🗞️ Election to exile

Good Thursday, Halifax.

Anyone else exhausted of elections yet? The string of municipal, American and provincial votes will finally run out on Tuesday, Nova Scotia’s election day. After that we can all just agree to forget that a federal byelection has to happen by early March, to fill the seat in parliament that Andy Fillmore vacated to run for mayor.

I know that I'm part of the problem as a journalist. An election pushes a lot of buttons for the media—it's like news and sports and gossip in one, plus the politicians are usually keen to talk to reporters for a change. But so much of the coverage ends up regurgitating campaign talking points day after day, it becomes useless noise. No wonder people get tired of it.

Working at The Coast, I also try to be part of the solution. We have a small team and a distinct point of view: we couldn't do big-media election coverage even if we wanted to, which we don't. So even though you’re feeling electioned out, I encourage you to read a couple more Coast pieces. The first is Lauren Phillips writing about Tammy Jakeman, who went into one news cycle as the NDP candidate in Eastern Passage, and came out the next as a national pariah without a party to back her. But it was after the spotlight moved on that things got really interesting. You can get more on this story below, or go to it at thecoast.ca.

The other article you have to know about is an opinion piece by Liz LeClair. Deliberately avoiding the day’s chatter, Leclair draws our attention to what the politicians *aren't* talking about: the epidemic of gender-based violence afflicting our province. LeClair’s story is linked here. Just be warned that after reading it, the shameful silence around gender-based violence may be the only thing you hear no matter how loud the election gets in its final days.

 - Kyle Shaw, Coast editor

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 10°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 7°

Next Day: 🌧️ 9°

7-day forecast

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

COAST EXCLUSIVE

From candidate to pariah and back

Tammy Jakeman ran for the NDP in the last provincial election, and she got the party’s nomination again this time around. Just two weeks ago she was knocking on doors as the NSNDP candidate for Eastern Shore. 

Then came the urgent call to get off the campaign trail. “Don’t go to your office. Don’t go anywhere—go home.”

She would soon find out the NDP was doing damage control after two groups, the Atlantic Jewish Council and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, issued a press release about her. The AJC and CIJA said that Jakeman’s comments on Israel and the Holocaust, as seen in a pair of social media posts from 2023, were “deeply troubling.”

Jakeman deleted the offending posts, and apologized that they’d ever existed. She deleted her X account. And she resigned from the NSNDP, writing the resignation letter with help from a party official. She figured that was the end of her hopes to represent Eastern Passage in the legislature.

But then letters of support started to arrive, raising serious questions about her detractors’ motivations, and criticizing the NDP for refusing to stand up for their candidate. Jakeman started thinking that going away quietly was not her only option: “I was gaslighting myself, thinking I had done all of this to myself.”

Fasten your seatbelt as The Coast’s Lauren Phillips take you on Tammy Jakeman’s rollercoaster ride from NDP choice to independent candidate.

🤔 Need To Know

☑️ A newly released poll looking at voter intention ahead of the Nova Scotia provincial election is finding continued strong support for the Progressive Conservatives—44% of decided voters say they plan to vote PC.

💃 Live Art Dance presents Chantal Baudouin, Les Nœuds de Gustav. December 6 & 7 at the Sir James Dunn Theatre. Visit our website for tickets.*

🚰 Halifax Water is asking more than 100,000 people to voluntarily conserve water—this season has been unusually dry, causing water levels at Lake Major on the Dartmouth side to be lower than normal.

📰 Atlantic News! Call us to order the Globe & Mail Xmas Crossword: 902-429-5468. Check out our podcast... new episodes drop each Friday!*

🛣️ The HRM has revealed two more new street names for the Cogswell District—Reconciliation Way and Amalamek Way.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Are you passionate about your community? Volunteer to serve on a municipal board, committee or commission. Learn more here. Apply by Monday, December 16.*

*Sponsored Post

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We’re launching this program with a $10,000 contribution. If you're thinking about changing providers we'd love to have you join us.

CITY HALL

Not as boring as it looks

Okay okay, you’re right. A city council meeting where you’re either waiting around for council to come out of an in camera session, or watching council choose councillors to sit on committees of council—that meeting is absolutely as boring as it looks. 

But here’s the thing: Halifax’s standing committees have to deal with important issues, and members have two-year terms, so deciding who’s on each committee is very consequential to city life.

And here’s the other thing: You didn’t have to go to the meeting to find out what happened. The Coast’s Matt Stickland went on your behalf.

Matt’s tuned into how today’s committee picks are going to affect tomorrow’s roads and finances and climate crisis responses. Plus he happens to be the most experienced City Hall reporter working in Halifax today. So after spending hours at Tuesday’s council meeting, and writing for hours about what happened there, he was able to create a story that will get you interested in council committees and bring you up to speed on the new committee members in just a few minutes of reading. 

Invest some time in Matt Stickland’s latest council report and your City Hall IQ will skyrocket.

🗞️ In Other News

🏠 Premier Tim Houston says previous Liberal and NDP governments are to blame for Nova Scotia’s housing crisis—adding that his PC Party’s plan to build more homes is working.

