Another week gone Halifax,

Speaking of things that I was hoping would be gone for good: Marco MacLeod.

After pissing off everyone with a vulva in this great province, MacLeod resigned—as in, was not fired—from his energy minister cabinet position on Sept 2. The reason? He wrote rap songs referring to women as “sluts” and “hoes”. He also bragged about doing a bunch of blow—which is not the flex he thinks it is. Trust mother on this one.

So, bye bye Marco! Don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you.

Except…according to a list of honorary members of the province's executive council, MacLeod became an honorary member on Sept 3—just one day after his resignation. Hmmm 🔎. According to a briefing note retrieved by The Coast, lieutenant governor Mike Savage appointed MacLeod on the advice of—you guessed it—Tim Houston. This grants MacLeod the honorary title of ECNS (Executive Council of Nova Scotia).

The job of the executive council is to aid in making government decisions, develop strategic plans toward government objectives, review legislative proposals, manage corporate administrative policy, focus on strategic marketing and communications and handle labour relations. In other words, they are the C-suite a-holes of the provincial government.

When MacLeod became the energy minister on May 26, 2026, he would have automatically joined the executive council by proxy as all cabinet ministers do. As such, when he resigned, he would have automatically left the executive council.
As per the Executive Council Act, former members of the executive council are granted their honorary title as long as the member did not commit a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for five years.

Thankfully, honorary members do not receive any salary or benefits for their fake job, according to the Executive Council Act. It’s just a fun little title for ghost MPs that were there and now are gone 👻

But here’s the thing: Does Marco MacLeod deserve this title bestowed upon him on account of him a) offending all of the women in the province and b) holding a cabinet position for like two seconds. It seems insane to me that five years prison time is the one and only thing that disqualifies one from this esteemed dream team.

But rest assured, if there was such a thing as a “spitting terrible rhymes” jail, he would be serving life. And that should count for something.

Also, what is wrong with Tim Houston? The eternal question that must be asked each and every time he does literally anything.

Have a safe and restful weekend my beautiful friends.

Love and light!

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

Today: 🌦️ 17°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 15°

Next Day: 🌧️ 15°

7-day forecast

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

Premier Tim Houston says he is pro data centres in the province, just as one of its most contentious business partners voices an interest in building one.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Houston posits now is the time to invest in data centres. Lucky for him, EverWind Fuels are interested in building one, telling CBC that the company is “exploring opportunities”. EverWind has been in the process of setting up several wind farms province-wide and a facility to produce green hydrogen in Point Tupper

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer delves into Houston’s explanation and why data centres are a VERY BAD IDEA.

💰The Nova Scotia government says it spent a record $1.9B beyond its budget in the 2025-26 fiscal year—Finance Minister John Lohr says there are plenty of reasons why the PCs needed the flexibility to spend that amount on what the government describes as additional appropriations.

👐🏽 Live Art Dance partners with Prismatic to present “Paratopias”, an alternate dance reality that celebrates an inclusive and diverse world. Get your tickets today!*

🎶 FREE concert with Symphony Nova Scotia at Halifax Central Library on September 26 & 27. All ages are welcome.*

🚙 Tiguan Sale at O’Regan’s Volkswagen Halifax: 0% for up to 60 months on select models. PLUS, 3 FREE Scheduled Maintenances and a Four-Year Warranty!*

💼 Halifax's largest fall job fair returns October 6th with 85+ employers ready to hire, hosted by Nova Scotia Works. Get all the details at hrmjobfair.ca.*

🛋️ New to therapy? Knowing what to expect can ease uncertainty. Learn how sessions work, how to prepare, and what counselling could offer you. Read more.*

📋 An injury, illness, a hospital stay. The people helping ask: which pharmacy? who has a spare key? pet care? This fill-in organizer keeps households running.*

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💜 Two Nova Scotian mothers are speaking out about their experience with prenatal and postpartum anxiety and depression—while they were able to get support in some ways, they feel more should be done to support mothers and connect them to the resources available.

🤢 A Nova Scotia teacher is facing charges of assault, sexual assault, and administering a noxious substance following an alleged incident at a pre-primary to Grade 8 school in Pictou County.

🥀 Several streets and an off-leash dog park were closed to people on Thursday morning in a Halifax neighbourhood for a search and rescue operation—on Wednesday evening, police released information about a missing 78-year-old man and officers shared an update just after 1pm on Thursday to say searchers found the man dead.

🛒 Canada's Competition Bureau has reached an agreement with Sobey's parent company to have the grocery giant strictly limit or stop using property controls after the agency found the practice to be anti-competitive.

🌡️ A so-called ‘super’ El Niño is now underway in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and it’s looking primed to become the strongest on record.

👋 According to a statement posted to the company's website, the Michigan tourist who recently went viral over a Facebook photo where she and three family members appeared to be wearing "Lake America" sweatshirts has parted ways with her employer.

October 14–18 Liverpool International Theatre Festival brings performances from around the world to the Astor Theatre.

Choose a play, or see them all!

Mexico, Poland, Wales, Switzerland, Italy and more.

Come for the theatre, stay for the possibilities. LITF.ca

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

🗓 City of Laughs Comedy Festival: Dedicated to elevating Canadian talent and supporting local stand-up comics, the multi-night festival brings four days of top-tier laughter to Downtown Dartmouth, culminating in a high-stakes competition final. | Sept 24-27 | Prices vary by show | 

🗓 Magnetic World: Experience one of Atlantic Canada’s largest multi-genre events, set against the stunning backdrop of Citadel Hill. This high-energy festival features top global artists and rising stars in EDM, hip-hop, and pop over an electrifying weekend of live performances. With multiple stages and immersive visuals, Magnetic World transforms downtown Halifax into a vibrant hub of music and culture, attracting thousands of fans for a dynamic experience filled with unforgettable moments. | Sept 25-26 | 

🗓 A Beginner’s Guide to the Night Sky - a play under the stars: Join The Villains Theatre for an observational astronomy class that moves through music, memory, and magic to teach us about what we can see from our tiny place in the universe. | Sept 25 | 7:30pm | Donation | 

🗓 SOS - The ABBA Experience: Get ready for a night of pure pop nostalgia! SOS - The ABBA Experience brings the timeless hits of ABBA to the stage at the Bruce Guthro Theatre on September 25 & 26! Come sing along and relive classics like Dancing Queen, The Winner Takes It All and Mamma Mia. | Sept 25 and 26 | 7:30pm | $59 | 

🗓 Atlantic Canada 48 Hour Film Project Festival: Explore the only international filmmaking competition for professionals and amateurs in NS, PEI, NL & NB, competing for $1000 prize from Tidekite, Filmapalooza and Cannes. | Sept 26 and 27 | 7:30pm | $18 | 

🗓 Dartmouth Mural Jam: Celebrate creativity in the heart of Dartmouth at the Dartmouth Mural Jam, a vibrant outdoor event where public art comes to life. Watch local and visiting artists transform walls and public spaces into large-scale murals, showcasing a variety of styles, stories, and artistic perspectives. | Sept 26 and 27 | 

🗓 Gord Bamford - As Long As There's A Bar Tour: Known as one of Canada’s most celebrated country artists, Gord delivers powerhouse performances filled with chart-topping songs, authentic storytelling, and the kind of atmosphere that keeps fans singing along all night long. This fall tour promises an intimate and energetic concert experience celebrating country music, great stories, and good times, because As Long As There’s a Bar, there’s always a reason to gather. | Sept 27 | 8pm | $56 | 

🗓 Halifax Tides Soccer: Come cheer on the home team as they take on Roses de Montreal FC at the Wanderers Grounds. | Sept 27 | 1pm | From $30 |

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

🚢➡️ The MSC Canberra III container vessel arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 6:15am and departs for Freeport at 2:45pm.

🚢➡️ The MSC Olia container vessel arrives in Halifax from Sines at 6:15am and departs for Montreal at 11pm.

🚢➡️ The Valiant Lady cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 7:55am and departs at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Seven Seas of Splendor cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8:30am and departs at 4:30pm.

🚢 The Algoluna tanker arrives in Halifax from Levis at 9:15am

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Breakaway cruise vessel arrives at 10am and departs at 8pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container vessel departs for Argentia at 4:30pm.

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

🐟 Halifax’s most underrated sandwich? Good Robot Robie’s Haddock Hogan is crispy, beer-battered haddock with tartar sauce on toasted brioche. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Freakishly delish.” -Marie V.

🌮 Fresh Latin flavours are just a click away. Order Salt + Sol online, skip the wait, and enjoy waterfront dining your way.

🍺 Something NEW is brewing in Halifax! Hammer N’ Kilt Brewing is opening soon, bringing house-brewed beer, great food, warm hospitality, and Legendary good times!

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🪧 Unionization can be a tedious process—especially so in Nova Scotia. Often times, it requires signing membership cards more than once and constant delays in the certification and arbitration process. That's if you can get enough people on board in the first place—some employers have tools to convince workers into shying away from unionization, sometimes at the threat of their livelihood. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with Acadia University professor and report co-author Rachel Brickner about the issues unionizing workers face in Nova Scotia.

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