🗞️ Bendy bureaucracy

Good morning,

Picture it: Halifax, 1995…

@andrew_inhisbeanie

“Picture it, Sicily 1912…” #fypシ゚viral #TheGoldenGirls #Comedy #Lmao #EstelleGetty #FYPシ #GoldenGirls #ThankYouForBeingAFriend #FYYY

Batman Forever was raking in money at the box office, Gangsta’s Paradise was skipping on a hot new invention called a CD, Quebec was very close to peace-ing right out of Canada, and we were all just excited to order both sweet and sour chicken balls and cheese ravioli at Alfredo, Weinstein and Ho—a restaurant that now, like most things in the ’90s, seems a lot like cultural appropriation.

It was a simpler time when a fledgling newspaper called The Coast launched its first ever Best of Halifax readers choice awards. That’s right, Best of Halifax turned 30 this year! Basically, if Best of Halifax were a person, they’d be starting to seriously regret their English lit degree and choice of life partner.

By now you’ve probably seen the full list of winners from this 2024 edition, but in case you missed anything, here it is 👇

Thank you all for turning out (metaphorically) in droves to vote for your favourite people, places and things and congratulations to all of the winners! 

You are all doing great out there!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 6°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ -1°

Next Day: 🌨️ 0°

7-day forecast

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

ARTS + CULTURE

12 books by Halifax authors for your end-of-2024 reading list

What do you get when you mix a celebrity jewel thief with the Halifax Explosion, and then throw in a few tales of family secrets, Haligonian oddities and bike-bound hijinks? Well, you end up with this: The Coast’s end-of-year list of the best books written by local authors in 2024.

Last year’s Nova Scotia book roundup went so well, we had to double it from six books to a dozen. (And draw the boundaries around Halifax, for good measure.) This year’s reading list includes 12 offerings ranging from heartfelt memoirs to short-story collections to red herring-filled whodunits.

The Coast team has you covered with all the best local books you need to read from this year.

🤔 Need To Know

⛸️ The Emera Oval is officially open for skaters this winter.

⛄ Nova Scotians are looking at possible “significant snowfall” on the busy travel weekend ahead of Christmas—Environment Canada has put out a special weather statement covering the entire province, except Cape Breton.

😢 An iconic ship—Theodore Tugboat—that was a fixture in Halifax Harbour for 21 years has partially sunk in Ontario.

🎁 Still have a few names left on your list? Let the Downtown Halifax Holiday Gift Guide help you find thoughtful, local gifts to finish your holiday shopping.*

🧑‍🏫 Interested in learning French? Check out the wide range of courses at Université Sainte-Anne (online or in person)!*

📰 Reserve your Globe and Mail holiday crossword issue, out December 21! Call 902-429-5468 to order your copy of this holiday tradition, or visit the website.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY THE BARRINGTON STEAKHOUSE & OYSTER BAR

Celebrate in style at The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar

Celebrate in style by hosting your next private gathering at The Barrington. Treat your guests to a refined atmosphere in downtown Halifax, with impeccable service tailored to your exact needs.

Host up to 200 when you book the entire restaurant space, or plan a private party up to 100 in the Oyster Bar. For smaller gatherings, consider one of the private rooms which can host up to 20 guests.

Custom menus, wine pairings, presentation equipment, live entertainment, private bar service, and more will help put the finishing touches on your event. They will take care of every little detail, so you can enjoy the big moments.

For bookings, email or call 902-407-5001.

CITY

A backyard suite approval spells promise for Halifax’s future

Blink and you’d have missed it, but a routine community council vote—passed with little fanfare—might be heralding a new era of bureaucratic nimbleness. It happened at the Halifax and West Community Council meeting on Dec. 16.

The Coast’s Matt Stickland has more on a decision that could usher in a new era of bureaucratic flexibility in HRM.

🗞️ In Other News

💸 The province wants to change the way the salaries and benefits of Nova Scotia MLAs are determined—Tim Houston calls the current legislated obligation, which names a panel to review compensation, "a very political process."

🇨🇦 CTV news anchor Steve Murphy and Cape Breton singer Heather Rankin—along with two other Maritimers— have been appointed to the Order of Canada, which celebrates citizens who have made extraordinary and lasting contributions to their communities.

