Every big show coming to Halifax and beyond in 2025
The New Year might have just arrived, but the lineup of shows coming to Halifax in 2025 is already jam-packed. Here we keep track of the major shows—music, theatre, comedy and events—scheduled for the city and around Nova Scotia throughout the year. To help our team of event hunters, we hope you’ll let us know…
In this economy, try art
I will not doomscroll news about the election(s). I will not doomscroll news about the election(s). I will not doomscroll news about the election(s). Today (and everyday) is a great day to talk about and visit art through shows, lectures and discussions happening this Thursday, Nov 7. To start things off, from 12-1pm, scholar, DJ,…
Making predictions about Halifax’s new council
On the evening of November 5, as Donald Trump was sweeping up electoral colleges in the US of A, a more significant democratic ritual was underway: the swearing-in of Halifax’s new councillors. The free event at the Central Library started with a short concert consisting of three songs. One song from the local group Drummers…
Voter information card confusion as Elections Nova Scotia cancels process
A pending postal strike has stopped Elections Nova Scotia from issuing voter information cards for the upcoming provincial election, causing confusion and criticism for some voters. According to a media release on Oct 31, Elections Nova Scotia has decided not to print the cards due to the potential for a Canada Post strike which could…
Dal will not ask survivors of sexualized violence to sign NDAs
Dalhousie University has made a significant change to the way it responds to cases of sexualized violence involving members of its community. In the week following several events hosted by the group Can’t Buy My Silence, or CBMS, in Halifax—including training and information sessions on banning the misuse of non-disclosure agreements because of their harmful…
NSNDP promises to scrap fixed-term leases and lower rent cap if elected
The NSNDP have announced the first part of their housing plan—-they promise to abolish fixed-term leases and set a new rent cap if elected. In a press release on Oct 31, party leader Claudia Chender said if the NDP form the next government, they would ban fixed-term leases. This practice allows landlords to boot…
New book When the World Fell Silent confirms women have always been doing it all
Halifax-based author Donna Jones Alward’s latest work of historical fiction confirms exactly what she’s always believed: women make the world work. Since 2006, the New York Times bestselling author has enchanted readers with romance novels that have chronicled happy endings (literally and figuratively). But her latest book, When the World Fell Silent, is her first…
Groceries will be a key issue in the upcoming provincial election
As of last Saturday, it’s official. Provincial election season is here and with it comes potential policies from each party to convince you that they can make your life better if they’re in power. And there are few things that could make the lives of Nova Scotians better than making groceries more affordable. Unfortunately,…
Al Zeitoun Weekend is happening this Saturday and Sunday…somewhere
This weekend, the NSCAD Student Union—SUNSCAD—and Students for the Liberation of Palestine—Kjipuktuk (Halifax), or SLPK—will host a two-day event “in solidarity with the Indigenous struggle against the genocide in Palestine.” However, the event’s location has been thrown into flux. The SLPK is a coalition of students from across Halifax universities, including NSCAD. Over the spring…
Councillors Hendsbee and Purdy judicially reprimanded for bias
On October 11, the Honourable Justice Darlene Jamieson issued a decision on the case between Kiann Management Limited and the Halifax Regional Municipality. The backstory involves a proposed construction and demolition disposal yard in Porters Lake, on land that used to be a forest until the big 2008 fire happened. In 2015, the property owner,…
“I don’t feel secure, I feel scammed”: Rent-in-advance scheme is troubling tenants in Halifax
Property management company Olympus Properties has been accused by Dalhousie Legal Aid Service of requiring money from potential tenants in advance of providing a lease—an action DLAS says is contrary to the Residential Tenancies Act. In an Oct 29 press release, Dal Legal Aid says they have heard from multiple tenants who have been asked…
Have your say in the provincial school code of conduct update
Nova Scotia’s School Code of Conduct Policy is overdue for an update. Six years overdue, to be exact, writes the Auditor General’s report from June, Preventing and Addressing Violence in Nova Scotia Public Schools. The report contained several recommendations related to updating the code of conduct, all of which the Department of Education and Early…
Is it time to ditch the clock switch? Our readers give us the answer on daylight saving time
Falling back and springing forward. This phrase gives people either great anticipatory pain or no feeling at all. Whether to keep daylight saving time (DST) around or ditch it completely for a consistent time is one of the most non-controversial controversies of our time. When polled on this subject on our website back in…
Education worker strike could happen as early as January
Over 5,000 education workers—including teaching assistants, custodians, bus drivers, early childhood educators, librarians and cafeteria workers—could go on strike as early as mid-January if bargaining over key issues breaks down. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) NS, representing school support staff across eight provincial education sectors, voted 94% in favour of a strike mandate…
Here are your favourite Halifax film and TV actors in 2024
The film and television industry in Halifax continues to grow, and with that growth comes plenty of locally produced shows and films. Whether it be a dark, twisted thriller or a by-the-numbers sitcom, we all love to relax with our favourite snacks and call something up on the television, or grab a bag of…
Minority rules
The issues, the debates, the democracy of it all. There’s nothing like election season in Halifax. And we are in the middle of it! Yesterday premier Tim Houston called a provincial election for Nov. 26, even as campaign signs for the just-finished municipal race litter roadsides around the city, and the threat of a federal…
