Be the first to know about breaking news, articles, and updates.
The Coast | News, events, restaurants, concerts and Burger Week for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Home of the Best of Halifax Reader's Choice Awards, the award-winning independent newspaper covers the Halifax news, politics, events, concerts, movies, restaurants, and nightlife scene.
[Image-1] You’re on my bus every morning when I get on at Highfield. With your short hair and velcro and cargo pants you look like a militaristic narrow-minded bigot. You never interact with any other riders and are always reading books that glorify war. This morning, you’re reading about the Commandant of Auschwitz and that…
[Image-1] To the two people on the number 7 who got off the bus after being harassed: I’m really sorry that happened, and I’m sorry no one said anything while you were still on the bus. Something must have happened before I got on—the weird guy was loudly proclaiming odd comments about “transgendered sandwiches” (WTF),…
To the crew of crust punks walking down Harvard Street Sunday afternoon: You trampled my lawn, trespassed down the side of my house and dropped a huge bag of three large dogs’ waste in my compost bin. Your green plastic bag is not biodegradable and your dogs’ feces doesn’t go into HRM’s organic waste system.…
[Image-1] The conversation surrounding the opposition of oil sands and the fight for eco-justice has been too buzz-worthy to ignore. But it should come as no surprise that our environmental agenda still needs reworking. Though it won’t come overnight, Canada is engaging in a shift in attitude that reaffirms our eco-consciousness. One of the new…
[Image-1] It seems like nobody is managing Halifax Transit. I’ve been on at least five buses with non-functioning “stop request” signs. So I can’t tell if the driver is aware that he has to stop. On today’s bus, I pushed the button and nothing happened—no bell, no sign. I was at the back of an extended bus…
[Image-1] Halifax is where my heart is. I fell in love here; I have been my happiest here; I’ve been at my worst here. When I’m away, I feel like I’m in limbo. And I’m so happy to be back home, especially right now when everything is so full of potential. —xoxox
To the twat that posted last week (Menstruator): I’m sorry to inform you, you’re sadly mistaken. Talking about something as personal, and private, as that is not appropriate dinner conversation in a public place. Maybe next time I’m out I should bring up how my last prostate exam went—how I so enjoyed getting finger-fucked by…
[Image-1] We’re a year in of preparations and all the initial replacement work is apparently finished. So, today, Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB) delivered an update on the Big Lift. By replacing two deck segments a weekend, as opposed to one, 46 deck segments are expected to be complete by the end of this year,…
This month, Halifax singer-songwriter David Myles released Here Now, a six-song EP produced by hometown rapper and his good friend Luke Boyd, AKA Classified. It’s not a huge departure for Myles; his previous releases have always had a jazz-folk vibe, influenced by his love of R&B. But on this collaboration, Myles offers something a bit more…
There’s yet another addition to Dartmouth’s budding downtown— The Trainyard General Store is a new shop that’ll open this summer. The store is going to be focused on all gifts, goods and furniture crafted in Nova Scotia, and there’ll be workshop space for people who want to do their own creating. Saturday “Open Project Days”…
[Image-1] Gary Krause was mystified by an unusual fish he caught in his trawl net off BC’s Pacific north coast in October. It was a Pacific electric ray, named for a pair of organs behind its head that can knock a human adult down with a powerful shock. Trawl fishery records show 88 of these…
[Image-1] Well, the province has finished crunching the numbers and this year’s budget thankfully won’t see any more cuts to the film industry. But it won’t be fattening up its wallet either. The Film Incentive Fund remains unchanged, still capped at $10 million despite the chilly reception from both the industry and the public since…
[Image-1] In response to “Sexism and sushi don’t flow” by the lovely “Menstruator”.. As a female, I don’t see why you feel the need to talk about your period at a restaurant. People are eating, it’s just common courtesy. Of course it’s a normal thing that happens but you have to recognize that there is…
