Best of Arts + Culture

Guys! 

Prepare yourselves for the shock of the century… Tim Houston has no plan to deliver on a campaign promise. Can you even?!

If you’re driving across one of the bridges today and find yourself thinking “I wonder when the tolls will be removed like premier Houston promised?” you need to a) evaluate how gullible you are, and then b) accept that it will never happen.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week after MLAs were sworn-in, Houston said he didn’t really have a timeline for the tolls and then told reporters my new favourite line that I will be stealing and using daily for everything: “It’s probably a budget thing.”

Are you going to empty the dishwasher like you promised? That actually sounds like it’s probably a budget thing. Why did you bring the car home with no gas in it? Budget thing, probably. Did you need to buy a $17 salad when we have all the stuff in the fridge to make one? You wouldn’t even understand because it’s probably such a budget thing.

I have to go ahead and insist we all raise a huge red flag whenever we hear a politician use the word “probably.” Actually, that goes for all people; probably means no, okay? There, I said it.

Now, am I coming to your Christmas party? Probably! 🎄

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 11°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 0°

Next Day: ☀️ -3°

7-day forecast

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

BEST OF HALIFAX

Here are your Best of Halifax 2024 winners for Arts + Culture

Fresh off the Canadian release of the film Closer to You, Elliot Page continues to be Halifax’s favourite actor, winning Gold in the Best Film/TV Actor category of the Best of Halifax Awards for the fourth year in a row.

It’s been a productive year for one of Nova Scotia’s greatest actors. Page wrote, produced and starred in Closer To You, a story about a trans man coming back to his hometown. He also reprised his role on the fourth season of Netflix’s comic book adaptation The Umbrella Academy, playing the central protagonist Viktor Hargreeves. On top of winning Gold for his acting, he also won Gold a second year in a row for his book, Pageboy: A Memoir.

Page was far from the only one to win big in our annual readers’ choice awards. Also winning Gold was the Neptune Theatre as the city’s Best Theatre Company. Their 2023-24 season saw Jonathan Torrens’ Neptune debut in The Play That Goes Wrong, as well as Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan (Merry and Pippin from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings) performing in the Tony-award winning, Hamlet-based tragicomedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. The Neptune’s current lineup, consisting of Disney’s Frozen and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, shows that Halifax’s Best Theatre Company earns its recognition. This is Neptune’s seventh Gold medal in this category.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer has all of your Arts + Culture Winners for Best of Halifax 2024.

Want early access to all the Best of Halifax winners, including the long-awaited Food + Drink category? Become a Coast Insider today, and you’ll be the first in the city to know.

🤔 Need To Know

📮Canada Post and the union representing postal workers are in a war of words as a national strike is on its 27th day—Canada Post says the union’s new demands are unaffordable and unsustainable, while the union pushed back, giving a list of proposals it said are meant to bring the two parties closer together.

❄️ Neptune Theatre's production of Disney's Frozen is magnificent! Packed with thrilling surprises, hilarious characters, and unforgettable songs. Extended to January 19, 2025! Tickets start at $40.*

🏦 The Bank of Canada lowered its key interest rate by half a percentage point on Wednesday, but signalled a slower pace of rate cuts moving forward—the decision marked the fifth consecutive reduction since June and brings the central bank’s key rate down to 3.25%.

🥘 "Besharam" means shameless. This reflects Besharam Bar & Grill's bold, experimental approach to Indian cuisine and service. Their ambiance is contagious, inspiring guests to embrace boldness and celebrate life unapologetically.*

🥫 The executive director of Feed Nova Scotia says the charity is struggling to keep up with the demand amid “unprecedented” food insecurity—the food bank has seen a 68% increase in need since 2021.

🧑‍🌾 We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in our our annual Nova Scotia Food & Farming Survey closing December 31st, at midnight. Enter to win a two-night farmhouse getaway.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITÉ SAINTE-ANNE

Learn French with Université Sainte-Anne

Université Sainte-Anne, with a long history as a major contributor to French language education in Nova Scotia, offers numerous courses. If you are interested in learning French, whether for work or leisure, looking to elevate your skills, or to establish proficiency, we can help!

Our programs, specifically designed for adult learners, are offered multiple times per year and vary in duration.

With the choice between online and in-person learning, whether it is part-time or full-time study, in a group setting or one-on-one, you will be able to find the right program for you and your goals.

Find the right course for you here!