The 2024 Creative Nova Scotia Awards are coming up
Creative Nova Scotia’s annual awards show is set for Sunday, Nov. 3, and there’s a lot to celebrate. Hosted by JUNO-nominated reggae singer Jah’Mila, this year’s awards are being held at Pier 21 and will showcase talents from across the creative spectrum with visual art exhibits and musical performances throughout. Heist has returned for…
“Our future’s in such critical danger”
Iman Mannathukkaren has been an organizer with the student-led group School Strike 4 Climate Halifax since she was in Grade 10. Now in her first year at the University of King’s College, Mannathukkaren was testing megaphones at noon on Friday Oct. 25 ahead of her third climate rally beginning that day at Victoria Park, in…
Speculation of a Saturday snap election reaches a fever pitch
Update: The election was called on Sunday, rather than Saturday; election day is Tuesday November 26. Tim Houston and the PC Party have been busy this past week. From announcing an HST reduction of 1% in 2025, to accepting a drifting Liberal MLA into the party, the premier seems to be gearing up for something.…
Province adding 47 staff to address violence in Nova Scotia’s 373 schools
Violence in schools affects students, staff and teachers. Educators have long requested that the province take this crisis seriously, listen to their needs and commit more resources to address it. Finally last Wednesday, Oct. 17, the province announced it would be “adding 47 specialized staff to prevent and address violence in Nova Scotia schools” through…
Nova Scotia’s digital health network is on track for a cyber attack
The digital health network in Nova Scotia is at serious risk of cyber attacks due to a lack of efficient cybersecurity. That point was made clear by NS Auditor General Kim Adair as she presented her report to the House of Assembly on Oct. 22, undertaken to analyze the security of a system which…
These are the best new musical artists in Halifax
Music is sharing a part of yourself with the rest of the world. Whether in performance or through a recording, songs are meant to connect with people on some level. It might be through a vibe, such as enjoyment, or it could be through a deeper emotion like nostalgia or melancholy. The act of…
SMU report finds ‘systemic racism and failed commitments to Black community’ at the university
“Do you feel a sense of belonging as a Black student at SMU? Do you feel valued?” The Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group at Saint Mary’s University asked Black students, staff and faculty these and other questions while compiling the first-ever study on the barriers faced by SMU’s Black community and their experiences of racial…
What Halifax’s new-look council says about incumbent power
Ballots have been counted since Saturday’s final voting day, and the results show a major makeover for the regional municipality. “Halifax council gets face lift following municipal election” is the CityNews headline; there are 17 seats for elected representatives around the council table—16 councillors plus the mayor—and eight of them are going to be filled…
All the winners of the 2024 Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards
The fifth-annual Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards saw seven Nova Scotian businesses and business owners honoured at the Halifax Central Library on Oct. 15. Presented by the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, these awards celebrate the progress made by immigrant-owned small businesses throughout the province, and how entrepreneurs contribute to innovation, economic growth and job…
Jeff Arsenault and Katherine Howlett re-elected as French school board trustees in HRM
As of noon on Sunday, Oct. 20—the day after election day—Katherine Howlett and Jeff Arsenault had received enough votes to be re-elected as French school board trustees representing Halifax on the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP). According to the Halifax Municipality’s unofficial election results, Howlett has 3,985 votes, and Arsenault has 2,568 votes to hold…
A family affair
The thing you need to know right off the top is that the Legere family is different. I’ll never forget the first Christmas I spent with them, which is the core memory my brain always conjures up when I think of them as a family unit. I arrived a little late, expecting to walk into…
Study shows that rent in Halifax is up 11%—higher than the provincial cap
A new study from real estate listings site Zumper shows that Halifax is the fifth-priciest rental market in all of Canada with rent prices having gone up around 11% over last year. With data aggregated from its website, Zumper shows that Halifax’s average price for a one-bedroom apartment is around $2,100—a 10.5% increase from last…
These are Halifax’s best songwriters of 2024
From poetic verses to clever turns of phrase. Catchy melodies to soft but powerful chord progressions. There’s much to appreciate about the songwriting process, whether it be lyrical or compositional. Most artists will tell you one of two stories—a tune that came to them out of nowhere, or a demo that’s been sitting unfinished…
Response from Andy Fillmore
In The Coast’s mayor voting guide, published on Oct. 13, city hall reporter Matt Stickland wrote that Andy Fillmore’s flagship promise in the affordable section of his platform to freeze the municipal tax rate for two years will likely struggle to pass at council. Fillmore provided a response to this, we have published it in…
The Coast candidate questionnaire answers
For the past few weeks we here at The Coast have been hard at work doing deep dives into each district in the 2024 municipal election in Halifax. All 16 districts are now live and those district spotlights can be found here. Before getting into the candidate survey, a little bit of election administration. Advance…
Women in sports business speaker series begins this week at SMU
Saint Mary’s University (SMU) is continuing to celebrate 50 years of women’s varsity sport at the university with their annual monthly speaker series, called “She Leads the Game: Women Shaping Sport Business.” The series will feature women who work in the field of sport business, including executives, journalists, broadcasters, writers, institute chairs, researchers and business…
Thanksgiving: off but not paid or not off at all?
