Against all evidence, Harbour Solutions is declared a success
With much fanfare, Halifax Water president Carl Yates appeared before city council Tuesday and announced that Harbour Solutions, the new sewage system, is at “total completion.” One after another, councillors liberally dished out accolades, patted themselves on the back and made unsupported allegations that the media somehow misreported the story. But while the largest public…
Recently Engaged: Julia & Justin
Nearly 3 years ago Julia decided it was time for a change. She moved out west thinking she would come back with new experiences and cash in her pocket. She never considered she’d be coming back with a husband & baby on the way. Soon after arriving at camp Julia & Justin were set up…
Council won’t hold Peter Kelly accountable
While a broad spectrum of citizens, columnists from competing newspapers and even the former provincial auditor are calling for mayor Peter Kelly to be held accountable for his role in the concerts scandal, Halifax council just wants the issue to fade away into the bureaucratic netherlands. Last week, council declined to ask the RCMP to…
Make a Stanfest Vote
lindsay duncan The Stan Rogers Folk Festival is currently hosting a video contest for bands who are looking to win a spot playing in the festival. So far Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers and Mary Stewart have uploaded videos of quiet, intimate little performances in their homes, while others like Amanda LeBlanc and Air…
Garbage Garbage Everywhere!
What’s the point of recycling if the city starts picking and choosing what’s going to be considered recyclable. I’ve had bags left at the curb because they contained Styrofoam or some form of plastic that’s not “approved”. What’s the point? Why bother having this program if you’re going to pick and choose plastics and worst…
Asshole Emissions
To the person who was farting on the #18 on Wednesday morning: Fuck you. Hour long bus rides suck bad enough. We don’t need your farts clogging up the air. Hold it in! Did you know that the only way to smell something is to have molecules of it get lodged in smell receptors in…
Halifax is a Small Pool
Summer lovin’ is awesome, BUT a few little things irk me year after year: – Standing outside the bar and picking up drunk girls IS fun, but at no point in time should you brag about it. There is no real challenge, and it’s not your “game” at work. It’s those last call tequila shots…
I Just Threw Up in My Mouth
I heard my sister having sex the other night. FML. —Baby Brother
The Noise Next Door
My husband and I moved from Halifax to a quiet sub-division in Beaver Bank. We were hoping that giving up the noise-polluted atmosphere of apartment and condo living, not to mention the traffic at all hours of the day and night, would finally allow us the opportunity to spend our “middle years” a lot more…
Dear Tanning Salon
Stop lying about when you replaced your lights. You did not JUST replace them. —Still Pale After 2 Weeks
Office Politics
Just because you’re work friends with someone doesn’t make you bff’s once you clock out. The occasional company hang-out after hours doesn’t permit you to openly diss other coworkers, or say obnoxious things that in the work place would get you fired. It may not have the same effect in the bar, but it WILL…
Dear Postal Workers
Just so you know, there are some of us here in Halifax that stand behind you! —A Haligonian in Solidarity
pur alternatives not opening in Hydrostone after all
Recently in our Shoptalk: Go Local on the Hydrostone Market, we announced that natural personal product store pur alternatives, formerly in the Barrington Place Shops and also online, was going to reopen a storefront on Kaye Street, in the new building directly across from the Hydrostone. It has now been announced that the store will…
NXNE: Homeless Angel edition
The thing about Toronto is it kicks my ass, it’s hot and everything is far and I forget to drink water and my face breaks out from the smog and I sneeze a lot. So I had no energy left for blogging. Also I only went to three shows, one of which was my own,…
Halifax heads to Sled Island
gianna lauren It’s officially summer touring season, with a whole cluster of Halifax bands headed all over which where. The latest event is Sled Island, which has been producing an increasingly bomb lineup of musical talent from across Canada and the world for about five years now. This year’s festival runs from June 22 -…
Dear Postal Workers
Please forgive me for my lack in support and compassion. It’s not your fault; rather it is my lack of understanding. If you could please take the time to help me understand, I would be happy to reconsider my current views. As it stands, I am unable to understand what is so bad about your…
Bully at Waterfront Coffee Shop
Do you get off on yelling at little girls or were you trying to impress your bog-ass wife? Regardless of what the lady at the counter did, you should never talk like that to anyone. I know your type, a petty little coward who picks fights with servers because you know they cant fight back.…
Country Music
Make it stop. —Please
Park Your Butts
I walk by our beautiful Public Gardens often and notice the lovely smoke-free zone signs located at the various entries. I am a smoker myself and believe that there should be specific smoking zones in all public places, especially ones like our variety of amazing parks in the city. My only complaint is that there…
Community Services Creates Homelessness
Thank you Community Services! Because of your paltry, meagre stinginess, my friend is now homeless. If you can find a place to live nearby healthcare services (he’s disabled), for less than the $535 per month you offer, I’ll eat your shit, publicly! You think that people’s lives are expendable! —Homelessness is a Greater Social Burden…
Grocery Cart Madness
So, I’m at the grocery store Sunday looking for a parking spot. I see one up ahead but when I get there, a grocery cart is in the middle of it. I get out, move the cart and park. I know it’s a minor thing but God I find that irritating. I don’t blame the…
Hello deer
Though there are no reports of popular coffee house Uncommon Grounds (1030 South Park Street, 404-3124) adding venison burgers to their menu, they’ve still had deer on their tables. Everyone was talking about it on Monday, when a young buck crashed through the plate glass window of the cafe just before 9am, frightening the customers…
