Joel Plaskett Emergency to open for Macca
…both Joel Plaskett Emergency and Wintersleep have been tapped to open for Paul McCartney. Confirmation as it comes. Oh wait, here’s one:
Is Stephen Harper taking our advice on Pier 21?
In tomorrow’s paper, Sean Flinn writes about Pier 21’s 10th anniversary and its pursuit of national museum status. Already a national heritage site, Pier 21 hosts Stephen Harper tomorrow, and the PM is planning an announcement with premier Dexter at 10:30am. Hopefully this means good news for Canada’s immigration museum, putting it on par with…
Criminal lawn-sitter
To the editor, When I return home from travelling, I find myself feeling bittersweet. The usual shift from adventure to work, routines, bills, blah. This time seemed different—I came home from a vacation in Amsterdam to a sunny day in Halifax. People were on the streets, shops had their doors open, bodies were actually sitting…
Urban planning explained
To the editor, Congratulations to Tim Bousquet for his article “Urban dreams” (May 28, News). It is one of the most concise and accurate accounts of what has been going on for the past few years in the HRM By Design downtown development fiasco. The issues have many citizens concerned about city hall’s proposed processes.…
Wait and see, NDP
To the editor, What on earth were you thinking…my god…bringing in an NDP government? We folks out west in BC have tried this group of spending socialists a number of times, and each occasion has been a complete and utter disaster. Keep a close watch! —Paul Crossley, Penticton, BC
What’s wrong? Dead wreaths commemorating Halifax Explosion victims.
What’s wrong? Dead wreaths commemorating Halifax Explosion victims. Who’s responsible? Brian Phelan, parks and open-spaces supervisor, 490-4867. Remarks: Every December 6, a collection of local dignitaries appears at Fort Needham Park to pay respects to those killed in the Halifax Explosion by laying wreaths at the base of the Memorial Bell Tower. Every winter those…
Balls
I wish I had balls to say what I think, feel, want, am sick of and fucking hate!!!! — No balls ’cause I’m a girl, but I still wish I had a set…
asshole neghbor
Wholey fuck I’m going to piss and shit myself if I have to live next to you any longer! Im fucking sick and tired of you bragging to me that your fucking onions are going to be bigger then mine. Fuck U! Ive lived here going on 20 years and ive grown onions every fucking…
Wind chimes
I hate them they should all be destroyed —voice of treason
Enough already!! Just stop!! Please, for the love of god, STOP!!!
This is a bitch for all you Nickleback fans out there: Stop buying their crappy music for f*ck sakes!! They’re a bunch of no talent hacks that sound exactly the same in every single song! I’m sick and tired of turning on the radio and hearing “And here’s the latest from Nickleback” and it sounds…
glamour guts
Thanks to Jasmine Oore for making a fantastic and funny short film about how to stay fabulous with bowel disease – something lots of folks live with but don’t discuss. If she wins the CBC Short Film Face-Off, the prize will help her make her next film (a tragicomedy about grief!) So please VOTE from…
Stop calling it a newspaper
I am so fucking sick of large-scale media outlets glossing over the facts, substance and critical voice of my news stories in favour of advertisers and blurry-eyed readers/viewers. What happened to the critical side of Canadian media? Is money really more important than knowing the truth? Let’s tone down the criticism in my voice. Let’s…
SHUT UP
To the person going coastal on the horn for the last ten minutes on my street: I am about to go out and rip you out of your fucking car and throw your keys into the woods, locking your doors behind me. —angel
Mount Eerie brings Microphones to Halifax
Calm Down It’s Monday scam a ride to Halifax. (photo Rick White) If you have to miss Sappyfest this will soothe your nerves—though it’s not affiliated, we’re just pointing out the connection—how about Mount Eerie with guests Julie Doiron solo, and also with Calm Down It’s Monday and oh yeah Rick White? Your lucky day…
Hypocrit
Last week you’re in a fuss because the closing staff have a key to your office to make sure the window is closed after you’ve left. This week you have a hissy fit because the closing staff didn’t close your window and all the papers on your desk got wet. Well which is it? I’m…
Lulu-lovin
Thank you to Lululemon for opening a store in Halifax, every lady seems to be buying those yoga pants, and I have yet to see one look bad on someone. Thanks for the great scenery, and keep up the great work ladies —Halifax Scenery Watcher
nventors of chocolate chip ice cream
Thanks for existing. Really. I had a pretty shitty day and your heavenly creation of glorious dairy and cocoa cheered me up. So cheers, you gifts to the world. —Dino
TWO WEEKS LEFT
There are a few moments of sun in the forecast over the next couple of weeks. When these moments happen, seize them. After two weeks of wet shitty weather coupled with PM and KISS’s tractor trailers, the blue biffies, and their 1000s of head-up-their-ass fans, the common will be trashed yet again. Thanks HRM. There’s…
garden thief
what kind of classless trash uproots their neighbors garden? I left town briefly after spending the last few weeks, digging, planting, weeding, and watering my garden, only to come home and find my winter creeper has been stolen! who would do such a thing? I am working hard to make this concrete plot of land…
Dogs
Boy, what a vicious dog she is! Just look at her sitting with all those people celebrating her birthday! They look terrified of her don’t they? Pretty disgraceful how the uneducated and inhumane parasites of society get jobs working with children and animals because they are the ones who are unable to defend themselves against…
Shut it. Please.
