Morning, Halifax 👋

I’m writing this intro with tears streaming down my cheeks.

A few minutes before I sat down to write this, I was scrolling through Instagram, looking for something to be upset about. Instead, I was greeted with what will certainly be one of the greatest surprises of my lifetime.

One of my favourite bands of all time will be returning to touring in 2026. That band is Rush.

I fell in love with Rush during my high school days, back when I thought modern music sucked and artists had it all figured out in the 1970s (they didn’t—-they just smoked a lot of hash).

I started buying whatever Rush vinyls I could get my hands on. I tore a hole out of the steering wheel of my car drumming along to Moving Pictures. I tried to learn Alex Lifeson’s solos on guitar—a task I’ve never accomplished.

Even then, I figured I would never have the chance to see them live. By the time I got into Rush, they had just finished up touring—this was back in 2015. In 2020, while I was in university, news broke that Neil Peart, one of the greatest drummers in the world and a lyricist who had touched the hearts of many, had passed away of brain cancer—a devastating loss for music fans across the globe.

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I thought I would never get a chance to see Rush live, and I had accepted that. However, seeing Geddy Lee and Lifeson announce their comeback in what felt like such a human way—speaking on how much they missed playing together, and how they could honour their friend through this tour—hit me like a truck. I have signed up to hopefully claim tickets for their Toronto show. Wish me luck.

If you’re a Rush fan, reach out and let me know your favourite album. I won’t be mad if it’s Roll The Bones—at least, not today.

Take care out there, folks.

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☀️ 25°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 22°

Next Day: 🌤️ 10°

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.

OPINION

Nova Scotia Is ‘Making It Happen’ on Everything but NDAs

I recently returned from a trip to the United Kingdom, where I had the opportunity to spend time with my friend — and someone I deeply admire — Zelda Perkins.

If Zelda’s name feels familiar, it’s because she was one of the major catalysts of the #MeToo movement. She was among the first former employees of Miramax to break her non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Harvey Weinstein. Zelda’s NDA, like many signed by Weinstein’s employees, was egregious — it barred her from speaking to the police, her family, a therapist, or anyone about what she witnessed, except her lawyer and financial advisor.

You may have seen the film She Said, and remember the scene where actress Samantha
Morton (playing Zelda) hands a copy of that infamous NDA to the New York Times reporters.

I cannot understate the importance of this moment, and the risk she took, to break her silence.
Like many people in 2017, I watched in horror — and, truthfully, with deep admiration — as Zelda and so many other women risked everything to hold Weinstein accountable. What followed was something the world had never seen before. The #MeToo movement began.

Women everywhere began to find the courage to speak out about their own experiences of abuse, harassment, and assault in the workplace.

Opinion writer and gender-based violence activist Liz LeClair asks a big question in this opinion piece: if other parts of the world can legislate against the use of NDAs, why can’t Nova Scotia?

🤔 Need To Know

🏠 A renter interest report lists Halifax as the fifth-most in-demand city for renters across Canada—the report from RentCafe highlights a 158% year-over-year increase in listings added to favourites in the Halifax region.

🏛️ The province is overriding the city’s municipal planning with new orders to build housing—they have designated the entire HRM as an interim planning area, meaning there are minimum planning requirements that would take immediate effect.

🚔 Halifax officers were cleared in the death of a man in February—officers tasered a man having a mental health crises who went into cardiac arrest after being cuffed.

🎭 TAG Presents a side-splitting comedy about a 1968 Tupperware party that goes awry!  You may never look at plastic containers the same way again!  Sealed for Freshness closes October 11th.*

🍿Head Downtown this Thursday, October 9, for a FREE movie on the Hallifax Waterfront hosted by Downtown Hali Hangouts! Enjoy popcorn and a flick under the stars.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY CANADIAN MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION AT PIER 21

Calling Halifax food lovers!

Experience eat make share exhibition and taste what’s cooking for this year’s Devour! Montréal All Stars Food Film Fest at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. 🎉

·  Poutine, reimagined – local and cultural chefs put their spin on Canada’s comfort food classic with globally inspired toppings. Featuring bites from Shivani’s Kitchen, and Top Chef contender Chef Stephane Levac.

·  Bagel bites, Montréal-style – sample delicious twists on a culinary icon from Montréal-style Bagel and Xena’s Bread and Butter.

