Eyes on the Prize
Author Johanna Skibsrud, won the 2010 Giller Prize—and many hearts—with her novel The Sentimentalists (Gaspereau Press). She comes to the KTS Lecture Room (New Academic Building, 6350 Coburg) Monday, October 3 at 7pm. Skibsrud talks with the Coast about how she balances her writing (she will be reading on Monday from her new collection of…
Right to Know Week, Day 2: Opening up the police blotter
I’m writing this blog post somewhat expecting to be called out as the ugly American immigrant. Perhaps I am, but I hope readers will at least hear me out before throwing the CFA insults my way. Earlier this year, I started giving the Halifax police department some grief on Twitter for what struck me as…
Carbon Arc takes The Trip
The Trip is the most recent film by Michael Winterbottom, one of the year’s best comedies. (Check out my review here.) It played briefly at Park Lane but went away before the Atlantic Film Festival. Here’s your chance to see it if you missed it the first time around. It screens tomorrow night, Thursday September…
Slam Dunk Make Great Videos
slam dunk I watched this crafty video for the song “Bleacher Lovin” by Vancouver hippie-punks Slam Dunk at 2am on a Saturday night and thought it was pretty great. I’m happy to report that it still holds up in the stark and sober light of a Wednesday afternoon. It’s a collage cut-up dream: Magazine pyjama…
For the Record-Straighteners
Hugs and high-fives for some of last week’s commentators! I love what you’ve done! You took the pressure and blame off victims of sexual assault. (Whew!) And you savvily illuminated what we need to investigate to understand sexual violence and sexual freedom. (Yes!) Thank you! You’re my heroes! —A Graduate of the Old Boi School
RIP R&R
Rock’n’Roll is long dead. Sadly. A spasm here and there, a death-bed twitch. Yessir, it’s a bitch. —Three Chord Wonder
Facebook Lemmings
I am so sick of seeing “Facebook is going to start charging monthly fees copy and paste this message so you dont have to pay”. What the fucking fuck are these dummies who repost that crap thinking? Durr oh I better copy and paste this even though there’s no way to track a status, and…
J&R Grimsmo opens
A few weeks ago Shoptalk gave you the heads up that the a hot new boutique J&M Grimsmo (1533 Barrington Street) was opening soon. We’re happy to report that it has, Jessy Lacourciere and Rachael Grant’s baby had doors open on September 23. It’ll feel quite different from the last fashion forward place that inhabited…
My Babylon
I want you. God how I want you.. but given how much older you are and how in awe I am of you I’m too afraid to tell you. And in my imperfect and shoot-myself-in-the-foot sort of way, my stubborn dignity dictates that I treat you with aloofness and standoffish coolness because if I didn’t,…
WIFT: Jan Miller in conversation with Skana Gee
The Atlantic chapter of Women in Film and television is hosting their semi-regular Reel Talk: Conversations with Women in Film and Television this week: Friday, September 30, 7pm at Carbon Arc Cinema at The Khyber (1588 Barrington Street). WIFT-AT members are free, non-WIFT-AT members $6. This week it’s Jan Miller in conversation with Skana Gee.…
Air Miles Angel
To the gorgeous dark-haired chick in front of me at the grocery store on North and Windsor, thank you for the Air Miles! I was hoping to see you in the parking lot, to thank you again, and tell you how AMAZING you look, but I guess you had already left. I hope you had…
Get on the Sidewalk!
If you’re in a wheelchair, motorized or not, YOU ARE A PEDESTRIAN according to the NS Motor Vehicle act, so PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY, GET OFF THE GODDAMN ROAD! I try to drive carefully and I really don’t want to hit anyone with my car, but when you…
To My Kitten
Dear loving roommate, thanks so much for being you. I always brag to my friends about how great you are with your kindness and baked goods. Your singing IS beautiful and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to share this house in the forest with you. —Meow
Turn a Fan On in My Room
Hey roommates that fuck ALL the time, turning a fan or music on in YOUR room, doesn’t make it harder for anyone else in the apartment to hear your moaning, wailing, gasping, and ball slapping. It works the same for noisy shits – the bathroom fan makes YOU feel more comfortable, not the rest of…
Council declines to kill Bayers Road widening
Halifax council Tuesday refused to kill outright the plan to widen Bayers Road, opting instead to study the issue further after the upcoming five-year review of the regional plan. The decision is a setback for opponents of the road widening. At issue was a planning document called the “Road Network Functional Plan,” which included various…
Seriously? What’s Another Red Light?
