Just the news on COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, for the week starting August 31
NOTE: This week is now over. For the very latest news, please go here. But for an informative look back at exactly how Nova Scotia responded to COVID-19 in realtime, keep on reading. Display problems with The Coast’s Nova Scotia COVID-19 case graph? For the mobile version click here. Editor’s note: In its 28 years…
Bria Miller’s archive of art
If the aim of art is to hold a mirror to society, no one has polished a surface more reflective, streak-free and detail-catching than Halifax’s Bria Miller. A professional artist for about five years—focusing on the mediums of digital and ink illustration—Miller is out to capture the scenes and subject matter mainstream art has left…
The Haus of Rivers runs through it
High-energy dancing, planned choreography, stunts and on point lip syncing are just a few things you can expect when you go to a Haus of Rivers drag show. Drag queen trio Trinity Foxx (Dale Lemieux), Racheal Slurr (Dylan Phillips) and Brooke Rivers (Kevin Lemieux) have been doing drag since 2014—and aren’t about to let COVID-19…
Tinder and masturbating can help prevent the spread of COVID-19
Students are on the precipice of returning to Halifax, some are already here self-isolating. This fall, they’ll experience a mix of online and in-person classes at the city’s various post-secondary institutions. But some parts of the student experience are bound to look a bit different this year: living in residence, going to bars and restaurants…
June Body’s language
On June 22, 2017, members of June Body grappled with a decision: play their set acoustically or miss their live debut. The group’s then-drummer broke his arm the day of the show—and guitarist Connor James and bassist Alex Callaghan decided to risk it and unplug. This impromptu acoustic performance was foreshadowing for the group’s latest…
It can be a tall order to reach a fantasy
QI’m a cis male in my late twenties. I’ve recently become consumed by a specific fantasy I fear is unattainable, a fear that has been made worse by several failed attempts to research it. A little background: Except for a couple dates and make-out sessions with other men, my sex life has always been exclusively…
In your horoscope: Refine the way you use your senses
HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIRGO (August 23-September 22) “Self-love is also remembering to let others love you. Come out of hiding.” Poet Irisa Yardenah wrote that advice, and now I’m passing it on to you, just in time for a phase when you will benefit from it most. I mean, it’s always good counsel for you to…
Halifax meets its matcha
At the corner of South Park Street and Sackville Street, across from the Public Gardens and sandwiched between Halifax’s Citadel Hill and Spring Garden Road, is the new YMCA building. Although the building is set to open to the public sometime this fall, it already has some residential and commercial tenants, including one set to…
Underground Snax will satisfy your sweet tooth and give you nostalgia
Evan Humber was laying on his couch one night in 2019 when the idea of selling rare and exotic snacks popped into his head. “That night, as I created the Instagram account, I started getting some traction,” he says. Humber placed an order for Fruity Pebbles, Cotton Candy Captain Crunch, Sour Patch Kids cereal, and…
No word yet on whether or not Nova Scotia will start using Health Canada’s COVID Alert app (UPDATE: It’s arrived!)