To the young guy and gal who travel on the same bus as me each morning: would the two of you mind shutting your pieholes while you’re doing the crossword together? I look forward to doing the same effing crossword while i enjoy my coffee break at 10:30am, and lately you two morons have ruined…
Cutting in Line
To the bitch at Shoppers Drug this morning who was buying and umbrella. You decided to go right to the next open register and ignore the people waiting in line…your either oblivious and stupid, or you’re genuine bitch. —Chris
another boring latte bitch
im am going to take so much shit for this but Im having a crappy morning so when i say ” small, 1/2 sweet caramel coretto” i actually mean “small 1/2 sweet caramel coretto” i cant drink this sweet sticky shit… so thanks for ripping me off. AGAIN. I swear this happens everytime i go…
Smoking wars
Cigarettes went UP 5 cents a cigarette at midnight last night in beautiful, downtown, Nova Scotia (Provincial Taxes). The province expects to collect $21 million more in taxes this year with the hike. The bootleggers expect to collect $21 million more in profit this year from increased sales. I wonder who’s going to win this…
Mmmmm Yummy.
To all the kitties out there doing a good job killin vermin. Keep up the good work, every port town needs you cute little cullers around! —Get em!
Glad my friends four year old is still alive
To the ass who’s pit bull ran down the street at my friends four year old as they walked home from a visit at my house. Due to weather, mom and child had umbrellas, it is the only thing that blocked your circling animal from attacking an innocent child. Your dog is out of control!…
Gypsophilia live at FRED
Related Stories
Did you get your Modest Mouse tickets yet?
You know how the saying goes…
THANKS A LOT
This bitch is to the fucker that let the air out of my bike tire while I was shopping at the Halifax Shopping Centre. Thanks a lot prick. —FUCKING PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
Are people blind or just callous?
So saturday I was driving a street that runs from Easern Passage to Colby, and there parked on the side of a residential street was a man beating the hell out of a small woman. I drove up and past this scene positive someone would help this woman, or one of the many cops that…
Modest Mouse
What happened to the Modest Mouse tickets? They went from unavailable to sold out. Did any of the fine citizens of Halifax get any or is ticketmaster “remarketing” all of them? —pinnelli
Charging More To Reduce Use, Courtesy Of Your Own Government
How did democratic Canada arrive in a state where government manipulates “free” enterprise to change a Canadian’s lifestyle? Who invited the government to do this and why do they think it is their responsibility to govern my free-from-criminal-activity lifestyle? We fought for freedoms that are being systematically and cleverly reduced. That very same freedom is…
Saying some “cheese”
To the lady who smiled at me today at the bus stop…i was feeling like poop and loosing hope in humanity and the fact that you smiled at me cheered me up! Keep smiling people! —From-ear-2-ear
UNIONS
So okay. I make no qualms about the fact that I have no use for unions. I have a Bachelors Degree plus a Masters, yet there are people out there working in a union doing unskilled labour (such as sweeping a floor) making more money than I do. Call me bitter but there is something…
José González cancelled
Due to an illness in his family. Refunds available through Ticketpro beginning tomorrow.
Dartmouth Farmer’s Market
Yesterday I decided to take the ferry over to Dartmouth to go to the new farmer’s market in the old Value Village building. When I arrived I noticed a serious lack of action and a big sign on the door saying “opening July 11th”..which is fine and dandy, but in the coast it said “Farmer’s…
Furbys
I love my mother-in-law very much, and and value the great relationship she maintains with me, my wife, and our children. I am not bitching about her. I am writing this to bitch about the hundred fucking Furbys she has arranged neatly on every single shelf or unoccupied surface in her house! Fuck! One of…
What a drag…
On Saturday night, I spent over an hour in the rain waiting in line to see a show. I bought my $29 ticket in advance, so I wouldn’t have to wait. It took so long as they only had one rude bouncer checking IDs and another rude bouncer waving a metal detector. Once I got…
CNN/Technology and Twitter Navel Gazing
Isn’t it amazing how we can be convinced (sold) on the wonders of technology. I am specifically referring to CNN’S love-affair with Twitter (the “Twitter Revolution” and how it will save the world and put a pork-pie in everyone’s oven- apologies to Muslims). Twitter won’t save Iran- Iranians willl save Iran….or not. Twitter is a…
The 5 cent plastic bag rip-off!
