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Today city council votes on the proposed pilot project for Halifax’s first mobile food market, which was green-lighted for a staff feasibility report back in June. Yes, a market on wheels, aimed at making fresh, healthy food accessible to the city’s driest food deserts. Those wheels would belong to a Halifax Transit bus—which the project would use for cruising with a bus load of fruit and veggies one day a week, for 21 weeks, making hour-and-a-half stops in neighbourhoods identified as high need. Getting that bus is the most important piece of the puzzle though, and today’s vote determines whether a request for a one-time, in-kind donation of it is a go.
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Speaking of getting a Halifax Transit bus, raise your hand if you’re annoyed about how the buses are always late. Wow, that is a lot of you. So you’ll be happy to know—oh, hey, you can put your hand down now—you’ll be happy that we’ve done a whole video looking at the late bus issue. The good news is that the day our PLANifax collaborators studied the Route 1 bus, it was only late seven percent of the time. The bad news is Halifax Transit considers a bus “on time” if it leaves up to three minutes before its scheduled time, or up to three minutes after. Watch the video (it’s also at the bottom of this page) for lots more bus info. And charts!!
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Some members of Team Coast got away from it all this holiday weekend, leaving behind concerns about “news” and “the world” and devious old Stephen Harper. Luckily other, better Coasters were ready for anything, including a federal election. Jacob Boon kicked off our “Campaign and Suffering” election coverage early this morning with this look at the candidates in Halifax’s main ridings. Lots more to come between now and the October 19 election that is both snap—in that it’s apparently so urgent it had to be called on the Sunday of the long weekend— and anachronistically slow. As in the longest campaign since 1872 slow. Whether you’re with the conspiracy theorists who think Harper is gaming the election spending rules with the long campaign, or are on the side of science and understand the recent near-earth asteroid flyby disrupted communications from Harper’s home planet and lead to confusion about the preferred date, we will have you covered.
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The New Jersey based Journal of Commerce is reporting that business coming via the Suez Canal may mean “a new lease on life” for the Port of Halifax. Yesterday a giant boat called the Vivaldi became the largest container ship to ever come to Halifax, and in a few days the even-bigger Budapest Express will top it.
“It’s a very positive sign. I think we are seeing the turn of the corner,” said Karen Oldfield,” president and CEO of the Halifax Port Authority. “The day of the big ship is here.”
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In other shipping news, Theodore Tugboat’s new hat is delayed. The TV-show-themed-tugboat-turned-tourism icon’s fading orange cap was supposed to be painted this morning by a volunteer crew of firefighters—volunteer painters, professional firefighters—but the damp weather isn’t a friend to the marine paint. Or, apparently, children. The folks at Murphy’s the Cable Wharf, where Theodore spends his time, will reschedule the painting event. In the meantime, Theodore is still welcoming visitors but he would appreciate it if you could refrain from teasing him with the “Do you like my hat?” line from P.D. Eastman’s classic Go, Dog. Go!
+1 Sure Thing
Peterborough’s The Lonely Parade roll into town for an all-ages show, days after releasing a teeny tiny split EP with tour pals Beef Boys for their joint Rolling Dog Show 2008 east coast tour. With song titles like “Stephane Dion,” “My Mom Got Hit on at a Punk Show” and “Depressing Song,” The Lonely Parade are tack-sharp and topical, but keep it weird and funky with DIY charm.
Why are the buses late? Watch and learn—this video is way more entertaining than waiting for a bus.