Update October 15, 2020: Nova Scotia brought COVID Alert online today, trailing most of Canada including Atlantic bubblemates Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The only provinces currently lacking app integration are Alberta and British Columbia . You can download COVID Alert for iPhones here, Android here. Health Canada’s sleek COVID Alert…
Just the news on COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, for the week starting August 24
NOTE: This week is now over. For the very latest news, please go here. But for an informative look back at exactly how Nova Scotia responded to COVID-19 in realtime, keep on reading. Display problems with The Coast’s Nova Scotia COVID-19 case graph? For the mobile version click here. Editor’s note: In its 28 years…
Frosh weeks move (mostly) online in the age of COVID
On Thursday, Premier Stephen McNeil announced that all students returning to Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic bubble for school will need to receive three negative COVID-19 test results before heading to any in-person events on campus. This applies to both students in residence and living off-campus. “If students are asymptomatic, these tests should help us…
Wonder’neath it all
In north end Halifax, there is a place where magic lives. A place where community is built over a work table. A place where healing and identity is found through self-expression. A place where affordable studio space keeps professional artists able to work. A place where you can see what’s possible, if you remember to…
Council passes first reading of Uber bylaw
At Halifax Regional Council this week, HRM got one step closer to allowing Transportation Network Companies like Uber and Lyft to operate on the peninsula—but it’ll still be a while before the rules are finalized. (And then there’s the question of whether or not they’re lax enough for Uber to invest in the market.) A…
Halifax Regional Council sets out on the long road to police reform
Halifax Regional Council took its first step towards any kind of police reform this week, passing councillor Waye Mason’s motion to get the ball rolling on a review of police services in the municipality. Mason’s motion kicks off what could become a very long process, but one that Mason and other councillors insist HRM needs…
Labatt qualifies for $750,000 annual tax break with ‘local brewer’ status from NSLC
In April, the provincial alcohol regulator quietly passed the new Local Beer Production Policy, which means a 40 percent reduction on the markup for local producers selling beer to the NSLC. In theory, the policy gives more profits to “local” brewers and less to the NSLC-slash-government, by giving the brewer a higher percentage of the…
Board of police commissioners punt the definition of defunding further forward
Way back on Monday Halifax’s Board of Police Commissioners met for their third virtual meeting since the COVID pandemic shut down a large chunk of city operations. The global protests in support of Black Lives Matter and against racist police brutality also kicked off while the board was on hiatus. Since then, it’s been slowly…
What’ll it take to see someone other than an old white man running this province?
We’ve seen the names of elected officials. Stephen, Brian, Jason, Doug. Now that Nova Scotia’s Premier has announced his departure, names getting tossed into the ring for the next Nova Scotia election include those like Zach, Geoff and Sean. But what if we brought a new set of names to the list? The Amys, the…
Safety for size queens, ’70s porn recommendations and more quickies
QI’m a 35-year-old woman. I recently discovered I’m a size queen. (Is it OK for me to use this term?) This has been brewing for a while, as I have dabbled with purchasing larger and larger cucumbers and fucking myself with them after a good wash. I use a condom and tons of lube and…
In your horoscope: It may be wise and healthy to go a bit too far
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO (July 23-August 22) “Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible,” says Leo politician Carol Moseley Braun. I agree with her, but will also suggest there’s an even higher magic: when you devise a detailed plan for achieving success by challenging the impossible, and then actually carry out that plan. Judging from the…
Two HRM properties get heritage status
Halifax Regional Council has approved the request to include two buildings in the Registry of Heritage Property for the Halifax Regional Municipality. At a public hearing on Tuesday—the last step in making a building’s status official—Seamus McGreal, a planner with HRM, presented to councillors followed by each of the property owners. The heritage property program…
FIN Atlantic International Film Festival announces its 2020 lineup
Thank god for that bulk box of popcorn you impulse-bought in early quarantine: Today, FIN Atlantic International Film Festival announced the lineup for its virtual festival, slated for September 17-24. The 40th anniversary of the fest will be able to be watched directly from the fest’s own streaming platform, with tickets sold through an online…