Ok, enough already with trying to dodge the deathtrap on Lakelands Blvd. in Bayers Lake… you all know what I’m talking about… that “intersection” at Tim Horton’s/Wendy’s/Canadiana on one side and Starbucks/Halifax Chrysler-Dodge on the other. Four, or is it five lanes total and STILL no lights even yet? Are you fucking kidding me? Wait…
Where To Play: THE INTERNET
Johnathan Ely Cass A photo from Jenn Grant’s Southern Souls video. Oh hi! This week’s “Where to Play” focuses on the increasing number of DIY videographers sharing footage of your favorite locals playing tunes and cracking wise. One of my favorites is Southern Souls, a collaborative site led by videographer Mitch Fillion. Fillion posts Le…
Ikea shipping to Nova Scotia
We all like that Danish home furnishings store Jysk (71 Gale Terrace) has opened out in Dartmouth Crossing, but we also recognize it’s a bit of a substitute for our original love, the Swedish assemble-it-yourself superstore Ikea, which decades ago once had a store in Burnside and has flirted with coming back, though never has.…
Stop… I’m Not Interested
Every night my gf and I go to work and while we are there, there is a female who insists on watching my every move when I’m outside. My gf is getting very mad at this and is on the verge of speaking to her. I don’t want to cause a scene since this is…
Get the Lead Out City Hall Regarding Cycling
Dartmouth has had “Bicycle Awareness” printed on signs and posted since I left HRM in 1990! Halifax still has none! These are effective in educating motorists to be always be aware that bicycles are commonplace. Motorists eventually have a built in sense to watch out for the smaller modes of transport. —Frustrated with City Hall
Java Blend Coffee Roasters Cafe open Sundays
Imagine how much improved your autumn will be. Beginning this week Java Blend Coffee Roasters Cafe (6027 North Street, 423-6944) will be open on Sundays from 9am-3pm. Step up for your Sunday morning mug!
Airing Out Your Dirty Laundry
To you, sitting on the bus, front seat right by the door, talking VERY LOUDLY about how you got robbed AGAIN and they took everything, including your pots and pans, bed, and silverware… seriously? Then yelling at the insurance company, displaying how you were on social assistance and kept on asking when you’ll get a…
Dear Kit
I’m glad I got to turn crush to reality. You’re what I hoped for. —Klonk
The Nissan Leaf to float into town
In October you will be able to get behind the wheel of the Nissan Leaf, the first mass-produced all-electric car in Halifax. O’Regan’s Nissan Halifax (3461 Kempt Road, 453-2020) will be the only dealership in Atlantic Canada to have a model in stock that you can take for a test drive. Unfortunately, buying one won’t…
Thank you for paying my toll!