“When I tell workers here, in retail stores or coffee shops or anywhere that on Monday, if they’re not working, they’re not going to be paid, they look at me as if I’m crazy,” says Judy Haiven, writer, labour activist, organizer and retired professor from Saint Mary’s University’s Department of Management in the Sobey School…
Mayor voting guide: A Waye forward?
Halifax is guaranteed to have a new mayor after the election on October 19 because the incumbent, mayor Mike Savage, is not seeking re-election after 12 years on the job. Who exactly will replace Savage will be determined by us as we cast ballots by phone or online until October 16. Or cast ballots in…
MusicNL award winner Valmy to tell stories from the in-between at Nowadays Festival
Several weeks ago at the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro, I had the opportunity to see one of Newfoundland’s premier folk singers share her stories to a half-filled theatre. On a stage decorated with moss and occupied by a lone amp and two guitars, the audience was graced with tales of wandering the coastline…
Meet CSAP candidate Marc Pinet
It’s municipal election season, meaning it’s also time to elect new French school board (or Conseil) trustees. As of this week, advance voting has begun, with early online and phone voting available now until Oct. 16. Find HRM voting information here. CSAP candidates across 10 districts run in municipal elections to represent their districts while…
Meet CSAP candidate Katherine Howlett
It’s municipal election season, meaning it’s also time to elect new French school board (or Conseil) trustees. As of this week, advance voting has begun, with early online and phone voting available now until Oct. 16. Find HRM voting information here. CSAP candidates across 10 districts run in municipal elections to represent their districts while…
Meet CSAP candidate Jean-Philippe Bourgeois
It’s municipal election season, meaning it’s also time to elect new French school board (or Conseil) trustees. As of this week, advance voting has begun, with early online and phone voting available now until Oct. 16. Find HRM voting information here. CSAP candidates across 10 districts run in municipal elections to represent their districts while…
Meet CSAP candidate Jeff Arsenault
It’s municipal election season, meaning it’s also time to elect new French school board (or Conseil) trustees. As of this week, advance voting has begun, with early online and phone voting available now until Oct. 16. Find HRM voting information here. CSAP candidates across 10 districts run in municipal elections to represent their districts while also…
Who should you vote for in the CSAP elections?
It’s municipal election season and advance voting has begun. Early online and phone voting is available now until Oct. 16, and two days of advance in-person voting will happen on Oct. 12 and 15, ahead of the paper ballot election day on Oct. 19. Find HRM voting information here. Related In Nova Scotia, municipal election…
Nowadays Festival is in full swing—what you need to know
The second-annual Nowadays Festival in Dartmouth officially kicks off on Oct. 10 with an incredible lineup of musicians and poets from around the country. Having started last year hoping to fill a void left by the Halifax Pop Explosion, Nowadays features an array of artists from vastly different genres and styles in venues across…
First female-led beverage events company reimagining wine fair
Finding a gap in the market and being sharp enough to fill it with your product or service is every entrepreneur’s dream, and the smartest way to identify that gap is by solving your own problems. That’s exactly what Shevaghn Darcy is doing with Cellar Events—her self-proclaimed “business baby”—and the event company that is bringing…
Get into the Halloween spirit with this special candlelight concert
A classical quartet, dimly lit by hundreds of candles, can convey many emotions—intimacy, romance, relaxation, and in some circumstances, it can even create an eerie atmosphere. For their upcoming performance, Candlelight Concerts and Fever will opt for the latter as they present a memorable night of Halloween-themed tunes played by the Listeso Quartet as they…
District 11 voting guide: An uninspiring race
If you are reading this before October 19, 2024, polls are now open, and you can vote in Halifax’s municipal election. How do you vote? I’m so glad you asked. Click RIGHT HERE for all the information you need on how to cast a ballot in this municipal election. This district, like its neighbour District…
District 12 voting guide: A tale of two known quantities
The new boundaries for this upcoming municipal election will see a changed District 12, one with slightly more people than it should have. If District 12 were to be further divided it would require breaking up some “communities of interest.” And the city has been doing a lot of work in recent years figuring out…
District 16 voting guide: A strong showing from Bedford
Halifax’s District 16 is up for grabs after longtime, twice-acclaimed incumbent Tim Outhit decided not to reoffer. This district, according to the city, is “made up of well-established suburban neighbourhoods lying on the northwestern end of the Bedford Basin.” This district features many things, like a splash pad, a boardwalk along the basin, and a…
