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🗞 Facebook blocked us. We're still here.

🗞 Facebook blocked us. We're still here.

Plus, it's a big week for cruise ship arrivals in Halifax

Martin Bauman
August 16, 2023

Good morning,

If you’ve been following the news on Bill C-18 in Canada, you’ll likely know that Meta (the parent company of Facebook) and Google are preparing to block Canadian news outlets like The Coast from delivering news to you on their platforms. Well, it happened this week: The Coast is no longer available to our 44,000 Facebook followers—or at least those based in Canada. In a matter of time, we’ll likely disappear from Instagram, too.

That’s a bummer—and a blow to all Nova Scotians’ access to news—but we have good reason for hope: For one thing, if you’re reading this newsletter, it means you’re already tapped in to getting The Coast’s stories every day. And we have no plans of stopping.

We do need your help, though: Reporting news isn’t cheap, and that’s especially true of any investigative journalism. At this moment, our political affairs reporter, Matt Stickland, is in the works on a story that we feel matters deeply to Haligonians and Nova Scotians. He’s been working steadily on it for months, and it’s almost ready. If you’re not a Coast Insider yet, please consider supporting The Coast’s journalism and help us to deliver more deeply-reported stories to you.

– Martin

🌧 Today’s weather: Cloudy with a 60% chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm. A high of 21C (feels like 28C), and a low of 18.

💨 Here is Halifax’s Air Quality Index and the smoke report.

🚗 Driving in the city today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.

SHIPPING NEWS

Five cruise ships, three car carriers headline this week’s Halifax Harbour arrivals

📸 Martin Bauman / The Coast

Look toward the Halifax Seaport this week, and odds are, you’ll see a cruise ship rising above Pier 21. From Monday to Thursday, a different cruise arrives every day of the week—and one ship makes a return visit on Saturday.

If ships bypassing Halifax were a concern earlier in August, that worry seems long-distant: Monday alone saw eight vessels coming into port in Halifax Harbour, and Tuesday saw another three arrivals.

As The Coast’s Martin Bauman reports, this morning brings the return of one of the biggest cruise ships yet—plus, a roundup of oil tankers, cargo ships and vehicle carriers.

Need to know

🍚 India’s rice export ban has some Halifax small grocers feeling the pinch of higher costs and supply issues.

📈 Canadians paid 3.3% more for things like gas, groceries and other household expenses in July than a year ago, according to the latest Statistics Canada report.

🏊‍♀️ The HRM has reopened Albro Lake Beach to swimming after earlier tests showed high bacteria levels.

♻️ Nova Scotia’s government announced $306K in funding for the HRM to “develop a solid waste strategy that aligns with climate objectives.”

🚌 Transit staff deserve a safe workplace, you deserve a safe ride. If you witness or experience any acts of aggression on Halifax Transit notify transit staff or call 311.*

*Sponsored Post

The HalifACT community update is about climate action

The HalifACT community update is an overview of the many projects that are happening in the municipality as part of our once-in-a-generation Climate Action Plan. This issue provides an update on the new work that the municipality and its partners are doing to mitigate and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

On The Coast

Voting is open for the 2023 Best of Halifax

Cast your votes in the 29th annual BOH Readers' Choice Awards.

The Wanderer Grounds podcast: Doneil Henry is loving life in Halifax

The 30-year-old defender hasn't allowed a goal in his four games with the Wanderers—and he sees a bright future for Halifax’s young squad.

Every big show happening in Halifax (and beyond) in August 2023

The Fortunate Ones, Matt Mays and Rich Aucoin are among the acts performing in Nova Scotia this summer.

The reel deal: Halifax author Karen Pinchin’s new book is making a splash

The Dartmouth-based investigative journalist and author of Kings of Their Own Ocean has earned praise in The New Yorker—and is living proof that deeply reported stories aren’t dead.

Support4Culture making an impact across Nova Scotia

Support4Culture proudly supports arts, culture, and heritage in Nova Scotia including events like The Mayors' Bike Ride for Devour! Festival. This event brings together mayor's from across the province to the valley for good food and exercise.

See the impact Support4Culture makes here.

In other news

⚖️ Nova Scotia’s largest jail—based in Dartmouth—is in the midst of the “worst staffing [crisis] in history,” according to the union representing correctional officers.

💸 Some residents are taking issue with Halifax Water’s stormwater charges as they await repairs to flood-damaged culverts—the same culverts they’ve warned the HRM about for years.

🏠 Canada’s housing minister says the federal government “should never have… stepped away” from advancing affordable housing across the country.

🏣 Halifax’s Centre for Women in Business is looking for female-led startups interested in applying for its six-month incubator program.

📰 A new study out of Oregon suggests menstrual discs might be better than pads or tampons for heavy periods.

HOT SUMMER GUIDE

15 great lakes within 30 minutes of downtown Halifax

📸 Nature Conservancy of Canada

The sun might not last as long into the evenings as it did in June, but it’s still summertime in Halifax—and that means it’s the perfect time to visit a local lake.

Whether you want to take a quick plunge after a long day of work, spend a sunny Saturday paddling on the water or stroll through a lakeside trail, Halifax is spoiled with options.

Here’s our guide to some some of the best lakes you can drive to in under 30 minutes from downtown.

Sure things

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

🗓 Drag Storytime: Halifax drag performer Lucky Charms reads children’s books about love and acceptance at the Tantallon Public Library. | Aug. 16 | 10:30-11:30am | Free

🗓 Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers: Halifax Public Library’s artist-in-residence, Syliboy is a Mi’kmaw visual and spoken word artist who will play a free show with his band at the Central Library. | Aug. 17 | 7pm | Free

🗓 Rich Aucoin at The Shore Club: The JUNO-nominated alt-pop artist brings his audience-immersive show to Hubbards this Friday. | Aug. 18 | 9:30pm | $26.30

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings.

Eat this

🍳 Agricola Street favourite Bar Kismet has an egg yolk raviolo with chanterelle mushrooms that looks deeelicious. Try it on their summer patio.

🥩 Looking for another spin on chanterelles? Try Mera Cafe + Bar’s “Beef + Pomme”: A beef tenderloin with fondant potatoes, a black currant jus, mushrooms, hazelnut and seasonal vegetables.

🥐 Dartmouth gem Two If By Sea has a “BLT” butter croissant this week served with bacon, arugula, roasted tomato and mayo.

That’s it!

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