To the middle aged woman in a gray car with New Brunswick Plates. THANK YOU for paying my toll at the Cobequid Pass toll plaza. I was amazed when the attendant told me ” The lady ahead paid for you”. You made my day. Thank you for the random act of kindess… I guess it’s…
Right to Know Week, Day 1: Still in the dark about the sewage plant failure
Happy Right to Know Week! As I reported last week, mayor Peter Kelly has proclaimed September 26-30 Right to Know Week: “Halifax Regional Municipality is dedicated to the principle of open and transparent government and is accountable to the citizens it serves.” No doubt the proclamation came at the behest of the Canadian Association of…
Faker than Barbie
Why do people feel the need to impersonate actors and other famous people on FACEBOOK? WHY do they feel the need to mislead fans and friends? Seriously. They don’t have life, it’s illegal and it makes you look like an attention starved loser, stop pretending and get a fucking life. You’rer pathic and need to…
A Cartoon Fish
I know you left my life because of the weight of these times – but it’s times like this that I miss you the most. —A Cartoon Jungle Boy
Saint in a Late Night Cab
To the young woman in the cab directly after me who happened to find my full wallet on the floor of that cab, thank you so much for tracking me down on FB to return it to me. It would have been much easier to just leave it on the floor and not make it…
Example of an Idiot in a Car
We were biking along single file, 3 of us. It was a ‘no passing zone’, solid yellow line on our side of the road, pass zone for the traffic coming towards us. A truck gives us the 1-2m (thanks for the extra metre btw) and then some asshole in a silver car PASSES the truck…
The Fancy Boys are Hitched Up Proper Like
To the grooms and everyone who was lucky enough to experience any part of the best wedding ever on Saturday. There was so much love coming from everyone at the church and during the rest of the fantastic reception to follow, it was truly powerful. What a fantastic way to start your new adventure together.…
The Low Anthem Is Coming
the low anthem City and Colour are coming to play a show at the Rebecca Cohn on February 20, 2012. The Tara Thorne-endorsed indie folkers the Low Anthem are opening. They apparently put on a very good live show. Although our tastes sometimes diverge, I usually will give something a chance if Tara likes it.…
Keep on Posting!
Just a general shout out to all who take a few minutes out of the day to send love out to someone. It always brightens my day to know that people think kind things but are sometimes too shy to say it in person. Never stop loving and sharing. —Your Loving Reader
I’m 19, just ask my three pieces of valid ID!
To a certain downtown bar, you used to be one of my favourite spots to stop by on a Saturday night, but as of this Saturday you have dropped to the bottom of my list. When I went to go in this evening, I was second pieced (naturally) which is fine by me. But the…
Hey Hey Biker
We were biking over Brunswick Street on opposite directions, and I thought you were my friend who lives around the neighbourhood, and dresses up like you and has the same helmet as you, so I basically yelled at you senseless stuff, instead of getting scared or ignoring me, you answered back and smiled. It was…
Feeling the Love
Thank you, Jesus. Even though I fall short everyday, you continually bless me. Thank you for the love, understanding, courage and strength to keep going. Thank you for the spirit of hope and the positive people you put in my path to stoke that fire. I would be lost without you. —Soul Sister
Litter-Bug Brigade
To the group of ladies along Robie Street that were picking up litter on Saturday in the miserable weather – THANK YOU!! I want you to know that it didn’t go unnoticed. I just wished that I could have stopped and thanked you in person. The city is a much better – and cleaner -…
Crimson Clover consignment opens downtown
On September 8 Stacey Thompson and Jennifer McGrath opened a new boutique called Crimson Clover (1351 Birmingham Street, near the corner of Birmingham and Clyde, 492-8677). They specialize in modern “work wear” for men and women along with party dresses and a wicked designer denim selection. Shoes range from comfortable walking Clarks to four inch…
Hyperlink Mofos
To the bloggers that use links to make a comment instead of typing something original. Wtf? Did the cat get your tongue? I didn’t come to this thread to jump around all over the internet. Just like the guys in the sitcom ‘Cheers’… sometimes you want to go where everything stays the same… —Norm… um……
Thanks for not stealing!