Halifax has spoken—these are the best bands of 2024
Music critics the world over have argued that bands are a dying art form. Music-making has become more accessible than ever due to the prevalence of digital audio workstations. Solo acts with teams of producers dominate pop music charts. Getting musicians with varied instruments in a room to create became difficult during the pandemic.…
District 13 voting guide: Rookie candidates making waves on the shore
If you’ve never looked at District 13 on a map and have only been paying attention to municipal politics since the summer of last year, you might have the impression that District 13 consists of Upper Tantallon and Hubbards and that’s pretty much it. But in reality, District 13 is a massive coastal district,…
District 14 voting guide: A bunch of unknowns vie for power
District 14 was held most recently by Lisa Blackburn who is leaving municipal politics, leaving her seat empty. This district still spans the north western communities in the HRM including places like the Plains of Hammonds, upper and regular, and the Sackvilles middle and upper. This district is also home to Lucasville, one of…
District 15 voting guide: Rookie Billy Gillis vs incumbent Paul Russell
District 15 used to be the only district in the HRM made up entirely of one community, Lower Sackville. With the recent district boundary changes, District 15 picked up the Beaverbank and Kinsac communities from the neighbouring District 14. Lower Sackville got its name from its founding as a fort named after Lionel Cranfield Sackville.…
These are the best music videos of 2024 according to Halifax
The Best Of Halifax voting is now in full swing, and as the votes come pouring in for Halifax’s favourite restaurants, artists, performers and more, we wanted to break down a few categories to help you decide who you’ll vote for. The first of these is the music video category. Writing, performing and producing music…
District 8 voting guide: A crowded field with lots of strong candidates
Halifax’s District 8 did not have a good 20th century. The district, which covers most of Halifax’s north end, is now home to some of Halifax Regional Municipality’s coolest locations, like Agricola Street and the Hyrdostone District, and part of the currently under-construction Cogswell District. But in order for Halifax to be able to build…
Danny Brown and Jadakiss headlining Halifax’s Hopscotch Festival
The full lineup for this year’s Hopscotch Festival in Halifax is out, and the weekend is being headlined by two hip hop powerhouses with distinct and unique voices. Detroit rapper Danny Brown and East Coast hip hop veteran Jadakiss will headline the festival over its two-day run, with Brown performing at the Light House…
Immersive and interactive theatre production is a “goosebumpy” experience
After 9/11 happened, things changed dramatically at the border. What used to be simple and carefree became complicated and scary; there was an air of paranoia about travel and about who could and should be allowed to cross the border into the United States. After that fateful September morning, Tim Carlson had a very difficult…
District 9 voting guide: A Clear-y front runner
The Halifax Regional Municipality is a vast place about the size of Prince Edward Island. It is a patchwork quilt of small communities, which used to be organized into independent towns, counties and villages. But when amalgamation happened in 1996, all of those communities were slammed together in the larger regional municipality, a single politicial…
SMU celebrates women in sport with conference and film premiere
Kick off the sixth annual Women in Business Conference put on by Saint Mary’s University and their Sobey School of Business, and SMU’s homecoming, this Thursday with two, um, kick-ass events: Game On! Celebrating Women in Sport Business is an all-day event Oct. 3, celebrating women “in all aspects of sports—athletes, coaches, executives and the…
Public housing in Nova Scotia—what you need to know
When affordable housing comes up, the idea of public housing is often not far behind. Whether it’s mentioned in passing by municipal officials or talked about in full during provincial announcements, public housing has an important place in our current housing crisis, as it provides affordable units to low-income families who may otherwise struggle…
District 7 voting guide: Six candidates and no incumbent
The race in Halifax’s District 7, known as Halifax South Downtown, is wide open after long-term incumbent councillor Waye Mason effectively resigned his seat by throwing his name in the hat for mayor. And despite the name, the downtown district has a wide range of residential communities. There are a couple of universities, relatively dense…
Truth, reconciliation and sport this Mi’kmaq History Month
October is Mi’kmaq History Month across Mi’kma’ki—the land of the Mi’kmaq—which includes all of present-day Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, central and eastern New Brunswick, the Gaspé Peninsula and Newfoundland. This is an opportunity to celebrate the living history, culture and traditions of the Mi’kmaq, who have lived here for over 11,000 years, and to…