Good morning!

I’ve been reading this book over the last week or so. It’s about the history of Asian Man Records—highly recommend for anyone interested in DIY punk.

Last night, I read a chapter on the band Alkaline Trio. There was a passage about one of the band members cutting part of his hand and waking up in the middle of the night to a rat gnawing on the wound.

Genuinely terrifying stuff. Didn’t think I’d be reminded of it by a CBC article the next day, but here we are.

Halifax is seemingly getting worse for infestations: cockroaches, mice, rats. While the article doesn’t have a story as harrowing as the one I read in my book, it’s nonetheless a nightmare to deal with critters in your home, multiplying by the day.

For a lot of tenants, dealing with an infestations comes down to three options. One, pay for pest control yourself, which wouldn’t do much if you lived in an apartment building. Two, bicker with your landlord until they call pest control, with the kicker being they may not pay for a second visit to actually fix the problem. Three, ignore it, sometimes out of a hope that your landlord will give in, and sometimes because you can’t afford to deal with it yourself.

This is a roundabout way of saying for the eleventeenth time that we need better enforcement of tenancy rights. It’s cruel that people have to live in poor conditions because the person who owns the property they rent won’t fix the problem. Our tenancy laws continue to have no teeth—unless it’s about landlords evicting tenants—and our government has shown no sign of doing anything about it.

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

Today: 🌤️ 25°

Tomorrow: ☁ 19°

Next Day: 🌧️ 17°

7-day forecast

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

For Donna Howard, helping people has always come first.

Long before she became the face behind Halifax Happy Hours, Howard spent years caring for others as a registered nurse. The profession taught her the importance of connection, community and well-being, which are values that continue to guide her work today.

"I think being a registered nurse, I see the importance for people to get out in the community and be social," Howard says. "Whether it's going to the Saturday morning market or going for a happy hour with some friends or colleagues after work, having that experience and time as an outlet really benefits your health."

The Coast’s Warren D’Silva speaks with Howard about the transition from nursing to social media influencer—and how some of her skills carried over.

⛏️ The federal government is forming an alliance led by the mining industry to determine the best ways to grow the mining workforce—the announcement was made in southwestern Nova Scotia by jobs minister Patty Hajdu.

⚕️ Nova Scotia Health says the province has brought in 278 new doctors over the past year, which includes 111 family doctors—there are still over 60,000 on the need-a-family-practice registry.

🚨 The wife of a Nova Scotian man accused of making AI deepfake material of multiple women is calling on the federal government to pass the Protecting Victims Act—the law would criminalize the practice of sharing deepfakes.

🎭 Eastern Front Theatre's wildly innovative STAGES Theatre Festival of "theatre that doesn't feel like theatre" is on this weekend at Alderney Landing.*

🫂 Still waiting for things to improve on their own? Sometimes progress starts with a conversation, not a breakthrough. Reach out and begin today.*

🍷 Explore Nova Scotia wine country with guided tours departing daily from Halifax and Wolfville. Transportation, tastings, and curated culinary experiences included. Relax and enjoy the Annapolis Valley.*

*Sponsored Post

Enjoy spacious suites at Bayers Park I and II in a prime Halifax location, with shopping, dining, transit, and everyday essentials just minutes away. ☀️

Discover a community that makes life simpler, more comfortable, and connected.

📞 Call MD at (902) 701-7344 to book your tour today!

📚 The minister in charge of library funding is hoping to meet with the Annapolis Regional Library Board, who recently announced the closure of five of their libraries—the board says the closures are due to frozen provincial funding.

⛴️ The Newfoundland & Labrador government are trying to stop a strike that would impact the Marine Atlantic ferries to Nova Scotia by asking the feds for help—their premier says it would impact not only visitation, but the delivery of food and essential goods.

🐟 A new provincial program looks to bring more people into the seafood industry through education about career opportunities to students—the provincial government says teachers will be provided with resources to learn more about the ocean and its economic impacts.