Join for a night of flavour + culture as you preview Devour!’s 15th Anniversary Montréal All Stars theme on Oct 9, 2025.

🗞️ In Other News

🔥 Municipal officials are asking residents and onlookers to stay away from the evacuation zone in Kings County as the Lake George wildfire remains out of control—people have reportedly been driving into the zones on ATV.

🦅 A wildlife resource centre is asking fishers to catch and donate invasive fish species to feed their eagles—the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is looking for more chain pickerel.

✈️ A flight leaving Halifax for London, England, had to turn back around 30 minutes after take-off due to a bird strike—the plane landed safely with 156 people on board.

SPONSORED BY CRAFT NOVA SCOTIA

Holding on to human contact through art

Hands On by Mengnan Qu invites us to reflect on gestures, objects, and contact as vessels of intimacy and strength. Using enamel, silk, and sculptural forms, Qu reveals how the simplest human touch holds meaning. Visit the Mary E. Black Gallery, on now through Oct 26. Free admission. Learn more here.

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX REGIONAL FIRE & EMERGENCY

This Fire Prevention Week, learn more about lithium-ion battery safety.

Charge up for Fire Prevention Week, October 5 through 11. This year’s theme focuses on lithium-ion battery safety in the home. Learn more about lithium-ion battery safety and enter one of our contests for children and adults for a chance to win some exciting prizes!

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Tuesday Night Jazz at The Shoe: Join us 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. 7 | 7:00PM|

🗓 Garrett Mason at Bearly’s: Come see one of Nova Scotia’s greatest guitar players at Bearly’s House of Blues every Tuesday night. | Oct. 7 | 8:30PM |

🗓 Bluenose Ghosts Festival Haunted House: The Bluenose Ghosts Festival is an annual immersive Halloween festival held at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It’s a living tribute to the folkloric work of Dr. Helen Creighton, whose book Bluenose Ghosts (first published in 1957) collected supernatural and ghost stories across Nova Scotia. | Oct. 4-31 | 6:30PM | Free-$15 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

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

🚢➡️ The MSC Rita V container vessel arrives in Halifax from Sines at 7:45am and departs for Montreal at 11pm.

🚢 The Felixstowe container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 10:50am.

🚢➡️ The MS Europa cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 11am and departs for Canadian Seas at 10pm.

🚢➡️ The MSC Floriana VI container vessel arrives in Halifax from Mundra at 12:15pm and departs for New York at 5pm.

➡️ The Morning Lily cargo ship departs Halifax for Ulsan at 1pm.

➡️ The MSC Santhya container vessel departs Halifax for Malaga at 4pm.

➡️ The CSL Tacoma bulk carrier departs Halifax for Wilmington, NC at 6pm.

➡️ The CMA CGM Panama container vessel departs Halifax for New York at 8pm.

🚢 The Algoma Acadian oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at at 10:40pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥂 Enjoy a glass of Lake City Cider’s pumpkin spice cider while it lasts. Made in a small batch and available only in their taproom.

🍗 You’ll want to check out Mo Gato’s signature sandwich, a chicken cutlet burger (called a catless poulet in Mauritius). Chicken cutlets marinated with a secret Mauritian spice blend, mixed with fresh herbs and fried golden. Served with cheese, lettuce, and your choice of pineapple. You can even add chilli paste sauce.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎶 The Nowadays Festival has a proven track record of bringing great artists to venues throughout Dartmouth, and now in their third year, there’s no sign of the annual festival slowing down. From Oct. 9 to 11, local and international talent alike will play shows at four fantastic venues: the Buffalo Club, Mic Mac AAC, Morley’s Cafe, and the Sanctuary Arts Centre. Names include Polaris Music Prize-winning folk band The Weather Station and singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield, American avant-garde guitarist Hayden Pedigo, Toronto’s Weird Nightmare and Philadelphia’s Sheer Mag. Local acts include idialedyournumber, Century Samuel, Dark for Dark, Jennah Barry, Sam Wilson, Teleri and many more. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with Nowadays artistic director Andrew Neville about the Dartmouth-based festival.

📭 The Canada Post strike is affecting tax notices and healthcare appointments—a representative for Nova Scotia Health is recommending patients to reach out to their primary care provider regarding referrals.

🏛️ The provincial legislature’s fall sitting is over after only eight days—the government pushed to end the session that opposition says was done to stifle dissent.

That’s it!

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