Now we are 26
Hypothesis: There’s enough cool shit happening in Halifax to fill a new newspaper. That’s where The Coast began its journalism experiment back in 1993, and this issue marks the paper’s 26th anniversary. (Happy birthday old friend, the improbable ride continues.)
Many of the stories in this anniversary issue fit a theme of experimentation, some more explicitly than others. Our cover feature is OBEY Convention, the festival of experimental music that’s been doing sonic speculation for 12 years now. In the Food + Drink section, the “Drink This” piece about Benjamin Bridge’s new canned wine could be read as a basic hot product alert, but through the lens of my lab goggles I also see a story of wine-making science. Keep your eyes peeled for more science links.
Over The Coast’s 26 years, we’ve discovered that it’s not enough for the city to have cool things going on—you also need cool readers. And The Coast has been blessed in that department. Like many other newspapers in the ever-shifting media landscape, we’re testing out events as a way to build strong, offline connections with our community. In 2013 we started Burger Week, which has become so successful in 2019 it raised more money for Feed Nova Scotia than Walmart’s fundraising campaign does. That’s the power of an awesome community!
Next week is one of our newer event innovations, Drink Atlantic cocktail festival. Drink Atlantic has a whole educational seminar series for professional bartenders, but it also has ways for the general public to take part, like Tall Sips (think a Burger Week for drinks) at a variety of local bars and restaurants.
The biggest Drink Atlantic attraction is Hook, Line & Drinker, a party of blender drinks that all of Halifax is invited to, happening Saturday, June 8 at the Seaport Farmers’ Market. When you come to this mixology science fair, be sure to raise a glass to The Coast’s birthday, and to your role in making it happen. — Kyle Shaw, editor
Connect with me at kyles@thecoast.ca
Refugee rebuttal
Editor’s note:
Last week we printed a Voice of the City by Stacey Gomez, “Calling on the Liberal party’s stance on refugees,” that called on Liberal MP Andy Fillmore to “say no to the racism and xenophobia” that Gomez and others see in new Liberal policy such as proposed changes to Bill C-97. What follows is an edited version of Fillmore’s response, which can be seen in full as a comment on Gomez’s Voice at thecoast.ca.
The changes in the bill are sensible and fair, and I’ve written about them at length on my Facebook page. I will be voting in favour of Bill C-97. It contains sensible improvements to Canada’s asylum system that will allow us to better serve those in need of our protection. A number of folks have reached out to me on this issue, so here are my thoughts.
We’re living in a time when record numbers of people are displaced around the world. Conflict, climate change, natural disasters, despotic regimes and persecution are driving people from their homes. Nations are in the process of adapting their immigration, refugee and asylum systems to make sure we can offer protection to the world’s most vulnerable. That’s true here in Canada as well.
What we know is that today, people seeking asylum in Canada are waiting too long to have their status granted. We also know those seeking asylum are not afforded greater protection by making multiple asylum claims in multiple safe countries with similar asylum systems; rather, it slows down the system for all claimants. And that’s a real issue.
This is what the changes in Bill C-97 seek to address. Underlying the changes in Bill C-97 is a belief, supported by the UN Refugee Agency, that to maintain the efficient and orderly processing of asylum claims, those seeking asylum should request it in the first safe country they arrive in. Some have said these changes amount to Canada shutting the door on asylum-seekers without a hearing. That’s incorrect.
Anyone affected by these changes will be granted a face-to-face hearing as part of pre-removal risk assessment. It will be robust and subject to appeal. As Jean-Nicolas Beuze, the UN Refugee Agency’s representative in Canada, has written, “nobody will be automatically deported from Canada if they have made an asylum claim in another country.” If someone is found to be at risk, they will receive Canada’s protection. I know there’s a lot of information out there about this and it can be hard to sort through it all. But if this matters to you, like it does to so many Canadians, please, please take a moment to read Beuze’s piece, “Canada continues to stand with refugees.” —Andy Fillmore, MP for Halifax
Anne mail
Editor’s note:
In “A life less monetized,” her May 16 cover story in praise of hobbies, Coast listings editor Morgan Mullin cited a BuzzFeed article about burnout by Anne Helen Petersen. AHP saw it.
Oh this is so great, Morgan! Also, believe it or not, I’m coming to Halifax next year to speak at St. FX—isn’t that amazing?
— Anne Helen Petersen, senior culture writer, BuzzFeed News
This article appears in May 30 – Jun 5, 2019.