🏢 A Halifax man says he’s without a place to live after returning home from work to find his belongings thrown out of his apartment—while Nova Scotia’s tenancy board said he has a right to stay, the man can no longer access the unit due to ongoing renovations.

⚖️ A judge in Kentville heard arguments from prosecution and defence lawyers about whether a 75-year-old offender should be sent to prison for sex crimes committed about 50 years earlier when he allegedly abused his younger brother.

🎰 Five Mi'kmaw communities in Nova Scotia—Millbrook, Paqtnkek, We'koqoma'q, Glooscap and Annapolis Valley— have come together to enter the world of casino gaming after successfully acquiring four casinos in Alberta.

SPONSORED BY ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA

Last minute gifts at the AGNS Gallery Shop

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s Gallery Shop has all of your last-minute gift needs. From one-of-a-kind jewellery, art prints, everything Maud and more, the Gallery Shop has something everyone on your list will love. The Gallery Shop is open from 10am to 5pm today through Sunday, and until 2pm on Tuesday.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Glow Garden: An enchanting light festival featuring dazzling displays, food, entertainment, inflatables, games, and unforgettable holiday experiences for all ages. Wander through a sea of giant ornaments, magical trees, and shimmering lights as you take in this spectacular indoor light festival. | Nov. 20-Jan. 1 | $26

🗓 The Passive Aggressive Comedy Tour: Rebecca Reeds, Tamara Shevon and Monica Gross are on tour and stopping by Halifax to sling jokes and give you a show full of top tier comedy, wit and very little grace. Come to a comedy show where likeminded perpetually passive aggressive people can come together and laugh. | Dec. 20 | 7pm | $25

🗓 Super Secret Santa Mission: Are you ready for an exciting in-person event that will challenge your problem-solving skills and teamwork abilities? Join us in saving Christmas in a day filled with thrilling puzzles, riddles, and clues that will test your wits and creativity. Gather your friends, family, or colleagues and embark on an adventure like no other. Can you beat the clock and save Christmas before it's too late?| Dec. 21-22 | 10am | $66

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Atlantic Sail container ship leaves Halifax for Liverpool at 1:30am.

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

➡️ The NYK Remus container ship leaves Halifax for Southampton at 3am.

🛳️➡️ The MSC Lisa container ship arrives in Halifax from Le Havre at 6:15am and leaves for Montreal at 7pm.

🛳️➡️ The Melina container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 6:20am and leaves for New York at 10pm.

🛳️➡️ The EF Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland at 1:15pm and  leaves Halifax for Argentia at 4pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container ship leaves Halifax for Argentia at 6pm.

🛳️ The UBC Tarragona arrives in Halifax from Charleston at 4:20pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🧁 This week’s menu at Layers Cupcakes has some classic holiday traditions turned into cupcake form: chocolate orange (chocolate caked filled with dark chocolate orange ganache), Nanaimo (chocolate coconut cake filled with custard) and Kinder bueno (chocolate cupcake with hazelnut cream filling).

🍔 Check out the new vegetarian sandwich at Tusket Falls Beer Project: cauliflower and chickpea burger, rolled in panko, flash fried and topped with a roasted garlic and oregano aioli, melted mozzarella, vine ripe tomatoes and arugula.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🧒 A new report card is sounding the alarm on childhood poverty in Nova Scotia. More than two in five Nova Scotian children are living in food-insecure households, according to Statistics Canada—a number that has been “steadily rising” in recent years, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia report warns. As The Coast’s Lauren Phillips writes, the report card’s authors are calling the increase “all the more troubling” given Ottawa’s decades-old pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2024.

🍴 Colin Bebbington is a bubbling pot of stories. Ask him to expound on the subtleties of Bolognese pasta or the kitchens he’s worked in from London to Chicago to Napa, and he’ll happily hold court for long enough to fully, undeniably convince you: The man is obsessed with food. In Tribute, the 34-year-old Halifax chef’s first fine-dining restaurant, that love and attention to detail is everywhere. The Coast’s Martin Bauman speaks with Bebbington about his path from Halifax to Michelin-starred kitchens and back again—and how, with his first solo venture, he’s paying homage to it all.

That’s it!

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