Good morning, Halifax!

Hope you’re all doing well despite the storm.

There’s plenty going on right now politically that I can only imagine is not great. I’m writing this intro late Monday afternoon, before the provincial budget is set to announced in the legislature, and while I don’t know any of the specifics just yet, it’s safe to say this is going to be a rough one. They’ve already made sudden cuts to tourism—an industry incredibly important to the province—so I’m betting everything but energy will be on the chopping block, but we’ll see what happens.

Municipal politics aren’t much better. Mayor Fillmore put up a motion to make a bunch of staffing cuts that got shot down, all the while landlord groups are pressuring politicians to cut municipal staff and services rather than see a tax rate increase—one that they will need to tank eventually, unless austerity magically fixes everything. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

Although everything politically is looking rather bleak, keep your head up. Keep complaining, arguing, and pressuring the people in power to enact changes that benefit the many, not the few.

Best,

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

Today: 🌨️ 0°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ -3°

Next Day: 🌤️ 3°

7-day forecast

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

Last week, we asked our readers about potential cuts to Halifax’s plans to develop a AAA bikeway network.

The proposed networks consisted of 57 kilometres of connected bikeways—protected bike lanes, multi-use pathways, and local street bikeways—meant for use by folks of all ages and abilities (hence the term AAA).

Parts of this network are already complete and AAA-compliant. Others are still under construction, in the design stages, or have yet to be fully planned. HRM keeps a map of these lanes and what’s been finished, all available on their website. The project was supposed to be complete by 2030.

Unfortunately, the municipality is looking to make cuts to prevent what Mayor Andy Fillmore calls a potential 10 percent tax hike on property owners within HRM. Fillmore, who came after bike lanes back in the summer, once again proposed a motion for staff to look at potential cuts to the AAA bikeway, some of which could leave the network with lanes that are not for all ages and abilities.

For cycling enthusiasts, this defeats part of the purpose of having such a system. Bikes are an alternative for folks who cannot, or would rather not, pay thousands upon thousands for a car and all its associated costs just to be stuck in traffic. If anything, bike lanes reduce congestion by getting fewer vehicles off the roads. Reevaluating these costs could compromise the safety of the network, as potential cuts could see fewer barriers separating cyclists and vehicles. As any cyclist will tell you, paint doesn’t protect anyone.

Halifax is already redesigning two cycling projects in hopes of saving $2 million.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer breaks down the polling results and what our readers have to say on the issue.

🚗 An 81-year-old woman was rushed to hospital after a vehicle collided with her while she was on a marked crosswalk—a 76-year-old driver was ticketed for failing to yield to a pedestrian.

💸 The law firm representing businessman John Risley in his tax battle with the CRA has dropped him over unpaid invoices—Risley is also facing the loss of his investment holdings company due to over $1 billion in debt and a lawsuit from a former business associate.

⚖️ The province denies any responsibility in the stabbing of vice-principal Wayne Rodgers three years ago at a Bedford highschool, who filed a lawsuit against the school board, province and a security guard—the statement of defence filed by the attorney general’s office blames the vice-principal for the stabbing.

Looking for something fun to do this March Break?

This March Break, connect through history at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 located on the Halifax waterfront. FREE admission and programming from March 14th to 22nd! 

Learn through hands-on cooking workshops celebrating cultures from around the world. Discover Canada's immigration story through scavenger hunts, crafts, interactive exhibits and so much more. Trace your own family roots at the Scotiabank Family History Centre. Educational fun for the whole family all without spending a dime. Learn more at pier21.ca.

Free admission and programming are made possible thanks to the generous support of a donor.

⚖️ A social worker has had their registration revoked for allegedly grooming and sexually assaulting a trans youth in Ontario and Nova Scotia—the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers wrote in its decision that revocation was the only appropriate action given the circumstances.

🚨 A 21-year-old man is suffering life-threatening injuries after getting shot in Dartmouth on Sunday evening—police arrested a 30-year-old man in connection, charging him with attempted murder and multiple firearms offences.

👩‍⚕️ A new Atlantic Canadian record has been set by Dartmouth General Hospital—the hospital says it completed eight hip replacements in a single day last Friday.

Not to be missed! Live Art Dance, in partnership with suddenlyLISTEN, presents “Graveyards and Gardens”, a mesmerizing dance piece and concert in one!

Innovative and celebrated choreographer, Vanessa Goodman, joins forces with Pulitzer Prize winning musician, Caroline Shaw, to create an unforgettable evening. Tickets are limited – get yours today!

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

🗓 Dine Around 2026: All of February, stop into specific restaurants across the province for special prix fixe menus for every taste and every budget. | Feb. 1-28 |

🗓 Neptune Theatre presents: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: A dark comedy about a young couple who are drawn into toxic games that climax in a moment of devastating truth telling. | Feb. 24-Mar. 15 | $33+ |

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

🚢➡️ The Oceana container vessel arrives in Halifax from New York at 8:20am and departs for Kingston at 6pm.

➡️ The APL Oregon container vessel departs Halifax for New York at 10am.

➡️ The Federal Hunter bulk carrier departs Halifax for Montreal at 3pm.

Dinosaur Exploration 2 is a sequel to museum's hit 2024 exhibit letting visitors experience the world's favourite dinosaurs.

Visitors will discover the intricacies of an Ankylosaurus’s armour,  the power of Stegosaurus’s tail, and the defense of a Triceratops’s frill.

Dinosaurs Exploration at the Museum of Natural History runs from February 7 until September 7, 2026.

🍄 It’s the final week of 2 Doors Down’s Dine Around menu and they’re offering a special with their Mushroom Toast. Get it with an entree and dessert for $50. Made with Maritime Gourmet mushrooms, garlic cream sauce, pickled shallots, toasted sourdough or gluten-free bread.

🥪 Pair your special Cubano sandwich with a broccoli caesar salad only at Larry’s Sandwiches and Sides in Dartmouth.

🛡️ The federal government announced in Dartmouth on Thursday that it will be investing over $4 million in the development of Nova Scotia’s defence sector in the name of protecting sovereignty and keeping Canada safe. This comes from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Regional Defence Investment Initiative, which will allocate $38 million in defence spending over three years. The feds are funding nine companies in the development of military technologies. These companies include: Sensor Technology Ltd., Mathers Logistics Ltd., Salient Energy Inc., AML Oceanography Ltd., GALAXIA Mission Systems, Marine Thinking Inc., Atlantic Hardchrome Limited., L&M Highland Outfitters Limited, and Leeway Marine. With this funding, announced by federal minister of justice Sean Fraser, the government hopes to see the capacity of these organizations grow as they scale-up and develop new technologies while creating 24 new jobs in Nova Scotia. While most of the funding is repayable, the $50,000 allotted for Atlantic Hardchrome Limited and the $45,000 for Leeway Marine is non-repayable.

🗳️ Premier Tim Houston’s approval is slipping, according to new polling data—while still in the lead, the PC Party lost four points for a total of 48 percent, while the NDP gains two points at 25 percent.

💰 An investment firm owned by Clearwater Seafood’s co-founder John Risley owes more than US$776 million and is facing a change in ownership—this is while a former associate sues the firm for $22 million .

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