🗞️ HFX Votes 2024: What’s up with transit?

Oh hi Halifax,

This day—June 25th—marks a momentous and, I’d argue, pivotal day in the annals of Halifax history: it’s my birthday! 🎂 And I’m so happy to be starting the day off with you.

Something I always grapple with internally is being able to separate the art from the artist. Like when someone makes art that I love, but then does or says things that I find to be morally objectionable, how do I reconcile that?

You’re probably thinking—”methinks Julie has lost the plot, why is she even talking about this?”—but I swear there is a point here.

One of those people for me is Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and I bring this up because apparently her yacht—The Samsara—is docked near Bishop's Landing (see? I got there eventually). Crowds saw crew onboard, but no sign of the $150M (USD!) yacht’s owner.

When I heard this, I had a mix of “Cool! Hermione Granger is my queen!” and “Hey! Take your TERF yacht out of my harbour!” That’s the dilemma, right? The art rules but the artist sucks.

I’m sure the boat is pretty sick though.

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☁️ ⛈️ 21°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 24°

Next Day: 🌨️ 21°

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.

CITY

HFX Votes 2024: What’s up with transit?

In this edition of HFX Votes 2024, The Coast's special municipal election coverage, The Coast’s Matt Stickland sits down with Douglas Wetmore of It's More than Busses.

In part one of a two-part series Matt finds out what exactly is going wrong with Halifax's beleaguered bus system. Wetmore explains the issues facing transit, some of the issues created by Halifax Transit, and some potential fixes.

It's everything you need to know about why your bus is late.

In part two which will be out later this week. Matt will sit down with an expert to find out what transit would look like if it were well run. Between these two episodes, you should have everything you need to know to ask your candidates about transit.

🎧 Listen now

🤔 Need To Know

🛴 Halifax police have recovered more than 40 bikes and scooters believed to have been stolen throughout the region. Anyone who has had a bicycle or scooter stolen recently can contact Halifax police's Lost and Found Property at 902-490-5232.

🚨 RCMP arrested a man who was wanted on a province-wide warrant and believed to be carrying an axe.

💃 One of Canada’s top ranked dance festivals celebrates a decade! FODAR-Festival of Dance Annapolis Royal runs July 16 through 20. MainStage tickets on sale now!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY SUPPORT4CULTURE

Support4Culture proudly supports NS Museums

Support4Culture is a designated lottery program that supports arts, culture, and heritage in communities across Nova Scotia including the Iona Highland Village and other important cultural sites. 

ARTS + CULTURE

The Great Boomsky’s secret story finally told in new book

There once lived a man in Truro who worked as a red cap at the train station.

While he may have been unassuming to most, if he encountered the right passenger, this man would suddenly become a never-ending box of tricks. He would pull out sleight of hands that would leave some of the best magicians guessing.

This man’s name was Isaac Willis. In a past life, he was known as the Great Boomsky—and as magic historian Margaret Steele puts it in her new book, he was magic’s first Black superstar.

The world may have known the name Boomsky as the assistant of French magician Alexander Herrmann who performed around America as Herrmann the Great, as well as shows from his equally successful wife Adelaide, known as the Queen of Magic.

But before Herrmann was “Herrmann the Great,” he played assistant to his elder brother. While the audience may figure the assistant is just along for the ride, Steele argues it’s much more than that.

“They developed this act between them where the child seemed to be just an innocent assistant, but he was actually vital to the show because he was doing all sorts of magic, helping his older brother,” Steele explains. “But because he was a little kid, no one expected him.”

Once Herrmann’s career took off, he began doing similar acts, except he would take the lead role, and his wife would dress as a young boy and perform alongside him, pulling all kinds of comical tricks.

“In about 1880, he hired his first African American assistant, who was about 11 years old,” said Steele, adding most of his assistants were between 11 and 14 in age.

Willis had been one of these assistants.

“Boomsky played that character who was kind of a slapstick comic fool,” Steele explains. “What Isaac Willis did was he dignified the character and he made them into a dignified magician. He did not do pratfalls. He did elegant sleight of hand magic and amazing illusions, as well.”

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer talks with Steele about uncovering the hidden history of the Great Boomsky.