Thanks Halifax Friends
Thank you to my friends in Halifax for distracting me last weekend from the bad day I was going to have on Monday. You guys went far beyond the requirements of friends, and I appreciate it dearly. —Silly Girl
Cool Pool
Props to the staff at a certain north end pool! They are friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere is always welcoming and relaxed. They play a variety of music for the swimmers like Radiohead to Tupac. Its got a good down to earth vibe. Thumbs up. —Lane Swimmer
The Birds are Chirping
Young Prince, you’re the king of my heart… I’m not afraid of forever. —Your Sweet Valentine
Vigilante Bike Mechanic
Hey, guy who appeared out of a coffee shop on Barrington yesterday and helped me fix my derailer on the sidewalk: thanks! I was having a shitty day. Next time I see you downtown, I got your beer. —Brother Been Helped Out
NXNE day 3: Halifax pops, VanGaalen heats up
John McKiel I started Saturday off as a journo-geek at a NXNE talk by Evan Ratliff from The Atavist, a non-fiction journalism website that is publishing long-form journalism through Kindle Singles for the iPad, iPhone, etc. Nice to know that I may still have a job in 10 years, because music festivals aren’t cheap. Saturday’s…
East Coast is the Most Coast
I love it here. I’ve come back from an extended west coast adventure and though it was beautiful, it just doesn’t have the heart. So, Halifax, I love you and I think we are close enough that I can say, as a friend, don’t get vain or greedy, and sober up a little maybe. I…
Much Thanks
Today I made a huge embarrassing goof, trying to grab the #9 on Barrington and I tripped and scuffed myself good. The f’n bus stopped and rolled away NOT seeing if I was okay. But a patron or worker from the diner across from the scene (I’m sorry I was/am still in shock) came over…
I Cut You Off
I am so sorry to the person who I unintentionally cut off on when I was merging onto Barrington St on Saturday around 1:15pm. I have no excuse whatsoever; I just wasn’t paying enough attention and you were so polite. You slowed right down for me to get in your lane, didn’t honk your horn…
Want a small council? Let’s just let Peter Kelly run things.
I’ve long been opposed to reducing the size of Halifax council. I won’t reiterate all the reasons now, but you can read my take on the issue here. Still, let’s run a thought experiment. We already have, in effect, a prime example of what could go wrong with a fewer-councillors scheme: Peter Kelly. The mayoral…
Gusto Vita offers treasure
The subtitle at Gusto Vita (1440 Bedford Highway, 406-5700) is “tasteful living,” which should tell you a lot. Owned and operated by Lorna and Ken Everett, they intend the store to be reflective of their international travel experiences. Here you’ll find a wide array of elegant lifestyle products for your home, as well as fashion…
The Howling at Carbon Arc
7pm Thursday at Carbon Arc (in the Khyber, 1588 Barrington Street), a screening of Joe Dante’s 1981 werewolf classic The Howling, starring Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee. Witness:
Advance tickets for Neil Hamburger on sale now
The inimitable comic genius Neil Hamburger is coming to Halifax and it will be an experience you will never forget. Picnicface’s Cher Hann and TV Party will open the show. GO AND BUY! This is still my go-to when I’m in a bad mood. Never fails. Possibly NSFW, depending on your W.
Modern Orchid opens
Now open in Dartmouth Crossing is Modern Orchid (171 Hector Gate, 480-8866), offering a wide menu of Thai, Vietnamese, Singaporean and Chinese dishes, for take-out, delivery or eat-in. For the rest of June everything on the menu is 20 percent off, and delivery is free within 4km with an order over $28 (before taxes).
The Oxford Theatre reno
Haliwood Insider has learned that The Oxford Theatre (6408 Quinpool Road, 422-2022) is in the midst of a face-lift that will give the Quinpool Road cinema a fresh coat of paint. The job should take about a month. No word if any changes will be made to the interior. Right now, the charming Woody Allen…
Rhonda’s Party through to final round of Short FIlm Face-Off
As we reported last week, Ashley McKenzie’s short film Rhonda’s Party is in competition on the CBC show Short Film Face-Off, now shown nationally. On the season’s first episode aired Saturday night, Rhonda’s Party was chosen to go on to the final, where it will compete against two other films, still to be named. The…
Hell No
To the local radio station using the Hell’s Angels’ reputation to promote their summertime promotional event coordinator – shame on you! Shame, shame and more shame. The Hell’s Angels are being treated like rock stars when they are home grown terrorists and killers… get with the program! How many of our friends, relatives and (local)…
Careless Neighbours
You always have a few dogs playing together behind your house, which is great. But again last night one of the dogs ran out to the sidewalk because it saw another dog… a dog that was being walked, on a leash of course! So your dog scared the shit out of its owner, and that…
Spreading the Word?
Today I was busying myself doing errands on Spring Garden Road and two young, blond women representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints asked me if I had the time to speak. I politely declined, then one of them promptly tried to offer me a pamphlet, which I also declined. Just as…
Bad Dog Trainers
Speaking of shitty dog owners, I hate when people think that randomly yelling commands at their dog is the same as training. I came upon a woman in the street the other day yelling “Sit! Sit!” at a young dog, which was cowering from her. Dogs don’t actually “understand” English, and you must be a…
To Harass and Annoy
Nice job Halifax PD, setting up a licence and registration check on Gladstone St. at 8 am Monday. I guess residential streets will ensure a lighter work load, and the kicker was asking me where I’m headed to, on a street that has residences, a medical building and a grocery store. Having lived and travelled…
Sad to Say
I’m not the chauvinistic, macho, douche bag type, but when your best friend of several years decides to break an almost year long plan to get an apartment because his new lady friend of a whopping two weeks doesn’t like cats, the term “bros before hoes” suddenly becomes frighteningly more palatable. —R You a Nut?
Don’t Walk – Ever!
