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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.
Now a New Jersey city has passed a law to make it illegal to text while walking. “Fort Lee, N.J. police said they will begin issuing $85 jaywalking tickets to pedestrians who are caught texting while walking.” reports ABC News. Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department, said he “hopes his crackdown on…
This one goes out to me, mostly. Dear me, you’re the coolest woman ever. Talented, smart, funny, debt-free, great job, great house, unstoppable ambition, and so much courage. You’ll go out of your way for anyone and you support those around you unconditionally. I’d like to say that someday you’ll meet someone great, to share…
I heard from you. Finally. My heart instantly began sounding the alarm, all cells were a flutter as the blood charged through my veins. After so long, I can’t help but feel annoyed and excited. Unfortunately my heart and soul feel it’s call for celebration, while my mind rests it head in it’s hands, muttering…
I saw you for you, despite your flaws and your self-doubt. I saw my reflection in you and felt like I was home. No matter where we were in the world, you were my home. I wanted you to ride whatever wave came your way, whatever path made you happy. It’s taken me months to…
Last Sunday, i was kickin’ it downtown, enjoying the beautiful day. I saw many people coming in and out of the Public Gardens. What a sight to see. The flowers in their full glory, the trees as vibrant as can be. Two ganders doing what geese do. As I continued, in front of me was…
I’ve loved you from the very beginning. I knew we were meant to be. Married just over 3 months and I couldn’t be more certain you are the man I am to grow old with! You show me love regardless of any situation, and for that I promise to treat you like a bestfriend, protect…
Chris Brown concert… So much needed free flowing funds would of come in. so much. Yet, people got on their high horse’s tip toeing on their personal soap boxes, saying how he abuse Rhianna. First off, he paid the price with the law. secondly, if he wasn’t’ allowed into Canada to work as an entertainer,…
People on these boards need to learn a bit of respect and common decency. Recently I had the opportunity to meet with one of you over coffee and the person I met was a wonderful individual who does not deserve to be tormented the way that she is on here. You all know who I…
Just writing to say…I work doing demos at a local store. Until now, I would never believe these so called university educated members could be so rude and ignorant! The older I get, the less tolerance I have for these types of people. It’s all I can do not to tell them off on a…
You have to be fucking kidding me. You’re the victim here, right, mr. politician? You just were so damn compassionate for all those children at the community center and in sports programs. You were just so gosh darn compassionate for all those people in your riding who had tax-payer money allotted to them…that you had…
To the beautiful lifeguard at the little 3 lane pool. You are the highlight of my Friday night swims and well every time you work. You’re adorable and are so cute when you sing along to country. Wish I had the ovaries to do more than smile. Thanks for the pretty view while swimming, it…
Bestfriendoldfriendnewfriendcoworkermarriedhaskidsisn’tintoit, doesn’t matter,your woman tries to fuck them. Hits on your friends, tries to tell your friends gfs and wives that their bfs and husbands want to fuck her, dangles you as bait to your friends gfs and wives in exchange so she can try to fuck your friends. She weirds people that care about…
She with her badass dresses straddling her Motorcylce, he holding on her waist in a sweet button up stopped at the red light looking like Hollywood. You bump helmets to kiss at the light and laugh about something I can only assume is fabulous. I see you often on my way to work and I…
I went to the movies last night I had to pay $10.99 for my ticket. But that’s not why I’m angry. The man in front of me in the line took a looong time time to decide wether or not he wanted butter on his popcorn. But that’s not why I’m angry. The movie wasn’t…
Now that hearts have healed from the loss of longtime nightclub The Palace (1721 Brunswick Street), brotherly business partners Michel and Marcel Khoury are ready to reveal what’s been a two million dollar secret. That’d be HFX Sports Bar & Grill, the mammoth sports bar/lounge/restaurant hybrid that’ll move in to the downtown space this fall.…
