🗞️ Best of Halifax 2026: Round Two

Good morning, Halifax 👋

Wonderful readers, please indulge me this morning. I wanted to start off this week with a personal anecdote.

Over the weekend, my dad and step-mom flew out from their home in Gander, Newfoundland to Halifax for my step-sister’s convocation at Mount Saint Vincent—-congratulations Brittany!

As I was writing the newsletter last week, I saw that the Halifax Mooseheads were facing off against the Newfoundland Regiment. Being a proud Newfie myself, my dad and I decided to check out the Friday match-up.

The Newfoundland Regiment only recently became the Newfoundland Regiment. The team has existed in several forms since the founding of the QMJHL, and it’s the first QMJHL team in Newfoundland since the St. John’s Fog Devils left the city in 2008. This was also to be their first game ever against the Mooseheads, which was an exciting prospect.

This was also my first Halifax Mooseheads game, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect of their performance, or their fans.

The game did not go well for Newfoundland. They got trounced as Halifax put on the pressure. The Regiment looked sleepy until they started picking up speed in the second period. They started taking more shots, but never netted any goals. The game ended 2-0 for Halifax. As I write this, I’m learning Halifax also won their second game on Saturday 4-2.

Truthfully, I didn’t expect Newfoundland to win, I just wanted to see a game with my dad. However, in the style of an old-school hockey fan, he jeered the Mooseheads with everything he could muster. Imagine this—a large, dyed-hair, anxiety-riddled freak awkwardly looking away as his short-yet-feisty father attempted to inflame a stadium full of Halifax hockey fans.

Thankfully, Halifax is a cool place with cool people. The fans around us had a good laugh at my dad’s played-up antics. Of course, my dad wasn’t being serious at all. Like most dads, he’s a goofball, and was just having a bit of fun. As was I and everyone else in the stadium, between watching hockey and looking down at the Blue Jays game on our phones. I’m just glad Mooseheads fans recognized it was all in jest and didn’t beat us up afterwards. Much appreciated, Halifax.

Although the Regiment has my support, maybe I’ll check out another Mooseheads game in the future. I forgot how thrilling it was to watch hockey in a stadium.

Have a great day!

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 17°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 17°

Next Day: 🌤️ 16°

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.

BEST OF HALIFAX 2026

Second-round voting begins for Best of Halifax 2026

It’s finally time. Over the past while, our readers have been submitting what they consider to be the best businesses, artists, cultural touchstones and food in Halifax. After counting all the nominations, we’re ready for the second round of voting.

If you’re familiar with how the Best of Halifax has worked in previous years, you know how this works. After tallying all of the votes from the first round, we devise a list of the top seven contenders in each category. This is where you come in. Out of the seven, you will have to choose your absolute favourite of the bunch. You can skip any categories you want, but make sure to get to the end and hit submit—otherwise, your votes won’t count.

Voting for the second round will go from today, Oct. 21, until midnight on Nov. 30. Once the votes are in, we’ll spend some time counting them up, and then we’ll release the winners.

Make sure your voice is heard during our 31st annual Best of Halifax Awards. Get your votes in now!

🤔 Need To Know

🛥️ Two children are dead after a boat overturned on Lake Rossignol in western Nova Scotia on Saturday evening—the incident also injured a 45-year-old Fall River man and a third child.

🔍 The RCMP has released new information on the disappearance of two Pictou County children—witnesses say they heard a vehicle going back and forth a few hours before Jack and Lily Sullivan went missing.

🚒 A woman has been charged after stealing a fire truck—while responding to a call Monday morning, the woman allegedly got in the vehicle and drove away.

🖼️ Mayworks presents No Dominion/No Domain, where Eva Grant and Curtis Botham trace land, life, labour, and pathways across speculative Indigenous architectures and industrial landscapes.*

💰 Registered non-profits and charities serving African Nova Scotians/African descent can apply for funding through the Anti-Black Racism Grants Program. Apply online by Oct. 31, 2025.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Your story matters. Let’s share it.

Your business has a story worth telling, and we want to help share it. Through Business Voice magazine and other Chamber platforms, members gain visibility across the business community. We put your milestones, initiatives, and impact in front of thousands of local leaders. Share your voice. Grow your brand. Join the Chamber today.

🗞️ In Other News

🚨 A 30-year-old man is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a shooting at a homeless encampment in Lower Flinn Park on Sunday—police are investigating the incident.

✈️ A Halifax pilot outlined the Toronto Blue Jays logo with his flight path to celebrate the team’s post-season progress—the trip took two and a half hours, looping from Halifax to the town of Debert.

