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- 🗞️ And that's on period
🗞️ And that's on period
Plus, Canada Post has made its final offers to union, two apartment buildings in HRM are being converted into condos and local photographer shines on Photo Vogue.
Julie Lawrence
May 30, 2025
Happy Friday Halifax,
Since Nova Scotia has the highest poverty rate in the country, it makes perfect sense that it’s also the province where people have the most difficulty being able to afford period products like tampons and pads.
And trust me when I say that periods are not a “nice to have” and tampons and pads aren’t a luxury item like a lavender-scented bubble bath or a box of Ferrero Rochers; they’re an absolute necessity for anyone with a uterus. That’s why a local advocacy group called The Period Purse is launching a national campaign to bring awareness to the issue.
And you know you’re just champing at the bit for me to say it, so I won’t let you down: If heaven forbid men got periods, period products would be free. Gloria Steinem said it first and I agree with whatever my queen says.
And not only would period products be publicly-funded and available for free in every men’s room, but men would be given PTO for cramps and you just know they would never stop bragging about it; comparing flows to see who had the most or the reddest or whatever.
It would not be a dirty word or a secret or a reason to blame bad decisions on. Men wouldn't put a tampon up their sweater sleeve so people won’t see it when they go to the bathroom. Hell, tampons would probably be a relic of the past—out-engineered by a range of options that are cheaper, smarter, more convenient and less environmentally (and physically) toxic. Or by some sort of machine that just sucks all that uterine lining out in one painless sitting!
The possibilities would be endless with all that sweet R and D money!
But that’s just my humble opinion. What say you on this issue?
If men got periods, would period products be free? |
Have a great weekend. And that’s on period!
– Julie
🌡️ Traffic & Weather
Today: 🌦️ 23°
Tomorrow: 🌧️ 16°
Next Day: ☁️ 15°
🚗 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.
🤔 Need To Know
🚨Police are investigating a homicide after a man was shot and killed in the north end of Dartmouth Thursday—officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of Highfield Park Drive and True North Crescent around noon.
🔭 Saint Mary’s will host an event on Tuesday, June 3, featuring astrophysicist Dr. JJ Kavelaars—the talk, titled, “Cosmic Fossils and the Origins of Planets”—begins at 7pm in the McNally Auditorium.
📮 Canada Post says it has made its “final offers” to the union representing its workers, in a bid to end the ban on overtime work and prevent a larger strike.
🍻 The Pint’s Friday after-work social is the move. Drink deals, killer eats, and that unbeatable Argyle Street energy to kick off your weekend right. And the patio? Best in Halifax. Prove us wrong—we’ll wait.*
🎵 Choral music lovers! Tonight at Scotia Festival, The Elora Singers perform Peter-Anthony Togni's stunning new masterpiece, Voice of the Weaver, with bass clarinettist Jeff Reilly.*
🌿 Welcome to Bayers Park I and II! Spacious, affordable living in Halifax’s West End. Near major transit routes with free laundry, parking, and discounts for seniors and essential workers.*
🎟️ Want to help support food insecure Nova Scotians while getting a chance to win cash? Buy your Feed Nova Scotia 50/50 tickets today!*
🎤 June 2 at Scotia Festival: The Elora Singers bring us Arvo Pärt’s choral epic Passio, one of the great choral works of the 20th century.*
*Sponsored Post
SPONSORED BY THE LORD NELSON HOTEL & SUITES
Book direct. Save more. Celebrate local.
⚽ From Wanderers and Tides matches to TD Halifax Jazz Fest, the Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites puts you in the centre of it all. Book direct and save—their flexible cancellation policy ensures you can plan with confidence. Make a night of it with timeless comfort, elegant rooms, and Halifax’s best events just steps away.
ARTS + CULTURE
Local photographer shines on Photo Vogue
📸 Credit: Submitted
Blair Bartlett has always had an eye for beauty, first as a fashion industry insider in his younger years, and now as a rising star in the world of photography.
The Halifax-based osteopath and photographer is making headlines after being featured on Photo Vogue — a platform for artists from every background and region to showcase their work worldwide on Vogue — for the eighth time, a rare and celebrated achievement for any artist, let alone one balancing two careers.
🗞️ In Other News
🚨 Police say a lockdown at Mount Saint Vincent University has been lifted after a large police investigation sparked by reports of an armed robbery at the school’s cafeteria.
🏠 The province has promised to find a solution for Nova Scotia municipalities struggling to have booking platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo collect and remit the fees they are legally owed—many cities, towns or districts are exploring or marketing levies to bring in funds for tourism projects or events.
🚍 Halifax will convert four city buses to be powered by hydrogen and diesel for a pilot project aimed at finding out whether the technology could be a good fit to expand into the fleet—the city is spending about $122,500 with $367,500 coming from the province's Clean Fuels Fund.
🏢 Two apartment buildings in Halifax's north end with more than 120 units between them are being converted into condominiums—and the owners say it's because operating the properties as rentals has become financially impracticable.
⚖️ Nova Scotia's highest court has restored charges against a man who was the subject of an illegal search by Halifax Regional Police.