As the city buys properties in preparation of widening Bayers Road, it’s instructive to look at a series of similar property purchases made decades ago. The lessons: Nothing terrible happens when roads aren’t widened, and when the city buys lots of property, it invariably screws up some of those purchases. As early as the 1970s,…
Atlantic Film Fest’s 33rd year program was announced in the Lord Nelson Hotel, amid a sea of croissants and audio problems (prompting some entertaining movieoke from program director Jason Beaudry). Fill your dance cards, folks. The Atlantic Gala features All the Wrong Reasons directed by Gia Milani, tells the tale of “four troubled young adults…
Last year, Parks Canada researcher Alain Boudreau conducted a detailed monitoring study of the Chain of Lakes Trail, and concluded that the trail saw “possibly 120,000 to 180,000 person-trips per year.” (See the detailed user study, here.) But if a small sample of trail users interviewed by The Coast Monday is any indication, most don’t…
Somethings are just worth the wait, aren’t they? It was about a year about that the first hammer swung at what is now Mother’s Pizza (5710 Young Street, 406-5050), Tyson Wachter’s Canadian iteration of a pizza restaurant he opened in Turks and Caicos five years ago. Soon open for lunch and dinner, the just over 40-seater…
I thought you were incrediable. You liked the vibrant jeans. I’ll buy you a pair in tangerine. Hopefully, you’ll get it by your daughter.We had a dance and chat,,I’d like to repeat that one at Hubbards. You made my night. —B
When moving forward…is like a breath of mustard gas. As I see it, either way, it’s gonna hurt but the losses will be a gain in the end. Through loss we attain personal gains, and in the end, it’s better in the long run. I hope that I get the job with the library as…
It was a perfect late summer day on Saturday. You were out for a swim at Stillwater Lake; I was out for a paddle. You were beautiful and carefree. I came back with the courage to say more and you were gone… And I wished I had not paddled away. —Wishing
I attempted to go down on this guy, but he smelled of dry piss and wet socks. His junk was almost completely covered by his black pubic hair. I convinced him to soap up and trim up. Then I was able to give a suck. He refused to eat my pussy, told me it wasn’t…
We blanked on conversation aside from telling you about our sushi date, because your sparkly eyes and fun hair [held back with a cute bandana] kind of ruined our cognitive abilities. Just wanted to let you know that the ice cream was delicious and you’re super pretty 🙂 —Haskap & Hazelnut
This morning Drop Entertainment Group owner Stephen Tobin announced that due to Chris Brown’s “recent personal and health-related issues” all four scheduled Energy Rush performances (Winnipeg, Toronto, Halifax and Saint John) will be cancelled/postponed until next year. This announcement comes a day after Brown received 1000 hours of community service to be completed this year,…
To the 50ish-year-old male driver wearing the royal blue multi-coloured striped golf shirt, driving off the Main Street, Dartmouth Trunk 7 E ramp, merging onto the NS-111 S, Highway of Heros between 8:00pm and 8:15pm Saturday evening, August 17th –before you start waving your fist at me and spewing your road rage expletives, you need…
You were driving up Cornwallis and yelled that you loved my dress. I’m not used to people yelling nice things from cars, so I probably gave you a grumpy face. You were gone by the time I processed what you said. Sorry for scowling at you, and thanks for making my day, lovely person! —Tie-dyed…
It all started with a dm over twitter. You’re such a twitter whore. I’m so glad we started smoking on the regular and ended up fucking. I am yours for as long as you want me bb. And if we have to part, I truly hope it’s not forever. Nothing is better than waking up…
Trails of the HRM are lovely. I saw a bunny, a squirrel and a number of birds. I get it, bird watching… people love it. But when on a trail in bird watching packs of 10, 12,15 Stick to the right of the trail. Everyone has to use the trail and when you are all…
To the sweet old lady who left a message on my answering machine while I was on vacation. You are a sweetheart and I wish I was a week earlier getting your message so that I could have called you back to let you know you had the wrong number. I feel like it would…
When are you going to get off your ass and do something? Stop blaming others and your past, put on your big girl panties and grow the hell up. You have all kinds of time for hanging out, no time to raise your kids and no time to look for a job. People can only…
I never thought that I would find love again but you let me open up to you and I found out how wrong I was. I hope this was the first of many dates because I’d really like to know you…who you are, what you love and what you hate. So many guys have messed…
