^{This op-ed contains references to rape. Please take care of yourself and skip this one if you need to} 💗

Happy Friday and praise Jebus!

Christmas has come early this year 🎅

First, the blue typhoon roared its way across now not Trump’s America and now one of the most offensive men to walk planet earth is finally going to jail!

Russell Brand has spent years presenting himself as a man who sees through the establishment—usually while making sure everyone is looking at him. I try my best to ignore this absolute sex pest, but now I’m sitting up and paying close attention because he’s finally being locked in a cage where he belongs.

Contrary to historical evidence, charisma is not a legal defence. Nor is being famous, provocative, spiritually reborn, or very keen to tell the world how devastating everything has been for you. In the grand tradition of megalomaniacs everywhere, Brand wasted the court’s time describing the case’s negative impact on his life and family 🙄

For years, Brand’s insufferable public image traded on transgression: the sense that ordinary rules were for ordinary people, while he got to turn everything into a provocation, a punchline or a sermon. Joke’s on you now, you complete scum bag.

Brand's victims have been urged to continue coming forward by the Metropolitan Police following the 51-year-old's conviction in Southwark Crown Court yesterday. In new allegations revealed during his hearing, Brand has also been accused of raping two more women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, and could face further criminal charges.

But let’s not focus on Brand because he is the literal worst and focus on the real heroes in this story. My heart is so full for the women who came forward in this case because as we have seen time and time again, doing so means having your most painful experiences dissected in public, knowing strangers may question your memory, motives, and character.

These women did the damn thing and in doing so, laid the groundwork for other women to feel just a tiny bit more confident coming forward. Thank you!

OH! And listen up HRP and RCMP: The lead investigator in this case is urging more women to come forward, by saying, and I quote: “We've got specially trained officers, specially trained staff, uniquely experienced. We listen to you; treat with dignity and respect."

Oh yeah? Well, we have untrained officers who will not listen to you, treat you like shit and 91% of the time, throw your case in the trash after their “investigation”. So there!

Have an absolutely wonderful weekend and don’t let the rain and darkness get you down.

Love and light!

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

p.s: Is this not now the most darkly sinister movie to ever exist? Literally chills me to my very core 💀

Today: 🌧️ 14°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 10°

Next Day: 🌧️ 12°

7-day forecast

🚗 Driving, biking or busing today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.

For many cyclists in the city, the bicycle is placed into storage when the clocks move forward and the evening comes sooner. The chilly winter weather doesn't help matters much, either.

Yet, for David Trueman, the chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition, cycling doesn't have to end just because it's dark outside. To prove his point, him and fellow members of the coalition have been stationed around well-used bike routes throughout the city, handing out bike lights to those who need them.

This culminates in their annual cycling event, I Light HFX, where hundreds of cyclists take over the city's roadways with their lights aglow, riding through the darkness together. Having started in 2015, this year marks the event's 11-year anniversary.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer chats with Trueman about the upcoming ride and its purpose.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is adding tens of billions to the debt and deficit with the goal of spurring the economy, easing affordability pressures for Canadians, and eradicating homelessness—Carney tabled the 2026 budget at the House of Commons yesterday.

👀 A Nova Scotia RCMP officer has been charged with criminal harassment following an investigation by the Serious Incident Response Team—the report says an active RCMP member allegedly harassed a woman known to him on July 26.

🏗️ The Nova Scotia government is extending the freeze on development fees in HRM to 2029—the cap on HRM's development fees began in 2023 and was due to expire by Friday.

🎶 Join Symphony Nova Scotia this Sunday for a concert that takes us through the Bach family musical dynasty in Bach, Bach, Bach, & Bach.*

🍂 There are plenty of reasons to come Downtown this November! Enjoy annual favourites, live music, festive markets, and more in Downtown Halifax.*

👵 Aging in place starts with an honest look at the house. This free guide helps families take that look together.*

😌 Everyone counts on you, but you're quietly running on empty. When did someone ask how you're doing? Take a moment to check in with yourself.*

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Construction is underway! Apply to lease today!

📞 Leasing Inquiries: Tammy Holland | (902) 802-7178

💬 Some Nova Scotians said they were left with outstanding questions after two lengthy information sessions on a planned artificial intelligence data centre in southern Cape Breton.

🔫 An RCMP officer pulled over a vehicle north of Halifax for traffic enforcement, but instead nine serious gun charges were laid—the driver was arrested after a police search found a loaded handgun.

🤠 Riley Green, Tim McGraw and Sam Barber will headline the Cavendish Beach Music Festival—the three-day festival will take place from July 8 to 10, 2027.

💸 Nova Scotia’s health minister says she’s “guardedly optimistic” that a longer-term arrangement can be reached in the wake of a recent one-year extension of targeted federal funding—the feds announced extending direct funding related to mental health and addictions, home and community care, and aging with dignity through March of 2028.

