🗞️ How bad is student housing?

Sing it with me Halifax,

🎶All the single ladies! All the single ladies! Put your FINS up! 🦈

First there was the iconic Gladys—the alleged mastermind behind several orca attacks on boats. And now, the shark women are gathering in a display of true feminist solidarity. 

Marine scientists in Australia recently discovered thousands of female sharks gathered on the seafloor having what they describe as a ”slumber party,” and it appeared that no boys were allowed. 

It all went down in Beagle Marine Park—a protected underwater region located in the Bass Strait, the passage between Australia and Tasmania. A research team was surveying the area with a remotely piloted roving camera when they made the discovery of droves of sleeping Port Jackson female sharks. 

The team says they have no idea what was up and the fact that there were no males invited to the party “poses more questions than answers” and I’m like…does it really? Because it seems pretty straight-forward to me. 

I think we human women should take their lead and just lay down together for a huge nap for a few days. Imagine? The world would literally implode.

Shark women: we salute you.

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☀️ 24°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 22°

Next Day: ☀️ 25°

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.

MUSIC

Indie rock vets Dog Day revel in the noise on new record

Seth Smith thought he was done with music.

The lead vocalist for Halifax-based Dog Day had been crafting melancholic indie rock tunes with his wife Nancy Urich and a rotating cast of band members since before Dog Day's 2007 debut, Night Group. But after their 2013 record Fade Out, Smith succumbed to the burnout of keeping up with his band. Rather than continuing with something he was losing passion for, Smith and Ulrich focused their efforts on another storytelling medium—film.

“There’s been times where we just wanted to take a bit of time away, meditate, do something else,” says Smith in an interview with The Coast. “And then when you come back to it, it’s just more interesting.”

And return they did. Even while focusing on films such as the award-winning The Crescent in 2017, the couple still wrote songs and gathered material, and after a seven-year-long hiatus, came back with founding member KC Spidle to release 2020’s Present.

With a reinvigorated passion fueling their efforts, Dog Day is still proving to listeners that they’re one of Halifax’s best indie bands on their brand-new record, A T-Shirt With Writing on It. Released on July 26, the band pulled back on what they were used to—mainly synths—and honed in on the guitar, bass and drums, executing a tone that could be described as noisy, yet beautiful.

In a way, it was a return to form for Dog Day—back to when they didn’t have a single record out.

“This is kind of like our first record without keyboards,” says Smith. “I mean, we first started Dog Day as a three-piece. We didn’t release anything as a three-piece, but it was kind of guitar-based.”

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer chats with Smith about the band’s latest album and how they switched up their sound to fit their three-piece line-up.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 A three-day search for a missing kayaker in a Halifax-area lake has concluded although the woman has yet to be found. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 902-490-5020 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

🏥 As of Monday, Aug. 26, patients and visitors of the QEII infirmary will no longer be able to use the Robie Street entrance. The new entrance will be located at 1796 Summer Street.

🎉 The Spring Garden Area Business Association invites you to step, walk, stroll your way to our Street Party on August 24 from 11am-2pm.*

*Sponsored Post

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EDUCATION

How bad is the housing market for university students?

Student Housing NS is a non-profit housing provider that recently switched to supporting and advocating for the housing needs of students province-wide. The group also leads research into student housing needs to develop support. 

Right now, they’re asking all postsecondary students in Nova Scotia to complete a five-minute survey on the realities they face when looking for and securing housing so they can better understand the problem and how to help—ahead of the fall semester. 

Their survey can be found here and is open until Sep. 15. Survey results and a comprehensive Student Housing NS student housing resource guide will be published in late September. 

So, what is the current problem facing students?

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips spoke with Mitchell Archibald—executive director of Student Housing NS—to find the answer to that question.

🗞️ In Other News

🏠 The province announced new regulations under the HRM charter that will require the municipality to make increasing housing supply the priority focus in all land-use planning, regulations, decisions and development approvals under the municipal planning strategy.

🚰 Community members of Upper Hammonds Plains are voicing concerns after hearing from Halifax Water that hydrants in the Pockwock Road area are “there for decoration.” 

🚆 A coalition of business groups is calling on the federal government to prevent a work stoppage at Canada’s two biggest railways—a phased shutdown of the networks at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. is already underway.

🏫 Two staff members of C.P. Allen high school detailed their trauma and fears in emotional victim impact statements at the sentencing for a teenager who pleaded guilty in relation to a 2023 stabbing.

