🗞️ Breaking burn restrictions will cost you $25,000

Happy Friday Halifax!

Our new reporter Brendyn has a message for you:

When I first moved to Nova Scotia in September 2022, I had several of my Haligonian friends direct me towards The Coast’s daily newsletter, and I’m glad they did.

As a bit of background, I am from a small Newfoundland community with more trees than people. Though I’ve lived in a city or two since then, they were nothing compared to the sprawl of Halifax—and none had a newsletter to help me find my bearings.

That’s where The Coast came in as a vital resource. When it came time to explore, I’d check out the newsletter, see what was happening, and make an effort to get out to it. It also helped me stay on top of the news coming out of Halifax, which is becoming increasingly important during these trying times for the news industry.

After utilizing the newsletter as my way of keeping in touch with the goings-on of Halifax, I’m excited to be reporting for The Coast, the number-one way to keep up to date with news, events, and arts happening in the city.

If you’re just as excited as I am about Halifax, consider becoming a Coast Insider so we can continue to tell the stories that matter most to you.

Take care and have a great day!

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 20°

Tomorrow: ☁️ 16°

Next Day: 🌧️ 14°

7-day forecast

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

NEWS + OPINION

Halifax to consider reparations to African Nova Scotians

On Thursday, Halifax’s Community Planning and Economic Development committee met to hear two presentations and an update on Halifax’s municipal playing field strategy.  

The first presentation was from New Roots which is an African Nova Scotian land trust in Halifax’s North End. In his presentation to council, Treno Morton, New Roots’ community engagement coordinator, reminded the committee about Halifax’s strategy of urban renewal.

The non-profit New Roots land trust wants to use the block of Cogswell as a bulwark to prevent the continued displacement of the African Nova Scotian communities from Halifax’s North End. Their vision for the block is high-density housing, including affordable housing, community spaces and commercial space for African Nova Scotian businesses.

The second presentation was an update on the HRM’s new municipal playing field strategy. Last April, when council first implemented this plan, most councillors had some questions about their local fields. They were reassured by Chief Administrative Officer Cathie O’Toole this strategic plan is designed to address all of their concerns.

The Coast’s Matt Stickland has everything you need to know about both presentations to the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development committee.

🤔 Need To Know

🔥 The fine for violating daily burn restrictions this summer will be $25K. The province’s announcement comes a year after wildfires swept through parts of N.S.

🚨 Police and family are asking for help in the search for a man who went missing from the QEII hospital. Steve Corkum is white, 5’9″ tall and 190 lbs with thinning dark hair and dark brown eyes.

🍻 A cheeky summer brew, Georgia Peach by Garrison Brewing is now available in 6-packs! Order online, visit their taprooms or your local NSLC.*

🎟️ Feed Nova Scotia's 50/50 is back! Buy tickets before June 12 and you'll be helping to support food-insecure households across Nova Scotia this spring.*

🗣️ Have your say! You’re invited to participate in public engagement to share your feedback on the future land use policies in the Cogswell District neighbourhood.*

*Sponsored Post

EDUCATION

Dal and MSVU “Students for the Liberation of Palestine” release demands Thursday on encampment, renamed “Al Zeitoun university”

Students from Dal and MSVU have released their own calls for divestment and disclosure Thursday, joining the student-led coalition with colleagues at King’s, SMU and NSCAD who have been camping on Dal’s front lawn since Friday, May 10. They are calling for “Ceasefire Now,” “Free Palestine,” and to “Stop The War Machine.”

On Wednesday, May 15, Dal’s own student group, named Dalhousie Palestinian Society, published a list of demands to the university administration. Their demands echo calls from the other three original Halifax universities–NSCAD, SMU and King’s–who made similar calls last week. All four schools formed a coalition of students when the encampment opened last Friday. 

The Dal group has published their demands on Instagram. The post opens with: “In the wake of over 8 months of ongoing genocide, silence is not an option. Dalhousie University, it’s time to acknowledge the urgency of this moment and take decisive action…”

MSVU soon followed suit, posting Thursday May 16, a list of three demands to their university president, Joël Dickinson, to “Disclose investment,” “Divest immediately from any groups that fall under the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions–BDS–list,” and “Reinvest in scholarships for Palestinians, institutions, hospitals, and housing in Palestine.”

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has more on this developing story.

🗞️ In Other News

🏫 A run-off election is needed to find the new NSTU president. Peter Day and Shawn Hanifen will now be the only candidates on a second ballot.

⛪ Two prominent Catholic churches in Halifax—Saint Theresa's on North St. and Saint Patrick’s on Brunswick St.—are closing for good. Finances, attendance, pastoral capacity, proximity to other churches and structural concerns all factored into the decision.

🚙 Uber and Uber Eats are expanding across HRM to add more regions to its services.

⚖️ After months of postponements and delays, the case of Aaron Daniel Crawley is going straight to trial. Crawley is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his longtime partner, Hollie Marie Boland. 

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Alkali Collective presents FOLIAGE: Join Alkali Collective—a new and dynamic ensemble dedicated to the creation, performance, documentation, and educational outreach of 21st-century music—for an evening of Canadian contemporary chamber music featuring a world premiere from Julia Mermelstein. | May 18 | $20

🗓 East Coast Cider Festival: Grab a glass and come enjoy a 2-session cider tasting extravaganza where cider lovers get 3 hours to taste the fruits of the labour of 21 cider makers from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. | May 18 | $49.50

🗓 Taste Asia 2024: Halifax’s Asian food festival offers a platform for businesses to showcase their food, products and services, interact with customers and build valuable connections within the community. | May 17-20

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The Supreme Ace vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Emden at 6:10am and leaves for Baltimore at 12pm.

🛳️➡️ The Silver Arctic container ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 7:15am and leaves for St. Pierre at 6pm.

🛳️➡️ The MSC Meraviglia cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 10am and leaves for Canadian seas at 8pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍜 Get fresh at Tart and Soul Cafe with a signature noodle bowl: cold rice noodles, veggie medley, herbs, tofu or chicken all dressed up with mango vinaigrette. 

🍸 Don’t know how to choose just one cocktail? Barrington Steakhouse has you covered with its Jazzy Flight: three unique espresso martinis with rotating liquor features and flavour combinations.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🧒 On Wednesday the Public Accounts Committee met to discuss the auditor general’s recent report released May 7, called the Health, Safety and Well-Being of Children Placed in Temporary Emergency Arrangements and Child and Youth Care Homes. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has the key takeaways from the meeting.

🎮 A Winnipeg-based artist has captured Halifax in a whole new light—all thanks to a toy from 1998. David Bosc shoots all of his photographs with a Game Boy Camera, an accessory for the Game Boy line of portable game systems. Learn more about Bosc’s unique brand of travel photography.

🏠 Residents of an independent senior living facility in Halifax’s North End are feeling unsafe and want action from the province. Complaints range from non-residents roaming the halls late at night to unhoused people sleeping in the common areas.

🚢 Halifax police  believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the “Titanic” movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.

That’s it!

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