🗞 Giant ship backlog

SHIPPING NEWS

What does the Panama Canal’s giant ship backlog bode for Halifax?

Historic droughts in the normally rainy region of South and Central America have led to upwards of 200 ships stuck waiting—some for as long as three weeks—to pass through Panama’s crucial shipping channel. In the country’s 143 years of record-keeping, 2023 has been one of the two driest, according to data the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute provided to Reuters. The Panama Canal Authority has responded by telling ships to offload cargo to make it through the shallower waters.

Six percent of all global trade passes through the 65-kilometre channel. Will global warming force an industry change? And what does it mean for Atlantic Canada?

The Coast’s Martin Bauman takes a look in this week’s harbour report. 

Need to know

✈️ The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s Verified Traveller program—which allows qualified individuals to move through security with fewer protocols—is now available at Halifax Stanfield.

🌲 The HalifACT community update is an overview of the many projects that are happening in the municipality as part of our once-in-a-generation Climate Action Plan.*

🏊 Alboro Lake Beach and Penhorn Beach are now open to swimming after being closed due to high bacteria levels.

🚰 Individuals can now resume water activities in the Northwest Arm—the repair of the wastewater system was a success and all advisories have been lifted.

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY ATLANTIC LOTTERY

A player-focused company that puts Atlantic Canadians first

As much as gaming is a part of the company's DNA, so is giving back to Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Lottery has existed for almost 50 years now and 100% of profits have always been returned to the region. Every penny is reinvested in our communities—which was over $400 million last year alone. This money helps fund important social services and programs in all four Atlantic provinces and has a lasting impact on our communities, where everybody benefits.

Atlantic Lottery’s commitment to giving back to local communities doesn’t end there though, as they also proudly sponsor more than 100 community events annually, including festivals and exhibitions, reaching into every corner of Atlantic Canada.

Read more about what Atlantic Lottery does for their community here.

On The Coast

SPONSORED BY GARRISON BREWING

Garrison x Oktoberfest - Save The Date

Save the date Halifax! 🍻🥨🌊

Oktoberfest at The Stubborn Goat Beer Garden is back for another 10 days of beer, food & live music. Join us from September 15-24 for a special German-inspired brew & food menu! So dust off your steins - we've got a Wiesen to party 😁 Follow us on Instagram for updates!

In other news

🔥 Halifax radio host Erin Hopkins is currently stuck in Kelowna due to the ongoing wildfires. She spoke to CTV about what it’s like on the west coast.

🎫 Halifax Transit’s lack of fare payment options is leaving both locals and tourists frustrated.

👮 The Halifax Regional Police have released its use of force policy amid the investigation into the homeless camp evictions two years ago.

🖌️ Have you spotted the new Annie Mae Pictou Aquash Legacy Mural on the side of Vaughan’s General Store on Agricola?

🧑‍🎨 The HRM is looking for artist proposals for a new mural planned for the children’s area of Keshen Goodman Public Library.

📈 The NSLC has released its first quarter results, total sales were down 0.1%.

✏️ With September approaching students in Halifax are still struggling to secure housing.

😧 A new study has found that skin cancer rates are higher than the national average in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. CBC spoke to Dr. Ivan Litvinov, who led the study, about his findings.

COUNCIL

Shawn Cleary almost made Halifax’s housing crisis worse

Yesterday's HRM council meeting was almost massively controversial as councillor Shawn Cleary tried to delay the city’s new Airbnb regulations that are slated to take effect next month. Good news for law and order fans, city attorney John Traves stepped in and ruled Cleary's motion out-of-order, and it was summarily dismissed from the order of business for the day.

Why Cleary tried to spoil one of the city's best laid plans right before it came into effect was a bit of a weird move for this veteran policy maker. But in an email to The Coast, Cleary said that although this bylaw change is supposed to put more Airbnbs back on the housing market he doesn't think it will. And as Ricochet Media has reported in its series exposing the harms of short-term rentals like Airbnb, stronger regulations might not, in fact, lead to these properties going back on the market.

Read more from Matt Stickland at The Coast.

RELATED

🤝 Now hiring

• Customer service assistant, production assistant and farm market manager at Vessel Meats.

• Skating instructor at the Halifax Regional Municipality.

• Barista at Ramblers.

• Sales associate and ski tuning technician at Aerobics First.

• Manager of neighbourhood projects at Every One Every Day Halifax.

• Wedding coordinator at Sky's the Limit Weddings and Events.

Hiring? Reply back and let us know!