🗞️ Halifax's student housing conundrum

Good morning!

In case you haven’t already heard it from the Swifties and the football diehards, the Super Bowl is on this weekend. And more importantly—at least for some—Usher is performing the half-time show. (Let it burn!)

My football fandom has waned through the years, but I do appreciate a good Super Bowl spread. Nothing like an occasion to break out the chips and raid the frozen entrée section at the grocery store. I won’t be watching this year’s game—Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, here I come—but I will miss the food. Save me some, will you?

– Martin

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 1°

Tomorrow: ☁️ 3°

Next Day: 🌧️ 4°

7-day forecast

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

EDUCATION

Universities have to fix their housing issues or lose millions in funding, says province

Less than two months into the year, and it’s already been a doozy for Nova Scotia’s universities. First, a leaked email from the lobbying arm of Canadian university presidents spilled the beans that Ottawa had plans to significantly cap international study permits in 2024. The feds followed up by announcing they would slash study permits by 35% from 2023—or roughly 194,000 students. (“Stabilizing growth,” Ottawa explained.)

That raised alarm bells at the provincial level about how universities would implement those limits—and a feeling among students, as The Coast reported, that they had become political scapegoats for a housing problem that was much bigger than them.

Enter last Friday, when Nova Scotia’s government announced it was replacing the five-year memorandum of understanding it had signed with universities with a one-year bilateral agreement. And along with that, imposing strict conditions around those schools’ responsibility to ensure there’s enough housing for their students. (A smart idea, if a bit rushed—and one universities are already grumbling about.)

Coast education reporter Lauren Phillips delves into the provincial strings attached—and the millions in university funding at stake—as the province grapples with a housing crisis.

🤔 Need to know

⛺ On the heels of Halifax announcing it’s closing five tent encampments across the HRM, mayor Mike Savage says the region will work to “find appropriate housing” for people sleeping rough.

🏨 Meanwhile, one federal housing advocate says governments need to respect the rights and agency of unhoused people who may not want to be moved into transitional housing facilities.

🚨 Halifax police are looking for a man alleged to have sexually assaulted a group of youths on a Halifax Transit bus in Dartmouth.

🎭 Support4Culture is a proud supporter of arts, culture, and heritage in Nova Scotia. From the Highland Village Museum to Neptune Theatre, see the impact Support4Culture makes here.*

📻 Bell is cutting 9% of its workforce—which, as of yesterday, led to the end of the CTV News at Noon newscast in Atlantic Canada, along with the weekend evening newscasts, among other losses.

*Sponsored Post

CITY HALL

Budget talks break for a halftime intermission

Police budgets are back on the agenda as HRM’s Budget Committee meets this morning. This meeting actually started Wednesday, when there were so many public speakers that the Halifax Regional Police didn’t present their budget until after lunch—which left too little time for the committee to hear from the RCMP. Acting HRP chief Don Maclean went off script, and gave an honest presentation about the state of policing in the HRM and future challenges his department expects to face. (More on that in the next episode of the Grand Parade podcast, coming soon.) 

The RCMP will present their budget request today. After that, councillor Waye Mason plans to put forward a motion to defer the police budget until after the public safety budget to give council a chance to spend money on their priorities instead of more policing.

So far, Coast reporter Matt Stickland has two big takeaways from Wednesday’s meeting: 

• Councillor Becky Kent—who chairs the Board of Police Commissioners—continues to ignore evidence in favour of police talking points. This merits some concern for what is meant to be the public’s police oversight body.

• Every single person who spoke on Wednesday (except Kent) agreed on the need for police reform. In spite of that, reform is unlikely to happen anytime soon, as that would require strong leadership in council.

Catch up on all the news from Wednesday’s budget meeting later today in your podcast feed—the latest Grand Parade episode is on its way—and Monday morning in this newsletter. If you’re a City Hall Insider, you can expect the usual extra analysis and insight which is an exclusive perk of paying for a Coast Insider membership.

🗞️ In Other News

🐟 Five people and three fishing companies in the Sambro area face hefty fines and licence suspensions after the DFO ruled they breached the federal Fisheries Act.

👩🏾‍🏫 As Nova Scotia’s classrooms see more students from diverse backgrounds, Black and Indigenous teachers say representation is the “No. 1 thing” that comes up when they ask students about how to improve their schools.

🏡 As Ottawa puts an end to the popular Greener Homes Grant program, some worry the barrier to home energy improvements will become too high for most.

🛒 Amid high living costs, one Nova Scotia senior on a fixed income says she’ll have to go back to work at age 77 to make ends meet.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Halifax Thunderbirds vs. Las Vegas Desert Dogs: The ‘Birds are in 5th place in the National Lacrosse League entering the weekend, with a chance to draw level with the 4th seed | Feb. 9 | 7:30pm | From $26

🗓 Black History Month Dinner w/ Performances: The Africa Festival of Arts & Culture Society hosts its annual BHM dinner with an evening of talented acts at Rosaria Hall | Feb. 10 | 6-11:30pm | $54.58

🗓 Swiftie Super Bowl Party: The newly-opened Moxy Hotel is throwing a bash for the big game with Super Bowl Bingo and Taylor-themed food and drinks. Embrace the tabloid fodder for a night | Feb. 11 | 6:30pm | $11.98

🗓 The Wizard of Oz: Shakespeare by the Sea’s latest indoor theatre production is an “endlessly funny and wonderfully original” musical take on the classic film | Until Feb. 11 | Showtimes vary | $20-50

🗓 A Fresh Take: Ibe Ananaba: See the Nigerian artist’s latest exhibition at The Prow Gallery—described as a “reflection on diversity, a catalyst for crucial conversations about identity” and the “perspectives that shape our understanding” | Until Feb. 16 | Hours vary | Admission free

🗓 Crossing Lines: A New Age of Migration: The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21’s ongoing exhibit shares personal stories of refugees who have arrived in Canada—and the circumstances that brought them here | Until Mar. 24 | 10am-5pm | $15.50 (with discounts for youth and seniors)

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings

👀 In Case You Missed It

❄️ Just how bad was the snowfall in parts of Nova Scotia? One nurse made a house call by Ski-Doo on Tuesday, CBC News reports.

🌽 How did Halifax’s food insecurity issues begin? You can look to one crucial piece of infrastructure the HRM built 70 years ago, The Coast’s Matt Stickland writes in his latest city hall report.

🩻 Nova Scotia physiotherapists will soon be able to request X-rays, the province’s health minister announced Thursday. The changes come into place in early spring.

🎤 Halifax comedian Travis Lindsay will take to the stage this Saturday as Canada’s longest-running all-Black comedy tour arrives in town. He spoke to The Coast about Black representation in comedy.

That’s it!

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