ARTS + CULTURE

Catch 57 artists and 100 works at the latest Dal Art Gallery show

Whether it’s shaking up the brain between exams or seeking depths of inspiration as the winter solstice approaches, the Dalhousie Art Gallery’s latest show has you covered. 

The 69th student, staff, faculty and alumni exhibition showcases the breadth of artistic talent within the Dal and the University of King’s College communities. The show, which opened Nov 29 and runs until Dec 22, features 57 participating artists and 100 artworks, including painting, photography, sculpture, video installations, textiles and more. 

The Coast’s Lauren Phillips spoke with Pamela Edmonds—director and curator of the show—about this annual tradition.

🗞️ In Other News

💸 After moving to block a recommended pay raise in 2022, Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston now appears open to increased salaries for members of the legislature.

📱 Meta users experienced a widespread outage yesterday, including the failure of applications like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Facebook Messenger—according to third-party website Downdetector.com.

🧾 The provincial government has made the first move toward lowering the harmonized sales tax—finance minister Timothy Halman introduced a motion on Tuesday to reduce the provincial portion of HST 1%.

🧒 A new report paints a bleak picture of the working conditions for social workers in Nova Scotia's child welfare system—exposing a litany of complaints from social workers who say they are struggling with excessive caseloads, chronic understaffing and insufficient training.

🗳️ Progressive Conservative David Bowlby was confirmed as the winning candidate in the Nova Scotia riding of Annapolis after a nearly five-hour judicial recount—Bowlby unseated Liberal incumbent Carman Kerr, who was elected in 2021.

SPONSORED BY THE BARRINGTON STEAKHOUSE & OYSTER BAR

Whisky Flights at The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar

Introducing Whisky Flights at The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar. Enjoy a series of rotating whisky samplers, each curated around a unique theme.  
 
Three 1/2oz. pours / $35. Available Thursday-Sunday. 

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Evergreen Festival: Evergreen Festival is a four-week-long outdoor winter celebration of Nova Scotian culture, food, spirits, craft, art and memorable experiences. Local retailers, restaurants, hotels, attractions and public spaces throughout the Halifax region will offer holiday light displays and festive programming to celebrate the season. | Nov 22-Dec 15

🗓 Symphony Nova Scotia’s The Nutcracker: When a young girl’s toy comes to life, she’s whisked away to an enchanted world where she meets magical creatures, colourful new friends and the ferocious Mouse Queen. Complete with larger-than-life puppets, spirited dancing and Tchaikovsky’s iconic, hauntingly beautiful music, this tale of magic and wonder is a much-loved interpretation and a delightful holiday adventure for all ages. | Dec 12-15 | 7pm | From $38

🗓 Spontaneity Improv Showcase: Get in on the fun as Spontaneity Improve Company’s group of talented improvisers will be taking the stage and improvising based on your suggestions. | Dec 13 | 7:30pm | $10

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️ The MSC Baltic III container ship arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 5:20am.

🛳️➡️ The Karlskrona container ship arrives in Halifax from Pointe Des Galets at 6:15am and leaves for New York at 5pm.

➡️ The East Coast oil tanker leaves Halifax for Saint John at 9am.

🛳️ The MSC Pamela container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 12:15pm.

🛳️ The One Minato container ship arrives in Halifax from Charleston at 3:15pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍗 A new menu means new wing sauces at The Pint Public House: mango, habanero, mezcal bbq and sriracha lime.

🦀 The Crobster Roll is back at The Canteen for the holidays! Nova Scotia snow crab and lobster, grainy mustard, fresh dill on their toasted long bun.

👀 In Case You Missed It

💜 In 2023, the provincial and federal governments put together a group called the Progress Monitoring Committee, chaired by former Nova Scotia lieutenant-governor Myra Freeman. Recently, Freeman and her PMC released their annual report. Both in the report and at a press conference announcing the report, the PMC said publicly that the province has shown “progress” in implementing gender-based violence prevention programs and support services. The Coast’s Julie Lawrence asked what that progress was and the response was disappointing to say the least.

🍻 If you’ve ever wanted to own a bar, now’s your chance: The Brewery by Quinns is on the market. The Quinpool Road brewpub—right across from Preston Street—is listed for $400,000, boasting a “turn key operation” with a “huge kitchen,” a 750-hectolitre brewery and an “amazing outdoor patio.” The Coast’s Martin Bauman has more on what’s to come for the brewpub, along with its in-house brewery.

💸 The federal government's GST break will arrive this Saturday, just in time for the last stretch of holiday shopping—here's a breakdown of what you'll save on and how the relief works.

That’s it!

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