🗞️ Déjà election

Good morning Halifax,

Welp, another day, another election.

In a surprise to exactly nobody, premier Tim Houston has called a general election for Nov 26—which comes right at the end of a nice trail of breadcrumbs his government seems to have been sprinkling to garner some positive media attention and general goodwill (I’m looking at you 47 new school support workers and a new “strategic link” to decrease traffic in Halifax, among others).

The announcement comes as suspicions were high that an election would come before the next fixed election date of July 15, 2025. So, now we all just go ahead and be cool with the fact that the Tories are breaking their own law. Rules are made to be broken, right?

Ummm, no. Not right, according to the NDP who took to the socials like me in 2011 after too much boxed wine:

SHOTS FIRED!

This election comes on the heels of our municipal election, where voter turn-out was nothing short of depressing, with barely over a third of those eligible to vote doing so. Sigh.

But all we can do is look forward, so strap yourselves in Halifax, ‘cause here we go again. 🎢

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 4°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 8°

Next Day: 🌤️ 9°

7-day forecast

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

ELECTION RESULTS

Minority rules as HRM election turnout under 40%

The issues, the debates, the democracy of it all. There’s nothing like election season in Halifax. And we are in the middle of it!

Premier Tim Houston just called a provincial election for Nov. 26, even as campaign signs for the just-finished municipal race litter roadsides around the city, and the threat of a federal election looms over prime minister Trudeau and the nation. The US is getting in on the act too, with a storybook contest for president between a convicted felon and a prosecuting attorney—here the storybook is called The Handmaid’s Tale.

But who really cares?

That’s not a rhetorical question. Andy Fillmore became Halifax’s new mayor with the support of only 15.6% of eligible voters, a clear sign most Haligonians are disengaged from the democratic process.

The Coast’s Kyle Shaw analyzes elections past and present to find an answer.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 Halifax police have arrested a fourth person in an ongoing investigation into the murder of Devon Marsman, who went missing in February 2022.

💃 Live Art Dance presents another compelling season of contemporary dance. Become a Subscriber! Purchase a Flex Pass. Tickets to three shows $108. Save 20%!*

☑️ The five key issues that leaders and candidates for the Progressive Conservatives, Liberals and NDP are expected to highlight during the campaign are health care, affordable housing, cost of living, climate change and provincial-federal relations.

🏅 Africville Goose Scarecrow Contest winners! Congratulations: 1st - Duc d'Anville Elementary $500, 2nd - Sackville Heights Elementary $400, 3rd - John Martin Jr. High $300.*

💙 The GoFundMe page for the family of an employee found dead at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has paused donations after almost $200,000 was raised in roughly 24 hours.

🗳️ Speak now or forever hold your peace! Best of Halifax voting closes Nov 3. Don't miss out, vote!*

*Sponsored Post

EDUCATION

“Our future’s in such critical danger”: nearly a hundred march in School Strike 4 Climate Halifax rally

Iman Mannathukkaren has been an organizer with the student-led group School Strike 4 Climate Halifax since she was in Grade 10. 

Now in her first year at the University of King’s College, Mannathukkaren was testing megaphones at noon on Friday Oct. 25 ahead of her third climate rally beginning that day at Victoria Park, in downtown Halifax. A crowd of just under a hundred people gathered at the park before marching down to Lower Water Street to stop in front of Nova Scotia Power’s headquarters before marching back up Spring Garden Road.

Friday’s rally was part of the international youth-led movement demanding immediate and sustained policy action on climate change and ensuring climate justice for all. The school strike movement gained mass recognition as Fridays for Future, begun by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg in August 2018.

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips spoke with organizer Mannathukkaren about why she’s “still not tired of striking”—but is getting close.

🗞️ In Other News

💰 The provincial opposition is questioning how a one-page-long proposal from Saint Mary’s University that began with the university’s financial problems earned $25M in funding to create healthcare data analytics programming.

💸 The province announced changes to rules around pensions—as of April 1, Nova Scotians aged 55 and up have a one-time option of taking out a lump sum of up to 50% of their funds when transferring to a life income fund.

🚔 Nova Scotia RCMP are urging drivers to use caution around emergency vehicles with flashing lights after two police vehicles were struck recently in separate incidents.

🇨🇦 The revolt by some Liberal MPs against prime minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership may not have led to his ouster, but one political analyst says tensions within the party will last for some time—and may further hurt the Liberals’ electoral prospects.

🥾 A Nova Scotian woman considered marking bother successful cancer treatment and 70th birthday by hiking the Santiago El Camino in Europe, but then she discovered an option closer to home—the Island Walk on PEI.

⛺ Most major Canadian cities are struggling with the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness and trying various approaches to stop people from sleeping rough—often with mixed results. 

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Pint Sized Comedy: Ever wanted to try stand up comedy? This show is HRM's only “show up and go up” style open mic! Try stand-up in front of a live audience (no need to book in advance just show up). | Oct 29 | 8pm | Free

🗓 Sustainable Ocean Conference—Masters Student Research Presentations: The MMM program is a professional and interdisciplinary degree focusing on applied research projects and required classes in marine and social sciences. Graduate research projects are designed with an emphasis on management and marine planning. As part of their community outreach, students are hosting mini presentations at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. | Oct 29 | 6:30pm | Free

🗓 Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic (Curling Tournament & Social Event): Watch top curling teams battle it out at the historic Halifax Curling Club, celebrating 200 years this season! Grab a pint and catch some entertainment in the Gahan House Patch, located in the Halifax Curling Club's 2nd floor event viewing area. | Oct 30 | All day | Free

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The One Falcon container ship leaves Halifax for Singapore at 4am.

🛳️➡️ The Am Kea container ship arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 6:15am and leaves for Bremerhaven at 5pm.

➡️ The Harbour Fountain oil tanker leaves Halifax for Montreal at 8am.

➡️ The Frisian Octa cargo ship leaves Halifax for Moa at 6pm.

🛳️➡️ The Azamara Journey cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 11am and leaves for Canadian seas at 8pm.

🛳️ The MSC Sena container ship arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 4:15pm.

🛳️➡️ The Tropic Hope container ship arrives in Halifax from Phillipsburg at 6:15am and leaves for West Palm Beach at 11pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍫 Happiness is a piece of local, house-made chocolate cake on a fall day at 2 Doors Down: chocolate fudge cake, raspberry coulis, chantilly cream.

🍕 Put a fresh new spin on pizza night with the Trio at Rinaldo’s: Detroit style pizza topped with mozzarella, marinara, vodka sauce, pesto cream, parm.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏫 Violence in schools affects students, staff and teachers. Educators have long requested that the province take this crisis seriously, listen to their needs and commit more resources to address it. Finally on Wednesday, Oct 17, the province announced it would be “adding 47 specialized staff to prevent and address violence in Nova Scotia schools” through various pilot programs at a cost of $976,000. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips spoke with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union about the addition of new staff, which they call a “good start.” 

🚧 According to the provincial government, the Halifax-area will see solutions to traffic congestion in the coming years—the need for a new “strategic link” has been identified between Hammonds Plains Road near Sandy Lake in Bedford and exit 2 on Highway 101 in Lower Sackville.

🧸 A daycare in Dartmouth has been forced to close for six to eight weeks for repairs after it was broken into and vandalized last week—leaving nearly 100 families scrambling to find child care.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading The Coast Daily today.

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Haligonian.

And before you go, let us know: