🗞️ Halifax to fix emergency response resilience

Good morning Halifax,

It’s no secret that last year was an all-around bummer for Halifax Pride, with some of the festivities being cancelled—most notably the marquee parade. It was, for lack of a better term, a bit of a cluster ‘you-know-what’ in terms of event planning and communication.

But things are looking up as Halifax Pride gears up and gets back on track with a brand new parade route—starting on Ahern Avenue, to Spring Garden Road and South Park Street— that prioritizes more accessible viewing areas.

Event organizers say they are listening to the people and created a route that will provide described viewing areas for the elderly and low sensory viewing areas.

The parade is scheduled for July 20 🌈

With love and light!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 22°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 17°

Next Day: ☀️ 21°

7-day forecast

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

ARTS + CULTURE

The Halifax Independent Film Festival is a weird and challenging “gem-finder”

The Halifax Independent Film Festival (HIFF) began as a response to the Atlantic Film Festival, or rather, a response to what the Atlantic Film Festival wasn’t. It was a place to show cool, innovative films that were often left off the program of more mainstream festivals.

Eighteen years later, it’s still going exactly as it started. 

“We started as a place for weird, challenging, indy-type films and in that way, it hasn’t changed,”  says Tara Thorne—now in her fifth year as festival coordinator for HIFF. “The mission remains as strong today as ever.”

The HIFF will run May 29-June 1 and all films will be screened at The Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax’s north end.

The Coast’s Julie Lawrence caught up with Thorne the day before the festival kicked off to talk about the 2024 program.

🤔 Need To Know

⛴️ The Rockwool Canada Sail Grand Prix taking place in the harbour this weekend will temporarily interrupt public transit. The Woodside ferry will be paused Friday from 2-6pm and the Alderney ferry will be paused Fri., Sat. and Sun. from 2-5pm.

⚠️ N.S. RCMP is warning the public of an increase in money-motivated sextortion scams—specifically targeting young males between the ages of 12 and 20.

😷 Nova Scotia Health will no longer require people to wear masks when entering its facilities—unless they are symptomatic—but will continue to monitor levels of respiratory illness.

🛟 Support4Culture is a proud supporter of the African Nova Scotian Seafaring Project and other important cultural initiatives. See the impact Support4Culture makes here.*

⛵ Learn to sail at Armdale Yacht Club! Offering flexible adult sailing lessons and kids' summer sailing camps. Registration closing soon, check out our website today!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX TRANSIT

Halifax Transit service disruptions

Transit changes are coming to Scotia Square. Learn more about bus bay relocations starting on June 17.

NEWS + OPINION

Halifax to fix emergency response resilience

On Monday morning, the HRM’s Executive Standing Committee learned that Halifax’s municipal emergency management organizations are at risk of failing. 

The city hired KI Emergency Management to compare the HRM’s emergency response documents and plans to the best practices in the world of emergency management. 

They found that Halifax’s emergency management works well, but it depends on highly knowledgeable and motivated people. But should these people leave the city’s employment, then the city itself doesn’t have the institutional knowledge to ensure robust emergency management with the loss of those key people.

The Coast’s Matt Stickland has more from HRM’s Executive Standing Committee meeting.

🗞️ In Other News

🧪 A team of Dalhousie researchers and local scientists have discovered a new strain of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

🪖 On Monday, veterans gathered at Citadel Hill to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when thousands of soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy in a pivotal event in WWII.

☕ A dispute between Halifax-based cafe Java Blend and the Service Employees International Union Local (SEIU) reached a settlement, ending an ongoing boycott and prompting collective agreement bargaining.

💀 A new MRI machine at Dartmouth General is expected to scan 400 patients a month—5,000 patients a year—according to a conservative estimate from a diagnostic imaging expert.

🏥 Residents around the QEII might be affected by "mild vibrations and increased noise levels" for the next few months due to work being done at the facility.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

Scotia Festival of Music: One of the premier events in Nova Scotia’s annual festival scene, this year promises to pack a punch. Halifax is welcoming over 20 of the world’s best classical musicians, and dozens of talented young artists, to an intimate, collaborative environment where the alchemy is just right for musical magic. | May 27-June 9 | Prices vary based on ticket package

Eastern Shore Cold Waters Seafood Festival: Eastern Shore culture is anchored in the coves, harbours and inlets that form the wild shores where we live. These cold, clear waters yield some of the best seafood in the province, and this event celebrates that coastal connection in a big way! From contemporary dishes, to simple steamed shellfish, or tried and true traditional favourites, there's something for everyone. | June 1-2 | 11am-4pm

Asian Cultural Market: Come celebrate Asian heritage month and support local businesses and artisans. Explore a variety of vendors selling contemporary and traditional Asian foods, art, jewelry, clothing and accessories, pottery and more. The Dalhousie Japanese society and South-east Asian society will also be hosting all ages workshops. | June 2 | 12-3pm

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Nord Logos cargo ship leaves Halifax at 6am.

🛳️ The Acadian oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Charlottetown at 3:40pm.

🛳️➡️ The Atlantic Star container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 5:20am and leaves for Liverpool at 5pm.

🛳️➡️ The Amethyst Ace carrier ship arrives in Halifax from Emden at 5:55am and leaves for Davisville at 5pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🎂 Happy Birthday to ME! Layers Cupcakes has seven new cake flavours just in time for summer. There really is something for everyone: brownie toffee ganache cheesecake, pina colada, peanut butter cookie, dulce de leche chocolate confetti donut, raspberry white chocolate confetti donut, mint chocolate chip and lemon blueberry.

🍷 There’s a dreamy new wine by the glass at Bar Stillwell. The pinot gris from Rosewood Wines is perfect for a sunny afternoon patio sesh.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎤 Laura Rae had a lot to balance during the pandemic lockdowns. Her father’s emphysema left her without a bubble outside of her household. Most of her family remained miles away in Ontario. Since then, the bilingual singer-songwriter has etched her feelings on a newly released track that’s both emotionally complex and subtly technical. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer talks to Laura Rae about her new single and how it portrays her feelings from the pandemic.

⛺ As tents in front of the administrative building on Dalhousie’s main Studley Campus are still standing into convocation week two, an article points to Dal’s divestment protocol in the 1980s, when, “along with other education institutions, [Dal] divested holdings in three companies with links to the South African apartheid regime.” The Coast’s Lauren Phillips has more on Dalhousie’s historical precedent of divestment.

That’s it!

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