Good morning!

As much as I rag on the provincial government, there was one decision that I agreed with: the woods ban last summer.

I grew up walking in the woods everyday. As much as I love being a homebody, there’s nothing like being surrounding by nature. I’m very lucky these days to live near an incredibly pretty wooded area.

The last thing I want is to see all that go up in a puff of smoke because of someone’s poor decision, mistake, or ignorance.

As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia ruled on Friday that the provincial government’s decision to institute a provincial woods ban last summer, amidst all of the forest fires we were experiencing, was unreasonable. Justice Jamie Campbell ruled that it did not abide by Section 6 of the Charters of Rights and Freedoms, which grants freedom of movement.

According to this article from CBC News, Campbell wrote that the ban “was not a fleeting or insignificant restriction. It substantially affected people’s lives.”

The case was brought forward by Jeff Evely, a Cape Breton man who purposefully broke the ban and was fined close to $30,000 for doing so. He was represented by Marty Moore and a team of lawyers from Charter Advocates Canada, funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

A few things here that some of the news articles I’ve read don’t seem to mention: this isn’t Evely’s first time in the spotlight. He was a People’s Party of Canada candidate during the last federal election—you know, the party that wants to end EDIA initiatives nationwide, put a moratorium on immigration, destroy what they call “gender ideology” (which essentially means 2SLGBTQIA+ rights) and, most importantly for our purposes here, rejecting “climate alarmism.” They are the party of climate change deniers.

I say all this not to disparage Evely for his case here, as in truth, he had a point—as Campbell himself says, this is not a matter of balancing rights and community safety, but the decision making process generally, as it seems the provincial government either did not consider the Charter or outright ignored it, hoping for forgiveness later.

However, we all know how devastating it was to see our homes threatened by wildfires. We know that we needed to curb this as best, and as fast, as we could. The fact that the person to put this case forward was a far-right aligned political candidate in the 2025 election, running with a party stocked-full of climate change deniers, does not exactly leave me feeling great about this legal decision. While they may have been legally in the right, ethically, I’m not so sure.

Leaving Evely aside, we can put blame on the province for not carefully considering their actions with the woods ban yet summer—but again, I agree with what they did. As our world continues to burn, we need to set legal standards for how we can continue to protect it. Not just for the environment, but for our homes and our livelihoods.

I will always be in support of the Charter, but we also need to recognize when our laws are holding us back from doing the right thing at the right time.

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

Today: 🌤️ 6°

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

Ethan Chiddy started Food for the Ears in 2023 while he was in high school. It would be an evening concert, hosted in Truro, supporting his local food bank: the Colchester Food Network.

In 2026, Food for the Ears has grown significantly. It's now held in Halifax, with all-star artists from across the province coming together for a two-day festival with proceeds going towards Feed Nova Scotia.

This year is bound to be their biggest yet. Held from June 12-13 at Alderney Landing, Food for the Ears will feature a who's who of local legends. Taking the stage on Friday will be Colrain, The Public Service, Avery Dakin, Feral Carol, Alvaro, and Chiddy's own Ethan Tyler Band. On Saturday, fans can catch performances by Rankin MacInnis & the Broken Reeds, Elyse Aeryn, Morgan Toney, Mat Hughes, Good Dear Good, and a special contest winner.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with Chiddy about the two-day festival happening this June.

⛴️ The province is using the Expropriations Act to acquire six properties in Bedford needed for the Mill Cove ferry service and CN overpass project, including two water lots worth over $1 million each—a spokesperson for the government says they didn’t want to expropriate the land, but they had been negotiating with the owners for years to no avail.

🎶 Legendary rock band Weezer will headline the second night of the 2026 Halifax Music Festival—they’ll be joined by Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional and the Silversun Pickups on June 27.

🚌 An unmanned bus crashed into a tree, falling into a nearby building in Halifax on Friday—the driver reported that the bus was out of service with no passengers aboard, with the driver outside of the vehicle.