Wanderers take on Forge today in second PEI match
When off-season signing Alessandro Riggi walked into the pre-match meeting ahead of the first HFX Wanderers FC game of the season over the weekend, he was met with a surprise when he saw the opening game lineup. “I saw my picture and I had to look like four times to makes a that was me,…
Fin too deep
Every summer, it seems, the news breaks like a fin cutting the ocean’s surface: A shark—or shark-looking-thing—has been spotted somewhere too close for comfort (although sometimes that can be as far away as Maine). Every summer, we collectively freak out. Sometimes it feels warranted, like when a shark lookalike was spotted at Queensland Beach last…
What’s happening in Halifax from August 17-23
Tuesday August 18 Oasis Comedy Tuesday It’s time you took yourself down to Spring Garden Road’s own open-mic laugh factory. Oasis Pub, 5661 Spring Garden Road, Tuesdays, 8pm Carbon Arc (virtually) screens Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine While the indie movie house has yet to re-open its doors, you can keep in quirky,…
Married people problems
QI’m a 38-year-old bi woman who has been sleeping with a married male coworker for the last eight months. We’re a walking cliche: I’m a nurse, he’s a doctor and one night he ended up spilling a lot of personal information about his marriage to me (sexless, non-romantic, she might be a lesbian) before asking…
Just the news on COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, for the week starting August 17
NOTE: This week is now over. For the very latest news, please go here. But for an informative look back at exactly how Nova Scotia responded to COVID-19 in realtime, keep on reading. Display problems with The Coast’s Nova Scotia COVID-19 case graph? For the mobile version click here. Editor’s note: In its 28 years…
In your horoscope: You have extra power to empathize with others
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO (July 23-August 22) In the dictionary, the first definition of “magic” is “the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of hand and deceptive devices.” A far more interesting definition, which is my slight adjustment of an idea by occultist Aleister Crowley, doesn’t appear in most dictionaries. Here…
Taco Tuesday pop-up making waves at The Local
Wave Tacos first began in May, delivering family-style taco kits for people to assemble themselves at home during the pandemic. “We did our first round of deliveries to just like, friends and families on Cinco de Mayo,” says co-owner and chef Oscar Hood. Since that first round of deliveries, Wave Tacos hasn’t slowed down. Hood…
Bulwark Cider House opens on Dresden Row
New Ross-based Bulwark Cider opened a taproom in Halifax this week, opening Tuesday for pints and patrons. “It’s been a little bit of a long haul but we’re very happy that we got to this stage and now we can open,” says cider house manager Shauna Krasuski. The soft opening has been staggered over the…
Honouring Halifax’s African Nova Scotian matriarchs in the time of coronavirus
Grief and ritual normally go hand in hand. Across the globe, since people started living and dying, humans have been moved by the need to acknowledge death and move through it—often with the help of their community. And though on the surface COVID-19’s greatest crime is death, its greatest punishment falls on those left behind.…
Wanderers’ Chrisnovic N’sa shows off his moves on the field and on TikTok
A fter months of the sports world being held in limbo, the HFX Wanderers are back in action this weekend. Soccer leagues and tournaments across the world have come back in modified formats and it’s no different for the Canadian Premier League, opting for a bubble-style tournament in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island dubbed the Island…
Plans are in the works for Canada’s only Black hair school to open in Halifax
It was Jennifer Kpolu’s twentieth birthday and she wanted a pixie haircut. She went from salon to salon but only got bad news. “They were either fully booked or they just didn’t know how to cut Black hair,” she says. After several dead ends, she found a salon at Park Lane Mall that agreed to…
Matt Mays announces surprise set of Shore Club shows
We all know by now it’s not summer if Matt Mays hasn’t played his standard three-night, end-of-August set at the iconic Shore Club—so you surely wouldn’t be the only one if you assumed that this year’s shindig with the prince of the City of Lakes was cancelled. But in a surprise move, Mays announced in…
Alexa Pope closes its doors
Seven years ago, Marianne Thomson and Lauren Wambolt launched their online store Alexa Pope, making waves in the Halifax fashion scene with a minimalistic and chic aesthetic. Later, the store would get an IRL footprint at 1477 Lower Water Street, eventually expanding in 2019 to serve even more looks inside its airy space. Along the…