🚓 An RCMP officer investigated by the province’s police watchdog for the alleged domestic assault of a child will not be charged—the Serious Incident Response Team interviewed the child, their mother and their sibling during the investigation.

SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN DARTMOUTH BUSINESS COMMISSION

Downtown Dartmouth Food Crawl

The Downtown Dartmouth Fall Food Crawl is back Thursday, October 23 from 5:30pm-8pm (or sell-out). Check out the incredible food scene through this self-guided, walking food sampling tour.

It’s delicious, fun, and a great way to celebrate Small Business Week! Head downtown early before your favourites sell out.

SPONSORED BY NOCTURNE HALIFAX

Thank you for making Nocturne: Ground a success!

Nocturne Ground has been a great success. Thank you to the incredible sponsors, partners, artists, volunteers, and attendees that made it happen; Nocturne wouldn't have been possible without your support.

We welcome any feedback using THIS FORM. Those who provide feedback will be entered to win a Nocturne Prize Pack!

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Neptune Theatre: How the Other Half Loves: Follow the lives of three married couples whose lives are hopelessly entwined through affairs, secrecy, job promotions and dinner parties ending in disaster. Written by Alan Ayckbourn, How the Other Half Loves is a Thousand Island Playhouse production, directed by Jeremy Webb. | Oct. 21-Nov. 16 | 7:30PM | From $33.00 |

🗓 Tuesday Night Jazz at The Shoe: Join The Shoe every Tuesday night for three sets of live jazz featuring Leo Cox (Bass), Dante Kierstead (Drums), and Ben Tucker (Guitar). Happy hour is from 4pm-7pm. | Oct. 21 | 7:00PM |

🗓 Extreme Schubert, Extreme Liszt - The Music Room Chamber Players Series: Pianist Peter Allen takes on two challenging 19th century piano sonatas: Schubert’s final sonata, and Liszt’s ground-breaking, single-movement epic. Performed at the Joseph Strung Concert Hall. | Oct. 22 | 7:30PM | From $20.00 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Algoberta oil tanker departs Halifax for St. Romuald-d'Etchemin at 5am.

🚢➡️ The Traviata vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Southampton at 5:55am and departs for New York at 3:30pm.

➡️ The Tropic Hope container vessel departs Halifax for West Palm Beach at 6am.

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Getaway cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 7am and departs for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🚢➡️ The Silver Shadow cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8am and departs for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Brilliance of the Seas cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8am and departs for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Gem cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8:30am and departs for Canadian seas at 5pm.

➡️ The BBC Rheiderland cargo vessel departs Halifax for New Orleans at 10am.

➡️ The Atlantic Fir tug departs Halifax for Saint John at 10:30am.

🚢 The Box Endurance container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 10:50am.

🚢➡️ The Azamara Quest cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 10:55am and departs for Canadian seas at 10pm.

🚢 The Torm Dagmar tanker arrives in Halifax from Antwerp at 1:15pm.

🚢➡️ The Lake Victoria vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Antwerp at 2:25pm and departs for Baltimore at 7pm.

➡️ The Ramanda oil tanker departs Halifax for the United States at 3pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍪 Check out Crooki Cafe for all your cravings. Try their lotus biscoff cookie, strawberry matcha and signature chicken wrap.

🍬 The Bramptom Cash and Carry in Bedford has a full supply of sweet Indian treats, from desi mithai to festival essentials.

👀 In Case You Missed It

📖 If you go visit Mabou, Nova Scotia, on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, you’ll be told exactly who came from the 1,500-person town. “There’s a sign when you come into the village that says, ‘Welcome to Mabou, home of the Rankin Family,’ ” cartoonist Kate Beaton says to the Straight over a video call. The Rankins, the 12-sibling family famous for their Celtic and folk music, have won six Juno Awards. But they may have reason to worry about their status as Mabou’s most famous progeny. When Beaton won the national competition Canada Reads in 2023 for her graphic novel Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands—still the first and only time a graphic novel has pulled off the feat—she garnered widespread attention, both in the country and in her hometown. Nathan Caddell from our sister publication The Georgia Straight speaks with Beaton about her graphic novel and her upcoming appearance at Vancouver Writers Fest.

🔥 A 23-year-old man was handed a $25,000 fine for causing the Barrington Lake wildfire after lighting a tire on fire while drinking with friends on May 25, 2023—Dalton Stewart must complete an educational training course on wildfire prevention.

🏛️ The Nova Scotia government has removed the ability for constituents to file complaints regarding their municipal politicians—the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities says municipalities had received many complaints since the program opened last year.

That’s it!

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