🗞️ Beetle off

Morning Halifax,

When I first found out I was finally pregnant after four years of disappointment, I was obviously elated. And the first question that everyone inevitably always asks is: Do you want a boy or a girl?

It brings up all kinds of mixed emotions. My first instinct was…a girl! Obviously! Little boys are kind of gross and they grow up to be men and trying to make a good man sounds really challenging. But then I thought: But being a man is so much easier, and maybe I want to save a little girl from becoming a woman in a world that hates them.

So I turned to a wise friend who said to me “Julie, if you have a boy, you only have to worry about one dick. If you have a girl, you have to worry about all of the dicks in the world.”

Well, damn.

I’ve been thinking about that more and more over the last few days as we all sit in shock about the hockey players that were acquitted of sexually assaulting a young woman because the (female) judge simply didn’t find her “credible”. Of course. This after Hockey Canada seemed to find it valid enough to award her a large settlement and the police felt there was valid evidence to pursue charges (which is insanely rare).

It has been determined in court that these five men knew the victim was drunk; they texted afterwards about getting their stories straight and they also got her to film a video asserting her consent. Have you ever had consensual sex and then been asked to attest on video to that effect? Me neither.

Now I know we all love to throw around the old adage “Innocent until proven guilty”—trust me, I hear you guys loud and proud in the comments. And that would be totally valid if the system weren’t completely rigged in cases of sexual assault.

This brave woman had to withstand 5 days of aggressive testimony; having every aspect of her life choices ripped apart and dissected to prove she was nothing more than a drunk slut. None of the players had to deal with any of that. What if we instead said the woman was “Honest until proven a liar”.

And let’s not get it twisted: False reporting contributes to 1-2% of all sexual assault complaints. So the idea that women just love lying and making accusations in order to ruin the lives of promising young athletes is just a flat out lie that mommies and daddies make up to protect their predator sons.

The system blames the victim, social media blames the victims and I know a lot of you do too. The overwhelming attitude that she deserved it because she slept with one hockey player is victim-blaming to its core because it assumes that because she wanted to have sex with him, she would want to have sex with the other four players. She has clearly stated she did not.

So—to come full circle—I found out that I am having a girl! And I am so excited to meet her. But am I scared of all of the dicks in all of the world? Yes, I am. Especially today.

Love and light 💞

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☀️ 29°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 25°

Next Day: 🌤️ 21°

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

Halifax vintage boutique gives back $4,000 to local causes

Racks of clothing in a vivid rainbow gradient line the walls at Esmé & Evee, the newest vintage boutique tucked into the heart of Halifax’s North End. Located at 2674 Agricola St., the store greets customers with curated vintage treasures dating as far back as 1970, all hand-selected and quality-checked by owner Madeleine Villa.

Villa, a queer Italian-Canadian entrepreneur and longtime sustainable fashion advocate, opened the doors to Esmé & Evee on July 5. With her first month of operations aligning with Pride Month, Villa decided to donate a portion of her profits to local causes. So far she’s donated over $4,000, including a recent $500 donation to the Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia.

“It’s a portion of our profits, but I always say ‘we’ donated this money, because it’s really a community effort,” said Villa. “From day one, giving back has been a core value.”

The Coast’s Warren D’Silva sat down with Villa to get the full scoop on her new vintage boutique and her mission to give back. 

🤔 Need To Know

🪲 Another year calls for another generation of Japanese beetles—experts say the higher numbers in recent years could be due to the warm temperatures.

🏊‍♀️ A popular Halifax-area beach has reopened after testing confirmed blue-green algae levels are within safe limits—Oakfield Beach was closed on July 16 after a suspected algae bloom was observed. 

🏛️ Contract talks between Dalhousie University and the Dal Faculty Association have broken down, kicking off a 14-day countdown to a lockout or strike—one final date of conciliation has been scheduled for Aug. 11, and if no tentative agreement is reached, a strike or lockout could start on Aug. 12.

🚨 Police say a man is facing a number of charges after a pair of hit-and-runs over the weekend—on Sunday afternoon, officers responded to reports of a vehicle involved in two crashes, one in Dartmouth and the other in Halifax.

🧘🏽‍♀️ Free yoga in Victoria Park! Join in every Thursday in July at 12:05 PM. All levels welcome—breathe, stretch, and unwind in nature.*

🍻 The Pint isn’t just another pub — it’s a flavour machine. Bold eats, zero shortcuts, and some of Halifax’s best pub food, fired up and ready.*

🐴 Get your rural on! Introducing the Nova Scotia Backcountry Games! Aug 16 at the Halifax County Exhibition: teams of 4-6 compete for ultimate bragging rights in 7 zany games of rural self-mockery. Hilarity will prevail.*

🏡 Affordable, spacious Bayers Park Apartments! A tucked-away gem steps to shops 🛍️, dining 🍽️, and transit 🚇 and services. Call (902) 707-5241 or book your viewing online at Bayers Park Apartments.*

🌊 Steps from the Halifax Waterfront — enjoy stunning harbour and cityscape views, spacious suites, and convenient in-suite laundry for the ultimate downtown living experience. 👉 Book your viewing at Peninsula Place or call 902-706-8301.*

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🗞️ In Other News

🌬️ Four areas across Nova Scotia will be prepared for offshore wind energy, the first in the country—the four areas are French Bank, Middle Bank, Sable Island Bank (off the mainland) and Sydney Bight (off Cape Breton).