Behind the verse with Arielle Twist
It wouldn’t be fair to say Arielle Twist is on the come-up: The multidisciplinary artist and poet has been ripening words on the vines of her mind since at least spring of 2017, when writer Kai Cheng Thom became a mentor to her. She’d been seeing the world with the eyes of an artist for…
Friends of NSCAD are rallying to demand answers to its petitions
Friends of NSCAD is still frustrated with the school’s board of governors about its refusal to give details on Aoife Mac Namara’s dismissal. Today, August 13, the group will be rallying at the NSCAD Fountain Campus to demand the reinstatement of the former president and the firing of the board of governors. On August 11,…
Greek Fest moves to take-out model
This year marks the 34th year of Halifax Greek Fest, a summer staple for Haligonians dating back to 1986. Despite events being cancelled left, right and centre, Greek Fest organizers weren’t about to let COVID stop them from dishing up souvlaki skewers, lemon roasted potatoes and spanakopita. Modern problems require modern solutions—so the fest is…
Halifax Wanderers kick off 2020 season in PEI this week
Halifax’s top soccer team won’t be on the field at Wanderers Grounds this year. Instead, they’re bubbled up with seven other Canadian Premier League teams on Prince Edward Island, slated to play their games with no spectators and minimal risk of COVID. “Prior to arriving in PEI, all members of the Canadian Premier League delegation…
Former prisoners in Halifax share their incarceration stories to mark Prisoners’ Justice Day
Sara Tessier was a toddler when her father sexually assaulted her. She says she was sold to a man in Montreal when she was only 3. When she tried to speak up and seek help, her father shot himself. She says the courts later returned her to the custody of her father who was still…
What’s happening in Halifax from August 11-16
Wednesday August 12 ’80s online music bingo Halifax’s own DJ Fayder delivers this bumpin’ mix of hits from the MTV decade while you dab your way to winnings. Tune into the livestream from 7:30pm onwards. Facebook Live , 7:30-9pm Backstage with Club Inclusion Theatre The STAGES Theatre Festival takes you (virtually) backstage with Club Inclusion…
Landlords getting the final word on heritage designation won’t work
By March 2020, Halifax had lost a full forty percent of its historic buildings in 11 years. Out of 104 buildings inventoried as heritage assets in 2009, 43 had been demolished. More have tumbled since then. And barring drastic action to save them, the remainder will fall to the wrecker soon. Halifax Regional Council finally…
Just the news on COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, for the week starting August 10
NOTE: This week is now over. For the very latest news, please go here. But for an informative look back at exactly how Nova Scotia responded to COVID-19 in realtime, keep on reading. Display problems with The Coast’s Nova Scotia COVID-19 case graph? For the mobile version click here. Editor’s note: In its 28 years…
Your summer staycation just got sweeter: George’s Island is open to the public
The wait is over for all those who’ve stood on Halifax’s Harbourwalk staring longingly at Georges Island grumbling to yourself ‘I can’t believe I missed that Joel Plaskett concert.’ For five weekends starting August 7 and 8 the Georges Island National Historic site will be open to the public, and all who can afford the…
Say hello to the return of the live show
Get ready to go to Point Pleasant Park’s Cambridge Battery to see a show—but not the one you might be thinking of: Hello City improv group (with the support of Shakespeare by the Sea) is filling the space with a socially distant improv show, called Hello City by the Sea. When recently presented with the…
Susan Kent follows the lead
There’s this scene in Spinster—the new, north end-shot dramedy starring Chelsea Peretti—that will play on a loop in a quiet corner of your brain forever. Peretti, as Gaby, the film’s eye-rolling namesake, sits on her apartment couch next to her friend Amanda (played by Halifax’s Susan Kent). They’re having a sleepover, making stilted conversation over…
Getting the blazes out of here
Stephen McNeil isn’t going to run in the next election, but he’s staying on as premier until the NS Liberal Party chooses his successor. He let the public know in a livecast media conference around noon today (Thursday, August 6), not long after he informed the party and attended a cabinet meeting. McNeil has served…
Latesha Auger’s Journey is just beginning
How do we heal from a wound? If it’s an injury to our bodies, we can go to the doctor’s. We can take time off. We can rest. For our minds, we can practice healthy coping mechanisms—like meditation, consulting a therapist or building a support system of friends and family. But how do we heal…