Why do pedestrians have to push a secret button to cross at the intersection in front of Citadel High? Who invented this cruel trick to play on visitors? I’ve watched them stand on the corner waiting minutes for a walk signal while the traffic lights go through their cycle, and eventually running across on the…
Riding on a Friday Afternoon
Everyone trying to rush home and especially the ancient man with veteran plates in the blue hatchback – this is not England. Get on your own side. In the case of Mr. Veteran, if you’re struggling to turn the wheel on something with power steering, maybe you shouldn’t be on the goddamned road at ALL.…
Drive-Throughs are for Coffee
Don’t I hate being in the drive-through and someone in front of me has to order coffee and sandwiches for everyone in his workplace. Come on, if it’s more than a quick coffee; get off your ass and walk up to the counter. The rest of us are sitting behind you, idling, wasting gas and…
Gonna be a Long summer
I miss you reading The Coast to me. I miss the pair of freckles that lie at the base of your neck. I miss walking with you. I miss spending all day in bed with you. I miss the sun in your hair. You are amazing and I’ll be back soon. —The Lonely Islander
Restorative Justice
There’s an International Conference going on in Halifax right now exploring and expanding on restorative justice. Apparently, Canada is a leader in this field – no shit – we are the biggest criminal coddlers on the face of the earth. I am delighted that we have a Conservative majority and sanity will be returned when…
Future Love
Where are you? I’ve been waiting a long time. There have been many imposters, some quite convincing, but none were you. I have lots of love for you when you find me… please hurry or I may have to take a vow of celibacy. —Still Waiting
Best Hitchhike
From the cyclist with the flat tire on St Margaret’s Bay Road to the couple in the truck, thanks for the lift, for the sucker, and for scaring my friend! —Cyclist
Thanks, Bus Seat Giver Guy
Thanks to the guy in the big white & lime green headphones on the #1 during the rain on Wednesday who kept getting up to give people his seat. Thanks dude, it was appreciated! —Tired Feet
Lost Love
I wish we could talk again, I wish so much, that things were different. I still love you, I still miss you after all this time. —Longing for the Past
Cousins, Teenanger, Crocodiles
Saturday the Halifax Pop Explosion NXNE Showcase (Dance Movie, Glory Glory, Jon Mckiel and Cousins) went down in a wonderfully cold goth bar on Queen, The Velvet Underground. Dance Movie played to a mostly Haligonian crowd. I made only minimal mistakes on bass. Everyone else made no mistakes. I had great visits with family and…
Sarah and Roy
I sheepishly interrupted this lovely couple while they were enjoying a plate of fries from the chip truck on Spring Garden Road. What a way to ring in the sunshine, a nice outdoor lunch. Both Sarah and Roy like to shop vintage (if you couldn’t tell) and they feel it is important to spend their…
NXNE day 2: smart kids and Dum Dum Girls
Don’t know about you, but when I’m tired and hungover, I like to feel worse about myself by going to see a child prodigy. Adora Svitak is a youth activist, technology expert and literacy advocate, who has already published three books and organizes kid-only TED talks. She knows where Syria is on a map, and…
NXNE – Day 4
9pm – A Wilhelm Scream @ The Opera House 10pm – Hot Water Music @ The Opera House 11pm – Neon Windbreaker @ Comfort Zone 12am – Jesse Dangerously @ Crawford r.
All systems go on 2011’s Atlantic Fringe Fest
This is exciting: From Halifax Fringe: “After the proposed cancellation of this year’s Festival, it is with great excitement that we announce the 2011 Atlantic Fringe Festival will be happening this September 1-11. The enormous outpouring of support from the community, individuals and organizations has enabled this year’s Fringe to happen. After a public meeting…
Ty Segall times two
I saw a last minute house show advertised on ye olde Facebook with buds/awesome band Teenanger and seeing as I haven’t seen those folks in forever, I was stoked to go. I walked onto a roof on Queen and straight into Ty Segall. They played a surprise cover set (including a GG Allin cover, YES)…
NXNE – Day 3
So the first day of NXNE went off without a hitch. Day 2 is another story altogether. I woke up that morning and my worst fears had been realized. I was sick… Really sick. The kind of sick where all you can do is sleep and whine about how sick you are. Because of this…
Wanna hit The Brooklyn Warehouse for Father’s Day brunch?