[Image-1] If you still want to pack the darts, save your change. The price of cigarettes in Nova Scotia just went up. Effective Wednesday, April 20, the cost of a single smoke is up by two cents, or about 50 cents extra a pack. The cost of a carton of 200 cigarettes will increase by…
There’s good news in today’s budget for food-growing Nova Scotians. Farmers who donate surplus crops to registered charities feeding people in need— like Feed Nova Scotia—may now claim a refundable tax credit of 25 percent. Feed Nova Scotia was all in, of course, as the charity distributes a large amount of food to their member…
The Halifax Jazz Festival, in partnership with Sonic Concerts, just announced the fourth headliner for its 30th anniversary celebration: Toronto pop-quartet Metric will play Halifax once again, like it’s 2006. Except it’ll be Wednesday, July 13, 2016. The band joins the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill, the T.Dot singer Basia Bulat and Ontario rockers City and Colour as headliners. The poppers, fronted…
[Image-1] I understand the need for protection for victims of sexual assault and the need for a safe space in the music community. I also understand that in the wake of the (disgusting) Ghomeshi trial verdict, that there is momentum for these women to be heard. I am in full favour of all of that.…
[Image-1] Woof, woof, woofty, woof. Woof, woof, woof. Mmmmmmm. I love evewybody. Woof, woofy woof, and woof woof woof. P.S. I’m not ill. You should see me off the chain. —Bella
[Image-1] The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has dismissed a case against the municipality, brought forth by the popular hot dog vendor known as Dawgfather PhD in an effort to stop a proposed bike lane along University Avenue. Gerald Anthony Reddick, the longtime Dalhousie campus hot dog kingpin who legally changed his named in 2012…
The Liberal government announced its 2016-17 provincial budget today, predicting a surplus of $127.4 million in revenue—but not in cold, hard cash. Most of that surplus is coming from federal and municipal contributions to the Halifax Convention Centre. That one-time $110.3 million influx will be eaten up to finance the replacement costs for the Victoria…
[Image-1] The weather warms up a little bit and suddenly everyone is jumping into the political ring. Joining the many others making campaign announcements lately, Pamela Lovelace is declaring her bid for District 13 (Hammonds Plains – St. Margaret’s). The former marketing and communications specialist has spent eight years working in various roles for the…
[Image-1] I had a sneaking suspicion that this love thing is just an ingenious evolutionary plan to keep sentient beings from the logical conclusion to self destruct. I investigated other possibilities, as dark and as ugly as I could go. Experiments were conducted. Most of them were stupid. And still, there it is. I realize…
It’s a little comforting to know that you haven’t changed at all. Once a coward, always a coward I guess. —Good riddance
[Image-1] Ah, yet another fucking lifestyle boutique. When will we lower our pretentious noses enough to look around and notice that sustainable living DOES NOT equal overpriced, exclusive bullshit clothing/food/insert-daily-need-here. These if-you-didn’t-instagram-your-avocado-pudding-did-you-really-eat-avocado-pudding assholes are shining examples of what self-serving privilege and general ignorance looks like. Look at these places in the context of the communities…
[Image-1] The musty scent of an old, soggy mop that permeated The Bus Stop Theatre on Saturday evening didn’t dampen Brenden Sommerhalder’s mood as he anxiously awaited the arrival of guests. Sommerhalder was preparing to make an official announcement about his upcoming run for city council, which was prefaced by the one-off performance of the…
[Image-1] Hey Rosetta! took home the hardware at East Coast Music Awards this past weekend in Sydney. The Newfoundland group won four of the six seven awards they were nominated for—Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Group Recording of the Year and Rock Recording of the Year. Other big winners included Amelia Curran…
[Image-1] The last four years have been pretty rough, leading up to my transition. Up until then, I was not truly able to be who I was. I felt placed in a position where expectations were put upon me about who I had to be. The struggle of trying to break through that has been…