The fruit flies in your kitchen are laying about 2,000 eggs a day
It’s summer in Halifax. It’s hot. One morning you wake up and can’t even recognize your kitchen. It’s swarmed with what looks like hundreds of fruit flies. They’re on the ripened bananas you bought yesterday, in your compost bin and on the wine glass from last night. You try to swat them with your hands…
Diversity of Nature is making falling in love with the sciences more accessible
Did you know that half of the photosynthesis that happens in the world occurs in oceans and lakes? You’d think it happens on land where there are trees and plants, but no! There are zillions of microscopic plants called phytoplankton that consume carbon dioxide and sunlight to get their own energy—and these microscopic beings are…
Stating the obvious
QI’m a gay guy who’s involved with a guy I met a few months before COVID-19 took off. He’s a great guy, smart, funny, hot, healthy and easy to be around. It started as a hookup but we have chemistry on several levels and, without either of us having to say it, we started seeing each other…
In your horoscope: Crocodiles can be sacred
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO! (July 23-August 22) At times in our lives, it’s impractical to be innocent and curious and blank and receptive. So many tasks require us to be knowledgeable and self-assured and forceful and in control. But according to my astrological analysis, the coming weeks will be a time when you will benefit from…
Halifax is losing one of its last antique shops
After 25 years in business, McLellan Antiques & Restoration on Agricola Street is closing its doors to customers. Owner Jim McLellan will still spend his semi-retired days restoring furniture, but only on a part-time basis. “My restoration will continue on a smaller scale. I won’t be doing pianos, dining sets, I won’t have employees — it’ll just…
Halifax Public Libraries eliminates library fees forever
Halifax’s bastion of good is at it again, levelling up the municipality’s most equitable and accessible service once more: Effective immediately, all outstanding overdue fines with Halifax Public Libraries have been wiped from the system, and any future fines won’t happen at all. For those who saw their overdue fines as a donation to the library,…
Now open in Dartmouth, Maria’s Pasta Bar goes from dough to plate
In downtown Dartmouth, Maria’s Pasta Bar & Pantry is focused on handmade everything, from dough to filling to sauce. “We make everything we serve,” says Michael Dolente, chef and owner of the restaurant. Dolente, whose family moved to Canada from Italy in 1960, says his business is influenced and dedicated to his late Nonna Maria.…
Zero waste Tare Shop to expand to Dartmouth this fall
When Kate Pepler opened the Tare Shop in October 2018, it was the first independent zero waste store in Halifax. Inside the Cornwallis Street shop, walls are lined with clear containers of oats, dried mango, basmati rice and cleaning supplies. Since those early days, Pepler has always dreamed of expanding, as many small business owners…
Operation Black Lives Matter North Preston calls for change
Black Lives Matter advocates gathered in North Preston on August 1, meeting at the cenotaph near the local rec centre on Emancipation Day to protest ongoing injustices faced by Black people in Nova Scotia. The event, organized by Evangeline Star Downey yielded a mighty turn out of about 100 people and began with a march…
What’s happening in Halifax from August 4-9
Tuesday August 4 Carbon Arc virtually screens Wonders In The Suburbs Nope, it’s not time yet to return to the city’s last indie cinema—but you can still support the space by renting your next flick through its site. The Arc describes this 2019 dramedy as follows: “As the new mayor of Montfermeil, Emmanuelle Joly has…
There’s a new cheesecake in town
Fresh, light and creamy. These are the words Ecem Akdeniz uses to describe San Sebastian cheesecake—the specialty at her new home-based business, Chéché Bakery. “This cheesecake is coming from Spain, this is particularly from the Basque area,” she says. “I’ve been there and I remember how nice it is and the taste is very different.”…
David Bowie’s son traces Canadian heritage through Pier 21
On Thursday, the child of legendary rockstar David Bowie tweeted about Halifax’s own immigration museum, Pier 21. Filmmaker Duncan Jones, 49, is the only child of Bowie and his first wife Angie (nee Barnett), who were married from 1970 to 1980. “I am officially 1/4 Canadian by way of grandma being born in Argenta B.C.!”…
Just the news on COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, for the week starting August 3
NOTE: This week is now over. For the very latest news, please go here. But for an informative look back at exactly how Nova Scotia responded to COVID-19 in realtime, keep on reading. Display problems with The Coast’s Nova Scotia COVID-19 case graph? For the mobile version click here. Editor’s note: In its 28 years…