🖼️ Dart Gallery on Portland Street is closing after 12 years in business at the end of July—owner Jane MacDougald says “It’s really been a privilege”.

⚖️ A Nova Scotia man has been sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison—with no chance of parole for 25 years—in the shocking stabbing death of a man inside a downtown Halifax optometry office in 2021.

🎆 Judges have declared Team Nova Scotia the winner of the 2025 Honda Celebration of Light fireworks competition—represented by Fireworks FX, they also took the People’s Choice Award in this year’s event, which was the first all-Canadian showcase in its 35-year history.

⛴️ The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is applauding Ottawa’s move to cut bridge and ferry tolls on the east coast—calling it a relief for Atlantic Canadian businesses.

✈️ Flight attendants at Air Canada began voting on whether to authorize a strike vote as negotiations continue with the carrier—according to the union representing 10,000 flight attendants on Monday.

🏠 There’s been a surge in the number of Nova Scotians with complex disabilities stuck in temporary housing—the rise in “temporary shelter arrangements” has occurred despite a plan by the province to decrease their use over the past two years.

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Crankworx Summer Series comes to Sugarloaf​

If you’re hoping to inject your summer with some high-energy thrills, then plan a road trip to New Brunswick for the Adrenaline Bike Festival, August 22–24. This epic mountain bike event includes gravity runs, wild jumps, pump tracks, live tunes, and more. Find the perfect place to stay.​

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Live your best life at The Paramount Apartments

The Paramount offers expansive suites rare for downtown with sleek finishes and panoramic views of the cityscape. Overlooking Halifax’s Public Gardens, and conveniently connected by path to Park Lane mall, it’s a place where everything you need is within reach.

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Call 902-707-0319 or visit The Paramount Apartments to book your viewing today.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Death from Above 1979 with special guest Customer Service: Get ready for some serious noise this weekend. Canadian rock duo Death from Above is bringing their heavy, dance-punk sound to the Shore Club stage. Known for their relentless live shows and stripped-down style, they hit harder than most full bands. They’ll be joined by special guest Customer Service. | July 31 and Aug. 1 | 9:30pm | $61 |

🗓 LAST CHANCE! Dalhousie Art Gallery Summer Exhibitions Opening Reception: Explore two powerful new exhibitions that interrogate image-making, colour, and visual culture as tools of both disruption and expression. Wavelengths: Colour | Code | Concept, curated by Gallery Director/Curator Pamela Edmonds, draws on the Gallery’s permanent collection to investigate how colour operates as both material and message within abstraction and conceptual art. In parallel, Broad/Cast: Reclaiming Representation, curated by Geoffrey Webster as the final project of his curatorial internship at the Gallery, brings together lens-based works by artists who challenge and redefine portrayals of Black identity in media and culture. | July 19-31 |

🗓 Yuk Yuks Halifax presents Ty Boissonnault: Ty has brought his high energy style to the JFL Northwest and Southrock festivals, and across the country with his Canada Trips Tour, mixing both quick jokes and storytelling. Kick off August in style at Halifax's original and best home of standup. | Aug. 1-2 | 8pm | $25 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The AS Felicia container ship leaves Halifax for Kingston at 2am.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sky container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 4pm.

➡️ The Algoma Acadian oil tanker leaves Halifax for Saint John at 3pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍋 The croissant of the week at Two If By Sea is Summer Citrus: filled with sweet citrus curd and topped with a light sugar glaze.

🥒 New bakery drop! Say hello to the Pickle Cream Cheese Rolls at Almonak: tangy, creamy and totally addictive. Perfectly paired with their house-made dill caesar.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎤 The Magnetic World Music Festival is giving local artists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform alongside global stars like Dom Dolla and The Kid LAROI as part of its 2025 edition, set to take place from Sept. 26 to 28 in Halifax. For the first time in the festival’s history, organizers are hosting an open contest to select local performers who will earn a slot on the main stage. The contest, which has now been extended, will accept submissions until July 31. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva has more with event organizers about who they’re looking for and how to apply.

🏒 For any readers who don’t live in Canada, you may not be aware of the recent ruling in the Hockey Canada scandal and the subsequent trial. The gist is this: five professional hockey players were found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in a hotel room. In response, I wrote an open letter to my sons about consent and I’m sharing that letter with you—a testimony of what’s in my heart. I hope it helps someone else begin a conversation with their sons about the importance of consent. Read Liz LeClair’s letter at The Coast.

That’s it!

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