Thank you to the cool babe who found my cellphone at a little sea creature basement bar on Friday! You could have snatched it up but you did the right thing and turned it in at the bar. Also thanks to the bartenders and cover takers for your niceness and help in getting it back…
New south end tattoo studio opens
Don’t Tell Mama Tattoo Studio and Boutique (1060 Barrington Street, 446-4020) is now open for your ink needs. Bermuda-native and owner Lee Eastmond has been tattooing all over Ontario for years. His specialty is realism, portraits and horror, mostly black and grey, while the two other inkers do colour work. Piercings will be available soon,…
6ft8 T-Wooing
St. John musician with bad rhythm: There wasn’t a proper good-bye. Thanks for the wine and elbow-hip bumps. Here’s hoping we dance again. Cheers. —Wham
MODA offers a new business lunch
You may recall The Feed reporting that MODA Urban Dining (1518 Dresden Row, 405-3480) offers gourmet take-out lunches to people working off Spring Garden and looking for something particularly tasty. Well, now they have The Business Lunch, items that include tenderloin pasta, club sandwich and fries, risotto spheres and side salad, grilled veggies and shrimp,…
Zombie on Wheels
HEY DOUCHENOZZLE! Yeah you, the oblivitron on the bike. Myself and about ten other people were entering the crosswalk as it was our turn to do so and you come barreling through on your bike. You’re halfway through the crosswalk then whip your head around because I assume you were going to jump right back…
Jackpot
9 months ago I was on a dating site and came across your profile. I was interested so asked you out for a drink. You said yes and we’ve been together since and we are having a baby. Who says online dating dosen’t work? Pfft. Love you babe. —Grateful Fish
Eva Madden-Hagen’s new blog post
New in The Coast’s Work In Progress blog section is a post from Eva Madden-Hagen on her history with, and passion for, Super 8, and how that will impact her new project, Pose. Check it out here. Related Stories
I love Super 8
A couple of weeks ago we hauled a bunch of stuff down to the flea market in a bid to clean up our apartment. One of the harder choices were two old 8mm projectors we had collected through the years. They were a bit dodgy working-wise but so well made, so aesthetically pleasing to look…
Butting in Line
You’re waiting in line at the grocery store, holding two or three items. You’re behind someone with a full cart, and you would have picked a shorter line but they’re all like this one. Really, it’s your fault for shopping on a Tuesday at a certain south end grocery store. You’re not even a student,…
Old Folks Who Keep It Stylish
There’s a stylish elderly gent who makes my day every time I see him. On the days I take the #14 bus to work, he gets on a few stops after me. He is always immaculately turned out, in a three-piece suit, highly-polished shoes, and well-chosen tie. Over the past few months he has also…
I do still..
To my ex who recently forgave me for the trip to crazytown, thank you. I was worried you would hate me forever, and I would never be truly free. Even though I am happy with somebody else, I still think of you often and finally now it can be the good memories. I still regret…
Potty Training
To the douchebag with the high pitched possibly prepubescent voice who was harassing pedestrians on Herring Cove Road from what looked like a shitty dark green sunfire. I just wanted to explain to you why your life sucks so much flaccid dick. It’s because you’re an asshole, and being an asshole no matter how much…
Aaaawwww for Fuck’s Sake!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been able to piss in the toilet since I was about 4, plus I knew how to lift the toilet seat. So what the fuck is wrong with all the lazy, ignorant dick heads that can’t hit the toilet no matter what? It’s a public john for fuck’s…
Stop Being So Courteous
OK, first off I admit that I do appreciate courteous drivers once in a while, like when I’m waiting 10 mins to make a left turn and someone stops to let me go through, but some people take it a little too far. For example the other day I was on an on ramp merging…
Lady Potato Farmer
Downtown Halifax Saturday night. You’re about 40, wearing a white top, have black hair, sipping white wine, sweetest thing in the bar. I’m the guy to your left, the guy you couldn’t keep your eyes off of, at least until the boyfriend arrived, or was it the boyfriend? You were there with your sister and…
Winners of the 31st Atlantic Film Festival announced
Afghan Luke closed off the 31st Annual Atlantic Film Festival this evening at two sold-out screenings at Park Lane Cinemas. Director Mike Clattenburg, producers Mike Volpe and Barrie Dunn and writers Patrick Graham and Douglas Bell were all on hand to present the film. You can check out Matt Semansky’s review of the film here.…
The Swell Season and An American Werewolf in London
As the 31st Atlantic Film Festival comes to a close, I decided I would go out for one last night to check out some films to tie me over until next year. The first feature was The Swell Season, a documentary on the band by the same name, which charts their rise from obscurity to…
Afghan Luke dramatic, comic and thoughtful
Hometown hero Mike Clattenburg bursts out of the Trailer Park in a major way with this film about the tragedy, comedy and madness of war. Based on the work of freelance reporter Patrick Graham, who also co-wrote the script, Afghan Luke follows a battlefield journalist (Nick Stahl) who returns to Afghanistan in search of more…
Whit Stillman returns with Damsels in Distress
Another movie, another embargoed review. Sigh. So, I’ll try not to say too much about Damsels in Distress, the first new movie by American indie director Whit Stillman since The Last Days of Disco in 1998. I can tell you it stars Greta Gerwig as the alpha female Violet in a group of very entitled…
Gala shorts repeat this evening at 7pm
So much to enjoy in the Gala Atlantic Shorts program, showing tonight for a second time at 7pm at Park Lane. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of speaking at an NFB panel with Cory Bowles and Preston Hudson, the director and producer respectively of Heart of Rhyme, one of the best shorts of…
Louly’s Restaurant closes
Louly’s Restaurant (6403 Quinpool Road,, at the corner of Oxford) has closed, its windows papered over with no explanatory note. Last year, Louly’s had moved into the space once occupied by the long-standing and much enjoyed Spartan Restaurant, which shut when its owners retired. This is a desirable retail space. Especially with the newly renovated…
Bored to tears by The Turin Horse
I’m going to preface this piece by saying I’ve never seen a film by Béla Tarr, the Hungarian director behind The Turin Horse, an existential movie about the life of a horse who is later whipped in an Italian square, a moment which supposedly sent Friedrich Nietzsche into insanity for ten years prior to his…
Fuck You
I’ve hated you for a couple of years now because you’re incompetent, yet somehow are allowed to be a manager. You throw around your opinions and ideas, which half the time are ridiculous. You force your standards on others which just cause more work and don’t solve any problems. Thanks for wasting my time, jackass.…
What Did You Expect?
This goes out to the person who seemed to have had tunnel vision on the day they chose to open their business. Did you not notice the bars and other restaurants RIGHT BESIDE and near your establishment? Did you not notice that most of downtown is a slew of bars? I’m not excusing drunken behavior…
A Tall Order
OK so maybe it’s because I still haven’t had my morning cup of joe, maybe it was the constant having to yank my pants up because they never hit quite high enough on the hip without entering into mom jeans territory. But seriously, what’s with all the tall men I see walking around with really…
MacDonald Bridge
To the impatient fuck of a driver on Friday morning: how about you post your name and address so the drivers of HRM can come pay you a visit and thank you for the massive traffic delay you caused with your irresponsible driving techniques and the accident YOU caused on the bridge during rush hour…
New Noyes
1000 Awesome Things You might recall that we wrote about the Noyes Records subscription series back in February. For $40, you get a limited-pressing 7″ by Dog Day, Cousins, Duzheknew, Homo Duplex, Doug Mason, Play Guitar, Cold Warps, and We Need Secrets. So far I’ve really enjoyed the Cousins and Dog Day releases – it’s…
Your Pizza is Good But So What
To a certain pizzeria—I am DONE with you. I’ve never had good service over the years but kept going back because your pizza is good, and I want to support business in my hood, but screw you. There’s loads of great pizza in this city! 3 times this summer I have ordered pizza and 3…
Let’s Take Back the Streets
Okay, these meter maids have the ability to be invisible then sweep down like Superman one minute after your meter runs out of time. So, I’ve been carrying around change and if I see a meter that’s run out of time, I help the poor creature by throwing in even a few quarters. If we…
Disgusted Waiting for the Bus
OK, the other day I was waiting on Barrington Street for my bus to go home I just finished my daily shift, I sat down on a set of stairs (not sure the name of the building it’s across from the Discovery Centre) and began to wonder why I was smelling shit, I turn around…
Word On The Street puts books on the water
If you’re bussing it to Word on the Street on Sunday, September 25 (11am-5pm), hold on to your transfer—you might need it to hop on the ferry. That’s because this year, Halifax’s chapter of the national book and magazine festival spans both sides of the harbour, with readings and exhibitors located on the wharves behind…