I refuse to pay 5 cents for something the millions-of-dollars profit-making grocery giants used to provide as a courtesy to customers. It’s not about plastic bags in land-fills for them, it is about adding more profits to their coffers. What is the difference between plastic grocery bags and plastic garbage bags that we all take…
We are being ripped off big time!!! Why Is It…
…that my favourite fruit and veggie stand can sell bananas for .59 cents per lb. (regular price) and still make a profit while the grocery giants in Nova Scotia sell theirs for .89 cents per lb.? If the grocery giants have huge mark-ups on their bananas then it follows that ALL their stock is being…
Non Dwelling Downtowners
This is to the inconsiderate pricks that DON’T live downtown and commute there, I live downtown and work downtown, I sold my car cause parking is hard to find unless you make good money to pay for parking, so now I ride a bike, which I would rather do any ways. I share the roads…
Bouncer Bitch!
At a certain show on saturday night. I had a ticket which was paid for prior to the show which stated “Photo ID required”. I stood in line for 3 hours in the piss pour rain to get down to you bouncers to deny my entry. I have provided you with my ticket and photo…
Summer Craft Show Imminent
The Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council is in the final stages of planning their annual Summer Craft Show, taking place again this year under a variety of tents at the corner of Spring Garden and Queen, a location that will be occupied the week before by the Jazzfest. Mark your calendars for the NSDCC Summer…
Classified performs on the MMVAs tonight
Class & co. rehearse in rainy Toronto last night. (muchmusic.com) Classified will appear on the MuchMusic Video Awards tonight with much of the crew who appeared at his Palace show on June 5. In addition to the regs—DJ IV, Chad Hatcher, brothers Mic and Jake Boyd—Class has recruited drummer Sean MacGillivray, violinist Kinley Dowling and,…
well overdue thanks
I was mugged almost a year ago outside a gas station, and due to the quick response of both the attendant on duty, and the Police that responded, the guy was caught/arrested/charged. Special thanks to Constable Terrence Poole! I felt like a complete jackass at the time, but you were incredibly kind and patient and…
Move!
I find myself in this situation a lot. Stuck behind some slow-ass person on a narrow walkway/sidewalk. There should be designated lanes for these people. Just because you are not in a hurry to do anything with your life doesn’t mean I have all day to stare at the back of your head (which by…
Shut your moulth.
It’s asshole not “arsehole”. “Arsehole” is not a word. It’s not cute when you say it and it’s not cute when you write it ever. It doesn’t make you seem more down to earth or relatable, and using it doesn’t reinforce any underlying factor that would designate you as uniquely Canadian. It makes you seem…
HRM what’s with the lightly veiled racism?
Seriously. People of different cultural backgrounds are all around you and just because we are of different shades doesn’t we are all immigrants or international students. Some of us are Canadian born and raised too. When you pass us on the streets, don’t avert your eyes pretending we do not exist. What happened to common…
Tough Guys
What the fuck is with all the tough guy-wannabe’s in this city? It’s like half the male population actually think they are good enough to go off to the UFC or something. I can’t walk down the street without some bad ass wanting a staring contest or something. I’ve been boxing and I’ve been in…
oh woe is me
so it’s almost summer,that means the start of the fireworks season in fairview. i can see special occations, holidays ….but just for your own thrills late at night even when your own kids are in bed,so they can’t even enjoy them. ah well,guess it’s time to move, which wasn’t planning on it. that;s what people…
Don’t block the bus door!
What really bugs me is people who, for some reason I’m unable to fathom, choose to stand in the rear doorway of metro transit busses, requiring them to move out of the way EVERY TIME someone wants to get off. They stand there like a post even when there are plenty of seats. Near as…
old school
Thank you to the wonderful musicians who stalk the streets of halifax! You people never cease to amaze and captivate me. —<3
We need a LITTLE love!
Everyone should work in retail at some point in their life. It gives you an appreciation and an understanding for those who serve you in a retail position. Now that being said, it’s becoming EXTREMELY clear that most customers don’t realize the true power, or lack-there-of that a cashier posses. In general, we can’t change…
Garbage Can Lover
Thanks to the person(s) who puts an empty garbage can in Chebucto Lane every week. I noticed you take it to the curb every Tuesday and then put it back after it has been emptied. Not only has this kept the neighborhood litter free, it also shows how a little community involvement goes a long…
Psycho Neighbour
You don’t control the laundry room. When renting your apartment you rented one next door to the laundry room. Therefore, the washers and dryers do make some noise, live with it. You are a jerk for stopping washers and dryers. You have been known to throw clothes out the window. You get angry when someone…
Best in Show
Golden Retrievers of Halifax, you’re beautiful and have the most inviting smiles. —K-9 Luver
Bar Stars
Dear Late Night Party People, I know that you have just had either a great time or a horrible time while drinking. It is summer and perhaps you don’t have to work. I know that I do. Could you please refrain from screaming as you walk down the street late at night/early morning? Or better…
Please don’t touch me and learn to throw out your garbage
Just a minor suggestion. I work in a local store which has an older clientele. I just want to say, please don’t touch me. An “excuse me” would be much preferred, rather than the jab of a finger in the back or grabbing my arm. Also I realize that maybe you are starved for human…
Global News
Despite the fact you cut back on local news, I thank you far bringing the hotness that is Tarek Hagamad to us. —Tarek Lover
CTBC
Chef Terry…..and the sunrise!! —Out of Halifax
Thanks sweet lady
Just wanted to send thanks to the nice lady who gets on my bus every day and thanks me with small tokens of appreciation. I know you have a difficult time speaking and understanding English but your thank-yous are very clear. You are a bright spot in my days. — Mewshady
Heartless Jerks on Robie St.
