🗞️ Burgers unlocked

Good morning!

In these trying times, one of my favourite things to do is seek refuge in a movie theatre where Trump can’t get me. But at the last movie I went to, there were so many pre-show commercials that I literally finished my whole bag of popcorn, had to pee, became restless and then asked my partner if we could leave—all before the main event even started.

The ad situation at the movie theatre has gotten out of hand—nobody is going to suddenly become convinced to go to UNB when they’re at a movie, okay?—and if I wasn’t so deeply lazy, I’d do what this guy from India did, which is sue the movie theater chain for showing too many commercials before a film. Truly iconic behaviour 👑

The plaintiff said the film had been scheduled to end at 6:30pm, but it run until nearly 7pm because it was preceded by two public service announcements and 17 commercials. He says that made him miss a scheduled work call and he sought $547 in damages for what he called an "unfair trade practice," as well as $57 for "mental agony" and $115 for legal costs.

He was eventually awarded $230 for his trouble, and the ruling stated “In the new era, time is considered as money…25 to 30 minutes is a considerable amount of time to sit idle in the theatre and watch unnecessary ads.” Preach.

Also, I was today years old when I discovered that you can sue people for “mental agony” and now nobody is safe from my litigation.

Have a great day out there,

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 8°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 7°

Next Day: 🌤️ 2°

7-day forecast

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

FOOD + DRINK

Halifax Burger Bash is back, baby!

It’s about to get real saucy: Halifax’s annual city-wide burger love fest is back for its 13th year, and it’s just four weeks away. For 2025, Halifax Burger Bash—hosted by The Coast—runs April 3-12. This year, there are more than 150 tasty patties on offer at 135 locations across the city. Each burger either comes at a set price of $8 or less, or else participating restaurants donate a portion from each burg to Feed Nova Scotia. In the past 12 years of Burger Bash, you’ve helped raise just shy of $1 million for the provincial food relief nonprofit.

This year’s burger lineup was just released, so you can start planning out your 10-day burger binge now. Check out all the offerings, from bacon jam brie burgers to lamb, halloumi and falafel burgers.

🤔 Need To Know

🦞 There’s lots of anxiety in Nova Scotia’s seafood industry as Canadians come to grips with the Trump trade war—the tariffs came into effect Tuesday, hitting Canadian goods with a 25% import tax.

🪧 Dozens of protesters gathered outside Province House Wednesday afternoon for a “special interests” rally—organizers say the event is to rally against the provincial government’s “attacks” on democratic processes, freedom of the press and environmental regulations, among other topics.

🎟 Feed Nova Scotia’s 50/50 is at the halfway mark and is already at $9,445! Make sure to buy your tickets before it’s too late!*

🚓 Two men in Halifax have died in the span of less than one week after they were Tasered by police—criminologists say the deaths are a reminder that police are rarely the appropriate people to respond to mental health crises, and that conducted-energy weapons can be lethal.

🎭 Live Art Dance presents Kira Arts, Altération. Choreographed by Aly Keita, Altération depicts a humanity that oscillates—between stability and uncertainty, change and resistance, renewal and repetition. Breaking Circus, May 3 and 4.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY COASTAL SPORTS & WELLNESS

CITY HALL

Budget season’s almost done

The bulk of Halifax’s budget season is now in the rearview mirror, as the city closed out its regular season budget debates last week with the city’s Administrative Business Units, Halifax Public Libraries, the Office of the Auditor General and the city’s legal department all presenting their budgets for approval. 

Most of the Libraries budget increase is due to higher staffing costs thanks to a new collective agreement with employees. At the same time, parking revenue is declining at the Central Library’s garage because the city is undercutting that bit of business by making curbside parking too cheap and plentiful in the surrounding Spring Garden Road zone. 

There’s better fiscal news in another area: Due to provincial legislation and bureaucratic initiative, the city’s legal department is saving the city a boatload of money. 

More on the administrative budgets, including an M. Night Shyamalan-style twist, in Coast City Hall reporter Matt Stickland’s report from the last meeting of this year’s budget regular season.

🗞️ In Other News

⚒️ Nova Scotia’s premier is inviting major international developers and investors to do business with the province to advance critical mineral opportunities—Tim Houston attended a mining conference yesterday where he spoke about our critical minerals.

