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The Coast | News, events, restaurants, concerts and Burger Week for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Home of the Best of Halifax Reader's Choice Awards, the award-winning independent newspaper covers the Halifax news, politics, events, concerts, movies, restaurants, and nightlife scene.
Politicians of all stripes love to talk about transparency. They praise it, they throw around buzzwords like “open by default” or, in the direct words of Stephen McNeil, promise to make Nova Scotia “the most open and transparent government in the country.” None of these promises mean much if you don’t read the fine print…
District 9 councillor Shawn Cleary went on one of his ill-advised Twitter rants this past week. What set him off this time was an opinion piece by Stephen Kimber published in Tim Bousquet’s Halifax Examiner. (Disclosure: I have written for the Examiner and I am enrolled in a King’s MFA program in which Kimber teaches.)…
The days of Mary’s Bread Basket’s line-up-worthy cinnamon buns and nostalgia-inducing aromas are not behind us. The legendary staple that most folks remember from days of yore at the Historic Farmers’ Market (1496 Lower Water Street) disappeared from the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market (1209 Marginal Road) about two years ago but is back in action…
Canada Day weekend means a few things: Summer is finally in full swing, you’re about to get a much-needed long weekend and there’s so. many. fireworks. While last year’s Canada 150 celebrations saw the mother of all firework shows take over the Halifax Common, year 151 leaves a little more room for your schedule (or…
To its credit, the Forest Products Association of Canada recognizes climate change is a serious threat to forests and habitat, and has vowed the sector it represents “is doing its part to fight climate change through work in our forests, at our mills and through the products we make.” But it appears the association has…
Three Nova Scotia production teams have been awarded funding for their debut feature films in Telefilm’s annual Talent to Watch program. Heather Young, whose short Milk premiered at TIFF and is still ripping up the festival circuit, and producer Martha Cooley will make Murmur. Taylor Olson will direct an adaptation of Catherine Banks’ play Bone Cage with…
To the two drunk jerks outside of my apartment: No, I do not have a spare smoke. No, I am not your babe. Also, you cannot hug me. It’s fine if you want to drink but don’t let it ruin my night by getting all touchy-feely. I am not a vending machine and do not…
In regards to the upcoming changes to the Motor Vehicle Act: I agree in the one-meter rule placing the onus on cars to keep a one meter distance from a cyclist. I can see and appreciate the argument for the cross left and cross right yield to cyclists. I happen to be sympathetic that the…
For years—long before I met you, long before I came here—I had the strong vibes of wanting to be free but I had mistaken it for wanting to run. Or maybe I wanted both. You and I often spoke about how I felt held back by others where I was from and how they would…
Flying home from Toronto on Wednesday night. You were a friendly Caper with a warm smile and I was a little more afraid of flying than I thought. Our conversation on travel and books was just what I needed. Thanks for being a friendly distraction. If you see this, you know my first name and…
There are flowers around when I dream of you, and the butterflies in my stomach are there for the show. Let’s go on a walk and smell some roses together sometime.—Bee mine
It’s Cancer season for everyone who thinks astrology makes them interesting!—The fates
How about this heat? It’s only gonna get worse! How awful. My pits are getting ranker by the day and none of the deodorants on the market work right. Where did I put my coochie fan? My inner thighs are rubbing together as I walk, chaffing with a heat rash. It burns! How do people…
Why does this city only care about how tall a new building is going to be? How about the building that chooses ugly white panelling because they are too cheap to do all windows? Or how this same building is a year behind schedule and now has tenants living in the bottom while a giant,…
I’m standing in line at the gas station last night, waiting to pay for my gas, and this man had the poor cashier running back and forth because he was buying a shit ton of lottery and scratch tickets. At a gas station. I don’t understand why they have lottery terminals there. It just goes…
