Good morning,

The Nova Scotia Restaurant Award winners have been announced, and there’s more than a few familiar faces (or facades?) that just prove how much of a cultural juggernaut Nova Scotia is when it comes to food and beverages.

This CTV article lists all of the award winners, including local names like DeeDee’s Ice Cream, Water Polo, Mystic and many more.

Check out the list and maybe plan your next night out! It is Dine Around 2026, after all—some of these spots might have some menu specials in celebration.

Best,

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

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

History always has a way of informing the present, and Aquakultre has perfectly captured that feeling throughout his new album, 1783.

Lance Sampson, the mind and soul behind Aquakultre, has wholeheartedly embraced his family’s history. He has carried its weight on his shoulders as he fights a legal battle to see his great-great-grandfather, Daniel Sampson, cleared of a murder he didn’t commit.

He thinks back to sailors picking fights when they came to port, members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion writing home, and the generational trauma laden within his own family tree.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer chats with Sampson about the new album and its roots in African Nova Scotian history.

🏠 The Nova Scotia government is lowering the minimum down payment for participating first-time home buyers to two percent through a four-year pilot program—the province will also make up for most of the lender’s shortfall if the buyer defaults.

🔫 Going against Premier Tim Houston, the Halifax Regional Police will be participating in the federal gun buy-back program for banned guns—Houston says there are other things police could be focused on.

🏥 The president of the provincial nurses’ union is expressing concerns over the One Person One Record system which is set to be broadly rolled out this spring—the $365 million system is said to have caused delays as staff try to understand the new system.

🎭 Closing Feb 7! Mary's Wedding at TAG. Audiences love this romantic tale about Mary and her love Charlie set as the First World War unfolds.*

*Sponsored Post

Share your feedback about accessibility on Halifax Transit!

Halifax Transit is seeking input from passengers on general accessibility across our transit system.

⛴️ Halifax Regional Municipality is looking for feedback on where a proposed Bedford-Halifax ferry link could run—there will be two engagement sessions on the Mill Cove ferry project later this month.

📈 According to new data from the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, more and more seniors are fleeing abusive relationships—there was a 22 percent increase in seniors utilizing the services of women’s shelters from 2024-25.

🏘️ The provincial government is topping up its housing assistance program with $950,000—it says this is to meet an increased demand, with $1 million already budgeted for the program this year.

Low mood? Feeling down or stuck? Tried therapy—now try Your Counselling. Our team offers a supportive, confidential space to help you gain clarity, build practical coping strategies, and move forward. When things feel heavy, the right fit can make all the difference.

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

🗓 Uncorked Connections: Visit The Wine Spa on the first Wednesday of every month for an evening designed for professionals to connect in a vibrant social setting. | Feb. 4 | 5:30PM | $55+|

🗓 Halifax Mooseheads: Watch the hometown heroes take on the Newfoundland Regiment at the Scotiabank Centre. | Feb. 4 | 7PM | $25.25+|

🗓 Dine Around 2026: All of February, stop into specific restaurants across the province for special prix fixe menus for every taste and every budget. | Feb. 1-28 |

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

➡️ The YM Trust container vessel departed Halifax for Singapore at 2:00am.

🚢➡️ The Box Endurance container vessel arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:50am and departs for Kingston at 11pm.

➡️ The Ocean Seeker research vessel departs Halifax at 9am and returns at 5:45pm.

🚢 The Oceanex Sanderling container ship arrives in Halifax from St. John’s at 6:20pm

Join Joy Bullen and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on February 6th for an unforgettable evening of music, heritage, identity and storytelling. Experience the music and magic it live—get your tickets now!

Presented in partnership with Joy Bullen, and supported by TD Ready Commitment.

🥪 Larry’s Sandwiches is offering the Cold Cut Trio as its sandwich of the week. Cold-cuts of genoa salami, prosciutto and mortadella, coleslaw, ballpark mustard, garlic dill pickles, provolone cheese and topped with potato chips.

🧇 For Dine Around, Churned has their special gluten-free Chickn’n Waffles—made with gluten-free waffles, gluten-free tofu, tangy slaw and spicy maple syrup. On special all month.

💼 Halifax may have the most remote work opportunities within Atlantic Canada, but it is nowhere near the possibilities offered in other metropolitan areas across Canada. According to a new study from JobLeads, the online job search platform, 4.6 percent of jobs offer remote work and 9.2 percent offer hybrid work. The total work-from-home flexibility is 13.8 percent. 86.2 percent of jobs require a full-time on-site presence. A total of 3910 active jobs were analyzed. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer goes over the stats from JobLead on remote work in Halifax and the differing opinions on its efficacy.

🏫 Despite many delays, the St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary School in the north-end is set to open on Feb. 18—the school was built to replace the previous SJAM school that was demolished in 2022.

💸 Nova Scotia is having its credit downgraded due to the deficits predicted over the next several years—the New York-based credit agency S&P Global has given the government of rating of A+, down from AA-.

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