🗞️ Halifax does not value librarians

Hey Halifax,

I’m more confused than usual this morning, so I want to talk it out with you guys.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was investigating a possible bear attack that took place in Eastern Passage on Monday morning. In a statement, they said a section of Shearwater Flyer Trail was closed from Bisset Road to Caldwell Road as staff investigated.

THEN, a day later, DNR said the investigation was complete and survey said: No bear attack. What a relief, right? False bear alarm.

BUT, now this guy has come forward to CTV saying that he’s lucky to be alive after said bear attack! He says that the bear jumped on his chest and slapped him on the side of the head, threw him against a pile of rocks—and that he emerged from the encounter covered in blood and dirt and had to get over 100 stitches and 12-15 staples in his head!

So—in conclusion—DNR says no bear attack. Man says bear attack. I say…ghost bear attack?

All jokes aside though, it is very refreshing to read about a man getting attacked and nobody believing him.

Have a wild day out there! 🐻👻

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 21°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 22°

Next Day: ☀️ 22°

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.

NEWS + OPINION

Halifax does not value librarians

Even though the ongoing strike by Halifax’s librarians might indicate otherwise, the city of Halifax is supposed to be a great place to work. The HRM’s bureaucracy frequently wins awards as one of Canada’s top 100 employers. One of the big reasons Halifax wins so much is that the HRM is an employer that embodies its values by implementing plans and policies to ensure people paid with municipal tax dollars are being paid a living wage. This is why the HRM has implemented something called “social procurement.”

This program, approved by Halifax Regional Council in 2022, ensures that any private company awarded a contract over $1.5 million must pay its employees a living wage. One of the concerns of the social procurement program is that increasing the cost of labour will also increase government spending, but the city stands up for its values by saying the “multiplier effects of economic participation in the community can outweigh any perceived financial impact to the municipality.”

About the only problem with the city’s approach to a living wage is that it doesn’t apply to city employees. Which brings us to the librarians.

The Coast’s Matt Stickland has an in-depth look at why Halifax librarians went on strike this week against a city that does not follow its own labour policies.

🤔 Need To Know

🏦 The living wage for families in Halifax has increased 7% in one year—two adults supporting two children need to both work 35 hours per week and get paid at least $28.30 an hour to keep their heads above water.

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

⛺ The provincial government and the HRM have agreed to continue offering shelter to people experiencing homelessness at the Halifax Forum for another year.

🧻 You’re walking around Downtown Halifax and suddenly… nature calls. We’ve all been there! Keep this list of public washrooms handy for the next time you're Downtown.*

🌊 Don’t miss your last chance to experience Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend at the Museum of Natural History. This beautiful exhibit closes on September 2, 2024.*

⚖️ A small claims court adjudicator has ruled in favour of a tenant after the landlord changed their lease from a year-to-year agreement to a 12-month fixed-term contract without their knowledge. 

🎶 Make music with us at the Halifax Institute of Traditional and Early Music! Ensembles for ages 12+ including adults. Register here!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX TRANSIT

Transit Fare Increases and Changes

New Halifax Transit fares will take effect on September 1. Please note that September monthly passes with new pricing will be available for purchase at retailers and on HFXGO as of August 20, 2024.

New Regional Express fare products will be available, offering increased options and improved convenience for Regional Express passengers. Available exclusively on the HFXGO mobile fare payment app, Regional Express passengers will now be able to purchase 10 ride and 20 ride passes, and 1, 2 and 7 Day passes consistent with other conventional fare products currently offered on the HFXGO app.

ARTS + CULTURE

Shared trauma bonds two hockey players in this Halifax Fringe Fest play

One is a Canadian hockey player trying to make it big, in part to win the attention of his alcoholic father. The other is a Ukrainian hockey player, who wishes to bring his father to Canada and away from the war.

Both junior A players have the same goal: to make the NHL draft.

18 years old, they depart from the locker room and head over to a local bar—one that the Canadian player knows well. They sit. The Ukrainian hangs off of his seat, ready to leave at any moment, knowing that this hazing ritual could have him sent back. The other tells him to at least pretend like they should be there.

Drinking ensues—at least, for one of them—and as the Ukrainian says he has a meeting with their coach, the Canadian warns him—don’t believe all of the coach’s promises. As the former leaves, the latter, fueled by angst and passion, drunkenly rants in front of everyone else in the bar.

As his emotions calm, he feels a pain flare in his wrist. 

The Draft is a two-person play written and directed by Scott Andrew Christensen and presented during the Halifax Fringe Festival at Neptune Theatre’s Imperial Studio on Argyle Street. Dalhousie Theatre grad Ian Bueltel takes on the role of William, who’s driven to make the draft by any means necessary. Andriy Shevchenko, a Ukrainian immigrant, will be playing as the Ukrainian junior A player on-stage, also named Andriy.

The play deals with a multitude of different themes, all tied together by the friendship developing between its two main characters. Trauma, sexual abuse, familial relationships and the toxic masculinity embedded within hockey culture all factor into the lives of these two players, who are forced to wade through their numerous issues as they chase their goals. 