Racism Alive and Well in NS
To the 200 or so people who voted down a white Anglican minister to head your society… you just provided a vivid example of the racism you have been decrying for many years. If 200 white people voted down a black person to head a historical society, we would never hear the end to it,…
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
This is for whoever continues to pull the fire alarm when there is no fire. It’s not funny and one of these times there will be a real fire and no one will bother to leave the building. All thanks to you being a dumbass. Quit being stupid and pull it when there is a…
Cafe de Flore and Starbuck: A second opinion on the best of the fest
If you’ve been reading this blog through the week, you’ve heard the Coast contributors who’ve been attending the AFF complain (loudly) about the review embargo imposed upon us by the distributors, who are hoping to save reviews for when their films get a theatrical release. Well, both the movies I saw tonight, Cafe de flore…
Video Store
Another video store in Canada is closing its doors for good. But what is wrong with people. Why are you rushing in to buy DVDs? Are you stupid? All those movies are online for FREE and can be download in HD or BluRay. Congrats on wasting your money. —BitTorrent
William F. White brings Viral Vans to Halifax
William F. White (1096 Marginal Road, 450-1284), one of the key equipment suppliers to the film industry locally and across Canada, is celebrating this evening at a party at the Prince George Hotel the arrival of new production equipment to Halifax. The equipment is called Viral Vans, and here’s how WFW describes it: “Geared toward…
Where to Play: Fairlanes
For a long time, I associated bowling alleys solely with the Cosmic Fridays of my youth, watching pals throw gutter balls under disco lights while Dance Mix ’95 blared in the background. It also turns out that you can put bands in a bowling alley, compounding the good times for all. Musician and CKDU host…
Step Aside!
To the smokers pushed out on the street to have a puff, please step back so pedestrians don’t have to step around you and/or breath the smoke from your cancer sticks. Your habit is disgusting and we don’t all have to partake in it. To the selfish rude obnoxious people who insist on walking down…
Gutless White Trash
To the shit for brains who threw a piece of banana at me as I was trying to feed a stray cat on Windsor a few weeks ago: Grow the fuck up and get a life!! Hemingway claimed that his cats were smarter and more loyal than most people he knew and he was right.…
Multiple Bitches (in no particular order)
1. Walk in clinic bitch. I met the rudest doctor of my life this week. I’ve never been talked down to so much in my life or treated like a piece of shit. I know you’re a doctor and have to go to medical school for x number of years, blah blah blah, and probably…
You’re Not My Wife, So Stop Effing Nagging Me
I am an adult. I think I know what I want and not what is best for me… so, if I want to drink 12 cups of coffee a day/or eat pretty much the same thing everyday or whatever, it is my choice. I know you are all well intentioned and I am lucky to…
Doggonit
To whoever decided that the baseball field in Willow park is no longer welcoming dogs should be hit on the nose with a newspaper! The surrounding area is home to many dog owners that have used this area for years, who are respectful enough to clean up after their pets. More respectful than those baseball…
Above the Law
There you were, bowling right through the three way stop at Caledonia and Dumbarton Dartmouth at some speed. Your flashy cycling helmet glinting in the sun, your fab cycling gear showing the girls what a man you are. Unfortunately, you don’t seem to have the brains to go with it. It’s a STOP sign you…
Was Long Distance Love
To my “Was Long Distance Love” I just want to say Happy Birthday and that I love you. Meeting you in this warm tropical place was the best thing to happen to me. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be making the steps and decisions I am today. Yes, it’s only been a little…
The Driver of the Overcrowded #10
It was 8:00 at the Dartmouth Sportsplex… The bus was overcrowded, and although I waited in line, an older man cut in front of me, so he could get where he was going, because the bus was very full. You let me on, even though you probably shouldn’t have. I just want to say thank…
Barrington Love
To a certain water to land vessel tour guide… I was waiting for the bus on Barrington on Tuesday, and I just wanted to say that you made my day with your sense of humor. If I was having a better day I would have winked at you at least when I saw you look…
Where’s the Volume Control?
