcome is clear. The Nova Scotia government’s recent budget cuts will impact industries across the province. Cutbacks will have to be made to fit within tight financial margins. Axed grants and funding will be to the detriment of many industries, the arts sector included. It’s not just one song communities won’t hear,” says Masuma […]
Halifax’s restaurant winter woes
It’s late February. The winds of winter are blowing. Standing at the corner of Barrington and Blowers streets, you would be hard-pressed to see Obladee Wine Bar. The 15-year-young operation is wrapped in snow- and ice-laden scaffolding, metal poles, plywood and mesh, obscuring what was once one of downtown Halifax’s most recognizable windows. It is […]