[Image-1] Improvements are coming to the South Park Street bike lane, but what form they’ll take is up for discussion. The municipality is holding an open house next Monday to consider changes to the existing bike lane, which currently runs from Sackville Street to Morris Street and University Avenue. According to HRM, those potential changes…
[Image-1] Say hello to the North End Community Action Committee. The newly-formed group is concerned about the many developments that are changing the landscape of the city’s north end. For around a month now, Kyturera Jones, one of the main organizers, has been facilitating critical dialogue around the current proposals to (yes we’re using…
If there was ever a local musician worthy of his own book, you already know it’s Dartmouth’s Joel Plaskett. Published on April 1 by ECW Press, and written by Globe and Mail reporter Josh O’Kane, the 200-page non-fiction narrative Nowhere With You traces Plaskett’s Maritime success against all social and cultural odds, from his early days in Thrush…
Gallery Page & Strange is on the move. With 11 years of exhibitions under their collective belt, owners/artists Victoria Page and Victoria Strange have closed their longtime gallery space at 1869 Granville Street in favour of a new—and very secret—location. Though Page and Strange are remaining mum on details about their next iteration, it is…
Updated: See below. A week after it published that pathetic story about Chebucto Heights school, the fallout for the Chronicle Herald continues. Lezlie Lowe—the award-winning journalist, j-school professor and Coast contributing editor—used her column in today’s Herald to announce she is quitting the columnist job. Effective immediately. Because the Chebucto Heights story made her lose…
[Image-1] You had no right to be rude and snobby to my friend after he made a mistake on a very difficult climb. This gym is an excellent addition to the community and 99 percent of the climbers there are friendly and supportive, regardless of their skill level. You are part of the unfortunate one…
[Image-1] Your dog, Bella, always makes my day. She is obviously quite old and seems a little sick, but she always perks up when she sees me and lets me pet her on my way to class. Thank you for letting her chill on your porch all day. I’m sure she brightens a lot of…
[Image-1] Thank you so much for being strong! Life is fucking hard, much more so for people of minorities and of the LGBT community. We stand with you; keep being the amazing, diverse and loving community that makes Halifax a great place to live. You’re doing an amazing job. We love you! —Hfx gal
This morning, Halifax’s newest indie-pop/mandopop band Century Egg released Mountain God, a four-track EP of rock songs gorgeously sung in both Mandarin and English. Fronted by illustrator and video game designer Shane Keyu Song—with Nick Dourado (Special Costello) on guitar, Tri Le (Surveillance) on drums and Robert Drisdelle on bass—the band’s aesthetics and these four tracks…
As of this weekend, Venus Envy (1598 Barrington Street) has been a resource, teacher and playmate in for Haligonians for 18 years, and in honour of such a momentous occasion, the beloved sex shop/book store is in celebration mode. “We exist because people support us,” says Venus Envy’s Kaleigh Trace. “And we wanted to do…
Meet the waterfront’s newest bar, Little Oak. Owners of Agricola Street Brasserie Michael Hase, Rachel Knox and Ludovic Eveno decided to start it up about a year ago, and they’re jazzed to be opening it’s doors at Bishop’s Landing this summer. Hase describes the bar’s 27-seater size as “a footprint that would fit in the…
[Image-1] To the man at the table next to me at the sushi restaurant last week: Telling any woman “That’s enough of the period talk” is extremely inappropriate, let alone a group of women you don’t know and who never asked for your opinion. I’m sorry if overhearing the words “menstruation,” “flow” and “vagina” was…
[Image-1] Thank you fence gods for reopening the section of fence that allows me and so many north end folk to the easy route to the grocery store. I thought the iron fence was the end to the north end’s best shortcut until tonight when I saw an entire section of the fence cut out.…
To the security guard: The policy is a valid active university ID after-hours. You should try reading it sometime instead of enforcing made up bullshit at your discretion, you smug jerk. —Please Show Me Where That is Written
[Image-1] International student Amaan Kazmi started looking for a place to rent off-campus back in December. “We found this really nice place, near Chocolate Lake,” says Kazmi, 19. “It was pretty inexpensive.” Kazmi and his three roommates made it known to the property owner that they wanted to lease. A handshake and a security deposit…