To the two woman who made eye-contact with & walked by and to the guy waiting for a bus who glanced over & ignored my daughter as she lay on the walkway next to her fallen bike crying & bleeding heavily from a gash on her foot (that needed 4 STITCHES!) WHAT THE HECK IS…
Enough is enough!!!
Bill c-15 and now Investigative Powers for the 21st Century (IP21C) Act. When will we stand up for our rights and stop bowing down to fear! These laws will do nothing more than help bring in a police state. I want my privacy!! I want my human rights!! We must tune out the media and…
How to spot a bitcher…
If you were walking in downtown Halifax, what one thing about you would distinguish you from everyone else? —Just Friggin’ Nosey
Forget lunch hour… try lunch 20 mins…
So I have an hour for lunch. Plenty of time to walk the 2 minutes the cute little place that has fantastic sandwiches, walk back to work, and spend some time in the sun before heading back into my windowless office right? Apparently not so. Today when I entered said cute little place there was…
Awkward
Hi, Ive lived in several large and small cities across Canada and I cant seem to figure out you Halagonian’s yet. I find a vast majority of people to be quite passive-aggressive, very inconsiderate, and socially awkward. Regarding being socially awkward, is there a reason people here feel the need to stare at each other-it…
Wanna bet that gas will be as high as last summer?
Almost a $1.10 today. Let’s there’s Iran at play….plus hurricane season a commin’….plus the speculators….guess what….gas goes up again and you can kiss the so-called economic recovery goodbye….it is a Star Trek episode where we are stuck in a time loop……until fossil fuels are replaced….we are fucked. —Stink Lines
Supershow gets even more superlative
Teresa Ennis protects herself against Harbour breezes. Next Friday’s MIR Supershow/Multicultural Festival Kickoff at Alderney Landing was already pretty sweet: you had your your hosts plus Paula Cole, Divine Brown and Sarah Slean lined up for the June 26 blowout. But the explosion just got bigger: Old Man Luedecke and Teresa Ennis have been added…
Delapitaded Boarded-up Wooden Shack Named Halifax’s Newest Heritage Property
In case you were afraid the falling-apart boarded-up wooden box across from the Public Gardens was going to be torn down and some developer put something else there, fear not! Meet the Halifax Heritage Committee’s newest Heritage Property! According to Phil Pacey, the shack will bring $50,000,000 dollars a year in tourist revenue to the…
Heritage Grannies Don’t Like the Satanic Rocking And/Or Rolling
The Friends of the Halifax Commons, an offshoot of the Heritage Committee, (kind of like the Heritage Committee but for the Commons) have got their knickers in a knot that this summer tens of thousands of young whippersnappers will flock to the Halifax Commons to drink beer, smoke the devil grass, and experience KISS and…
Addressing the operators of a certain café
Why the f**k do you have to be so abysmally rude and unhappy? It seems like every time I walk into your café I’m interrupting some deeply personal affair, in which I, apparently, have no business interrupting. You work in a café! I’m a customer! If you want to be unhappy, don’t open a café!…
No woman’s land
Had to run out and resupply myself with a certain feminine product. Walked up to my friendly local gas station/convience store and lo and behold – nothing! All sorts of ‘guy’ stuff like BBQ supplies and even those stupid fake logs but nothing for the ladies- what gives? C’mon – its the 21rst Centuray cant…
Mister sophisticated, lick my ass.
I despise you. I really do. You come into class with your strategically placed horn rimmed glasses, your ‘classic tees’ decored with Andy Warhol insignias and words that say ‘Reunite Pangea’, (fucking give me a break) you talk in loads of advanced language and sophisticated vocabulary that doesn’t even MEAN what you’re trying to say,…
Put some God Damn clothes on!
This is a message to all you 20 slut-fest bitches downtown on the weekend… Have a little more respect for your body and put some friggin clothes on. We don’t need to see your breasts falling out of your dress or your nastiness underneath because all you are wearing is a t-shirt… THAT’S RIGHT… They…
Not another bus bitch
I was waiting for the bus this morning and an out of service bus pulls up to me and asked where I was going and offered to drive me to work! and didn’t make me use my bus ticket! —Greatful
To the stupid Squeegie ASSHOLE at Robie and Bell 7:45pm Wed nite
The car in front of me said no, to which you just walked away, towards my car. I motioned no, and you proceeded to soap half my windshield and turn and walk away. And then look back and glare at me from your “safe” side of the street. WHAT THE FUCK, asshole?? If I was…
Movie Maker Madness
Dear Microsoft. I hate you and your Sorry, my computer crashed, let me start again. Dear Microsoft. Why is it that you make a program for video editing, but don’t allow for it to handle video clips or large files without crashing every 5 minutes? I am forced to backup my project everytime I change…
Campus can’t go pedestrian fast-enough
To the taxi driver who reprimanded me for crossing Le Marchant and “surprising” him: You were half a block away when I started – yes, I saw you- and if you can’t see me then maybe those aviator shades need to come off. More to the point, it’s a university campus. What do you expect?…
i’m ready for your drama
so the tenants below me who haven’t paid rent since april,but sure did have enough balls to make a complaint about my noise. i’m sorry if you don’t pay rent u shouldn’t have any tenant’s rights especially to complain about other tenant’s. i’m saddened your kids have to grow up like you . bring it…
yay halifax
it’s a boring fucking summer thus far but I must say, I LOVE STREET PUNKS —wishing
Go home!