The Brooklyn Warehouse (2795 Windsor Street, 446-8181) is planning a great brunch on Sunday, June 19, if you’re looking for somewhere to take Dad. They generally don’t do brunch anymore, but on this particular day decided to make an exception. Eggs Bennie, Steak and Eggs, Vegan Sandwich, The Brooklyn Burger and many more staples will…
Sony picks up Detention
Detention , the feature film co-written by former Coast film critic Mark Palermo, has been picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions to distribute globally, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Detention is, by all accounts, a teen slasher comedy, starring Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook and Shanley Caswell. It was directed by Joseph Kahn, who shares…
NXNE day 1: Sweating to the oldies with Wilson, Hatfield, Dando
Proving that you can never fully leave The Coast or Halifax, I’m back blogging NXNE in Toronto. It’s kind of like when you watch the TV credits and there’s a “Special Guest Appearance by “insert D-lister name here.” The kid actor whose name you can’t remember, but the face looks a little familiar, only puffier.…
Duncan Lawrence Allan Streets Yard Sale Saturday
Every June the residential streets off Windsor just north of Quinpool have a sidewalk/yard sale. This year’s is tomorrow, Saturday June 18, from 9am-1pm, with the rain date Sunday. Typical to yard sales are vinyl, clothes and gewgaws. I got a great steamer trunk there a couple years back. Full disclosure: I live on one…
CBCs Short Film Face-Off goes national
Following three successful seasons of broadcasting to Maritime audiences, the CBC’s Short Film Face-Off is going national with its new season, starting Saturday June 18 at 8pm. For those who don’t know, in each episode of Short Film Face-Off three films are screened for a studio audience and for viewers. A panel of judges—this season…
Brad Marchand, from Coast cover to Cup holder
Before Brad Marchand became the latest Halifax hockey hero to win Lord Stanley’s beer bong, he was a member of a promising Halifax Mooseheads squad. Marchand and two of his friends from Hammonds Plains, Andrew Bodnarchuk and Ryan Hiller, were the local connection that anchored the Mooseheads’ strong shot at Canadian junior hockey supremacy in…
Tantalizing in Timberlea
Dark hair, mysterious sultry eyes, working at the convenience store on St. Margaret’s Bay road. Absolutely, heart-stoppingly beautiful—you’re brilliant as the moonlight. —Wanderingheart
OFF! on my mind
My photos were unfortunately terrible due to my poor skills, so here are some press photos that only capture a fraction of the awesomeness of both OFF! and Descendents live. Because of some race that was going down Bay Street traffic was bad and we missed Fucked Up. But I won’t cry about that because…
Save the Trees
Instead of ripping and tearing out the 6 or 10 feet of the #7 highway with big machinery and 6 men (THIS IS A HUGE MESS AND LOOKS AWFUL BY THE WAY) how about getting out of your trucks and doing some silva culture instead. Tearing out mature birch and maple trees is not my…
Not Gay Today
While I’ve come to absolutely embrace my dykeness, right about now I wish I was straight, as I have the biggest, hugest crush on you! Why, oh why do you have to be so effing fantastic AND have a penis?! —Not Gay for a Day
Back to Work
That is enough of that, postal workers. That is quite enough of that. I have things in the mail. That I want. I didn’t order these things so that they could sit in a wherever and I could just wait for them. I don’t like waiting, and it’s been a week now. I need those…
Your Dog Deserves Better
I love dogs. Dogs are great. I don’t love dog owners. Too many dog owners are stupid rude ignorant jerks. Take my neighbour for instance. She’s getting a dog and says, “But don’t worry, I hate it when people allow dogs to bark all the time.” Your dog arrived as a cute well behaved one…
Boo Hockey Fans
Actually, I don’t even think it was hockey fans who rioted in Vancover. I wasn’t rooting for either teams since mine was knocked out. But what happened in Vancouver when it lost the Stanley Cup… well it makes me ashamed to be a Canadian. —Rattale
North End Coffee Friends
Oh for the love of god, Coffee Friend #1, please just ask me out already so I can stop fantasizing about you. I know you love me too. —Coffee Friend #2
More of Peter Kelly’s verbal diarrhea
I’ve been collecting examples of mayor Peter Kelly’s evasive responses to direct questions. See here and here, for instance. The following is a transcript of mayor Peter Kelly’s appearance on CBC Radio One’s Mainstreet last week. I’m indebted to Waye Mason, who slogged through the recording and produced the text below. My only comment is…
Beth
Beth, 22, calls Cape Breton home and looks sweet and spring-y in her afternoon get-up. Beth recently moved to Halifax from Antigonish after graduating from St.FX. When I asked her how she would describe her style, she said her style like everything else in her life is in a serious state of transition. Sometimes graduating…
NXNE me
LANDED! Now to change out of my typical Haligonian all black, long-sleeved outfit, put on a… what do you call it? “A Tee-ed Shirt”? And then see some motherloving sun. Oh, and OFF!, Descendents, Fucked Up, Rusty and Metz for free in Yonge-Dundas Square. I could not be more excited now. OFF!!!!!!!!!!!
2011 AFW Emerging Designer Showcase
The 2011 AFW Emerging Designer Showcase was presented last night to a group of appreciative folks who faced down the weather for a chance to see the work of new designers both local and from away. Summery, wearable designs by Amy Negus’ All My Fashions began the show. Her airy, embroidered linen sundresses in muted…
Jenn Grant Makes Polaris Long List
Jenn Grant’s Honeymoon Punch has made the Polaris Long List, which was announced today at 2pm AST. The Maritimes were also repped by the excellent likes of Shotgun Jimmie, Sloan, Buck 65, Frederick Squire and Hey Rosetta! Complete list of nominees is below. Congrats you all. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs Austra – Feel It…
NXNE – Day 1
The Nevado Records showcase at The Rivoli. 10pm – The Meligrove Band (doing a surprise set of Ramone’s covers) 11pm – The Paint Movement 12am – Library Voices 1am – Yukon Blonde Although Yukon Blonde were slotted as “special guests” I don’t think it was by any means a well kept secret. The Rivoli is…
Pathetic Protesters
I was in the middle of watching an interesting show last night when it was suddenly interrupted by a news bulletin announcing the win for the Boston Bruins against the Canucks. Not being a sports fan I paid no attention until they showed live footage of people in downtown Vancouver lighting fires and overturning vehicles…
Baby Punks
Dear NoFX goers: It’s a punk rock show. Don’t go to it and expect not to get pushed around. Seriously, lighten up. I have no idea what you people expected when you bought your tickets. The day there is no elbows or pushing or feet in the face or madness at a punk show is…
Attention: Particular Job Candidate
“Kling-on” is not a real language, so don’t bother to put it on your resume under skills/fluent languages! I don’t care that you’re obsessed with Star Trek, listing Kling-on just tells me you’re a weirdo or you don’t take job hunting seriously. —Gimme a Break
Dog Gone It!