🧑💻 The federal privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into a ransomware attack that led to the theft of personal information belonging to 280K customers—Nova Scotia Power confirmed last week that hackers stole the data and published it on the dark web.
SPONSORED BY ATLANTIC BOOK AWARDS & FESTIVAL
Fiction Fête! At Chester Playhouse
Celebrate Atlantic fiction authors with a showcase of readings from the Atlantic and Nova Scotia Book Awards nominees, including the authors nominated for the highly coveted Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award, a book prize valued at $30,000. Hosted by Sarah Hampson. June 4 at The Chester Playhouse.
🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend
Looking for something to do this week? Check out these Coast picks:
🗓 Foil4All: Following of the success of last season, Foil4All is back at the Halifax Waterfront in partnership with the Maritime Museum Atlantic and supported by Sail Nova Scotia and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Don’t wait for SailGP to come back in 2026 to satisfy your need for speed. | May 29-June 2 |
🗓 Jann Arden - The Mixtape Tour: Jann Arden is a multi-platinum, award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and author. She has released 15 albums and 19 top-10 singles. Jann kicks off The MIXTAPE Tour across Canada starting in Halifax. Don’t miss Jann performing music from her brand new album plus all her favourite ‘90s hits. | May 30 | 8pm | $75.50 |
🗓 Take A Chance On Me - ABBA Musical: You're invited to the wedding of Benny Waters and Anni Lyngstad. A most joyous occasion.That is, until one of the wedding party takes the phrase, "'til death do us part" a little too seriously. Will they say "I Do, I Do, I Do"? Or send out an "S.O.S"? Find out by watching Take A Chance On Me, a musical murder mystery with all of ABBA's greatest hits. Played by a live band. | May 30-31 | 8pm |
🗓 The Public Service and Clever Hopes @ The Mic Mac AAC: It's that time of year again! It’s an all ages party where the Lake meets the Sea to celebrate Ocean Week Halifax, Dartmouth-style! Two local indie acts—The Public Service and Clever Hopes—are serving up a celebration that you can groove to with your neighbours. No need to book a babysitter, bring the kids and let them party. | May 30 | 7pm | $20 |
🗓 Hal-Con's Fae Ball: Step into a world of magic and wonder at the first Fae Ball, hosted by Hal-Con. Whether you choose to wear an enchanting fae or fantasy inspired costume, your finest attire, or even a hidden gem pulled from the depths of your wardrobe, you're invited to celebrate the night in true whimsical style. | May 31 | 8pm |
🗓 STAGES Theatre Festival: This annual Spring festival focuses on bold, playful and innovative creations that push the boundaries of what theatre can be. From full productions to family offerings and interactive pieces, STAGES highlights new performances from Atlantic Canada and beyond. | May 22-June 8 | 8pm | $60 |
🗓 Scotia Festival of Music 2025: For 45 years, Scotia Festival of Music has been one of the premier events in Nova Scotia’s yearly festival scene. Each year, we welcome over 20 of the world’s best classical musicians, and dozens of talented Young Artists, to an intimate, collaborative environment where the alchemy is just right for musical magic. | May 26-June 8 | Prices vary by show |
Have an event to share? Let us know at [email protected].
⚓️ What’s In The Harbour
➡️ The Box Endurance container ship leaves Halifax for Kingston, Jamaica at 2am.
🚢➡️ The Zim Luanda container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia, Spain at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 11:30pm.
🚢➡️ The MSC Rita V container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia, Spain at 6:15am and leaves for Montreal at 11pm.
➡️ The MSC Vega container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 12pm.
🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sky container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 3:20pm and leaves for Liverpool at 11:30pm.
🚢 The MSC Sarah container ship arrives in Halifax from Mundra, India at 4:15pm.
➡️ 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
🦀 Summer is just around the corner and that means The Canteen is welcoming back the Snow Crab Dip: Nova Scotia snow crab, dill, lemon, cream cheese, served with house crackers.
🌵 What’s more fun than fajitas? Get your sizzle on at Antojo Tacos: chicken and peppers straight from the hot skillet, rice, jack cheese, sour cream, chipotle salsa and warm tacos.
👀 In Case You Missed It
🎙️ Have you ever tried to listen to Pink Floyd, MGMT, Tears for Fears and Supertramp at the same time? With four varying styles of music blaring in your ears, you may conclude that in this instance—and this instance only—there is such a thing as too much music. But what if aspects from all of these bands and their respective catalogues were combined with a throughline of passion and purpose? These are the thoughts sparked by listening to Strange Plants, a Halifax-based psych rock band whose debut self-titled album drops on June 6. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer spoke to Matthew Brannon and Travis Flint of Hot Mondy about their new album.
🪡 Tucked along the vibrant stretch of Spring Garden Road, behind a wide glass window adorned with flowing lace and shimmering fabric, Michnat Fashion’s headquarters is brimming with creativity, compassion, and community. Creative director and CEO, Funmilayo Odeniyi, guides fabric beneath the humming needle of her sewing machine. Her four children sit nearby, doing homework. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva has more on how Odeniyi is giving back this prom season.
✏️ Editor’s note
There will be no Coast Daily on Monday, June 2. Coast INSIDERS will receive their newsletter as usual on Saturday, May 31.
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