🗞️ In Other News

🩺 The number of Nova Scotians in need of a family doctor has reached its highest level yet. In May, the need-a-family-practice registry saw a net increase of nearly 1,900 people—bringing the total to 160,234 people (about 16.2% of the population).

🏅 The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame will be making significant upgrades to its facility after a $2.5 million investment from the province.

⚡ The federal government is still considering a request—that came five months ago—to help cover hundreds of millions of dollars in debt accrued by the province and N.S. Power.

🥅 Spryfield will be getting a brand new arena to replace the long-standing Spryfield Lions Rink—a fixture in the neighbourhood for more than 50 years.

🚙 A new study found that 70% of injured drivers in Atlantic Canada between 2018 and 2023 showed impairment in their blood samples—a number that far outweighs the national average of 54%.

⛪ There is a push to save a Catholic church in Halifax from permanently closing. Saint Patrick’s was ordered to close last week because of safety concerns with its steeple.

🏫 Fairview Junior High now has a new stairlift so that students that use mobility aids can access the basement classrooms thanks to a student petition.

SPONSORED BY CANADIAN MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION AT PIER 21

Canada Day at the Museum

Entertainment and activities for all ages throughout the day! Enjoy live music, dance, a scavenger hunt, activities (including a play brick mosaic you help build), and visit the Museum's exhibitions FOR FREE. Also, witness a citizenship ceremony and help us celebrate the Museum turning 25!

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 All-Ages Taylgate Dance Party: Come join the ultimate celebration to “shake off” the school year and say hello to summer by dancing the evening away to all your favourite Taylor Swift hits with fellow Swifties. There will be cocktails, mocktails, giveaways and fun food. | June 28 | 7pm | $20

🗓 Harbourside Ribfest: Back for its ninth year, this is the biggest food event of the summer and the the largest 100% volunteer-run event hosted by Rotary Halifax Harbour. Proceeds from sponsorship, vendor fees, bar sales, and entry fees support local and international causes. The event will host five unique rib trucks, exciting local vendors and live entertainment. | June 28-July 1 | $2 to enter

🗓 Summer Blast-Off at the Discovery Centre: Get ready for a weekend of scientific fun and adventure, including wild and wonderful science shows, gigantic bubble blowing and Hal-Con superstars. Plus, gear up for the newest immersive HOCKEY experience! | June 29-30 | $14.50

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Em Kea container ship leaves Halifax for Bremerhaven at 5am.

➡️ The Ile de Molene supply ship leaves Halifax for unknown seas at 2pm.

🛳️ The Gotland general cargo ship arrives in Halifax from Villagarcia at 12:45pm.

🛳️ The One Monaco container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 3:45pm.

🛳️➡️ The East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 1:40am and leaves for Charlottetown at 7pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥤 Need an extra jolt of energy? Alteregos Cafe has just the thing for you with their new Coke Espresso: ice cold Coca-Cola topped with an espresso shot and infused with signature vanilla orange syrup.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏫 In an email to The Coast, the spokesperson for the province said “teachers are empowered to make professional decisions when developing lesson plans that can include external resources. The Antigonish Women’s Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association's Healthy Relationship for Youth Program is an example of one of these resources.” Basically, if schools want to implement the HRY in their classrooms, then it’s up to the individual teachers to take that on, not the province. Nova Scotia Teachers Union president Ryan Lutes says this response is a “cop out.” The Coast’s Julie Lawrence spoke to Lutes about the AG report and implementing the Healthy Relationships for Youth Program in more Nova Scotia schools.

🏢 Catherine Chase didn’t expect she would have to pick up her life and move by the end of August. Chase rents a two-bedroom apartment at Prince Edward Estates, owned and managed by Flex Development. She moved in during 2021, and at the time signed a fixed-term lease with the company. This type of lease is typically terminated after the end date, only continuing if both parties agree to it. When the lease was up and it was time to resign, the property owners instead sent her an email, notifying her of the lease ending.  Chase and her roommate would have to be out of their apartment by the end of the summer. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer takes a deep dive into the problem of fixed-term leases, including how they act as a loophole around the five per cent rent cap.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading The Coast Daily today.

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Haligonian.

And before you go, let us know: