🗞️ How do we fix municipal democracy?

Hey Halifax,

I was under the impression that—as a society—we had moved past having a problem with breastfeeding in public. I mean, they’re just boobs. Every second person in the world has them. And let’s be real, more than that if you count some of the ones I’ve seen on the shirtless men around town during this heat wave.

But one poor Nova Scotia mom was recently humiliated and overwhelmed when she was told at a military pool in Greenwood that she couldn’t breastfeed her 6-month-old baby in public. 

When her baby got hangry while swimming (which literally always happens to me), she stood up and started feeding her in the pool when she was told by lifeguards she couldn’t do that. Which—okay—milk in the pool does feel on par with pee in the pool, plus babies do barf a lot—but she was then told she also wasn’t allowed to breastfeed on the pool deck either!

When she refused to go hide by a fence to breastfeed, she was accused of being “rude and hostile.” A timeless classic. The pool did publicly apologize though…after the mom shared her story on social media. Also a timeless classic.

Anyways, sun’s out, boobs out I always say 😎

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 28°

Tomorrow:🌧️ 24°

Next Day: ☀️ 26°

7-day forecast

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

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

CITY

HFX VOTES 2024: How do we fix municipal democracy?

In this edition of the HFX Votes 2024 podcast, Matt Stickland sits down with two of the authors of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report Building Inclusive Communities: A Policy Agenda for Nova Scotia Municipalities that Leaves No One Behind. 

In the conversation, Christine Saulnier—the CCPA’s Nova Scotia director—explains how the city could save a lot of money by bringing services, like snow clearing, in-house. She also explains how the way we do snow removal might be a little bit sexist.  

The other author, Kyle Buott, gives some practical solutions to the city. Did you know there’s a way the city could make more revenue and get Canadian National Railway to let us use their tracks for light rail? 

Two administrative notes: First, in the episode Matt says that the landlord registry is coming into effect, but that’s not true—it’s been in effect since April 1, 2024. And second, you may notice that citation 169 has Matt as an author; please calibrate your critical thinking appropriately. 

Listen now.

🤔 Need To Know

🛣️ As Canada’s premiers gather in Halifax this week for their annual summer meetings, they're sending Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a unified message: stay in your lane.

🇨🇦 Coming soon at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21—A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada opens on Emancipation Day.*

🚓 In the month of June, Halifax police charged 42 drivers with impaired-related driving offences—most of them involving alcohol, including 10 people whose blood alcohol levels were more than twice the legal limit. In just over half of the incidents, police were alerted by calls from the public.

🐄 At Purple Cow Internet our mission is to save you money. Join the herd today and get No bull internet for $60 a month.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY 1440 MEDIA

The Daily Newsletter for Intellectually Curious Readers

• We scour 100+ sources daily

• Read by CEOs, scientists, business owners and more

• 3.5 million subscribers

Sign up today!

EDUCATION

King’s Students’ Union president says divestment letter from university shuts down conversation

As you might have read in yesterday’s newsletter, University of King’s College president William Lahey recently published a statement about the school’s divestment and disclosure status. In it, he mentioned three student and alumni groups by name that have sent demands, written open letters or, as was the case with the King’s Students’ Union, amplified the demands of others. 

But this last point is an error in Lahey’s statement, says King’s Students’ Union president, Sara MacCallum. The KSU had not issued its own demands, but had presented demands of a King’s student group at a recent Board of Governors meeting. MacCallum says this is an example of how Lahey’s statement lacks clarity and contains inaccuracies.

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips spoke with MacCallum to get the students’ union’s response to Lahey’s statement and the university’s divestment and disclosure status.

🗞️ In Other News

⛈️ Psychologists say that incidents of extreme weather—like flooding and other climate disasters—are linked to an increase in trauma and other mental health problems across the country.

⚖️ The voyeurism trial of Halifax-area school teacher Matthew Douglas Moriarty started Monday in Dartmouth provincial court. The 43-year-old is accused of secretly recording images of women and girls in a washroom at the Abenaki Aquatic Club.

🥀 A mom who lost her son in last year’s floods says the loss of another boy in a flash flood in Wolfville last week “makes things real again” as advocates urge for improved alerting and detection systems.

👀 The Correctional Service of Canada is investigating the death of an inmate at a medium-security prison in Springhill.

SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN HALIFAX BUSINESS COMMISSION

It's patio season in Downtown Halifax!

It’s patio season in Downtown Halifax! With over 80 patios to choose from, you can dine on a different patio every day of the summer!

And since many patios are dog-friendly, you can bring your pup along with you on your patio adventures.

Find your perfect patio this summer in Downtown Halifax.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Shakespeare By The Sea presents Twelfth Night: Shakespeare’s most complete comedy returns to Point Pleasant Park this summer in a high-energy production full of laughs, sighs and music. Inspired by Vaudeville Theatres of the early 20th century, eight actors take on some of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters in this fast-paced, hilarious version of the classic. | July 18-Aug 30 | From $10

🗓 Halifax Wanderers Home Game: Come cheer on the home team as they take on Valour FC at the Wanderers Grounds. | July 18 | 7pm | From $29

🗓 Spontaneity Improv Showcase: A group of talented improvisers will be taking the stage for a monthly showcase and improvising scenes based on audience suggestions. Get your tickets and get in on the show! | July 18 | 7:30pm | $11.98

🗓 2024 Halifax Pride Festival: This annual festival features over 150 community and Pride organized events celebrating the history, culture, activism and perseverance of the queer community. | July 18-28

🗓 Craft Nova Scotia Summer Market: Find unique gifts, high-quality crafts, pottery, heirloom homewares, jewellery and a few special guests from our friends at Taste Nova Scotia. | July 19 | 4pm

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Asphalt Carrier tanker leaves Halifax for Houston at 12:30am.

🛳️➡️ The Morning Prosperity vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Southampton at 5:55am and leaves for New York at 1pm.

🛳️ The Silver Shadow cruise ship arrives in Halifax from Canadian seas at 8am.

🛳️ The CSL Tacoma bulk carrier arrives in Halifax from Wilmington at 10:51am.

🛳️ The Oceanex Sanderling container ship arrives in Halifax from St. John’s at 12:20pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🎄 It’s Christmas in July this week at Tart and Soul! Ring in the season with this very festive wrap: oven-roasted chicken breast, cranberry jalapeño relish, havarti, greens, garlic aioli, cornbread stuffing and chipotle gravy.

🐟 Check out the summer menu at The Mercantile Social and experience seasonal bliss with dishes like the Salmon + Smoke: pan-seared salmon, smoked tableside, blistered cherry tomatoes, charred asparagus, fingerling potato, burnt lemon butter.

👀 In Case You Missed It

⚽ NEW EPISODE - Wanderer Grounds Podcast:The recently-announced Halifax Tides are gearing up for their pro women's soccer debut in the Northern Super League in 2025. In this week's episode, Coast reporter Martin Bauman chats with Tides president Val Malone and sporting director Amit Batra about recruitment efforts, kit reveals, starting from scratch and where the club will play. 🎧Listen now 

💰 For the background to the above story about the University of King’s College, it was last Thursday that King’s president William Lahey put out the statement reiterating the university’s Responsible Investment Policy, and providing updated actions on divestment and disclosure, following months of demands received from students and alumni groups in solidarity with Palestine. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has more on King’s divestment commitment.

🎐 Opponents are voicing concerns as Canada’s largest wind farm is to be built in Nova Scotia—not to provide power to the province but to power North America’s first green hydrogen facility.

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: