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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.
By the time I come home I’ll have been gone for over 8 months. I miss you, Halifax. I miss your used clothing boutiques, your library, your nightlife, your fro-yo and poutine, your tree-lined streets, and of course your hipsterness. —HaliLover
If you don’t like pineapple on your pizza that’s cool. If you are of the notable minority that does like pineapple on your pizza, that’s cool too. I just want you to be happy. —Garlic Fingers
Andre Fenton is selling his self-published book of poems, Ode to Teen Angst, as fast as he can print them. “I always joke around about selling this book like a mixtape, it’s not really in stores yet, so I just carry it with me,” he says. Fenton sells copies from his bag to people who…
Salvatore Rinaldo didn’t exactly leave a trail of breadcrumbs for his sons, Tony and Sam, to follow. It’s more like a path that was coated in breadcrumbs, fried, and covered in marinara. Who wouldn’t follow that path? He was, of course, the founder of the original Salvatore’s New York Pizza (now Salvatore’s Pizzaiolo Trattoria). Tony…
I was in Grade Five when the teacher asked me, “What do you want to learn as a second language, English or French?” In some parts of Syria, kids had the chance to choose between the two. That was the first important decision I had to make. I felt joy at the idea of having…
It turns out George and Leo Christakos had an ace in the hole. Or, rather, they put an Ace in the hole that chef Mark Gray left in their restaurant concept when, last month, he announced he was going to be leaving Battery Park (62 Ochterloney Street). The food at Battery Park has been defined…
The idiots at City Hall are considering having a flat rate property tax so that every property is charged the same amount. Their reasoning is that everyone gets the same service. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. The mansion built on Young Avenue several years ago has 160 feet of road frontage with 4 lanes of road, two…
Maudie, a very Nova Scotia story, was very clearly shot in Newfoundland. Only Nova Scotians will care about this. (The production moved when the film tax credit was mangled.) Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins, excellent) lived an awful life made even worse by a terrible man (Ethan Hawke, of course), as Maudie depicts while also curiously…
Rebecca Thomas’ words have not fallen on deaf ears. The city’s poet laureate delivered a powerful message this week, and it’s inspired city council to reopen a heated debate about how Halifax commemorates its controversial founder. Thomas appeared at City Hall to perform her poem, “Not Perfect,” at the start of Tuesday’s council meeting. The…
To the mystery man at a popular downtown Irish pub who anonymously paid our table’s bar tab ($130+): A massive thank you! Apparently someone had done that for him one time and so he was paying it forward. Haligonia rocks! —Dartmouth drinker
The public has no right to know about an ongoing controversy surrounding Halifax’s top bureaucrat, says councillor Bill Karsten. “You embarrass yourself for even talking about it,” Karsten told reporters Tuesday at City Hall. Chief administrative officer Jacques Dubé has been dealing with a harassment complaint made against him by a senior manager over a…
Spreading false rumours about rape is a disgusting and deplorable thing to do not only because it hurts the person you lie about but because it also delegitimizes real victims’ claims. Don’t be mad we broke up. —Deeskustedwitchew
Since I started working as a geneticist in the early 1960s, the field has changed considerably. James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins won the 1962 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. Researchers then “cracked” the genetic code, which held promise for fields like health…
If you don’t like that EI only gives you around $500 a month, why not use your time wisely and find a job instead of complaining about it every other day on Facebook, posting pictures of yourself doing bong rips and protesting Donald Trump. It’s people like you that give the Maritimes a bad rep.…
Looked up to see you groove to something going on in your friend’s car…Can’t remember the colour of the car, sorry. Thank you for being free and not shy about who you are, owning it. Come to Geequinox look for me at the Guild. —Bearded Guy
Chief administrative officer Jacques Dubé’s attempt at humour is no laughing matter at city hall. Sources with knowledge of the situation confirm a harassment complaint has been made against the CAO over a text message he sent two months ago to one of his employees. The message includes a rewritten version of an article first published by…
Something that happened a while back in a neighbourhood near you. Innocent potential customer enters repair shop, asks a vague question, get a vague answer.. attempts to rephrase the question to be more specific but before being able to finish their sentence gets interrupted with attitude & an eye roll and a parroted response.. potential…
Aftermath 2017 – An NSCC Last Class BashFriday, April 7, 9pm-2am The Marquee Ballroom and The Seahorse Tavern, 2037 Gottingen Street NSCC Students: $5 advance/$7 door Public: $10 advance/$12 door Psychedelic pop group The Drug Rugs are dropping in to a two-level concert on Friday, lined-up with popular locals such as The Town Heroes and…