Every year it’s the same thing. Every year I’m amazed at how stupid some people are and how little common sense they seem to have. This is my bitch. Every summer I see people walking their dogs in town among throngs of people subjecting them to many dangers. But the thing that makes me so…
HPX NXNE Showcase
Hi Toronto! Four great bands from Halifax are coming to play an NXNE show at the Velvet Underground (510 Queen St West) this Saturday, presented by the Halifax Pop Explosion. Dance Movie kicks off the night at 8pm, followed by Glory Glory (9pm) Jon McKiel (10pm) and Cousins (11pm). Many Halifax types will be in…
Crimeboarding
So I’m on my way to work, sun is shining grass is almost green, when I notice the whole of Agricola is blocked to traffic for some marathon or another. Sweet, I roll over to that asphalt all the motorists take for granted and feel the smooth blacktop under my wheels, ahhhhhh. Suddenly, I’m startled…
Pick on Someone Your Own Size
To the woman driving a candy-apple red compact car today, turning right off of Shirley St. onto Oxford and almost hitting me as I biked along on the shoulder. I know that you heard me as I screamed after you, and that you ignored me because you were embarrassed by your moronic behaviour. Well you…
Need Skank Repellent
So, I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost a year now, and everything is great between us except one thing. His ex girlfriend will not leave us alone. She blatantly lies and tries to get us to pay attention to her. She’s one of those girls that you see on the streets at 2AM wearing…
Jewellery Store Hottie
To the brunette at a local shopping mall “safe” jewelry store… Wow! You make me forget everything and just want to camp out in front of your store. You’re a real hottie! —Shy Guy
Dear Better Job
With the bigger paycheque, challenging projects, decent coworkers, and did I mention bigger paycheque? Reveal yourself to me and I will win you over so you can be mine. —Ready for a New Love
To a Queen
Just sending some love to you. I cried when I heard of the hate directed towards you. So many admire your strength, beauty, sense of humour, kindness and trueness to self. Stay strong and remember you are loved. —An Anonymous Admirer
Backyard movie queen confessions
As the operators of a semi-legal backyard trash-movie cinema, my friends and I know we’re not particularly unique in Halifax. Many other fine outdoor cinemas have preceded us, including the alFresco filmFesto, which is basically a really big backyard that happens to include the waterfront, and the Roxy, which used to take place behind an…
Special Exits: A Graphic Memoir
In her graphic- novel memoir, Special Exits, Joyce Farmer recounts the final years of her father’s and stepmother’s lives. As their health and mental capacities deteriorate, their daughter, Laura (a stand-in for Farmer), spends more and more time looking after them. Farmer doesn’t shy away from depicting the realities of looking after aging parents, devoting…
Halifax Walking Tour: Eats and treats on the waterfront
A good place to start is the Seaport Farmers’ Market (1209 Marginal Road, halifaxfarmersmarket.com), open Tuesday to Sunday from 8am (actually 7am on Saturdays, for you keeners). The new building is home to the longest running market in North America, selling both fresh, Nova Scotia produce, Atlantic seafood and other homemade treats, you’ll find plenty…
Halifax Walking Tour: Downtown, things will be great
Start on Halifax’s biggest shopping street, Spring Garden Road. At the corner of Dresden Row, Jennifer’s of Nova Scotia, you can find your salt water taffy, your tartan and your Nova Scotia crafts and whatnots. Across the street is Life Salon Spa (5520 Spring Garden Road), if you’re feeling it’s time for a mani or…
Verbatim: A Novel
Verbatim: A Novel, lacks the structure, plot, character development and slow-building tension that typically define the genre. It is a series of chronological fake Hansard transcripts perfectly replicating the real thing in style and content, interspersed with occasional bureaucratic memos. What makes it more readable than actual parliamentary transcripts is the biting satire, its awareness…
Halifax Walking Tour: Downtown, things will be great
Start on Halifax’s biggest shopping street, Spring Garden Road. At the corner of Dresden Row, Jennifer’s of Nova Scotia, you can find your salt water taffy, your tartan and your Nova Scotia crafts and whatnots. Across the street is Life Salon Spa (5520 Spring Garden Road), if you’re feeling it’s time for a mani or…
No limits on having fun
Getting on the water Kevin Penny’s first outing on the seas was four years ago at the Mobility Cup, a sailing competition hosted in Vancouver. As a quadriplegic, he needed to be secured to the boat. He wasn’t too thrilled. “All I was thinking was if we capsize, I’m strapped to the boat,” he says.…
No limits on having fun
Getting on the water Kevin Penny’s first outing on the seas was four years ago at the Mobility Cup, a sailing competition hosted in Vancouver. As a quadriplegic, he needed to be secured to the boat. He wasn’t too thrilled. “All I was thinking was if we capsize, I’m strapped to the boat,” he says.…
Silence and Memory: The Lost Bells of Europe rings true
The story of the destruction of art in Nazi Germany—the paintings that disappeared for decades or forever, the artists maligned in the Nazis’ Degenerate Art exhibition—is familiar to many. Less well-known is the story of the art destroyed to aid the war effort—metal church bells and statues melted down to make munitions. Saint Mary’s University…
For night owls and culture vultures
Well, it’s hard to get much cooler than Taz Records (1593 Market Street) if you’re looking to familiarize yourself with the best music. Ask them to show you local artists among the great vinyl. Start there, then figure out where you’re going to eat, drink and take in some live music. This area of downtown,…
Eman
Eman and I work out together at the same gym, which means we see each other about four early mornings a week. That also means that I have never seen her dressed without her lulus and her water bottle. Well, wasn’t I in for a treat? When I saw Eman on the other side of…
Halifax Waterfront Food
Though the peak season of July and August is still a way off, the boardwalk is already bustling on a Monday afternoon, the first seasonably warm day of the summer. The lines are forming around the food kiosks. Summer on Queen’s Wharf is comfortably familiar to the senses—a constant, slightly chilly waterfront breeze wafting the…
Green Lantern provides comic relief
It’s hard to take this shade of green seriously. Martin Campbell’s (Casino Royale) adaptation of the DC comic establishes the universal battle between the yellow power of “fear” and the green power of “will.” Unfortunately, this “info-dump” happens twice: first for the audience, then again for pilot turned superhero Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). We get…
Must see event planner: Events & festivals
June 29 Wolfville Farmers’ Market grand opening After many years in a temporary location, the market will enter into its 20th year with a permanent home at Acadia University. The celebration will happen at the new Wednesday market, 4-7pm, with cake, product samples, flowers and commemorative wine glass for sampling for sale. The Saturday market…
How you brewin’?