🩺 The YourHealthNS app—billed as a "one-stop shop" for accessing health records and booking appointments—has been most popular among Nova Scotians ages 50 to 80.

👶 A new genetic test means newborns can now be screened for spinal muscular atrophy in a move that aims to provide an earlier diagnosis and access to care sooner for infants with the disorder.

⚖️ A psychiatric assessment of 77-year-old Edmund Joseph Organ—who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife—has determined that he is fit to stand trial.

🏀 The latest attempt at a pro basketball team—the Halifax Hoopers—is coming to Halifax and will play in a league with a dozen US teams in small markets.

💙 Three Dalhousie University student-athletes have organized a fundraiser in honour of a former teammate who was sidelined by cancer with a goal of raising $10K for the QEII’s Patient Assistance Fund.

🚒 A new report from Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency sheds light on what firefighters faced over the nearly three-week operation to put out the Tantallon fire last year—and points out how the urban, structural firefighters didn't have the training, experience or equipment to deal with a wildfire.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Billy Idol Rebel Yell 2024 Tour: Produced by Live Nation Canada, Idol’s show will include a myriad of hits from across his career with a focus on the landmark Rebel Yell album, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Joining Idol is his longtime backing band, including his lead guitarist and collaborator of over 40 years, Steve Stevens. Canadian Walk Of Fame inductees Platinum Blonde will appear as special guests across all stops including Friday’s Halifax show. | Aug 23 | 8:00 pm | $49.50 |

🗓 Rich Aucoin—with DJ sets from Twoo—Live at the Shore Club: Come see Rich Aucoin for his Penultimate Parachute Party Tour! The parachute and interactive show is retiring in 2025 so this is your second-final chance to see Rich's famed multi-media crowd-karaoke sing-along dance-party. This year's show is called New Nostalgia. Perhaps marking the end of the reboot/remake era, the show celebrates nostalgia while at the same time pleading that we need to make new things or we'll just be in an unending cycle of the same. | Aug 23 | 8pm | $20

🗓 Halifax Wanderers Home Game: Come cheer on the home team as the Wanderers take on Atlético Ottawa, Saturday at the Wanderers Grounds. | Aug 24 | 3pm | From $29

🗓Field Trip to Still Dancing at Ship's Company Theatre: Hit the road to see some theatre! Travel in style in a comfortable passenger bus with wifi and air conditioning. There will be stops along the way so you can enjoy some scenery and snacks, art and animals and, of course—lunch! All of this will culminate in the main event: a matinee performance of Still Dancing at Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro. | Aug 24 | 9am | $95

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️ The NYK Nebula arrives in Halifax from Antwerp at 12:20am.

➡️ The One Cygnus container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 3am.

🛳️➡️ The Morning Prosperity vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Southampton at 5:55am and leaves for New York at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The Contship Leo container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:50am and leaves for Kingston at 10pm.

🛳️ The Zuiderdam cruise ship arrives in Halifax from Canadian seas at 8am.

🛳️ The Silver Shadow cruise ship arrives in Halifax from Canadian seas at 8am.

🛳️ The Nolhan Ava cargo ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 12:15pm.

🛳️➡️ The Grande Senegal vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Savona at 3:55pm and leaves for Baltimore at 11pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥖 Get that Parisian feeling with the Coquilles Saint-Jacques at Café Lunette: tender scallops, creamy mushroom duxelles and a touch of Gruyère.

🌮 Experience the fresh flavours of summer at a Frite with the Fish Taco Trio: battered local haddock, soft tortilla, romaine, cilantro lime aioli, tomato, red onion.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏫 The first day of school is fast approaching for students and educators alike. This is why the union representing 5,000 school support workers essential to everyday learning—the Canadian Union of Public Employees—is demanding action from the provincial government to make their workplaces safe to return to. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has more on what CUPE says the province needs to do to make support workers feel safe returning to school.

🎤 Nova Scotia Music Week is fast approaching, as is the closing date for voting on this year’s awards: this Thursday, Aug. 22. Happening from Nov. 7-10 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia Music Week will see musicians and industry professionals from around the province gather to celebrate all they’ve accomplished over the last year—and there’s a lot to be proud of. While only Music Nova Scotia members can vote for the general categories, everyone is free to vote for the Entertainer of the Year category, so don’t miss out! 

🚔 Police shot and killed three large dogs after the animals attacked a woman in Fairview Tuesday morning—the woman was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

That’s it!

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