A crowd of dozens unfurls in a slowly-growing line while the smell of maple syrup wafts through the air. Necks crane, feet shuffle and arms ball up winter jackets. It feels like a slice of pure Canadiana—and that’s because it is, but not the huddle of cabane à sucre tourists it might sound like. The…
Thank you for listening and therefore better understanding. Thank you for not getting defensive; remembering I can to you about me. Thank you for letting me finish my sentences; that was really nice —Sincerely
10 Aftermath: The Town Heroes w/After Funk, Roxy & The Underground Soul Sound, Pino & Loeb Friday A handful of buzzy bands all specializing in feel-good fun adds up to a sweet show. 9 Pretty/Ugly Thursday // Friday // Saturday Xiaocheng Li takes on fast fashion with a rich textile exhibit inspired by the garment…
Pastor Rhonda Britton is striving to perfect a balancing act. At one end of the spectrum is a chorus of voices—enraged and betrayed by proven, repeated discrimination. On the other end are the promises and actions of those in the seats of power. Britton must be the bridge between both. It’s exactly what she was…
I start muttering and twitching even before I’m out of bed. The cell phone on the other side of the room has “dinged” and because it’s 6am on a winter weekday, I know that a text has just arrived, saying “All schools in HRSB will be closed today.” They’re words that strike fear and loathing…
The winds of war, on the political front, are upon us. Nova Scotia’s Liberal government has been bombing the province with pre-election funding announcements, political parties are assembling their roster of candidates (who are keeping campaign ammunition at the ready) and Elections Nova Scotia is gearing up for the multi-million-dollar job of overseeing the vote.…
“Stay with me,” Krista Lane speaks clearly and calmly, “we’ll do this.” The 33-year-old is describing a recent 911 call that she answered at work. Lane receives countless calls in her role as a dispatcher at the Emergency Medical Care Inc. office in Burnside. But this one was different, because the caller was a child.…
Sounding Evolution: Andrew MacKelvie w/Lukas Pearse, Geordie Haley Monday, April 10, 8pm 1313 Hollis, 1313 Hollis Street $20/PWYC Silence is seemingly the opposite of music. For Andrew MacKelvie, though, there’s a certain resonance to it—and that’s what he seeks to explore in his work. “There’s certain patterns, almost, in the air that you can start…
The Anchor 3625 Dutch Village Road It’s just after 7pm at The Anchor. A guy with shaggy hair is behind a microphone “check, check, check”-ing out a quick soundcheck before settling in behind a keyboard as the night’s entertainment. The Anchor seems to pack itself with purpose outside of its basic function as a restaurant,…
After three years in its current space, Makenew Curated Thrift Shop (2468 Agricola Street) is moving a little further north. “I’m growing up a bit,” says the boutique’s owner, Anna Gilkerson, of her news—Makenew will officially re-open in the former 31 Westgate location (2698 Agricola Street) in early May. (And in case you missed it,…
Anna Taylor’s needle work is making waves in Halifax, but be warned—this isn’t your grandma’s embroidery. The 33-year-old NSCAD grad, crafter and sex work activist makes radical feminist-oriented hoop art, banners, buttons and ceramics. Taylor’s naturally dyed hoop art, Taylor Made Embroidery, has especially gained popularity due to their edgy phrases, such as “Sex work…
A new artist collective helping to propel artists and musicians by providing resources and networking opportunities is one of the latest positive additions to Halifax’s creative scene. It’s called V I M A N A. MC Darren Pyper (AKA Ghettosocks) is one of the nine founding members of the collective. “The collective was formed out…
“Common wisdom would suggest that if something ain’t broke, you don’t fix it, right?” Jean-Benoit Deslauriers says with a laugh. But as Benjamin Bridge is proving on the 10-year anniversary of Nova 7, you also can’t win if you don’t roll the dice. As head winemaker at Benjamin Bridge, Deslauriers rolled the dice—essentially fixing something…
When Stefan and Breanna Bolduc snapped up their west end home, it was far from the modern study in clean lines that it is today. “I don’t know why we went the direction we did, exactly, we just knew we wanted either an all-white or an all-black house,” Stefan says, laughing. With a family-friendly neighbourhood,…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19) Be interested in first things, Aries. Cultivate your attraction to beginnings. Align yourself with uprisings and breakthroughs. Find out what’s about to hatch, and lend your support. Give your generous attention to potent innocence and novel sources of light. Marvel at people who are rediscovering the sparks that animated…
When carpenter and photographer couple David Bryant and Candace Berry bought their 100-year-old house, they knew they wanted to make some major changes. The location was prime—a dead end, north end street on a park—but the circumstances, not so much. During the renos, Berry was both pregnant with the couple’s first child and on a…
Dartmouth debate I was happy to read Melissa Boute’s positive of review Picnic at Dart (“Picnic packs personality,” Food + Drink, March 9). The Picnic and its partner The Dart Gallery are just one of many businesses that have brought new life to downtown Dartmouth. With affordable rents, walkable streets and a welcoming business community,…