I frequent a particular chain coffee shop on SGR. Typically it’s a pleasant place to have a coffee, snack, read, people-watch, browse the web, do some homework, or relax. Most people respect that it’s a coffee shop so the volume of people talking is very reasonable and it’s enjoyable. The other day your group of…
To the Cutie
Love you so much. Lets go eat some soy drumsticks, shall we? xoce —Sharkie
We Are One
To the Red Mazda, every time I think of you, I smile. My heart still skips a beat when you walk through the door! The one concrete consistent in my life is you, you have always had my back, even when I didn’t deserve it, a true friend in every way, but so much more.…
Monsieur Lazhar is the best of the fest
The nonsensical embargo that my colleague Carsten Knox wrote about a few days back prevents me from effusing the way I’d like to about Monsieur Lazhar, which I was lucky enough to be able to see last night. From Canadian director Philippe Falardeau, it’s the story of an Algerian refugee claimant who takes over as…
To the Staff of a Certain Shop-O-Coffee
Endless thanks for keeping me well caffeinated during a long, intense school year. Even when busy, you still manage to achieve prompt (& beautiful!) cappuccinos with a calm presence and room for conversation. Your hard work does not go un-noticed. —alc
To My Zombie
No one messes with my brains or my heart as well as you. I want to wish you the best birthday ever and just letting you know that you are stuck forever. Even though people don’t show to your parties I will always be there to eat your cake. Your partner in crime. —Pumpkin Angel…
Lay-offs hit Halifax city hall
Last Thursday afternoon, city top bureaucrat Richard Butts abruptly announced a re-shuffling and downsizing of city staff, resulting in five middle managers immediately losing their jobs. Reportedly, the five were escorted out of their offices, lest they take home paper clips or trade secrets. The five laid off employees are: Andrew Whittemore, manager of community…
Symphony Week wants you
It’s the fourth year that Symphony Nova Scotia has decided to give big love to the public in the form of free performances, making its wealth of master musicians incredibly accessible to the public. Nice! So, symphony lovers and music fans in general, here’s the lowdown. If you’re holding out on buying your season tickets,…
Francophone calling
Yes, another jam-packed festival this weekend. The Halifax waterfront is the place to be in coming days it seems and that’s partially thanks to Francofestival, a celebration of the diversity of the French-speaking cultures around the world that’ll showcase a wide range of art, theatre, literature, dance and of course, music. Organized by the The…
Tree-mendous folly
Since NewPage announced it was closing its Nova Scotia operation, the province has scrambled to stash money on that sinking ship. Now premier Dexter has announced $15 million to keep 300 people cutting wood for a closed paper mill. Our energy sector runs on an equally archaic and sadistic model: an enforced private sector monopoly.…
Deeply creepy kink advice
Q I am a 22-year-old college grad who has been living at home for the last year. My parents are divorced, so I’ve gone back and forth from one place to the other. The other day, I was using my father’s computer, and the history came up on the search engine. It turns out that…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! VIRGO (August 23-September 22) “Our job is to become more and more of what we are,” says poet Marvin Bell. “The growth of a poet seems to be related to his or her becoming less and less embarrassed about more and more.” Whether or not you’re a poet, Virgo, I would like to…
Who is Halifax’s biggest Boston Bruins fan?