🧘 Halifax’s largest wellness expo! 140+ experts, $30K prizes, speakers, swag bags, VIP Night. May 8–9, The Annex. Tickets $7. Shop, learn, grow. Don’t miss it!*

🍔 Correction: The Burger Bash passport listing for aFrite should read — Chicken n Waffle Burger, $17 ($1 to Feed NS): Fried chicken, waffle bun, chorizo gravy, cardamom syrup, lettuce, dill pickle.*

🍔 Correction: Dessert Yard’s Burger Bash passport listing shows 5676 Fenwick St. Visit them instead at 1636 Grafton St for their featured Burger Bash offering.*

🚙 Plans changed? No problem. Lyft gets you there fast. Get 50% off your first five rides. Max $10/ride. Terms apply. Make your move.*

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Nineteen Restaurant at The Links at Brunello is back for their third year of Burger Bash, and they're bringing a Canadian-inspired all beef burger that's worth the trip. The Back Nine Blackberry Burger is topped with homemade blackberry jam and aioli, back bacon, arugula, maple butter, melted brie and gruyère, and an onion ring — all on a fresh toasted bun. At $21, with $1 going to Feed NS, it's a great excuse to get out and eat well. Check out the full Burger Bash line-up and start planning your order.

For 13 years, The Coast’s Burger Bash presented with Garrison Brewing has been raising money for Feed Nova Scotia through partnerships with great restaurants across the city, donating a portion of their proceeds from their beautiful burger creations to the non-profit.

This year is only a little different, in that Burger Bash 2026 is bigger and better than ever.

Brendyn Creamer goes over all the details you need to know about The Coast’s Halifax Burger Bash 2026 with Garrison Brewing.

⛽ The federal government’s gas tax holiday has taken effect, with gasoline dropping 11.5 cents to 167 cents per litre and diesel dropping 5.7 cents to 206.6 cents per litre as of Monday—this relief will last until Labour Day.

🏠 The Perkins House, a museum in Liverpool expected to shut down has received a $50,000 annual grant from the province that will keep it alive a little longer—the province previously cut funding to 12 museums in February, including the Perkins House.

🚨 A youth has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials after a search warrant in their Kinsac home—the youth is also accused of making, printing, publishing, or distributing the materials.

Spring ForeWord brings writers and readers together April 25 to 29, featuring conversations with Souvankham Thammavongsa, Iain Reid, and Kim Echlin. Plus, readings by Vicki White, Tom Ryan, Sue Sinclair, Coco Colins, and Christine Wu, along with true live storytelling, a North End Book Crawl, and Independent Bookstore Day, too.

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

🗓 Live Jazz with The Matt MacLennan Trio: Bassist Matt MacLennan brings his three-piece band along for velvety ballads and smooth bossa novas at the Obladee. | April 22 | 7PM |

🗓 Radiant Ground: New Paintings by Marilyn McAvoy: Local artist Marilyn McAvoy’s new collection is on display at The Prow Gallery, with an artist reception on April 16. | April 14-May 8 |

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

➡️ The YM Welcome container vessel departed Halifax for Singapore at 3:30am.

🚢 The Ervine container vessel arrived in Halifax from Colombo at 5:15am.

➡️ The Tropic Hope container vessel departs Halifax for West Palm Beach 6am.

🚢➡️ The MSC Meraviglia cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8am and departs at 7pm.

➡️ The Algotitan tanker departs Halifax for Nanticoke at 12pm.

➡️ The Algoma East Coast tanker departs Halifax for Saint John at 1:07pm.

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🍖 Happy Plate is serving plenty of Filipino delights, from sizzling sisig to smoky BBQ, savory pancit guisado, creamy carbonara and silog plates.

🍨 Sundaes all summer at Churned! Starting with a gluten-free banana bread and fudge sundae. Choose any flavour you like, but vanilla or dark chocolate and tahini is recommended.

🪧 More long-term care workers have joined the picket line as they continue to strike across the province—25 homes have now taken labour action, with CUPE expecting more to join the action which now totals 2,400 workers.

⛪ Sixty clergy abuse victims who joined a class-action suit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth have yet to receive compensation—a settlement agreement had been reached in 2022, with $10 million set aside for victims.

⛽ Diesel prices have dropped once again as the Nova Scotia Energy Board invokes the interrupter clause Thursday night—the price is down by 10.8 cents, now sitting at 212.3 cents per litre, though there is no change in the price of gasoline.

Spring Garden comes alive during Halifax Burger Bash, inviting food lovers to explore eight restaurants along the street. Each offers a unique burger creation, from classic comfort to bold innovation. Visitors can stroll, share, and savor the variety, making Spring Garden your next stop for unforgettable burgers!

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