Blah blah blah Newfoundland. Blah blah blah Newfoundland. Newfoundland Newfoundland blah blah blah Newfoundland. Newfoundland Newfoundland Newfoundland Newfoundland NEWFOUNDLAND. Alright already. I get it. Just once I’d like to have a conversation without that word in it. Don’t get me wrong – I have visited and LOVED Newfoundland. I am also from another province, where…
GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY
Dear cyclists of HRM, Unless your two-wheeled-shit-mobiles can reach the required speed limit of cars, STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I can promise you this, I don’t care how “environmentally friendly” your ride is, and next time my 3000-pound-awesome-mobile is stuck behind it I’m going to follow your flaky ass…
Watch Where You Drive
Hey bitch in the red car, thanks for almost hitting me and my friend in the crosswalk in front of the Sportsplex on Wyse this afternoon! I already fear for my life twice a day despite hitting the button and watching for cars. This time I actually had to throw my arms up and give…
Thank You PICNIC FACE!
Thanks for making my smile when everything else gets me down! And Thank you In Flight Safety for making sweet music! —Hope is Back!
Dino, TTFN love
I really want to meet Dino Jr. and TTFN in person! They make me laugh everyday and feel that even if they might sound intimidating in the bitch section, I think in real life they’d be quite jolly! Hope to see you on the ferry sometime. Keep making the bitch section more interesting! —Your fan
Mr. Metaphor
You coward! Go eat some blended condiments and jump of a flying saucer, while giant musquitos eat you! If you don’t have the guts to break up with her, then you deserve all three of the above repeatedly. When people say someone is book smart not life smart, I now know what they mean. I…
How to live for free all summer
It’s summertime and the spending’s easy. The temptations of big-name concerts, eating out, weekend getaways and cooling off with an ice cold beer—or more likely, beers—on a patio, are even harder to resist when the sunshiny weather has got you giddy. When you haven’t got much to work with, you’ve got to decide what’s worth…
How to enroll in a summer course
Academic, my dear Watson Are you too busy to take a course? Well, why not take a course in Time Management through the Nova Scotia Community College. Hurry, the one-day workshop is happening on June 20 and will teach students things such as how to save up to one hour per day of time, overcome…
Dartmouth students protest Metro Transit plans
Several dozen Dartmouth High School students braved a downpour last Thursday to hold a spirited protest against Metro Transit’s plans for an expansion of the nearby Bridge Terminal. They carried signs calling for preservation of the Dartmouth Common, and chanted “Metro Transit, we need a better plan” and other slogans. The students were well received…
When old flames start looking good
Q: I’m going to say up front that I know I am a complete and total asshole. I have been with my current boyfriend for about three years and we are living together. About a year ago, our relationship started to go bad when I found out I was pregnant and ended up having an…
My summer: Paolo Colbertaldo, chef
Colbertaldo started cooking early. “My father wouldn’t teach me how to do carpentry because I was left handed, so my mother took me to the bakery.” In Halifax he worked at the Soho, for the US Consul General as well as doing catering for the film industry. He’s spent almost four years at jane’s on…
Hot Summer Guide: Visual arts events
Will Gorlitz: nowhere if not here Through August 23 Guelph-based artist Will Gorlitz begins a painting by looking for the telling detail. “When determining the actual subjects I wish to paint, a crucial consideration is that the subjects present some acutely visual feature,” he explains in an email. “Commonly, this involves the tactile materiality of…
Objector accounts pay for peace
American war vets from Iraq and Afghanistan were testifying before the Congressional Progressive Caucus last month when Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, wondered how the US military dehumanizes the “enemy,” making it easier for soldiers to kill. Kristofer Goldsmith, a former US Army sergeant who fought in Iraq, replied that in basic training, recruits…
Away We Go’s an indie booster seat
Indie rock’s childhood obsessions are seeping into indie films. The Juno-style crayon-drawing title on the Away We Go poster signals director Sam Mendes’ effort to break from his imperfect but cinematic oeuvre (American Beauty, Jarhead, Road to Perdition) for a quirky folk rock-scored comedy, written by real-life couple Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. It’s a…
Hot Summer Guide: Cultural events and festivals
CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival June 27 Get those culinary taste buds ready for a weekend of seafood: CATCH will be working overtime. The festival promises to be a weekend of tasting, learning, shopping and just generally loving all things fishy. Presented by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the festival’s focus is to…
Last summer at the old farmers' market
