Good morning, folks.

In an unsurprising move, Premier Tim Houston says he has no interest in buying back Nova Scotia Power despite all of the hell the private utility has put its customers through.

Up until 1992, Nova Scotia Power was a crown corporation owned and managed by the province. At that point, Premier Donald Cameron—who coincidentally held the same Pictou East seat as Houston—sold it off in what was the largest private equity transaction in Canadian history. Their reasoning? Pressure to control the provincial deficit. Where have I heard that one before?

This decision was certainly controversial at the time, as is Nova Scotia Power’s reputation today. Handing off what is the biggest energy monopoly to private capital interests was, to put it lightly, disastrous for the future of Nova Scotians. It can be said our problems with the utility today stem from a conservative government who were, before anything else, deficit hawks.

Houston says he doesn’t know how much it would cost, but I do agree with him that it would probably be a really big number and there’s a good chance it is unfeasible for the government of today to make such a purchase. Though, if Energy Wizard Tim Houston could make it happen, I would be willing to take back at least some of the flack I give the guy.

In all seriousness, I just wish his predecessors could’ve had some hindsight in privatizing a Crown corp who manages the vast majority of energy in the province. The deficit isn’t everything. Governments run high deficits because they are (oftentimes) spending on services, and in turn, the people. Responsible spending is important, but so is ensuring that the people who live in your community have everything they need to live a fulfilling life.

Nova Scotia Power is a prime example of giving up on a public institution that you wish not to fund any further, and just how horribly awry it can go.

Best,

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

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

The high seas are often portrayed as a gate towards freedom. A place where land borders and political lines disappear into a breadth of rolling waves, where the only people you have are the ones you've brought aboard.

Halifax playwright Karen Bassett originally wrote Heroine to portray strong women in the pirate-polluted oceans of the 18th-century Bahamas. Now, many years later, Theatre New Brunswick is bringing the story of history's most famous femme pirates, Mary Read and Anne Bonney, to the Bus Stop Theatre this week.

"It focuses on their relationship, and particularly, their ability to wield weapons," says director Natasha MacLellan in an interview with The Coast. "Karen Bassett is a fight director, and she does a lot of the fight directing at the Neptune and most of the companies in Atlantic Canada, or certainly the Maritimes."

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with MacLellan about Heroine and how it seeks to empower women through sword-fighting spectacle.

⚖️ Federal justice minister and Nova Scotian MP Sean Fraser commented on the acquittal of a Halifax man who used AI to create nude deepfakes of women he knew, saying it was “heinous behaviour”— Frasier introduced the Protecting Victims Act in the house in December, which he hopes will close loopholes around the creation of AI deepfakes.

🔥 Nova Scotia’s summer woods ban has met its first legal challenge in court on Tuesday as the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom represents Jeffrey Evely, a Nova Scotia man who was fined $28,872.50 for walking in the woods—the ban was placed to prevent potential fires during a uniquely poor wildfire season.

🚗 Firefighters in River John were left with a strange predicament when a car was left unoccupied three kilometres from the shore of the Northumberland Straight—it took a helicopter and snowmobiles to have the vehicle safely removed.

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🚨 Five youths from Truro crashed a stolen car in Shearwater on Monday night, sending the occupant of another vehicle to hospital—four of them have been charged and one was released without charges.

🏞️ The Ecology Action Centre is warning against the proposed Highway 101 connector near Sandy Lake, saying an environmental assessment would show the damages the project would have on the environment—the province has issued a request for engineers to provide an environmental assessment.

💰 The feds are investing another $1 million into the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, one part of a $6-million package to promote Indigenous tourism—the centre also saw a $9-million investment last October.

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

🗓 Live Jazz with The Matt MacLennan Trio: Bassist Matt MacLennan brings his three-piece band along for velvety ballads and smooth bossa novas at the Obladee. | March 18 | 7PM |

🗓 Better Times Comedy at Good Robot Brewing: This weekly comedy show features regulars like Clare Belford, Dan Hendricken, Travis Lindsay, Adam Myatt, and a rotating cast of local and visiting comics. | March 19 | 7:30PM | $15 |

🗓 Bedford Players Presents Gibson & Sons: The Bedford Players present this comedy from Kristen Da Silva, directed by Randy Burt, at the Bedford Players theatre. | March 12-21 | 7:30PM | $17.00+

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

🚢 The Felixstowe container vessel arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 5:20am.

🚢 The Algoma East Coast tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 8:40am.

➡️ The Contship Cup container vessel departed Halifax for Kingston at 3:30am.

➡️ The Atlantic Sea container vessel departs Halifax for Liverpool at 11:30pm.

🍗 WaveFoods is serving the Bachan Bacon Fried! Buttermilk fried chicken, Bachans BBQ sauce, Bacon, lettuce, pickle, Wave Sauce and crispy onions on a brioche bun.

🍣 Umai Sushi are serving naturally sweet Kaisen Bites—sweet prawn topped with ikura and a touch of uni paste.

🫶 A community-based organization focused on helping those with eating disorders will be cutting the ribbon on its first support and resource centre on March 23. Eating Disorders Nova Scotia had purchased a building in Halifax’s North End last fall with help from the Walker Wood Foundation and various other contributors. After a stint of renovations, they introduced in-person programming this January. Up until then, much of the organization’s programming was virtual. A grand opening will be held at 2711 Agricola Street on Monday, March 23 from 4pm to 6pm, with remarks beginning at 5pm.

🏗️ Council approved a motion that will see the parking lots surrounding the Mic Mac Mall be developed into a neighbourhood with up to 2,800 housing units—the project is being developed by businessman Joe Ramia and will likely include seven high-rise residential buildings.

🎥 Tamara Deverell, a Nova Scotian production designer who worked on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, won an Oscar for Best Production Design on Sunday night—when taking questions from reporters at the international event, she spoke on the Houston government’s cuts to the arts.

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