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with the director and cast of The Draft ahead of tonight’s debut show.

🗞️ In Other News

🪵 A large piece of the province’s shipbuilding history has revealed itself after heavy rains this summer uncovered a wooden ship that had been buried for almost 50 years.

🫁 Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Canada, with some provinces reporting sharp increases compared to pre-pandemic averages.

🚨 Halifax Regional Police say a man on a mobility scooter was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Monday after he was struck by a pickup truck in a crosswalk on Mumford Road.

🏘️ People will begin moving into a new Pallet shelter village in Kentville, with another location on Atlantic Street in Dartmouth expected to open in the coming weeks—with 42 units for seniors.

🪮 In its first months, the Black Beauty Culture Hair Innovator Refresher Training has helped people get certified to work with natural and textured hair—it's just one of the programs for black beauty on the go in the province.

SPONSORED BY NEPTUNE THEATRE

Experience the Magic of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Like Never Before!

Step into a reimagined world where love, magic and mistaken identities collide under the allure of the Prohibition era.

In this captivating twist on Shakespeare’s classic, four young lovers and the Queen of the Fairies navigate a labyrinth of enchantment and confusion. Set in the shadowy backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, mischief and mayhem unravel, leaving everyone tangled in a web of romance and mistaken affections.

Tickets start at $33 (fees & taxes incl.)

Book today.

SPONSORED BY MEET YOUR FARMER AND NOVA SCOTIA FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE

Meet Your Farmer on Open Farm Day

Visitors can explore working farms, meet the farmers who grow our food, and participate in educational activities for the whole family! Each participating farm will offer its own unique experiences such as farm tours, kids activities, demonstrations and conversations with local farmers.  Plan your adventure.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Hope for Wildlife's Annual Open House: Get a once-a-year "behind-the-scenes" look at the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility with tours of the medical facilities, access to the bird and mammal nurseries, recovery units, marine unit and giant flight cages! All funds raised go to support Hope for Wildlife's efforts to help injured and orphaned wildlife in Nova Scotia. | Aug 31 | Noon | Donations welcome

🗓 1st Annual Eastern Shore Art Walk: This family-friendly event brings together an eclectic mix of local artists from Lake Echo to Sheet Harbour, each showcasing their unique style and flair. Stroll through the museum's charming grounds, discover new favourites, and enjoy an afternoon of art, community and connection. | Aug 31 | 1pm

🗓 The Fabulously Rich—The Tragically Hip Tribute: Don’t miss this tribute band, bound together by our profound appreciation for The Hip's music and committed to honouring Gord's legacy and contributions. | Aug 31 | 9pm | $20

🗓 Shakespeare By The Sea presents The Unrehearsed MACBETH: Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy will be brought to life like you’ve never seen it before and never will again. For this one-night-only performance, SBTS’ actors learn only their own lines, design their own costumes and embrace the chaos of live performance where anything can (and will!) happen! | Sept 1 | 7pm | From $15

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The Contship Art container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:20am and leaves for Kingston at 10pm.

🛳️➡️ The Viking Mars cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 5pm.

🛳️➡️ The Vivienne Sherri D container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland at 8:15am and leaves for Argentia at 1pm.

🛳️ The Mol Experience container ship arrives in Halifax from Antwerp at 10:20am.

🛳️➡️ The Enchanted Princess cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 11am and leaves for Canadian seas at 7pm.

🛳️ The Nolhan Ava cargo ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 1:15pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥪 Drop by Tart and Soul for their lunch special this week, the Caraway My Wayward Son: turkey, ham, red pepper relish, pepperoncini aioli, swiss and greens piled on a house-made baked caraway onion bun.

🍰 Your new dessert crush might just be the Strawberry Cream Cake at Salt + Ash: layers of vanilla sponge, strawberry mousse and a touch of sumac crumble.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎭 If you want to see art that’s deliberately expressive, interesting or just downright weird, the Halifax Fringe Festival is for you. Unrestrained from any means of censorship, the Fringe Festival stages are a place where artists can put on whatever they’ve been working on, no matter the content. Over 11 days through Sunday Sep. 8, Haligonians will be presented with theatre plays, musical performances, circus acts, comedy routines and more. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer lists all of the shows being presented by the Fringe with brief descriptions on what each one is about—the ultimate guide for this year’s festival!

🎉 Orientation week, dubbed O-Week, starts for incoming Dalhousie University students this Thursday, Aug. 29. It’s a jam-packed week deserving of its own website. Last year’s O-Week saw over 2,000 students attend its larger events, the vice president of student life for the Dal Student Union, Ana Patton, tells The Coast. “This year, we'd like to see that many, or even more,” says Patton, who has been key to planning this year’s events. Nothing overlaps, so if you want to max out on O-Week, you really could. The Coast’s Lauren Phillips spoke with Patton about what else we can expect from this year’s O-Week.

That’s it!

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