Since Boston took the Stanley Cup in June, and this week is the long-awaited exhibition game against Montreal in Halifax, it’s time to find out whether David Hendsbee or Darren Fisher takes the prize. We’re impressed with Hendsbee’s wardrobe, but it’s hard not to be impressed that Fisher named his son Bruen in honour of the…
History lesson
Lawrence Hill, celebrated author of The Book of Negroes, is back in Nova Scotia this week. He’s one of the presenters at the 7th International African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference (dht2011.com). The conference will focus on cultural tourism and preserving the heritage and history of African descended people. This focus and the conference’s theme, “Our…
Why Halifax is a Montreal Canadiens town
Once upon a time the question of which National Hockey League team Halifax supports would have been a no-brainer. Boston may be a good neighbour, but that’s about Christmas trees more than hockey. Toronto’s Maple Leafs are constant post-season bridesmaids and Halifax has had enough disappointments. There’s always the Penguins flirtation, but how can you…
A Moveable feat
The indents made from the type. The bumps across the paper. The musky smell of the workshop. For those who love letterpress, printing is more than what people do for school or work. It’s an adventure. Kyle Durrie is on a fun journey with Moveable Type, a mobile print shop built into her truck. Her…
The wine province
Acadie Vineyards 2007 Prestige Brut A gold medal winner at the 2010 Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards, this has a classic yeasty, bready nose, complimented by floral notes from the L’Acadie grape. A serious sparkling wine, but costing less than Champagne, it has creamy mousse and strong lees (yeast) contributions owing to the 30 months…
Get friendly with ecLoTHES
It all started when Michelle Kulyk, the Centre for Arts and Technology’s head of the fashion design and merchandising department, attended last year’s Atlantic Eco Expo. While she was really impressed with the event, she saw room for improvement when it came to the fashion portion. Kulyk envisioned a collaboration, and had her students in…
A celebration of the province’s wine country
This year marks the sixth annual Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival, which kicked off at Lunenburg County Winery on September 15 and runs to October 16, featuring over 45 events spread around the region’s wineries, restaurants and farmers’ markets. There are wine and food pairings, wine tours with Go North Tours, cooking classes and—of course—grape…
Significant Figures is to die for
Jack the Ripper never looked as good as he does in Igor Kolodin’s latest collection, Significant Figures. Through his unique details and dark undertones, Kolodin creates portraits that are haunting and intriguing. Kolodin, a Russian Jewish immigrant, borrows from the Russian aesthetic of painted faces with no angled shots. His characters are set upon a…
Cave of Forgotten Dreams helps us remember
The idea of Werner Herzog making a 3-D movie might seem strange, but the prolific German filmmaker’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams is anything but a gimmick. Given extremely limited access inside France’s Chauvet Cave, Herzog and his tiny crew document the site’s famous, 30,000 year old cave paintings. The 3-D effects bring an astonishing realism…
Mediocre Abduction
A heavily mediocre spy thriller, Abduction finds Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga) essentially playing Jason Bourne Jr. When seemingly normal high school student Nathan (Lautner) discovers his face on a missing persons website, it triggers an improbable manhunt from both government and criminal forces. Director John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood) slums his way through…
Atlantic surprise
Nova Scotia has had a commercial wine industry since the late ’70s, early ’80s when Roger Dial opened the original Grand Pré and created some head-turning, palate pleasing wines that surprised the rest of Canada. But the industry didn’t exactly explode after that. Recently, though, the fuse seems to be have been relit and, if…
Dolphin Tale a winning sea mammal movie
It’s true what they say; Morgan Freeman really does show up in everything, even aquatic children’s films about wounded dolphins. Filling the void left by ‘90s classic Free Willy, Dolphin Tale is a film based on the true story of a dolphin named Winter who, after being injured in a fisherman’s trap and subsequently undergoing…
Shandi Mitchell and The Disappeared.
“Damn that writer,” says Shandi Mitchell, laughing, days before she begins her maiden voyage as a feature film director. The Disappeared is a psychological drama about six fishers adrift in the North Atlantic after their boat goes down, a story that, Mitchell hopes, won’t end up as an allegory for the production itself. This is…
Odd future
It’s a quiet Sunday in Halifax when I reach Rebekah Higgs by phone. But on the other end of the line in Toronto, it sounds like one hell of a party. “It’s the Roncesvalles Polish Festival today,” she says. “They’ve got the streets all blocked off, and there’s a band playing outside here on a…
Pinecones home to seed
We see the pinecone, science tells us, in seasons of change. And over the last five years, The Pinecones— the pop band formed in Halifax but now based in Toronto—have changed, too. They’ve got a new home, a new name (formerly Brent Randall & His Pinecones), and even a new band (it’s on its third…
Pina and The Future
German filmmaker Wim Wenders doesn’t often show up on the lists of beloved auteurs these days, due to his recent career spotted with a few duds. That said, he’s earned some kudos for his documentaries, and with Pina in 3D, his achievement in this form won’t be denied. The film is a tribute to Pina…
