🗞️ Halifax Harbour Grudges roller derby back on track

Hey Halifax,

Let’s end the week in style with some kooky news from our kooky neighbours to the south. 

A woman in Michigan was caught living in the SIGN of a grocery store. The sign. Of a grocery store. She was caught by police body cams saying that it was a “safe spot for her to live” and I mean, considering most of the alternatives, where’s the lie? 🤷🏻‍♀️

The saga began about a month ago when a contractor working on the roof of the Family Fare store noticed an extension cord running into a door on the back of the sign. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the 34-year-old woman!

Among the things found in this rooftop ninja’s makeshift home: a small desk, a Keurig coffee maker, a computer…AND a printer.

Read all about it here.

Have a great weekend!

– Julie

P.S - Quick correction: Yesterday I said that if you see an animal in distress to contact Halifax Police or the RCMP…I meant SPCA. Acronyms are hard. Sorry about that!

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 25°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 22°

Next Day: ☀️ 19°

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.

HAPPENINGS

Harbour Grudges rollin’ out for their first internationally ranked home bout

The Halifax Harbour Grudges roller derby team will be taking the track by storm this weekend in a ranked match—the first on their territory.

The Grudges, associated with the Anchor City Rollers in Halifax, are an A-level roller derby team competing internationally against 139 teams in the North American Northeast division of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). They’re currently ranked 84th with three losses in three games played.

On Saturday, they’ll be facing off against the Maine-based Aroostook BiohazARDS, ranked 82nd in the division, at the Mayflower Curling Club at 3pm.

“It’s the first time we’ve hosted that type of a game in Halifax before,” said Lyndsay Anderson, a player with the Grudges. “It’s exciting because these games are competitive. So, each team comes in wanting to win, and wanting to win in a very specific way, because depending on where you’re ranked against the team you're playing, you might not just have to win, but win by a lot to maintain your status.”

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer spoke to Anderson about the Grudge’s upcoming bout and the passion their team brings to the track.

🤔 Need To Know

🏫 The province and the teachers union have a new contract that gives teachers a salary increase of 11.47% over three years retroactive to Aug. 1, 2023.

🏠 More than 80 people weighed in on proposed Halifax zoning changes during a two-day public hearing, with most saying the plan would destroy the city's character and do nothing to address the housing crisis.

⛈️ Forecasters say the 2024 hurricane season could be the most aggressive on record—calling for 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes. Atlantic Canadians will have to wait to see how many storms could threaten the region.

🎟️ Buy tickets for Feed Nova Scotia's spring 50/50 and you'll get a chance to win half the jackpot while supporting food-insecure households across Nova Scotia!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY SUPPORT4CULTURE

Support4Culture proudly supports the Nova Scotia Book Awards and the Atlantic Book Awards!

Taking place at the beginning of June, both events recognize the excellence in Nova Scotia writing and authorship. From fiction and non-fiction to children's books, it marks a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the NS publishing industry.

EDUCATION

‘We must choose to not lose sight of the world we want to bring into being’: El Jones gives convocation speech at Acadia while receiving honourary doctorate

El Jones, doctor of letters. Advocate, poet, professor. 

On Friday, May 17 at Acadia University in Wolfville, Jones convocated with graduates from the Faculty of Professional Studies and the Faculty of Education. 

Jones is receiving an honourary doctor of letters for her teaching–she has taught at Dal, NSCC, King’s, SMU, Acadia and currently MSVU, where she teaches in the Department of Political and Canadian Studies. She is also recognized for her depth of academic research and writing which focuses on social justice issues, including feminism, prison abolition, anti-racism, and decolonization.

Jones is a masterful writer and spoken word artist. From 2013 to 2015, she was Halifax’s Poet Laureate. After which, Jones was a resident at the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

Read The Coast’s Lauren Phillips recap of Jones’ inspiring address to Acadia students last week.

🗞️ In Other News

📈 HRM is “getting younger” according to Halifax Partnership’s chief economist. Stats Canada data shows that more than 492,000 residents live in Halifax, accounting for 50% of the province’s total growth—including a huge influx of young people over the last five years.

