🗞️ Amalgamation on the ballot in the wild wild east

Oh hi Halifax,

I just finished reading a book called Imminent (10/10 highly recommend, btw) written by the guy who used to head up the Pentagon’s program investigating UFOs, so I am very much in a place of “the truth is out there” right now. 

And if I were more motivated, I would make the pilgrimage to the UFO Expo this weekend in Yarmouth—where the main topic of focus will be on Canada’s most famous and important UFO case.

In 1967, residents of Shag Harbour were whatever the late ‘60s version of “shook” was, when they saw four strange orange lights in the sky that flashed in sequence and then suddenly dove at a 45-degree angle towards the water’s surface. Concerned that they had witnessed a tragic plane crash, the group went to the police only to find out that—coincidentally—the RCMP constable had seen the lights too! 

And it was no plane…🛸👽

Hope your day is out of this world!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 19°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 15°

Next Day: 🌤️ 20°

7-day forecast

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

💨 Here is Halifax’s Air Quality Index and the smoke report.

NEWS + OPINION

Your guide to Truth and Reconciliation and Treaty Day in Halifax

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time for all Canadians to reflect on the impact residential schools continue to have on Indigenous communities nationwide.

Happening Monday, Sep. 30, NDTR is also Orange Shirt Day, and it coincides with Treaty Day in Nova Scotia on Oct. 1—which marks the beginning of Mi’kmaq History Month. That’s a lot going on, and although NDTR is a federal holiday rather than a provincial statutory day off, Nova Scotia’s schools and government offices are closed, and a growing number of businesses choose not to open, joining banks that are closed nationally, making Sep. 30 a holiday for many in Halifax. 

But that doesn’t mean NDTR is quiet in the city: There are plenty of ways to observe Truth and Reconciliation throughout Halifax.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer has your guide to observing NDTR and Treaty Day in Halifax.

🤔 Need To Know

😷 Visitors and workers at Nova Scotia Health will see new masking requirements starting this week—the health authority says the updated policy applies to everyone at in-patient and ambulatory areas where clinical care is provided.

🎭 Neptune Theatre's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is "Very engaging! Loads of fun. An imaginative romp, with a modern take on a classic." On stage until October 5.*

👀 The Antigonish RCMP is asking for the public’s help finding Clifton Curtin Jordan from Cooks Cove—he is wanted on offences of sexual assault, assault by choking, administering a noxious substance and failure to comply with conditions.

🎶 AGE & HUFF presents Rankin MacInnis & The Broken Reeds, NOBRO, and Sigsour on October 3, 4, and 5 at the Halifax Urban Folk Festival.*

🗳️ With less than a month until HRM residents head to the polls, former MP Andy Fillmore appears to be in the lead among the 16 mayoral candidates—according to one poll.

*Sponsored Post

ELECTION 2024: CITY HAUL

Amalgamation an issue in eastern HRM

In 1996, the late John Savage, Liberal premier of Nova Scotia, amalgamated Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Halifax County into the Halifax Regional Municipality. Today, John's son Mike Savage is mayor of the megamunicipality, and even as he's bowing out of office by not running in the October 19 election, amalgamation has become an issue in the city's biggest voting precincts.

District 1 and District 2 make up Halifax's entire eastern flank, a massive region that over-contributes to HRM having a larger area than the entire province of Prince Edward Island. For all that size, District 1 is a microcosm of the tensions that amalgamation created by smooshing rural and suburban residents into a forced marriage, because those voter bases are seeking very different things: One wants more services for their tax dollars, the other just wants to pay less tax. Meanwhile, anger about a sidewalk has brought nearly 30 years of simmering amalgamation resentment to a head in District 2, threatening longtime incumbent David Hendsbee's grip on power.

Rounding out the rest of eastern HRM—everywhere east of Dartmouth—are Districts 3 and 4, two more interesting races in the election. Our City Hall reporter Matt Stickland has previewed them all, with enough insight to make you care even if you don't live there.

Start with Matt's District 1 voting guide on our website, and you'll find links to the other eastern districts at the bottom of that page.