As the sexy, single vixen that I am, I get approached quite often by men. One would think these eager men are single. Nope! They never are. I will ask them straight to their face, are you married? No, they say. They claim to be single, but I am a Google detective and I always…
I thought this month of forced separation was a good idea, but all I think about is you. I’m trying to be a good sport and put on some semblance of a smile, but I miss yours too much. I’m glad you’re having a wonderful time and for these past few weeks I’ll try and…
This week on the podcast, Tara and Jacob try to clean up the mess that was the G7 summit, stroll down to the waterfront hoping to hit the jackpot at Halifax’s newly opened casino and find out what Bon Jovi got up to after the band’s Natal Day concert. The Carleton owner Mike Campbell also…
Summers in Nova Scotia aren’t complete without three things: your friends, the ocean, and a road trip. Imagine the blue waters of Crystal Crescent beach washing up on your feet or watching the some of the world’s highest tides rise and fall after your five-hour hike at Cape Split. The season screams hiking getaways and…
Glitter Bean Cafe is the newest cooperative cafe to hit Halifax, started by the same baristas who worked at the Smiling Goat. “It’s a model that we think empowers workers, it’s also a model we think shares the workload and minimizes hierarchy,” says Charlie Huntley, vice-president of the cooperative and a barista. The idea to…
The Coast’s Hot Summer Guide is HERE and that’s the official start of Halifax’s summer, so watch team Canada and USA face off in a rugby match, go to game night at The Discovery Centre, catch Partner’s stadium rock at The Seahorse and hit an outdoor house show with Devarrow. Whew! More weekend fun awaits…
I live in Toronto. In May, I spent two weeks in Halifax visiting a friend who lives in the city. I went to the Central Library, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Pier 21, the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, Peggys Cove, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History and…
Summer is the placid, carefree season when many Nova Scotians happily hit the highway. Sadly, it can also be a time for road wrecks. In June, six people died in a week as a result of road collisions in this province. Three of those people weren’t wearing a seatbelt. At a recent meeting of the…
It’s gotten to the point where Josh Hagle can’t watch TV with a window open, without having the sounds drowned out by cars whizzing by. Hagle and his family moved to Oceanview Drive in Bedford, just off Larry Uteck Boulevard in 2011. The residential street had a fair amount of traffic but, at the time,…
Kilmore w/Which Witch is Which, The Holy Snappers, Hatchet Lake Saturday, June 23, 10pm Gus’ Pub, 2605 Agricola Street $10 ($20 with CD) Three years after releasing its debut City Lights EP, Kilmore dims the lights and cranks up the darkness on its new full-length. On Call of the Void, the riffs are relentless as…
Partner w/No, It’s Fine., Century Egg Thursday, June 21, 8pm The Seahorse Tavern, 2037 Gottingen Street $17.50 adv/$25 door About two-thirds of the way into In Search of Lost Time, the long-awaited debut album from Windsor, ON-via-Sackville, NB rock band Partner, a voice solemnly offers a proclamation about the state of music and its listeners:…
The long Canadian winter is over, and the three-months-of-summer clock has started ticking. Are you wondering how you can make the most out of that sunshine? Thankfully, Ontario summers are infamous for being sunny, hot, and humid – a plus for any Atlantic Canadian who needs a break from the windy seas. Hop on a…
Beer and dogs go together like summer and patios. But technically, Fido isn’t allowed to frequent your watering hole with you. “Pet dogs (and other pets) are not able to be present on restaurant patios under our food safety regulations,” says Chrissy Matheson, in an email on behalf of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment.…
June 29-July 1 Lobster Bash Digby’s annual celebration of the local lobster industry is a great excuse to drive across the province for some grade-a seafood, but the fun doesn’t stop there: The three-day fest also features the Lobster Bash Showdown wrestling match—which boasts the town’s first ever casket match—and a visit from Little Ray’s…
Oshé Orifa blogger, @osheorifa “My perfect summer day starts with a typical ‘me’ breakfast: Avocado toast and an egg on the side. In the afternoon, I hangout with friends on an Instagram-worthy brunch date at Taiyaki 52. Around the early evening hours, I enjoy what makes Halifax so great in the summer: sun and beer—so…
1Learn to surf If you’ve been hearing people rave about how awesome surfing in Nova Scotia can be, but never braved the board yourself, this could be your year to go all Blue Crush. Lawrencetown’s East Coast Surf School caters to newbies and up-and-comers, offering beginner, group and private lessons, as well as board and…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22) I suggest you ignore the temptation to shop around for new heroes and champions. It would only distract you from your main assignment in the coming weeks, which is to be more of a hero and champion yourself. Here are some tips to guide you as you slip beyond…
Don’t tax oxygen In 1714, Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the mercury thermometer. In the course of calibrating his invention, he made use of a greenhouse and its wide variation of daily temperatures. The source of heat was from the natural input of solar heat. The variation of changes in the occurrences of different elements—oxygen and carbon—and…
On the third anniversary of my mother’s death I borrow a car and drive out to her grave, as I do a few times a year: Mother’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day (her birthday), June 20 (her death day) and maybe an odd spring or fall day. She is buried in the countryside, in a corner…
Lake Banook 10-minute drive (from Halifax Common) If the sun is even slightly shining, Banook is a great place to revel in the cuteness of families and folks unstrapping canoes from their car roofs or pushing them on little wagons to enjoy a paddle on this Dartmouth stand-out. Unpack your picnic, cannonball off the dock…
JUNE 21 Partner w/Century Egg and No, It’s Fine. Sackville’s finest stoner rock ex-pats return to the east coast for what’ll surely be one of the sweatiest gigs of the summer—and one of the best, with support from the mathy No, It’s Fine and alt-popsters Century Egg. The Seahorse Tavern, 2037 Gottingen Street, 8pm, $17.50…
Q I am a 24-year-old straight guy who recently broke up with my girlfriend of more than four years. One of the reasons we broke up was a general lack of sexual compatibility. She had a particular aversion to oral sex—both giving and receiving. I didn’t get a blowjob the whole time we were together.…
After making 2017 the year of planning, 2018 is the year of doing for Olivia McMackin, founder of Forest Child Natural Beauty which brings high-performance makeup, skincare and hair brands to the east coast. “I decided to let it be a little whatever it wants to be. Let’s see how it goes and what people…
Stilly Pils Unfiltered Pilsner Stillwell Brewing Co. Available on draught only at HQ and/or the beergarden, this beer is a must-try when you see it on tap. Brewer Christopher P. Reynolds is constantly chasing the perfect pils and is well on his way to nailing it. Punched up with noble hops, there’s just the right…
I’ve been reviewing fish and chips on my blog for five years, determined to find the best in Halifax. I began this task as a naively self-assured Nova Scotian. I was born by the ocean, I must have an inherent understanding of all things seafood. It turns out I had a lot to learn, and…
Rainbow Sprinkle Unicorn Love bubble waffle Portland Street Creperie, 55 Portland Street The Jaw-Dropper with matcha ice cream Taiyaki 52, 2009 Brunswick Street Nutella peanut brittle waffle cone Ol’ School Ice Cream, streetfoodapp.com/halifax Chocolate dipped vanilla cone with maple flakesRousseau Chocolatier, 5151 South Street Related Stories
Ah summer, the least inventive time in Hollywood, which is saying a lot. Whaddya know, there’s another Jurassic World—even though 2015’s reboot was a steaming pile of dino poo, it was also the year’s highest-grossing film. Everyone’s favourite cult vice-president, Tom Cruise, is falling out of cars, helicopters, buildings and who knows what else in…
The ninth annual Halifax Urban Folk Festival, AKA the acoustic-tinged farewell kiss to summer, has announced the first three names on its lineup today. The fest, which is held at a few spots around town but primarily housed at The Carleton, is headlined by Hey Rosetta!’s (RIP) frontperson Tim Baker, Nashville singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt and…