[Image-1] Unofficially, Lindell Smith is officially running for city council. His upcoming campaign has been one of the worst-kept secrets in District 8, as until now Smith has avoided any formal declarations. Of course, like everyone else, he won’t actually be able to submit his paperwork and get on the ballot until September. He learned…
[Image-1] To the recruiter for a small, liberal arts university with the long brown hair and sparkling blue eyes: you make every day a dream come true. I hope you know the joy that you bring to me and to the countless others who have the pleasure of being in your presence. I know that…
Congratulations on your new location, unfortunately I think the new location has ruined the bar I knew and loved. Do not get me wrong, the old place had its flaws (I knew what those people hanging outside the bathroom were up to) but the new location is out of control. In the few times I’ve…
[Image-1] Halifax Transit has a new roadmap for success, but figuring out how to get around this city on anything other than a smartphone is still something of a paper chase. On Tuesday HRM regional council tentatively approved an overhaul of the municipality’s transit network. The Moving Forward Together plan from Halifax Transit will begin…
Ingredients ½ kilo of fresh fish (Atlantic salmon or Talapia fillet) cut into 1 inch by 2 inch chunks 1 cup fresh shredded coconut 6 small shallots 1 small tomato, diced ½ tbsp freshly grated garlic ½ tbsp freshly grated ginger 2 chili peppers (according to preference) 4 small pieces kokum (South Indian tamarind) 1…
“I want that,” Cait Holmes says. That was her first thought when she heard Joel Plaskett was including a cafe at his New Scotland Yard Emporium. “I am the type of person who says, ‘We’re doing it,'” Holmes says. ”Alex has a bit of a frenzy, but then? Then it happens.” Holmes, 27, and her…
Ingredients 1 cup non-dairy milk ½ cup loose packed spinach 8 sprigs mint ½ frozen banana 1 small apple, cored 1 tbsp maple syrup ice cubes Method Wash produce and blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Drink and enjoy! Mint helps sooth the digestive tract and eliminates toxins from the body. It is…
Don Cheadle takes the often-staid musician’s biopic and turns it on its head with Miles Ahead, a presumed account of Miles Davis’ life somewhere between 1975 and 1980, when he was hiding out in his New York mansion, high on cocaine and playing not a note. When Rolling Stone reporter David Braden (Ewan McGregor) shows up with the aim…
Ingredients Ribs Yields 4 servings 4 sides, pork back ribs 750 ml apple juice 1 cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp salt 3 tbsp canola oil BBQ sauce Yields 1 litre 250 ml Sydney Street stout 150 ml maple syrup 1 tsp garlic 250 ml apple cider vinegar 400 ml Heinz…
Ingredients 2 oz Mount Gay Eclipse Rum 1 ½ oz Don’s Mix (2 parts grapefruit,1 part cinnamon syrup) ½ oz lime juice tonic water Method Add all ingredients except tonic water to a set of shaker tins and shake until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled Collins glass and garnish with lime and shaved…
Ingredients 3 cups Odell’s all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 cup oil 2 large eggs ¾ cup milk 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (or 2 bananas) 1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana) 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup…
Ingredients Yields 10 cannoli Shells 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp cinnamon 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp lard ¼ tsp baking soda 3 tbsp white vinegar 3 tbsp marsala Filling 1 lb ricotta cheese ½ cup sugar ¼ cup lemon juice zest of 1 lemon ½ tsp cinnamon 2 vanilla pods 2…
Ingredients 5 lbs pork shoulder ½ onion, cut into rings 6 long slices of ginger 1 stalk of lemongrass 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 tbsp star anise 2 tbsp cloves 6 bay leaves 1 whole nutmeg 2 dried chilis ¼ cup tamari ¼ cup rice vinegar 2 tbsp salt Method Prepare a sachet with…
Yields 1 litre of sauce Step 1 45 g tamarind paste 150 ml water 1 small clove fresh garlic Puree in a blender and strain out the seeds. Discard the seeds and add the paste to Step 3. Step 2 1 kg white sugar 250 ml water Caramelize the sugar in a heavy bottom, medium…