🗞️ In Other News

🌬️ A 17-turbine wind farm in central Nova Scotia is receiving a $118M low-interest loan from a federal Crown corporation.

🍷 The co-chair of a working group looking into support for Nova Scotia’s wine industry has resigned, calling the talks with the provincial government an “enormous disappointment.”

💙 Over a year since deadly flash flooding in Windsor claimed the life of six-year-old Colton Sisco, a new memorial has been set up where he went to school. 

🏫 The province’s education minister has revealed the planned locations of four new schools in the Halifax area—but with construction projected to take several years, parents are skeptical about whether the schools will address the current overcrowding issues

🔌 Nova Scotia Power has secured a $500M loan from Ottawa to bail the utility out of a precarious financial situation and prevent a massive rate hike for its customers.

🏀 Halifax and Fredericton will host six Canadian university championships over the next four years.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Exhibition—East of East Atlantic Hip Hop Archive: This show delves into the rich history of hip hop culture in the Atlantic Provinces dating back to the 1980s. Curated by Michael McGuire, this exhibition will showcase a selection of digital and physical items from an archive of over 2,100 recordings, 400 posters and 9 hours of video, along with 850 CDs, 165 cassettes and 280 vinyl records. | Sep 21-Nov 23   

🗓Magnetic World Music Festival: Feel the magnetic pull of EDM and hip hop at Magnetic World, where a stellar lineup will create an unforgettable cosmic journey through sound and space at Citadel Hill. | Sep 28 | 3pm | $148

🗓Anime Cabaret—An Anime-Themed Drag and Burlesque Show: This live show captures everything you love about anime! Prepare to see a fabulous line-up of nerdy, outrageous and never-before-seen drag and burlesque performances from the talented cast. | Sep 28 | 7:30pm | From $11

🗓Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’ is a hilarious and heartfelt look at the joys of menopause and friendship—plus hot flashes, mood swings, memory lapses and  more! Join this trip of self-discovery, backed by a new soundtrack of toe-tapping parodied greatest hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s and 9’0s! | Sep 29 | 3pm | From $39.99

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Contship Art container ship leaves Halifax for Kingston at 3:30am.

➡️ The One Falcon container ship leaves for New York at 4:30am.

🛳️ The CSL Tacoma container ship arrives in Halifax from Burlington at 5:51am.

🛳️➡️ The Arcadia cruise ship arrives at 7am and leaves for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The Volendam cruise ship arrives at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The EF Ava container ship arrives from Portland at 8:15am and leaves for Reykjavik at 1pm.

🛳️➡️ The Enchanted Princess cruise ship arrives at 9am and leaves for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🛳️ The Nolhan Ava container ship arrives from St. Pierre at 1:15pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍈  They call me mellow yellow! Try the Canary Mind cocktail at Bar Kismet: rum and achiote, suze, nettle vermouth blanche, yellow melon.

🦞 Check out Lot Six’s take on the classic Lobster Roll: poached lobster, celery, onion, dill, brown butter aioli on a toasted hoagie roll.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏘️ A new study from Point2Homes suggests young renters in Halifax will have to save money for over a decade to purchase a starter home at the current average price. The generational study uses data from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census on Canada’s 20 largest cities, as well as real estate data from the Canadian Real Estate Association, comparing that with local listings in each city. A survey was also conducted with responses from over 890 renters nationwide. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer breaks down the study and what it says about renters who are saving to purchase a home.

⚖️ Renters in Nova Scotia will soon have a new opportunity to seek help for their housing concerns. Starting Oct. 1, the Dalhousie Legal Aid (DLA) team will be hosting drop-in clinics every Wednesday across a rotation of four HRM libraries. These clinics will run in addition to the regular Social Justice Clinic drop-in hours. The Coast’s Lauren Phillips spoke with Sydnee Blum—DLA community legal worker and eviction prevention coordinator about these new housing information clinics, why they’re needed and how they’ll work.

⛺ Mayoral candidate Andy Fillmore says the city’s approach to homeless encampments has encouraged unhoused people from across the country to move to the city to live in tents—housing advocates and a city councillor say that claim is untrue.

That’s it!

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