🏥 Measures put in place to address overburdened ERs are having “extraordinary” results according to NS Health official. ERs saw a 9.2% drop in non-urgent visits last year—a difference of 18,000 patients.

🚨 RCMP are putting the finishing touches on an apology for street checks and other harmful interactions between police and people of African descent. The formal apology will be delivered in the fall.

🚌 A Halifax school bus driver is being hailed a hero after he was able to brake and stop his bus—which was full of students— just as a truck came barreling off an overpass on Highway 102 last week.

🏭 The province and Northern Pulp have finally reached a settlement agreement that will see the company abandon its pursuit of reopening its mill in Pictou County and explore opening a new mill in Liverpool.

🏥 Gail Tomblin Murphy—the senior executive who had a hand in establishing virtual care in Nova Scotia, setting up clinics in pharmacies and being a driving force behind the YourHealthNS app—is quitting her job.

🏛️ The Tory government has once again blocked attempts by the opposition to boost the budgets for security for MLA offices.

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX TRANSIT

Halifax Transit service disruptions

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

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Jeremy Vaughan Keji - Nature Is My Bliss: This art exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to experience the park’s stunning vistas through the eyes of Jeremy Vaughan, who has been inspired by its pristine lakes and rich cultural heritage for many years. The exhibit not only celebrates the park’s natural wonders but also highlights the importance of conservation and the role art plays in preserving these landscapes for future generations. | May 23-June 14

🗓 Garrison Beer Release Party: The Carleton is hosting a very special event to celebrate the release of a brand new beer from Garrison Brewing Co. featuring Houblon Duke25 Hops from Phyl La Ferrier’s family farm in St. Edourad, Quebec. Be the first to sample it while rocking out to classic outlaw country tuned by Desperado Band. | May 24 | 8pm | $23 

🗓 Hot Pot - An All Asian Variety Showcase: Celebrate Asian Heritage month with this all-Asian cast with talents based in various spicy performing art disciplines, from drag to pole dancing to burlesque. The show features a mix of returning and new performances. | May 25 | 6-8pm and 9-11pm | From $26.89

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️ The CMA CGM T Jefferson container ship arrives in Halifax from Tanger-Med at 12:15am.

➡️ The Delphinus C container ship leaves Halifax for Port Everglades at 2am.

➡️ The Pacific Trader container ship leaves Halifax for Kingston at 4:30am.

🛳️ The East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from St. John’s at 5:40am.

➡️The Qikiqtaaluk W oil tanker leaves Halifax for Sept-lles at 8am.

🛳️ The Atlantic Sail arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 5:20pm.

➡️The Oceanix Sanderling leaves Halifax for St. John’s at 6pm.

🛳️➡️ The Silver Arctic container ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 7:15am and  leaves for St. Pierre at 6pm.

🛳️ The AlgoCanada oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Nanticoke at 7:15pm.

➡️ The Eagle II container ship leaves Halifax for Villagarcia at 10:00pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍨 Eye spy with my little eye, something that is yellow! It’s a new flavour at Dairy Bar (at Stillwell Beer Garden): turmeric ginger.

☕ Recapture your youth with the homemade pop-tarts from Dilly Dally Eats. Different flavours pop up every week, from coconut cheesecake to peanut butter chocolate ganache. Enjoy one for breakfast with hot (or cold) coffee!

👀 In Case You Missed It

🛣️ Last Thursday, like many days in the HRM, traffic was brought to a standstill by a few people having a bad day. Congestion is not an occasional flaw of our transportation network, it’s the defining feature. The Coast’s Matt Stickland has the update on the transportation problem and everything else you need to know about what happened at Council this week.

🏗️ Treno Morton grew up in Uniacke Square. He has witnessed the gentrification and displacement in Halifax’s North End communities. He has heard stories from his elders about the destruction of Africville by the city.  The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer spoke to Morton about the New Roots Community Land Trust, his plans for developing a parcel of the Cogswell district, as well as the work that still needs to be done to get it through council.

That’s it!

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