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

🗓 2026 QMJHL Draft: The Halifax Mooseheads host the QMJHL draft for the first time in franchise history at the Scotiabank Centre. | June 5-6 | 7:30PM, 10AM | Free with registration |

🗓 Yuk Yuk’s presents Martin Edwards: This Cape Breton comic takes the stage at Yuk Yuks, featuring Rachel Ruecker and Clifton Cremo. | June 5-6 | 8PM | $25.00 |

🗓 Give a Breath 5k: Raising money and spreading awareness about lung cancer, this five-kilometre run will take place at Shubie Park. | June 6 | 10AM |

🗓 One Port City Day 2026: A day to show the public how the Port of Halifax connects Canada to the world through displays, mini train rides, bus tours and plenty of fun. | June 6 | 10AM |

🗓 NIGHTCHRCH at the Carleton: Stewart Legere and waants combine forces with solo sets followed by their duo project NIGHTCHRCH. | June 6 | 8PM | $28.50 |

🗓 An Afternoon of Ocean Sights and Sounds: Art and Music at Teichert Gallery: The Teichert Gallery is hosting an afternoon of ocean-themed art and music with artists Anne and Edward Wedler and musician Vladimir Sitnikov. | June 6 | 1PM |

🗓 Dartmouth Makers - Spring Market: This local market full of artisan goods is taking place at the Dartmouth Crossing IKEA. | June 6-7 | 11AM |

🗓 Cole Harbour Fibre Frolic: Shop, grab a bite and watch sheep receive a spring shearing at this annual event at the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum. | June 6 | 11AM |

🗓 Sunday Soundbath with Rezound: Rezound uses voice, instruments, percussion, and electronics to explore tonality and expression in a candlelit space washed in projections. Takes place at the Presbyterian Church of St. David. | June 7 | 7PM | PWYC ($10 recommended) |

🗓 Ocean Week Halifax Presents: Ocean Celebration: Come down to the Foundations Wharf on the waterfront to check out interactive booths, ocean-themed crafts and games, a giant floor map, mermaids, music and art. | June 7 | 10AM |

🗓 STAGES Theatre Festival: A spring theatre festival bringing exciting works that are innovative and boundary-pushing to the Eastern Front Theatre. | June 3-7 |

🗓 Scotia Festival of Music 2026: Two weeks of amazing classical music from local legends and guest artists from across the continent. | May 25-June 7 |

🗓 Neptune Theatre: Come From Away: This musical about the experiences of Gander, NL residents during the September 11 attacks is playing at the Neptune Theatre. | March 31-June 21 | $40+|

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

🚢 The Algoma Acadian tanker arrived in Halifax from Saint John 2:40am.

🚢 The CMA CGM Paranagua container vessel arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 11:15am.

➡️ The Leeway Odyssey research vessel departs Halifax for Dartmouth at 12pm.

➡️ The Don Quijote merchant roll-on/roll-off vessel departs Philadelphia for Ulsan at 12pm.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sun container vessel arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 3:20pm and departs for Liverpool at 11pm.

➡️ The Silver Arctic container vessel departs for St. Pierre at 3:30pm.

🚢➡️ The MSC England container vessel arrives in Halifax from Sines at 4:15pm and departs for Montreal at 11pm.

➡️ The Oceanex Sanderling container vessel departs Halifax for St. John’s at 6pm.

🚢 The Algoscotia tanker arrives in Halifax from Sydney (Cape Breton) at 9:15pm.

🥪 Need a sandwich to go this weekend? Larry’s Sandwiches has your back. Sandwiches wrapped to go anywhere you need to go: picnics, beach, or back home.

🍺 Warm summer days call for a cold one, and Lake City Cider has a new beer just in time for the sun: Berry Guava Sour. A fruity sour with notes raspberry, pink guava, cherry, and a candy-like tartness at 5.8 percent ABV.

⛴️ Don’t feel like driving? You can now go down to the wharf and hail a sea taxi. A new electric water taxi service is starting in Halifax this Thursday. Titled FlyteBoat, this business is lined up at the waterfront, offering taxi services to popular destinations like Georges Island right from Cable Wharf. Prices are set at $24 for adults and $15 for children under 12. In a press release for the new service, the company promotes its “harbour tours and sunset cruises,” which allow guests to bring food and non-alcoholic drinks on their journey across the waves. It will also offer on-demand transportation, including pickups and drop-offs at private docks. Commuter routes will be offered between Halifax, Dartmouth, and the Northwest Arm.

💸 Monthly travel expenses for the premier and his cabinet no longer include the names of the hotels they stay in while away on provincial business—the spokesperson for the executive council office says this was not included to streamline the expense records and not to intentionally eliminate any details.

🚨 A white nationalist demonstration in Bedford over the weekend saw no arrests—the Second Sons gathered on Larry Uteck Boulevard around 4pm on Saturday with around 20 people present, though they moved to a parking lot before police arrived on scene.

Thanks for reading The Coast Daily today.

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