I enjoy my strolls downtown. I enjoy people watching, the nice weather, friends’ company, etc. What I don’t enjoy is being hounded on the street mid-enjoyment by persons trying to get me join/root for their cause. I understand how difficult it is to stand on the sidewalk trying to hound people down, most of whom…
I have worked many different types of jobs, most of them based on customer service. I have come across the same thing in at least three of them and I am starting to be more conflicted every time it happens. Drunk people! I mean why do you get drunk and then go out to shop,…
Dear Lake, I know you need fresh water and sunlight to live. I know the hikers, bikers, joggers and people and fish who live here used to cherish you. We see that you are an ugly hideous brown and the people and the fish are so unhappy to see you like this…your protectors won’t test…
I love your insecurities, I love your messy hair, I love your sense of humour and I love the shit you wear. Maybe you’re not perfect and hey neither am I, but for some strange reason you’ve always been that guy. Whatever happens to the both of us and the distance we are apart, you…
Dear Absentee Slumlord, I’ll admit, you got me good. I thought I’d found my dream apartment. Funny how you forgot to mention the place was full of toxic mold. You must be a very forgetful man because you also forgot to pay the water bill and now we have no running water. I know you’ll…
To the asshole or asshole-ette who banged up the side of my car with three nasty dents in the WM Store in Sydney River, Cape Breton. 1500.00 damage. It isn’t like you wouldn’t have heard that bang… three fucking times! I don’t have the cash to get that fixed! If anybody does something like that,…
To the guy from the bachelor party on Tuesday night: We ended up at the top of citadel hill after drinking at two bars downtown. I was a mess and you were a perfect gentleman. The next day I regretted leaving you so abruptly (due to drunkenness) without adequately expressing how much I appreciate that…
Local food stylist, blogger, photographer and creator of cravings, Kelly Neil, opened a solo show of her work this week at the Economy Shoe Shop (1665 Argyle Street, 423-8845). It’s stunning stuff that might have you wondering how to make your food more photogenic. Or how to get Neil to make you dinner. You can…
I am a graduate from a University.(5 years ago) I am sick of dead end jobs in Nova Scotia! I want to pay my bills, I want to live green. I want to make a difference! However I also need to eat. Forget about having kids or getting married. I don’t own anything but an…
To start with, I want to send my condolences to family and loved ones of the 17 year old who passed away last night as a result of a motorcycle accident. Now I want all young and old people (who reads LTWWL/B )who are learning or just got their license to ride motorcycles to take…
I am sure your probation officer will love hearing what you and your friends have been up to lately. Good luck in Burnside – they’ll love you there! —Not staying quiet anymore
I’m glad that you enjoyed that uke more than I did, I’d love to meet up with you and hear some songs. Maybe over coffee? —Nice Guy in the Elevator
I’m about to drop a dirty word; I am an avid cyclist. I bike to work every day, and I have had the same commute every day for more than three years. I love my commute, as it enables me to have time to clear my head on my way to work. But this week,…
Picture this—50-plus enviably talented Maritime comic artists and cartoonists, publishers and store owners, bringing their brains, books and mad skills to an easy-access venue on the Dartmouth waterfront for an all-day, free admission event that’ll also feature snacks and a magic show. Pinch yourself and you’ll quickly realize you’re not dreaming. This is the Dartmouth…
White Rabbit Open Air Art Project is celebrating five years of idyllic art practice with this year’s event (August 17-18, Upper Economy, NS, $40, whiterabbitarts.ca, www.eventbrite.com/event/7426227045). A sort of summer camp devoted to a group artist residency, White Rabbit provides a sense of community and pancakes—lots of pancakes. Founded by the Red Clay Studio Society…
You are a barista in the North End. Your french accent, beautiful eyes and disheveled hair are possibly the most adorable combination. You also pull a mean espresso. I want you to know that getting coffee from you brightens my day. —Admirer
Hey [insert nickname of 90% of people who leave comments on news websites], you don’t know what you’re talking about and your comment makes no sense. Find something better to do with your free time. —French Guy