This is the last summer you’ll be able to meander amongst the Farmers’ Market tables in the brewery market, and it’s as busy and crowded as ever. Theresa Cole, the market’s operations manager, says she’s been counting the number of market-goers at 8,000 to 9,000 the past few weekends. With the sun coming out and…
Hot Summer Guide: Concerts and music festivals
Paul McCartney July 11 A Beatle is coming to Halifax. Some come down on the man for his stand against the seal hunt—though it sounds like these days most blame the militancy on his ex-wife, Heather Mills—or some say that his wanting to change the order of the songwriting credits on “Yesterday” from Lennon/McCartney to…
The Taking of Pelham 123 remake almost works
There are two Tony Scotts. The first one set the standard for high-end action movies in the late ’80s and early ’90s, giving Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop II and True Romance a look of bold colours popping through pervasive LA fog and haze. This Tony Scott died at the time of 1998’s Enemy…
How to have a dog-friendly summer
Jake is 12. His black-lab muzzle has gone grey, his limbs are a little stiff and his hearing isn’t as sharp as in his canine prime. But his master, graphic designer Jamie Sinclair, still takes him regularly to the Halifax Common and Jake loves being out there, where he’s been walked most of his life.…
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work Alain de Botton (M&S)
In each of these 10 essays, London-based writer Alain de Botton enters a different world of work, travelling locally and globally in pursuit of an answer to a commonly asked question: What makes us happy and sad about/at our work? In short, the occupation that keeps a person “appropriately alive to some of the most…
Question: Is Premier-elect Dexter cool?
Yeah, I’ll fess up to a little bit of Obama envy, sure. And Chronicle-Herald columnist Ralph Surette says I’m not alone. Surette told CBC Radio’s Information Morning last Wednesday that a voting majority of Nova Scotians are green for Barack, and that’s why we signed in our historic NDP-thick legislature June 9. No question—Nova Scotians…
NDP government: Real change for a change?
Originally published at The Halifax Media Co-op, a project of the Dominion News Co-operative. Republished with consent. Darrell Dexter seemed to be enjoying himself Thursday as he addressed his newly expanded NDP caucus. “This frivolity has got to stop,” the smiling premier-designate told caucus members who only moments before had been laughing, shaking hands and…
How to get your garden growing
Craving homegrown tomatoes but just don’t have the space on your balcony? Want to eat potatoes planted with your own hands but just don’t have the soil base in your yard? Looking to meet the people in your community while doing something rewarding? Consider joining a community garden in your neighbourhood this summer. Not only…
NSCAD closes Dawson Printshop
Under flickering fluorescent lights are cabinets with many thin drawers. The labels on them read “Helvetica” and “Garamond.” Here, in the dank bowels of a building on Granville Street, the Dawson collection is housed in more than a thousand of these drawers. Each holds various type—little metal or wood letters that have to be arranged…
My summer: Beth Amiro, enterprising surfer
Amiro co-owns One Life Surf School (onelifesurf.com), which started in order to instruct women on wave riding, but has branched into such fields as environmental workshops, leadership training and even surf instruction for guys. This Lawrencetown Beach resident is also an actor—she starred in Eva Madden’s award-winning Eastern Shore short—a certified stunt person and a…
How to explore McNabs Island
The waves are smashing against our tiny boat, soaking us with water of questionable cleanliness. McNabs Island appears like a faint glimmer of hope in the distance. Suddenly, a massive cargo ship emerges through the mid-afternoon mist, heading straight toward my friend Walter and I. We paddle desperately against the current, but the ship pulls…
My summer: Christian Barry, co-founder of 2b theatre
Although acting work takes him to Toronto, as artistic co-director of Halifax-based 2b Theatre, Barry’s always coming back here. That said, 2b will keep him moving in the next year, with The Russian Play touring to the west coast, Invisible Atom and Revisited to the UK, and the recent Homage to Montreal and southern Ontario.…
Hot Summer Guide: Sporting events
Johnny Miles marathon June 21 Victoria Day weekend delivers an annual disincentive for HRM’s would-be marathoners, as hordes of Bluenosers (often sporting toques and mittens) stand grim-faced at the starting line, contemplating the 42.4 hilly kilometers in their immediate futures. Fear not, oh hesitant ones—it doesn’t have to be that way. You can run in…
My summer: David Christensen, musician and collaborator
Ukulele lessons aside, Christensen started playing music seriously at age 10 when he picked up the saxophone. Now an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, he’s known for his orchestral arrangements—having worked on Symphony Nova Scotia shows with Joel Plaskett, Jill Barber and Buck 65—and has played with a who’s-who of the Halifax scene. Earlier in June he added…
My summer: Zoë Caron, environmentalist, author