Halifax is home to many a fine beer, that’s no secret. But the local breweries aren’t just for quenching your thirst. (Is it just me or does beer taste even better in the summer?) Taking a brewery tour gives you the chance to learn about the science and history behind your favourite brands and flavours,…
Love for the Lilah Kemp Reading Series
Last summer, longtime writer Corey Mombourquette got brave and shared his words with a keen audience at the Allan Street Reading Series. The experience inspired him. Not only did it give him the confidence to keep honing his craft but it also served as a model for his own series, named for a character from…
Halifax nightclub survival guide
Worst Case Scenario #1: You’re getting creeped on A nightclub can be a great time. Or it can be like piranha-infested waters, with those gold chain-sporting dude-bros circling the edge of the dance floor and looking for someone unsuspecting to dry-hump in an off-tempo rhythm. We’re conditioned to be polite in the Maritimes, but brutal…
Must see event planner: Theatre
Dartmouth Players presents Be My Baby Dartmouth Players is ending the season on a comedic note, with a light-hearted play about a Scotsman and an Englishwoman who travel to San Francisco to pick up a baby for their young relatives. Sounds funny, although a “caution, amateur actors using tricky accents” warning may be warranted. With…
Must see event planner: Music & Fests
July 1-3 Stan Rogers Folk Festival On the eve of the 15th anniversary of Canso’s Stan Rogers Folk Festival, I remain amazed at how consistently the calibre of the lineup sneaks up on me. This year features the legendary folksinger Judy Collins, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame) and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Dan Hill. Former Broken Social Scene-ster Jason Collett is also on…
Halifax bikers
Two teenage girls run over to three bikers who’ve just put their helmets on. “Hey, can we get a picture with you guys?” they ask, with huge smiles on their faces. “Sure, yeah, why not?” is the general consensus. The three friends, who were just about to leave the harbourside, wrap their arms around the…
Working the Night Shift
For 26 years, Night Shift has been showcasing the art of the students and instructors of NSCAD’s school of extended studies, but this year there’s another layer to the exhibit. Aside from shedding light on the diverse works of 25 artists (some of whom are showing their art for the first time) the exhibit also…
After-hours Halifax
It’s pushing 2am and an exhausted downtown bartender is wailing “last call.” But your restless feet just want to keep dancing and you could drink until first light, if not longer. Fear not! This guide is for anyone who understands that a diner breakfast ought to be the last—not first—meal of the day. Keep dancing…
Coffee’s simple leisures
Steve-O-Reno’s Cappuccino There are a few little tables out front of this popular coffee spot, but the front porch is so small that scoring an outdoor seat can be tough. This is a problem no longer: Steve-O-Reno’s upstairs neighbor, Spree—a vintage clothing and fashion shop— has access to a beautiful public space on the coffee…
Halifax fiction
Anne of Green Gables is drawing Prince William and Kate Middleton to PEI this summer, but you’d be hard-pressed to name a book that would entice royalty to Halifax. Nova Scotia’s literature too often draws on pastoral tradition or promotes the lighthouses-and-bagpipes image of the province on view along the waterfront. So, where’s Halifax’s urban…
Cold comfort
Nothing beats stinking heat and humidity (or cures the rainy, misty blues) like a heaping ice cream cone. And as it turns out, this town isn’t just bursting with bars, but a sweet selection of ice-cold summer snacks, too. We hit the streets, braved ice cream headaches and mapped out the creams of the crop.…
Not much to The Art of Getting By
Gavin Wiesen’s drama about a slacker teen exhibits the opposite flaw as its main character. Whereas high school senior George (Freddy Highmore) is a baby-faced deer who sees life as a series of paralysis-inducing headlights, the film itself is far too confident in its studied indie-ness. George is outfitted with an oversized overcoat, a family…
Ferry tale views of the sister cities
Start by taking the ferry across the harbour. It’s like being “Screeched In” in Newfoundland, really. Well, you’ll be less hammered at the end of the experience, but you’ll feel like a local. Depending on the time of year, you could be enveloped in a pea-soup fog or get the best harbour view to be…
Fucked Up
Award-winning Canadian hardcore band makes a rock opera about young love, a lightbulb factory and British political angst, full of rhyming couplets that would make even Shakespeare blush. On paper, David Comes to Life sounds ridiculous. On the record, it’s…well…still ridiculous, but also captivating, impassioned and, at its best, exhilarating. Frontman Damian Abraham’s growl remains…
Balfour’s method
You’re sure to know who Eric Balfour is, even if you’ve never heard of him. A Los Angelino whose elongated face is punctuated by a distinctive jutting jawline, Balfour is the kind of actor whose mug is more recognizable than his moniker. At 34, he’s already amassed nearly two decades’ worth of movie and television…
How you brewin’?
Halifax is home to many a fine beer, that’s no secret. But the local breweries aren’t just for quenching your thirst. (Is it just me or does beer taste even better in the summer?) Taking a brewery tour gives you the chance to learn about the science and history behind your favourite brands and flavours,…
Must see event planner: Visual Arts
To July 3 Second Impressions Image, text and sound interplay in print media artist Dan O’Neill’s curation of lithographs, poetry and cool jazz. When curator Peter Dykhuis asked O’Neill to imagine an exhibition of Motherwell and de Kooning lithographs—limited edition prints paired with the poetry of Octavio Paz and Frank O’Hara, respectively—he jumped at the…
Ultimate Championship Wrestling hits Halifax
Off the beaten path of Spryfield’s main drag, down a quiet suburban street, both prizefighters and plebes gather under the blaze of fluorescent lights in the Lion’s Club to throw their weight around in the ring and throw delighted scorn from the sidelines. The Lion’s gymnasium is the regular stomping grounds for a loose band…
Free love
“If The Beatles were around today, and they said, ‘We’re not gonna play anymore, we’re just gonna record CDs,’ they’d be a bunch of broke people living in their mothers’ basements,” says Richard Lann. Lann is one of many Halifax musicians who has free music available on Bandcamp, the simple, elegant streaming site that has replaced…
Halifax Citadel Hill National Historic Site history
You thrill to the green grass springing to life on Halifax’s iconic hill, basking in the sun as you lay on that slope. (Or in winter, slide down its icy side.) Maybe you even walk along the stone fortress, or get up close every couple of years to witness the command of the noon cannon,…
After-hours Halifax
It’s pushing 2am and an exhausted downtown bartender is wailing “last call.” But your restless feet just want to keep dancing and you could drink until first light, if not longer. Fear not! This guide is for anyone who understands that a diner breakfast ought to be the last—not first—meal of the day. Keep dancing…
Okkervil River
Okkervil River follows up its past two fame-themed albums with I Am Very Far, a record still lingering on the rock-and movie-star themes. The album opens with two tracks that sound flat and out of place—lacking the hooks that launch listeners into earlier albums. It’s not until track three that frontman Will Sheff ups the…
Sneezing fetish? Mom’s worried
Q I’m a straight man married to a bisexual lady. We’re in our late 20s, have been together for eight years, married four. (I know: too young and too soon, but we’ll see how it turns out.) My wife has a much higher sex drive than I do, and she’s also into kink, as a…
Lobster Tales: A guide to great lobster in Halifax
Even if lobsters have 10 walking legs, they can never get too far in Halifax. Everyone wants to consume them. The Stanfield International Airport is one of the few airports where passengers board with lobsters as a carry-on. Around the city, chefs go nuts for the hard-shelled sea creatures. From lobster poutine to a traditional…
Halifax Walking Tour: A peninsula of parks and trees
To start way at the top of the peninsula, take the 18 or 82 bus up to Fairview Cemetery, at the north end of Windsor Street. Its appeal largely rests on being the burial site of 121 victims of the Titanic sinking in April, 1912. From there, take the bus back down down to Almon,…
For night owls and culture vultures
Well, it’s hard to get much cooler than Taz Records (1593 Market Street) if you’re looking to familiarize yourself with the best music. Ask them to show you local artists among the great vinyl. Start there, then figure out where you’re going to eat, drink and take in some live music. This area of downtown,…
Kate Maki shines
Together, Kate Maki and Frederick Squire might be a lot of things—-but quitters they are not. They’re rounding off a national tour in support of their new releases as well as their first effort as a duet, Calling It Quits, a seven-inch single that is a beautiful hint of a full-length country album Maki says…
Halifax fiction
Anne of Green Gables is drawing Prince William and Kate Middleton to PEI this summer, but you’d be hard-pressed to name a book that would entice royalty to Halifax. Nova Scotia’s literature too often draws on pastoral tradition or promotes the lighthouses-and-bagpipes image of the province on view along the waterfront. So, where’s Halifax’s urban…
Halifax Citadel Hill National Historic Site history
You thrill to the green grass springing to life on Halifax’s iconic hill, basking in the sun as you lay on that slope. (Or in winter, slide down its icy side.) Maybe you even walk along the stone fortress, or get up close every couple of years to witness the command of the noon cannon,…
Death Cab for Cutie
Ben Gibbard now lives in Los Angeles, a town he’s decried numerous times (“Why You’d Want to Live Here,” Postal Service’s “This Place is a Prison”), so it’s probably no coincidence that the first single, “You Are a Tourist,” and the lead track, “Home is a Fire,” discuss an uneasy sense of place. But those…
Halifax isn’t Orlando
As expected, city auditor general Larry Munroe’s report on the concerts scandal contained explosive new details and directly implicated mayor Peter Kelly, former chief bureaucrat Wayne Anstey, Trade Centre Limited president Scott Ferguson and his predecessor, Fred MacGillivray. Munroe explains how these four men abused their positions and improperly funnelled $5.6 million of taxpayer money…
Halifax Waterfront Food
Though the peak season of July and August is still a way off, the boardwalk is already bustling on a Monday afternoon, the first seasonably warm day of the summer. The lines are forming around the food kiosks. Summer on Queen’s Wharf is comfortably familiar to the senses—a constant, slightly chilly waterfront breeze wafting the…
Must see event planner: Sports
Mondays from June to August Monday Night Bouldering with Climb Nova Scotia If you’re afraid of climbing mountains after seeing Cliffhanger a few too many times, but sick of the indoor rock wall scene, Climb Nova Scotia has the answer. Every Monday for the rest of the summer, groups of experienced and beginner climbers will…
We Need Secrets