Editor’s note, August 23: an earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Amy Lebovitch. It’s September 2010 and Rene Ross is sipping coffee from a cracked mug while she drags me through a tour of sex-work policy in Halifax, all from our booth in the Good Food Emporium on Gottingen Street. Boundaries are areas in…
As blandly titled as it is directed, Paranoia is a techno-corporate thriller about the cut-throat world of smart phone apps and the men who look like Liam Hemsworth that make them. Hemsworth (brother of Thor, fiancé of Miley) stars mostly shirtless as a poor tech genius trying to climb the corporate ladder. Conflict is theoretically…
On going north The great irony of being a hipster is that there are so many of them. They come into a down-and-out neighbourhood because the rent is cheap and the early ones can pretend that they are way more authentic than their friends who still live at home (“Pushed out,” Feature by Hilary Beaumont,…
Jason Michael MacIsaac is the vision behind The Heavy Blinkers. This becomes clearer than ever with the personnel shift since the last album in 2005. Jenn Grant and Melanie Stone replacing Ruth Minnikin on most lead vocals is the most striking change. The backing is lusher than ever, at times competing with Grant’s gentle delivery,…
Playwright Michael McLeod explores the cult of celebrity in his new play The Good For Nothings in an inventive and thought-provoking way. The story is told in a non-linear fashion, weaving past and present, fiction and “reality” in a manner that suggests those “making of” or “outtake” bonuses in movies. Cassidy Black (Sj Jones) is…
It’s been five years since the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop production of The Marriage of Figaro first wooed me to a happy relationship with opera. When I realized Figaro was being staged again this year, I was excited to see if it would still tickle my funny bone and delight my ear. The answer is…
In the heat of summer, remember the dead of winter. When the farmers’ markets and roadside stands have tables aching under the weight of cucumbers, tomatoes, raspberries and everything else under the sun, you should remember what snow looks like outside your window. Because it is possible to bottle summer. Lisa Marie Brow believes this.…
Adolescent posturing finds a home in summer superhero spectacle, Kick-Ass 2. Aaron Taylor-Johnson returns as costumed hero Kick-Ass, though much more time is given to the early retirement of Chloë Grace Moretz’ Hit Girl, or Christopher Mintz-Plasse’ evolution into the super villain Motherfucker. That’s smart, as Moretz’ screen presence is miles above her costars, and…
Two excellent writers stepped in to answer the Savage Love Letter of the Day while I was on vacation, and I wanted to share two of their responses in the column this week. (The SLLOTD is blasted out to folks who have the Savage Love app.) First up is Daniel Bergner. He’s the award-winning author…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO! (July 23-August 22) “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” When I came across that quote while surfing the web, I felt that it jibed perfectly with the astrological omens that are currently in play for you. Every…
“I always thought we were a really awesome rock and roll band. We played every show like it was our last,” says Myles Deck. From about 2006 to 2011, Myles Deck and the Fuzz was Halifax’s most intense live act, taking cues from the stage presence of Iggy Pop and James Brown. “I wanted to…
I’ve thought about it for weeks and I still can’t wrap my head around this book. Sometimes, that’s a good thing–not here. Barnes’ last book, The Sense of an Ending, was infinitely re-readable, gorgeous and effective. I expected more of the same. But subject matter got in the way. When Barnes’ wife passed away, he…
“You know those ideas you have when you’re drunk and then you wake up and they’re not very good?” asks Stewart Legere. “Well we woke up—separately—and still thought this was a good one.” Legere is talking about Young Hearts Run Free, an evening of painstaking recreation of the Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet soundtrack, by…
“Mom, what’s a fag?” asks a five-year-old Rae. The answer from their evangelical Christian mother involves, expectedly, images of sin and hell and then the clincher—“and God made AIDS to punish gay people.” First Spring Grass Fire, Rae Spoon’s debut work of fiction, depicts many such instances of a child’s pain and confusion while growing…
The power of excellent Twitterer (and writer, doye) Lynn Coady compels you, despite it being, like, 2am, to keep reading another of the addictive stories in Hellgoing. In “The Natural Elements,” Cal can’t connect with his irritating (and familiar, at least to me) daughter, and feels too much—for his sad-sack tenant, for his family, for…
Steve Jobs is a whiny, little baby. A petty, crying, pseudo-spiritual brat who’s self-centred daydreaming ruins lives and wastes hundreds of millions of dollars. That should be the theme of Jobs, a relentlessly shameless ode to the apparently mythical importance of the guy who made iPods. Ashton Kutcher is constantly on the edge of tears…
Set in a permanently wintry seaside, Womb is one strange little sci-fi picture. In it, Rebecca (Eva Green) and Tommy (the current Doctor Who, Matt Smith) were childhood sweethearts who meet cute as adults. When Tommy dies in an accident, Rebecca goes to a biotech lab and recreates him; she actually gives birth to his…
This tall drink of water is very talkative on stage, sometimes to a fault. The personality that comes through on record needs little embellishment. Steel’s been around musicians most of his life and logged some hardy hitch-hiking miles. “Time is a healer…time is death,” he muses sardonically on the title number. There’s an intelligence in…
A couple of British stars, Mike Skinner (The Streets) and Rob Harvey (The Music), join forces in The D.O.T. Best known as a rapper, Skinner brings the funk and his singing is heartfelt when it’s not all that tuneful. Harvey handles most of the vocals with a pinched upper register that goes over better in…
I’m not a Sondheim fan. (As I type this, I already feel virtual tomatoes being pitched my way.) His music alienates me. His shows exhaust me. And this is why I’m shocked by how much I love, love, loved the Halifax Summer Opera Festival production of A Little Night Music. I was enraptured from the…
The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow was a surprise hit, and its success split the duo apart, ie “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.” (Theory: They got too famous for John Paul White’s liking. Have you ever seen that guy smile?) How this record exists is confusing, since they don’t speak and are writing about…
Look, I’m as forward thinking as the rest. But ok..someone tell me the root cause of this again??? Is it to show vulnerability of a biker as a metaphor if you will, that bikers have no protection against the road and its traffic..is that about right? Well, its not that at all…its a chance for…
Natalie Slater is inspired by ice cream, and we totally get it. “I have been making these ceramic ‘Ear Bowls’ for the last couple of years because I love cute happy faces on everything,” she says. “Its a disease I have.” But her new collection has Dee Dee’s Ice Cream’s (5668 Cornwallis Street) many flavours…
To the occupants of the house on North St. : thanks for the quotes you write on your windows. I go by once a week on the 52 and always love seeing what new words of inspiration are in store for me. Don’t stop! —52 Window Reader
You used to work an independent coffee merchant’s drive through, but I have not seen you in nearly a month. —Needing shelter from the storm
I wish I was brave enough to tell you in person, I am not. The last time we spoke you told me how frustrated you feel. You are always 2nd or 3rd priority, behind everything else in his life. I know him and I know you, this will never change. He only sees what is…
If you’ve spent time daydreaming about spending your days with a breathtaking Icelandic backdrop, wishing Jón Gnarr was our mayor or drooling over the fashionable people of Reykjavík we’ve got good news for you. Apparently Halifax and Iceland aren’t so different, which is why Cintamani has chosen Halifax as the second North American location to…
When it came to the proposal to put a sewer pipe under the Chain of Lakes Trail, two city councillors had a novel approach to public consultation: They first voted in favour of the project, then consulted their constituents. “We are writing to inform you of construction that Halifax Water is planning on the Chain…
Halifax council continues to purchase property along Bayers Road, part of a long-term but controversial objective to widen the road. Last week, council agreed to buy 6830 Bayers Road, a two-storey house on the south side of the street, from Michael Dudka. Dudka is president of the Delta Group, a financial planning firm with offices…
Local filmmaker Kristen Swinkels will go so far as to admit she hasn’t euthanized her own mother, but otherwise her film, Nigredo, is based on personal experience. The imagery sprung from visiting her mom in hospital, combined with a hefty dose of Jungian psychology. “The hospital experience is kind of crazy when you’re there for…
