🗞️ All the way May

Happy Friday Halifax,

Well, it’s been a helluva week, so let’s end it fun, light, sleek and with whiskers.

Considering going out dancing this weekend, but feeling a little too long in the tooth for the Halifax party scene? Well, let this diva be your spirit guide. She’s 15 years old—which is a lot in sea lion years—and she’s still tearing it up with her sick dance moves.

Ronan the sea lion can groove to rock and electronica, but her true talent really shines when she bobs along to Earth, Wind and Fire’s "Boogie Wonderland” and I mean, same. I’m most obsessed, however, with her heavy metal skills:

She burst onto the scene a decade ago after scientists reported her musical skills. From age 3, she has been a resident at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Laboratory, where researchers have tested and honed her unique ability to recognize rhythms.

Ronan joined a select group of animal movers and shakers—which of course also includes the iconic Snowball the dancing cockatoo—that together busted the myth that animals couldn’t respond to music and recognize a beat.

But in the years since Ronan came into the spotlight, questions emerged about whether she still had it. Was she just a flash in the pan? To answer that question, researchers devised a new study, published last week in the journal Scientific Reports. The result: Ronan still has it. This bitch is back and better than ever!

And I know what you’re thinking: “But Julie, any idiot can keep a beat.” And to that I say…

Have a safe and restful weekend!

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 14°

Tomorrow: ☁️ 8°

Next Day: 🌧️ 15°

7-day forecast

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

MAY PREVIEW

Every big show happening in Halifax in May 2025

Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining and the shows coming to Halifax in May are hot! From ’90s divas, to big name comedians to provocative Canadian theatre, there’s something for everyone this month.

As always, The Coast has you covered with everything that’s happening in the city this month.

🤔 Need To Know

🌁 The Macdonald bridge will be closed to traffic this weekend as part of ongoing maintenance work—the closure begins Friday, May 2 at 7pm and ends Monday, May 5 at 5:30am.

🏛️ Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says the Conservative Party of Canada should do some “soul-searching” just days after Pierre Poilievre’s defeat at the polls—adding that he’s “optimistic about what’s possible” and looks forward to working with the newly elected Liberal government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

🏫 The teenager arrested for allegedly making threats against Citadel high school is now facing a series of new weapons and gun charges, and is also accused of promoting hatred against Jewish and African-Nova Scotian communities.

🕺 Live Art Dance and Kinetic are thrilled to co-present Coastal Currents for a 3rd year! Featuring the work of choreographers who live and work right here in Atlantic Canada.*

🍻 Kick off your weekend at The Pint. Half price appies and $4.50 draught every Friday from 4-6pm. A go to spot for your after work social!*

⛵ Armdale Yacht Club is offering a 15% discount on all junior and adult sailing courses if you register multiple people at once! Contact us today!*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY MAYWORKS KJIPUKTUK/HALIFAX

Mayworks Double-Bill: Chronicles of isolation

Flower Bed, Noella Murphy’s puppet-filled solo performance about living with chronic illness, is paired with Archive of Loneliness, a movement piece by Sara Coffin choreographed to real voicemails from a long-term care resident during the COVID-19 pandemic. May 9 & 10, Bus Stop Theatre. Get your tickets now.

🗞️ In Other News

✈️ Only a few months after JetBlue announced direct flights between Halifax and Boston, the airline is pulling back on its promise, blaming political tensions and tariffs.

🎧 A Nova Scotia small business owner says tensions with the United States are causing him more major headaches because his customers are refusing to buy American products.

🦞 Police are investigating the latest case of someone allegedly firing a gun at the home of a lobster buyer in southwestern Nova Scotia.

🧒 Two Nova Scotia social workers are speaking out about what they call a crisis in child protection—and are warning that children are at risk if things don’t change.

🤖 The Halifax Regional Centre for Education has developed guidelines on the use of AI in the classroom —their goal is to ensure that AI technologies are integrated into education for both students and teachers in an ethical, safe, and inclusive manner.

🏥 The new free parking protocol that began yesterday is a huge relief for patients, visitors and staff, but some wonder if capacity concerns will also be addressed.

🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend

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

🗓 The Ennis Sisters: The JUNO award-winning trio hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador have been captivating audiences worldwide for over 25 years with their seamless harmonies and compelling songwriting. Flavoured by Celtic and traditional Newfoundland influences, their music offers a broad mix of original songs as well as uniquely interpreted tunes and ballads. | May 2 | 7:30pm | $50 |

🗓 Rare & Fine Wine Tasting: This is for the true wine lover. A superior selection of wines, all rated 90 points and above by the world’s major wine publications. A small number of these beautiful wines only see our market on occasion and for many, this will be their first visit to our shores. Come enjoy a delicious array of wines, a live jazz band, and the beautiful ambiance of this event. | May 2 | 2pm and 7pm | $130 |

🗓 Halifax Wanderers Home Game: Come cheer on the home team as they take on Forge FC at the Wanderers Grounds. | May 3 | 5pm | $26.45 |

🗓 Symphony Family Series - Tap Dancing Through Time: Hear delightful performances from the full orchestra combined with interactive learning opportunities in these engaging, high-spirited concerts at the Alderney Landing Theatre and Halifax Central Library. The concerts are designed to be participatory, relaxed and informal. | May 3 and 4 | 2pm, 3pm and 4:30pm | Free |

🗓 LOAFIS Sourdough Beginners Workshop: Over the course of 2 hours, Nikki from Loafis will take the class through the art of sourdough bread-making, with tips and tricks to perfect your own sourdough game! | May 4 | 10am  | $125 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The CMA CGM Mexico container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 3:30am.

🚢➡️ The Bakkafoss container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland, ME at 7:15am and leaves for Argentia at 6pm.

➡️ The Algoscotia oil tanker leaves Halifax for Corner Brook at 8am.

➡️ The Algoma Vision bulk carrier leaves Halifax for Savannah, GA at 2pm.

🚢 The Jag Prachi oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Antwerp, Belgium at 2:15pm.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sea container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk, England at 3:20pm and leaves for Liverpool at 11pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container ship leaves Halifax for Argentia at 6pm.

➡️ The Oceanex Sanderling container ship leaves Halifax for St. John’s at 6pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍋 New pizza alert! The pizza of the month at Morris East is Lemon Chicken: a zesty, savoury mix of lemon aioli, herbed chicken, toasted shallots, goat cheese, lemon zest and crispy pancetta. 

🥐 Speaking of lemons, the croissant of the week at Two If By Sea is Lemon Meringue: filled with lemon curd and topped with swirls of toasted meringue.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🗳️ Nova Scotians—like Canadians across the country—showed up in droves to vote in Monday’s federal election. Preliminary results show that 72.25% of eligible voters in Nova Scotia voted—even higher than the national average. Where did voters come out the most (and the least) in Nova Scotia? Read on.

🎤 You may not know what a Bologna Colorado is, but you’ll want to after you experience one of their live shows. The four-piece from Halifax is committed to bursting your eardrums with screeching guitar riffs, pounding drums and impassioned, raw vocals. All of this kinetic energy has been harnessed in the band’s latest single, “GET TO THE POINT!!!” which dropped on April 26. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer caught up with the Halifax rock band about their newly released single and their upcoming tour across Eastern Canada.

✏️ Editor’s Note

There will be no Coast Daily newsletter on Monday, May 5. Coast INSIDERS will receive their newsletter as usual on Saturday, May 3.

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