Sandwiched between last month’s Chet Baker biopic Born To Be Blue and next week’s Miles Davis film Miles Ahead is I Saw the Light, which did a round on the fall festival circuit first. It stars Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams, who in about a half-decade career managed to become an icon, despite—according to this movie, at least—being a…
Ingredients 1 batch pizza dough (recipe below) 1 batch garlic cream (recipe below) 550 g mozzarella (fresh or grated) 4 portabella mushrooms, gills scraped and discarded 10 shitake mushrooms, stems removed 15 button mushrooms 5 king oyster mushrooms After the oven half-pack enoki mushrooms 25 fried sage leaves white truffle powder (recipe below) Italian parsley…
Mark Furey speaks with conviction about the bright future of movie-making in Nova Scotia. “The film and television incentive fund is here to stay,” says the provincial business minister. And you’ve gotta believe he believes it. Last April, after the Liberal budget killed the film funding program that had been luring major productions to the…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19) “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free,” said novelist Ralph Ellison. Would you consider making that a paramount theme in the coming weeks? Will you keep it in the forefront of your mind, and be vigilant for juicy clues that might show up in the experiences headed…
Weapons check They need those big guns (“Weapons of mass intimidation,” cover story by Rob Gordon, April 7). The cops should get anything they want. We the taxpayers must pay for power trips and our newly forming police state. We must prop up the egos of the fools in armour. —posted by willie_johnson25 at thecoast.ca…
Character acting requires incredible comedic skill, and from 1984 to 1994, the men behind Toronto-based sketch TV show The Kids in the Hall were masters of disguise. The show was a worthy rival to Saturday Night Live, airing on both HBO and CBC with its host of darkly absurd, satirical and original character sketches. This Tuesday and Wednesday, the…
Q I’m a 49-year-old gay man. I’ve become friends with a 21-year-old straight guy. He’s really hot. He’s had to drop out of college and return home. He hasn’t found a job yet and has resorted to selling off old music equipment. I would love to have some sweaty clothes of his, namely his underwear,…
Yields four portions Ingredients 2 lbs fingerling potatoes duck fat 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 shallot, brunoise ¼ cup pine nuts ½ cup red wine ½ cup chicken stock 1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped 4 sprigs thyme, picked and chopped 4 pieces of chicken skin Method Potatoes: Wash and halve the fingerling potatoes. Warm…
A million dollar-budget feature film, shot entirely in Nova Scotia, is about to hit Cineplex Theatres. But this cause for celebration is also cause for concern. Opening almost exactly a year after the Stephen McNeil Liberals announced the end of the provincial film tax credit, Across the Line is a bittersweet anniversary marker—a film that…
Ingredients 6 oz Bulwark original cider 3 oz ginger beer 3 oz local cranberry juice cranberries, for garnish crushed ice (optional) Method Combine the cider, ginger beer and cranberry juice together. If desired, float cranberries on top for a garnish. Serve chilled, or over crushed ice. Ingredient amounts can be adjusted accordingly, depending on how…
For the most part, our brains didn’t evolve in cities. But in a few decades, almost 70 percent of the world’s people will live in urban environments. Despite the prosperity we associate with cities, urbanization presents a major health challenge. Cities, with their accelerated pace of life, can be stressful. The results are seen in…
Ingredients Crepes 2 cups flour ½ cup sugar 2 cups milk 4 eggs 1 tbsp vanilla 2 tbsp butter, melted splash of water pinch of salt Filling 4 cups icing sugar 2 cups cream cheese 2 tbsp of orange juice 2 tsp of vanilla 1 cup white chocolate, melted Mango sauce 2 cups mango chunks,…
Prepare for an epic Epoch. At the Saturday night fashion gala, members of the senior class of NSCAD’s fashion/textile department will showcase their spring collections on a 100-foot runway at the school’s Port Campus. Designers and lines include Toban Ralston’s line BLKWRK, Leanne Hansen’s Tatamagouche Pines (pictured), Maggie J. MacCormick, Chelsie Coles, Matthew Brown and…
It’s lights out for Halifax’s humble hideaway for sing-a-longs, impromptu band performances and close-knit shows—at least for the moment. The Open Mic House has run its weekly Monday night open mic from 2539 Agricola Street for the past seven years, but the venue has gone on hiatus after running into a land-use conflict with the…