What makes this room your favourite? It’s nice and bright—lots of sun comes in. We opened all the walls up and now the area opens onto the kitchen. We added large windows because it was a southwest-facing bright part of the property. We also added a nice garden door. Now, all the light that comes…
What makes this room your favourite? We have an awesome dining room table. It’s from India and it’s got a nice simple contemporary design. There’s a lot of natural solid wood in the space, but at the same time it’s very contemporary with simple clean lines. The feel is really contemporary and rustic—it’s filled with…
Large copper dodecahedron, Looking Glass Design With a love of minimalism and geometric shapes, photographer and graphic designer Rachelle Paul started making terrariums as a side hustle, using recycled glass from old windows and greenhouses across the province. This light-catching beauty is perfect for potting succulents, or as its own decorative piece. $100, Koko Mod…
Katherine Cherry knows a thing or two about starting over. She’s moved a lot, and the arduous process of packing things, shipping things and leaving things behind has taught her a lot about furnishing a home, and investing in pieces that are worth holding onto. After studying at NSCAD, Cherry moved on to working in…
“I feel like I’ve always been visual,” says Mary-Ellen Power. “I can see the good in places, especially because my dad’s a realtor too and homes, it’s always been in my blood.” Thanks to the housing know-how in their genetic makeup, both Power and her brother Graeme have made careers in real estate, branched out…
Sisters share clothes, secrets and sometimes bedrooms. They help each other get ready for things, from birthday parties to bridal parties. They pool resources, life experience and accessories. But, in the case of Brianna Stratton and Alicia MacDonald, it’s more than just swapped gossip and borrowed outfits. They shared a vision—and a tool belt—to create…
Just how much can a few licks of paint change a space? When Karen Peters, a colour consultant and paint expert behind the company Paint Next, turned a client’s powder room from basic cream to light pink, the answer was obvious: It can be totally transformative. That rosy hue (Benjamin Moore’s Teacup Pink, to be…
Katie Morrison of Granville Street’s The Flower Shop didn’t always have a knack for growing things. “It took me a long time to figure out how to take care of plants. I didn’t grow up in a house with plants. My mom just had this same fern in the corner for like, 20 years,” she…
Charlotte Skiba of Charlotte Interiors has a home decor Pinterest board just like any average daydreamer. The certified decorator and home stager loves using the site whenever she starts a new project. “Modern can mean totally different things, so it gives me a way to see what the client likes,” she says. But once you’ve…
“It literally looks as much like a blank slate as possible, which is kind of intimidating at first, but luckily I kind of had a vision of what I wanted,” says Jillian Tonet of the north end loft she and her partner Crissy Goodwin bought about a year-and-a-half ago. The first-time home-owners were already sold…
What makes this room your favourite? The kids are rarely in the bedroom so it’s a sanctuary for me. The room holds my favourite furniture pieces: A four-post bed, mid-century modern nesting tables, a mid-century credenza dresser and a mirror I bought at a yard sale. All the pieces are black, white or natural woods…
Q I’m a woman in my late 40s. In my early 20s, I married a much older man. We did all the requisite things: Kids, house, intercourse once a week. When the sex fell off due to his declining health, he surprised me by suggesting we open our marriage. He said I was too young…
What’s your best piece of advice for people looking to buy their first home? The biggest piece of advice would be to talk to an agent. You can even talk to several and just see which one you feel you connect with best. It’s really great to start there so that they can guide you…
Michael Melski’s rousing documentary follows the journey of Haligonians Trevor Greene and Barb Stegemann, lifelong best friends. Greene is a soldier wounded by an axe attack in Afghanistan. Stegemann is the founder of The 7 Virtues, a fragrance company that buys its oils from farmers there, freeing them from forcibly growing poppies that eventually become heroin.…
Another weekend, another shopping option for those of you who are planning to say “I do.” Bespoke is back. This Sunday, April 9 (1-5pm) the wedding wonderland takes the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel (1919 Upper Water Street) and turns it into a romantic’s daydream come to life. The cakes, the flowers, the music, the snacks and…
After just over two weeks of hard work, Bedford’s il Mercato (1595 Bedford Highway) debuts its new look this week. The 14-year-old Bertossi Group favourite has undergone what Stephanie Bertossi calls “a spring re-do” that will result in some fresh decor, a massive new bar, a second-floor patio and some sprucing up in the menu…
“It’s bittersweet. I hate the idea of moving out, leaving this but as you know, I’m not making any money here,” says Economy Shoe Shop (1663 Argyle Street) owner Victor Syperek matter-of-factly of his decision to sell the iconic Halifax bar after 22 years on Argyle Street. He dropped the bomb that he was handing…
