Growing up in the United Kingdom, Paul Thomas (better known as Tommy) remembers always being surrounded by pubs. England and Wales were—and still are—dotted with taverns on nearly every street corner, even in residential districts. That aspect of Tommy’s homeland is something he adores, and it’s a facet he’s actively trying to bring to Halifax. […]
Shoptalk
Local shopping, small business & consumer news
Posted inArts + Music
Halifax’s 2SLGBTQ+ community is calling new spots home
It’s been more than a year since Halifax’s last bar dedicated to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Menz & Mollyz, announced its doors were closing for good. The north end gem took to its Facebook page last April to publicize its shuttering, and Halifax has been lacking in queer-centered spaces ever since. For 15 years, Menz & […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Humani-T Cafe’s last day is Saturday
In July, Halifax’s Humani-T Cafe announced it would be closing its north end location, at 5755 Young Street, in early August. Originally planning to shut down Friday, August 6, owner Nemat Sobhani has extended cafe services until Saturday, August 7 so everyone has a chance to say goodbye. “The last day is Saturday because it […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Black women entrepreneurs make a COVID comeback with summer markets
In 2020, Tia Upshaw started Black Women in Excellence, a program that provides business skills to women of colour, pairs them with a mentor and gives entrepreneurship support. “We go through an in-depth business plan, a financial forecast, projections for three to five years. We basically build a foundation so that anybody who’s coming in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Black entrepreneurs ready for Taking BLK Gottingen
Building on the success of last year’s debut, over 50 Black-owned businesses and vendors are back this Saturday for Takin’ BLK Gottingen. Vendors will transform streets and businesses along and around Gottingen Street with an assortment of food, clothing, art and performances in celebration of African Nova Scotian entrepreneurs and the north end. The market […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
First look: Slowly Slowly ethical fashion and beauty shop
Slowly Slowly is an apt name for the new store at 5685 Cunard Street. Owner and founder Hannah Sears explains that, in a world full of fast fashion, she wants to encourage people to shop more mindfully, slowing down to consider the impact of their purchases. “Fashion is anything but sustainable,” she says. “I think ethics, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Venus Envy feels the love from Halifax for new shop
In what owner Marshall Haywood calls a “proud Halifax tradition,” downtown sex-education store Venus Envy is getting renovicted from its current location. The Tramway Building on Barrington Street, home to Venus Envy since 1999, is being renovated, and even though it will remain commercial on the ground floor, Haywood feels squeezed. “The plan for the […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Field Guide owners to open new, “grown up” restaurant
When Field Guide opened on Gottingen Street eight years ago, Ceilidh Sutherland was new to the game. Now, she and business partner Katie Tower are old pros, and planning to open a second restaurant later this year. “Obviously it being a pandemic is touch and go, but we know that ideally it won’t be a […]
Posted inArts + Music
Hooked on a feeling
When The Coast phones Crystal Ross—the artist behind the hand-hooked, hand-dyed-wool rug shop Crystal Rugs—she’s happy to take a break from working on her latest project, a handmade oval piece sporting a pattern of strewn-about wildflowers. “I’m trying to vary my movements so I don’t give myself carpal tunnel,” she says, cracking an audible smile […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Say hello to the giant floating unicorn Halifax needs right now
“We wanted something that would make people say, ‘Holy shit, that looks fun.’” Dave Wolpin is talking about the inspiration behind his new venture, a floating playground that will open mid-June—COVID willing—on First Lake beside the Sackville Community Arena. Called Splashifax, it’s part bouncy obstacle course, part swimmy summer hangout, part home to the world’s […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
From Hangzhou to Halifax
Last year, as the coronavirus made its way around the world, anti-Asian hate reared its ugly head. Over a year on, it’s persisted and risen. In Canada, a 2020 survey from the Chinese Canadian National Council received 1,150 reports of racially motivated incidents, with reports still being collected. In Halifax, incidents motivated by hate rose […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
What to expect at the new Seaport Market
The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market opened last weekend in its new space at Pavilion 22, immediately beside the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. It’s just 350 metres south of its former waterfront home, where the market had been since opening in August, 2010. On Saturday morning, the crowd was strong. Because of COVID-19 […]