🏗️ The demolition of a colourful row of buildings on Queen and Birmingham Streets in Halifax has begun—the downtown properties housed a number of local businesses over the years, including Woozles Children's Bookstore, the Neighbourhood Witch General Store and Elsie's Consignment Clothing.

🇺🇸 The deeply rooted trading relationship between Atlantic Canada and New England started to unravel Tuesday as US president Don Trump’s tariffs began causing economic harm on both sides of the border.

🚨 Halifax police have charged a 20-year-old man with stunting after he was caught going 156 km/h in a 100 km/h zone near Fall River.

🛢️ The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs is again calling out premier Houston for a lack of consultation as the provincial government pushes a new emphasis on natural resource development.

⚠️ Efficiency Nova Scotia is warning homeowners of contractors and companies wrongly claiming to be affiliated with the organization, and selling heat pump systems with the promise of a rebate that in some cases never materializes.

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🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 A Li’l Affair: Funk Island Lab presents A Li’l Affair—a show to celebrate International Women’s Day and the artists who performed at Lilith Fair, featuring the music of Sarah McLachlan, Lauryn Hill, Sheryl Crow, Tracy Chapman, The Cranberries, Alanis Morissette and more. | March 7 | 6:30pm | $40

🗓 Gerry Dee—”Funny You Should Say That” Canadian Tour: Acclaimed comedian Gerry Dee will embark on a new standup comedy tour across Canada throughout 2025, debuting all-new material full of stories and observations from how he sees the world. | March 7 | 8pm | From $65.50

🗓 International Women's YAY: Come celebrate International Women’s Day with a comedy show at the Bus Stop Theatre. Featuring a superstar lineup of Halifax comedians, including host Kristyn Green (The Coast Best of Halifax 2024 winner), Sara Graham (The Understudies), Stef MacNeil (Halifax Comedy Staple), Catherine Robertson (Halifax Comedy Fest), Kirsten Finch (Just For Laughs Originals) and headliner Luba Magnus (SiriusXM, CBC's LOL). | March 8 | 8pm | $20

🗓 Mini Pop Kids Live—20th Anniversary Celebration Tour: The ultimate family-friendly event features electrifying performances of chart-topping hits from today’s biggest stars like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, plus nostalgic throwbacks that will have the whole family singing and dancing along. | March 8 | 1pm | From $39.99

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The One Aquila container ship leaves Halifax for Singapore at 4:30am.

🚢 The Nolhan Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 7:15am.

🚢 The MSC Ornella container ship arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 11:15am.

🚢➡️ The Vivienne Sheri D container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland, ME at 1:15pm and leaves for Argentia at 4pm.

🚢 The CSL Tarantau bulk carrier arrives in Halifax from Portsmouth at 2:21pm.

🚢 The One Opus container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo, Sri Lanka at 3:45pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🧀 The Lot Six Mac and Cheese is back with a vengeance: cavatappi noodles, three-cheese mornay sauce, herb butter toasted panko, parmesan.

🥔 Rave reviews are flowing in for the new Potato Danish at Total Donut Solutions: roasted potatoes layered with Béchamel sauce and caramelized onions, topped with parmesan cheese.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🔪 Steph Ogilvie has worked in her share of high-end kitchens. The Halifax chef and Top Chef Canada finalist has done pop-up dinners at Montreal’s Ratafia wine bar, cooked at Toronto’s Michelin-recommended GEORGE and joined the kitchen crew at Newfoundland’s famed Fogo Island Inn, where Gwyneth Paltrow and David Letterman have stayed. But none compare to her grandmother Reta’s kitchen. As The Coast’s Martin Bauman reports, that kitchen is the inspiration behind Ogilvie’s latest venture, a fine-dining restaurant bringing Nova Scotian-inspired cuisine to Halifax’s north end.

🎓 A revived piece of provincial legislation affecting universities is being amended in a new omnibus bill, Bill 12. This will change how schools can enter crisis-planning mode. The Coast’s Lauren Phillips traces the roots of the revived legislation, which university workers warned in 2015 would “violate constitutional rights, undermine the independence of universities, and compromise academic freedom,” if enacted. 

That’s it!

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