👟 Nova Scotia Liberal leader Zach Churchill says if his party is elected to govern on Tuesday, it would develop a comprehensive housing strategy for seniors—the proposed strategy calls for developing small, walkable communities that offer “wellness supports” for seniors.

👀 Halifax police are warning residents about a scam targeting seniors in the region, where someone pretends to be a family member who says they’ve been arrested and are in jail.

🔥 A Nova Scotia fire chief is warning that the province hasn't seen enough rain this fall to properly saturate the ground before the winter freeze—which could cause underground fires to smoulder and resurface in spring.

🟧 NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender says she has an “integrity-or-bust” approach to politics—she’s only been kicked out of the legislature once in her seven-year political career.

🚨 The RCMP in Nova Scotia says a teacher who was previously charged for sexual offences with a student is facing new charges after allegedly contacting a youth victim—Nicole MacLeod had breached the conditions of her release by contacting the youth.

📮 A new Leger poll suggests 63% of Canadians are supportive of government intervention in the labour disputes at ports and at Canada Post—19% were opposed and another 19% said they didn’t know.

🦷 The Nova Scotia Dental Association is decrying a decision by town council in New Glasgow to stop adding fluoride to the community's water supply. The decision was made following a recommendation from the town's assistant director of engineering and public works.

🛞 A 68-year-old woman has been charged with stunting after police say they clocked her driving 66 km/h over the posted speed limit—the vehicle's speed was clocked at 126 km/h in a 60 zone.

SPONSORED BY NEPTUNE THEATRE

Last Chance to See Winter Moons

shalan joudry's Winter Moons celebrates ancestral survival in a long-ago Mi'kma'ki winter.

This beautiful dance-theatre piece follows the legends and star stories of L'nu (Mi'kmaw) fire keepers who care for an ember through the winter season.

With choreography by Sarah Prosper.

Tickets start at $25 (fees and taxes included).

On stage at Neptune Theatre until November 24. Book Today.

SPONSORED BY EAT DRINK HALIFAX

Halifax International Wine Festival Almost Here

Get set to “Toast the Coast.” The Halifax International Wine Festival returns November 30 at Pavilion 22 at the Halifax Seaport. There will be 250 wines, food samples, non-alcoholic options and even an on-site store presented by Harvest Beer Wine and Spirits. Tickets are selling out quickly!  Don’t miss out.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Halifax Live Comedy Club Presents Brett Frote: You’ve seen him on Just For Laughs, you’ve heard him on Sirius XM but you won’t see him on Canadian television because he’s banned for life. Come see why! He’s headlined his own comedy tour for the last two years and has sold out in almost every town and city in Canada. Brett is known for his physical humour, his risk taking and his crowd work. | Nov 22 | 8pm | $25

🗓 Halifax Christmas Tree Lighting: Enjoy the lighting of the HRM Christmas tree, a visit from Santa Claus, fireworks, live music by Julia Tynes, a visit from PAW Patrol Syke & Chase and the Gabby's Dollhouse Live show! | Nov 23 | 6pm

🗓 Victorian Christmas at the Halifax Citadel: Come experience the traditions of Christmas as enjoyed by Queen Victoria’s soldiers and their families at the 35th annual Victorian Christmas at the Halifax Citadel. See how the soldiers celebrated the season in the barracks and in the field, meet Father Christmas, find out what a 19th century Christmas tree looked like, and let the Schoolmaster entertain you with a seasonal Magic Lantern show. | Nov 23-24 | 12pm

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️The CSL Kajika bulk carrier leaves Halifax for Savannah at 2am.

➡️ The NYK Nebula container ship leaves Halifax for Port Everglades at 2am.

🛳️ The Nolhan Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from St Pierre at 8:15am.

➡️ The Orinoco container ship leaves Halifax for Mariel at 11am.

🛳️ The Algoluna oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Quebec at 11:45pm.

➡️ The Algonova oil tanker leaves Halifax for Nanticoke at 12pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍔 Fancy burger alert! Try the Smash Burger at Brooklyn Warehouse this week: duck confit, Welsh cheddar, crispy jalapeno, arugula, tomato, garlic aioli.

🥥 The Baked Alaska at Water Polo is pure fire! Coconut and yuzu gelato, Swiss meringue and a little table-side magic!

👀 In Case You Missed It

💜 The topic of abortion rights has entered the provincial political conversation, as Nova Scotia’s NDP have called out the PC Party for allowing a pro-life incumbent to run for their party. The NSNDP has accused incumbent MLA John Lohr of being anti-abortion, citing a 2018 interview he did with RightNow, a right-wing anti-abortion group, where he said he wants the federal government to restrict abortion rights nationwide. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer discusses why abortion continues to be an important issue on both the provincial and federal level.

🚙 As car theft finally decelerates in Canada after a surge in recent years, the country’s top 10 stolen vehicles for 2023 have been revealed—and they’re mostly SUVs.

🚚 A Dartmouth woman is speaking out after she was the victim of a hit and run last Tuesday—Katherine Kennedy was driving with her two children in the car, when she felt something slam into the back—a dump truck in line behind her had suddenly accelerated, rear-ending her vehicle.

That’s it!

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