Currently on the board of directors at the the Sierra Club of Canada, 23-year-old Caron, originally from a small town in rural British Columbia, is the former Atlantic Coordinator for the Sierra Youth Coalition: Sustainable Campuses Project. She studied International Development and Environmental Science at Dalhousie, with a focus on climate change on both the…
My summer: Amelia Curran, musician
Originally from Newfoundland, Curran started playing as a busker in St. John’s in the mid-’90s “out of pure necessity.” She now has four records under her belt since 2000—the last, War Brides, was released nationally by Six Shooter records. The follow-up is due September 1, called Hunter, Hunter. The Coast: When you think of summer…
Hot Summer Guide: Theatre events
Dartmouth Players presents Art Until June 27 Yasmina Reza’s Tony Award-winning play is ostensibly about the perception, interpretation and value of art, but actually has more to say about the ups and downs of friendship. Serge, Marc and Yvan have been buddies for over 15 years, each with their own roles within the trio. When…
Fanboys
Back when Fanboys was being readied for theatres, the internet angrily exploded. Set in the halcyon days of 1998 when Star Wars fans were still hopeful about the forthcoming prequels, this comedy is about a group of rabid “fanboys” on a quest to invade George Lucas’ ranch, and steal a Phantom Menace rough cut. Why…
My summer: Mat Dunlap, designer, radio host
Operating out of an office above Long & McQuade, Dunlap does design, web stuff and photography for local musicians. With Brent Randall and Dave Ewenson, he started the Just Friends collective/label in 2003. “We don’t run it as a strict business, it’s more just helping everybody out with whatever services we can,” says Dunlap. The…
How to be a nudist in Halifax
Whether you’ll admit it or not, you’ve probably succumbed to the urge to rip your clothes off on a secluded beach—-and if you haven’t, you’re missing out. While many conservative Nova Scotians are terrified of naked bodies, living a clothing-free lifestyle can be managed. For a handful of Haligonians, skinny-dipping is more than just a…
DVD movie picks for summer cellar dwellers
One not-so-long-ago summer day, back when I was spending my September-May as an overworked BA-pursuer/perpetual stress-monkey and my summers as a comparatively calm video-store employee, I met a man I didn’t understand. I was trying to sell him a summer-fun video-rental coupon book; he wasn’t having any of my ace sales pitch. “I don’t watch…
My summer: Shauntay Grant, poet, broadcaster
Grant is a performer who has been writing and singing as long as she can remember. After high school she did a music degree at Dalhousie and a journalism degree at King’s. She now works at the music department of the CBC and hosts the CBC Radio One program All The Best. Her children’s book…
How to celebrate Pier 21 ‘s tenth anniversary
On July 1, Canada turns 142 years old. That same day, Pier 21 celebrates its 10th anniversary as “Canada’s immigration museum.” At the museum, the holiday begins with an official citizenship ceremony at 10am, harkening back to the pier’s important history as a threshold—an entry point for one million Canadians, according to the museum’s website,…
Gypsophilia’s fresh face
Nick Wilkinson raises his hand to block fellow guitar player Ross Burns’ beard, and squints. The Gypsophilia boys are picturing what they’d look like with moustaches, only. The new aesthetic is inspired by trumpet player Matt Myer, who shaved his beard to showcase his moustache. Now the three other bearded members have a dilemma: to…
My summer: Kate Lavender, actor, producer
Splitting her time between Toronto and Nova Scotia, Lavender is a theatre and film actor who still regularly plays teenagers even though she’s 29. She went to high school in Moncton, where she first trod the boards, then studied at Acadia and followed that up with work at Neptune Theatre. She spent some years studying…
How to find a patio in the sky
The Argyle Bar & Grill The Argyle boasts both the largest rooftop patio in Halifax and unblocked sun access. Bar owner Johnny Demestihas says Thursday nights are his hottest and most happening all summer long, and one look at the rooftop layout explains why: three bars, a lounge chair area and an endless supply of…
The Novaks
The sophomore album by Newfoundland’s Novaks, three years in the making, was recorded at Halifax’s Sonic Temple. There’s a whiff of Toronto fussiness, wherein guitars can lose their quirks and get treated like another drum kit. Nevertheless, this ranks, along with the band’s debut, among great Atlantic Canadian rock records. “Destroyer,” an engrossing live opener…
My summer: Andre Levingston, Rainmen owner
Andre Levingston OWNER OF THE HALIFAX RAINMEN Levingston has taken an interesting path to become the president and majority owner of the Halifax Rainmen. He coached high school basketball in his hometown, Detroit, where he worked as a schoolteacher. Becoming an entrepreneur, he went into business for himself, which led him to Toronto, where he…
Summer new music guide
Songs have seasons. In autumn listeners long for transitional songs, while in winter the ear tends to hibernate with softer, folkie odes of melancholy. Spring inspires renewal and rebirth, so bring on the pop-anthems. But it’s the sounds of summer that are the true soundtracks of the year. This year’s contenders for the season kicks…
Dinosaur Jr.