Kestrels’ Chad Peck’s new solo side project We Need Secrets, is—as the title implies—an intimate and musically contemplative affair, while still being about the love of what a guitar can become. Especially the closer “He Do the Police in Different Voices” which is 25 minutes of drone and echo musique actuelle best suited for rainy…
Lessons from The Schomberg Fair
{image-1] By the time The Schomberg Fair’s next album is released this fall it’ll truly be tried and tested. The band is taking a break from recording the Touch By Fire to take the new material on the road, kicking off with a North by Northeast gig and wrapping up at St. Catharine’s SCENE Music…
Perfunctory Mr Popper’s Penguins
Jim Carrey does his best impression of a manic businessman turned penguin-hoarder for an hour and a half. Mike Waters (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past) alters a classic children’s novel beyond recognition: As Mr. Popper, Carrey winterizes his swanky Manhattan apartment for Antarctic waterfowl bequeathed to him by his absentee father, attempts to reignite a broken-up…
Halifax Walking Tour: Eats and treats on the waterfront
A good place to start is the Seaport Farmers’ Market (1209 Marginal Road, halifaxfarmersmarket.com), open Tuesday to Sunday from 8am (actually 7am on Saturdays, for you keeners). The new building is home to the longest running market in North America, selling both fresh, Nova Scotia produce, Atlantic seafood and other homemade treats, you’ll find plenty…
MotorStorm: Apocalypse
This has potential as an intense racing game, but with a lame single player and no multiplayer—thanks, PlayStation Network outage—wait before picking this up. It’s not the fault of the game designers—Evolution Studios—that the PSN is down, eliminating online matches for now, but it is their fault for the crappy single player. The story is…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! GEMINI (May 21-June 20) In Mark Harris’ novel Bang the Drum Slowly, professional baseball players cheat their fans out of money by engaging them in a card game called TEGWAR, which is an acronym for The Exciting Game Without Any Rules. Judging from your current astrological omens, Gemini, I’d say it’s prime time…
Ferry tale views of the sister cities
Start by taking the ferry across the harbour. It’s like being Screeched in in Newfoundland, really. Well, you’ll be less hammered at the end of the experience, but you’ll feel like a local. Depending on the time of year, you could be enveloped in a pea-soup fog or get the best harbour view to be…
Must see event planner: Film alternatives
JUNE The Tree of Life Newly begarlanded at Cannes, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life has earned comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey. which is a tough connection to make given the pastoral, 1950s suburban glow of the trailer, where strict father Brad Pitt leaves lasting scars on his son’s psyche, manifesting in grown-up Sean…
LA Noire (Rockstar)
LA Noire is one of the most impressive games in years. Not because of the graphical horsepower or the run-and-gun gameplay, but the realism and emotional attachment make it a gem to play. The player is Cole Phelps, a WWII hero who wants to make a difference in the LAPD. Starting as a beat cop,…
Halifax Walking Tour: A peninsula of parks and trees
To start way at the top of the peninsula, take the 18 or 82 bus up to Fairview Cemetery, at the north end of Windsor Street. Its appeal largely rests on being the burial site of 121 victims of the Titanic sinking in April, 1912. From there, take the bus back down down to Almon,…
Rebecca Kraatz Snaps back
Thumbing through an old photo album never fails to open the floodgates of nostalgia, memories of love, loss, laughs and the odd creep are set off by looking at the photographic documentation of our lives. Flipping through Snaps, award-winning author and artist Rebecca Kraatz’s new book, the reader gets the same feelings. The stories and…
AlFresco filmFesto rocks Summer of Murray
The 11th AlFresco filmFesto is showing six weeks of Bill Murray classics in July and August. The films screen at the end of the Halifax waterfront, same place as last summer. 8pm admission, 9pm-ish showtime, bring deck chairs and blankets, with rainchecks happening on the Saturday. Here’s the list of movies: July 22: Meatballs July…
Sorry, Tab’s Closed
So we decide to go to the mall. I drive, you don’t. We don’t even remotely live in the same direction. You asked if I would come pick you up because you didn’t want to spend the bus fare. Well, who do you think will have to indirectly pay the $2.50 to haul your stupid…
Health Scare
To the blonde “healthcare professional” seated behind a staff only desk, Tuesday night at the ER: Remember me? I was the overly polite blond who inquired about the status of my cancer patient mother’s then three hour wait for medical attention. I want you to know that your general attitude is absolutely deplorable. I do…
#1 Asshole
Do you remember when you were on the #1 bus on Tuesday and you were telling your girlfriend who she shouldn’t text or associate with on Facebook and you were loudly disrespecting her and calling her stupid? I hope she gains the strength to see what an asshole you are and dumps your mother fucking…
Out Comes the Truth
So you couldn’t tell me during the last year the real reason you don’t want to be involved with me anymore. You left me with so many questions. You give the tired “school/career” excuse. I pegged you for a much more mature and open person. You don’t owe me an explanation, fine. It was almost…
The Award for Parent of the Year Goes to…
Not you. On a daily basis I can hear you screaming at your children. My apartment isn’t even next to yours. In fact I’m on a different floor, and yet I can still year you loud and clear bellowing at your children. If I can hear you this well I shudder to think of how…
Go! Go skate with NOFX!
All you need to do today: From @ElHefeNOFX: Calling all hockey players, there is a rink attached to the venue in Halifax. Melvin has the rink from 12pm to 2pm. All are welcome See venue and show information here: NOFX at the Halifax Forum. If you go, please take pictures for me, as I am…
Do Something About It
A few targets in this bitch: – Wieners who whine about not getting call-backs or interviews or jobs in their field here in the Maritimes. Quit bitching and call or write to your MPs, MLAs, and Councilors. If every person who can’t find a job voiced their concerns about the job market/economy/opportunity here in this…