Um in yer hed, Readin ur mind Kontrollin yer akshuns —Da Illuminati
………..This is bullshit …true wisdom is in realizing we know nothing and never will…..that’s what the mouse told me anyway. Apes may be close relatives, but they are not biologically human. Apes have more chromosomes and their DNA is only 95% similar to humans. Why did the Neanderthals die out? Or the Denisovans and the…
[Image-1] Hey, if I’m paying $900/month plus power to live here, I would appreciate that I don’t have to deal with the following noises from neighbors: -Loud sex -Loud music -Some dude growling like a vicious dog -Thumping and running -Kids screaming -Loud TV I filed 17 noise complaints since I moved here in November…
We were together for 5 months but it seemed soo much longer. We were rocky from the start because our communication skills weren’t upto par. Also, sending each other mixed signals really messed us up too… we broke it off way to many times for me to count but there was something about each other…
You are my best friend and one of the most hardworking women I know. I hope that on your travels you learn to love and accept yourself as much as those around you love and revere you. Enjoy life – the salty east coast will be happy to accept you back home. —Poe
It was pouring out as I was leaving the Police Station, so I was trying to wrap my textbooks in my sweater and stuff them into my backpack so they wouldn’t get too soaked. A gentleman walked into the building out of the rain, noticed my struggle, and asked if I wanted a plastic bag…
While across the Atlantic at a pub in Wales, Rebecca Atkinson was reminded of home. As she sipped on an oyster-infused beer, Atkinson asked herself, “‘Why don’t we have this?’” “It really inspired me,” says Atkinson, a native of Sober Island, a community in Sheet Harbour, and the owner of Sober Island Brewing, a new…
[Image-1] Dating is hard. Making friends is even harder. Why are we so quick to just dispose of good people? To The Australian, The Chef, The Lawyer, The Artist, The Electrician, YA’s Friend and anyone else I may encounter in the future: I’m not perfect by any means. But I am pretty, I am smart…
This morning I was at a downtown crosswalk. My light was clearly red. I looked both ways, and there weren’t any cars in either direction as far as the eye could see (3 blocks or more). I did what many people would do and I crossed on the red light. As it turned out there…
[Image-1] To the Canada Post delivery dude who helped me get my car out of an icy conundrum: if I needed reminding about how decent folks can be, …well, you did just that. Heave Hoh! of thanks. —Echo of kindness
[Image-1] Last Friday I was feeling down because of an unfortunate life circumstance. I went to the Cape Breton show at the Marquee with a pal and, while all the entertainers were fantastic, Port Cities really boosted my mood and reminded me by example what it’s like to be happy and grooving again. You’re all…
“It’s like time travel in a cup,” said Wanda Aulenback as she hands out samples of tea at the second annual Halifax Tea Festival. Aulenback is owner of Sense and SensibiliTea, an independent, loose-leaf tea company attempting to recreate historic brews for a contemporary audience. Sense and SensibiliTea was just the beginning of what awaited…
Yes, I’m happy being single. No I don’t want to be set up, no I don’t want to go on a blind date and no I don’t want to date you. So please let me be happy all by myself and stop with all this pressure to be someone I’m not. This is my choice…
The title says it all! I doubt you have young children or you would not have been such a prissy crotch spawn about you not being able to think in the kids section of the store. They are kids, your an adult grow a pair of women balls and talk to them if what they…
[Image-1] I used to have no reason to be bothered by the down-and-out people who roam my neighborhood every Sunday night collecting bottles and cans in their shopping carts. In most cases they simply open up the bags I leave out on the curb and take what the want. Lately, I’ve been finding that the…
[Image-1] It started with the paramedics they were amazing! I was a nitro patient but they continued to be kind and did everything possible to help me with the pain. My nurses were wonderful the doctors were knowledgeable and kind. They were sympathetic to my situation. The recovery nurses were great always bringing warm blankets…