Restraint doesn’t figure into Dinosaur Jr.’s vocabulary. The band is known for its inexhaustible supply of ego, talent, volume and guitar noodling as much as frontman J Mascis’ tendency to play it his way or passive-aggressively disappear offstage to play golf. Farm, the reformed band’s second album in two years, stays true to form. Songs…
My summer: Megan Leslie, Halifax MP
Leslie, born and raised in Kirkland Lake, Ontario—“I’m not from Upper Canada, I’m from Rupert’s Land,” she explains—has been a Halifax resident for seven years, travelling to the province to study law at Dalhousie and having every intention of only staying for the three years of school. Though she found at the end of law…
How to pick a rainy day movie
Rainy day movies shouldn’t be too cerebral. You don’t watch The Godfather or Memento on days like these. You peep a horror marathon on Space, a romcom, an underappreciated gutbuster—something you’ve seen 10 times. You want to revel in its familiarity. Rainy days are for jokes you know and well-known moments you cry at anyway,…
Thermals a little easier to digest
The Thermals have never been shy of speaking the truth as they see it. Their last album, a scathing critique of America under a right-wing theocracy, was momentous in both its intellectualism and power-punk execution. Now We Can See is equally ambitious, but easier to digest because the story foresees hope instead of despair. The…
How to make a Halifax Bucket List
You have one summer left to live. The world ends after Labour Day. Now is the time to do it all, to suck the marrow out of Halifax. Start working on that bucket list. That’s the challenge we put to The Coast’s Twitter and Facebook friends and we received a pile of must-do activities. In…
How to pick a rainy day movie: the sequel
Rainy day movies Jay Dahl, filmmaker In my book, one to two millimetres of rain is enough to justify a nine-hour Sopranothon. My favourite bad weather DVDs at the moment are just that: heavily serialized cable network series. Breaking Bad, Summer Heights High, Mad Men and Friday Night Lights: These shows are dangerously addictive—you’ll find…
Eels
With a first offering of new material in four years, this LA-based outfit led by Mark Oliver Everett offers an album subtitled 12 Songs of Desire. Desire has many manifestations and it seemed like Eels had traced all the routes taken, holes fallen down and into, on previous albums. While at points this album feels…
My summer: Harriet Lye, editor, publisher
A recent graduate of the University of King’s College in English Lit, Lye spent part of her studies in English studying in Paris at the American University. While in Paris she worked for the bookstore Shakespeare and Company, and worked on a cahier series, published through The Centre for Writers and Translators. “Having the experience…
How to pick a summer book
Summer is all about compromise and eating popsicles before they melt. It might not be the best time—humidity kills ambition—to pick up that 1,000-page tome you’ve been telling everyone you’re going to read. The purists are gasping, but if Jane Austen can be torn apart in terrible “chick” movies, why not let the undead have…
Doug Mason
Doug Mason, AKA Michael Jackson and friends, makes an imaginary award shortlist for best album to listen to stupidly loud when annoying neighbours cut their grass again. Fox Pirate is joyful, easy-to-please, summer power-pop for fans of early Fountains of Wayne, with plenty of fuzzy guitars and big ol’ drum hooks, played by dudes who…
Go Away
You had to come back. You think you’re so much fun and everyone missed you. You’re an obnoxious know-it all asshole and I wish you’d stayed gone you fuckwad. Stay out of my life. —moved on
Back to it’s old habits
Stabbing and shooting in less than 6 hours – welcome back Fairview – we missed you and your violent ways in the news! Discuss. —Ew.
HRM By Design passes
HRM council Tuesday adopted the 11 bylaw changes and administrative directives that collectively make up HRM By Design, the planning strategy that will govern how downtown develops. Councillor Jennifer Watts pushed for the inclusion of energy efficiency standards for new construction, but was told that the city doesn’t yet have the authority to impose them.…
Ok ok, we get it: you’re dead serious about wanting everyone to see how ‘hot’ you are…..
but don’t you find it SLIGHTLY uncomfortable wearing 3-inch heels and skin-tight jeans so low the entire back of your thong panties is exposed while you push your little baby on the swings at the playground each day? And isn’t your face sweating in the hot sun under all that club-style makeup?? Come on, relax…
pulled me through
to my hali angels. thank you for your understanding. you are beautiful and thoughtful and oh so smart. your honesty is liberating. your kindness is inspirational. i love you everyday and hope that you are blessed with friends like yourselves. —finally happy
oure crazy.
so i quit a job, no big deal, but now that im no longer working for the boss, who ill call control freak, she wont even mention my name. i worked for control freak for years. i looked after control freaks kids. i was told that i was part of control freaks family. im confused.…
Controlling Prick
You are a controlling prick – you do not delegate because you cannot relinquish control on ANYTHING – You don’t even trust the people you fucking well hired. You impose ridiculous rules, like out of the fucking 1950s and I often have to choke my lunch down because you will not tolerate anyone eating a…
BREAKING NEWS: HRM By Design passes. AND: Sewer plant failure understood.
Halifax council has passed HRM By Design, with minor amendments. Councillor Jennifer Watts was the only “no” vote. Also, councillors were just handed a five-page report from the Halifax Water Commission. The gist of it is this: The WC knows why the Halifax sewer plant failed, and will brief the council at a June 30…