🤮 A school bus driver from Amherst has been charged with child luring offences—RCMP announced Thursday that they have charged Luc Georges Castonguay, 58, with luring a child and making sexually explicit material available to a child.

⚖️ One of three men charged in the Halifax death of Terrance Thomas Dixon in June 2020 has been found guilty of manslaughter—the 47-year-old victim was found stabbed in his vehicle at a gas station in north-end,

Akaash Singh's television credits include MTV’s “Wild’n Out,” Netflix’s “Brown Nation,” and HBO’s “The Leftovers”. He created the hugely successful podcast “Flagrant,” with fellow comedian Andrew Schulz. His stand up comedy has amassed 2 BILLION views on YouTube.

Don't miss out on his hilarious live show, tickets are moving fast!

Looking for something to do this week? Check out these Coast picks:

🗓 Roger Mooking - SoundBites: Don’t miss Roger Mooking's first solo exhibition in Atlantic Canada, bringing together visual art, moving image, music, and text in an immersive exploration of creativity, memory, and the rhythms of contemporary life. Drawing inspiration from the sampling traditions of Hip-Hop, Mooking recontextualizes reproductions of his own artworks to create a dynamic multidisciplinary environment. | Sept 10 - Nov 8 |

🗓 Christmas At The Forum: Back for its 48th year, more than 300 local vendors fill four buildings with handmade gifts, crafts and holiday goods. | Nov 5-8 |

🗓 Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution: Join the jury as you witness every twist and turn, weighing the evidence and experiencing the trial as though you were part of the jury itself. Often considered Agatha Christie's most accomplished play, this spellbinding drama coils tighter with every revelation, keeping you guessing until the final moment. | Nov 5-21 | $20 |

🗓 Amber Harper-Young Live at YukYuks: Coming all the way from Vancouver, Amber Harper-Young is a national Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club roster regular and a familiar face at Just For Laughs North West. You can catch her on SiriusXM, stream her EP Drenched, and look out for her upcoming television debut with the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame on Hollywood Suite. Known for her absurd, self-deprecating humour, Amber is one you won’t want to miss! | Nov 6 and 7 | 8pm | $25 |

🗓 Hawksley Workman: Experience an evening of exceptional live music with acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman. A two-time JUNO Award winner known for his distinctive voice, captivating stage presence, and genre-blending style, Workman has built a celebrated career spanning folk, pop, rock, and cabaret. | Nov 6 | 8pm | $47 |

🗓 Nova Scotia Art and Craft Show: Meet 60 carefully curated Nova Scotia artisans and shop a diverse collection of handmade pottery, fine art, jewellery, woodworking, textiles, glass art, home décor, foods, and more. Every exhibitor is selected because they create the work they sell, giving you the opportunity to meet the makers, hear the stories behind their creations, and purchase directly from the artists and craftspeople themselves. | Nov 6 and 7 | Free admission |

🗓 Hal-Con Sci Fi Convention 2026: Step into a world of fandom at Hal-Con, Atlantic Canada’s biggest sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming convention in Halifax! This high-energy weekend celebration features celebrity guests, cosplay, panels, gaming, and an exciting vendor marketplace—perfect for fans of all things pop culture. Whether you’re a die-hard geek or just curious, Hal-Con offers something unforgettable for everyone. | Nov 6-8 | 

🗓 Godspell: A Broadway favourite, 20 minutes from downtown Halifax. Godspell, from Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Wicked, bursts to life in a 20th-anniversary production by St. Luke's Community Players, staged in an intimate church setting where you're close enough to feel every harmony. Godspell was the company's very first show in 2006. Twenty years later, original director Elaine Forhan is back at the helm, joined by original cast member Bailey Robinson. | Nov 7-15 |

Have an event to share? Let us know at [email protected].

🚢 The Rollingstone fallpipe vessel arrives in Halifax at 8:30am

➡️ The Morning Lily roll-on/roll-off vessel departs Halifax for New York at 11am.

➡️ The Algoma Acadian tanker departs Halifax for Saint John at 12pm.

➡️ The MSC Mattina container vessel departs Halifax for Montreal at 4pm.

🚢 The MSC Matilde V container vessel arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 4:15pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container vessel departs Halifax for Argentia at 4:30pm.

🥩 Steak Frites is a Brasserie classic: Atlantic beef, mojo verde, house-dressed fries, onion aioli, and balsamic reduction.

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🍽️ For many aspiring food entrepreneurs, the biggest obstacle to turning a family recipe into a business isn’t a lack of ambition, culinary skill or even customers. It’s finding somewhere to cook. Or at least, cook legally. The Coast’s Mark DeWolf speaks with Food Web’s founders about the web app helping food business owners find commercial kitchens.

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