🗞️ HRM's anti-slumlord bylaw explained

Good morning Halifax,

The results are in and (shock of shockers) you guys are NOT stoked about the looming construction closures this summer.

The biggie is the closure of Barrington Street from Upper Water Street to Duke Street as of June 17 when crews will be realigning and regrading the street, installing underground services and building a new Halifax Transit hub. Crews will also remove the last overpass of the former Cogswell Interchange.

In our Coast poll, 44% of you say that your commute will be impacted by the closures, with 11% saying you’ll be fine because you bike or ferry. But I think 100% of us can agree that it’s going to suck for a lot of people.

Let’s try to be patient with each other out there—when the construction starts and always.

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 18°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 20°

Next Day: 🌤️ 23°

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

HRM’s anti-slumlord bylaw—what is it and how does it work?

HRM’s executive committee voted in favour of a staff report detailing a communications strategy to let people in the city—especially young people—know about bylaw M-200 and other housing related guidelines. 

Well, what is bylaw M-200?

It is, essentially, anti-slumlord legislation. Also known as Respecting Standards for Residential Occupancies, the bylaw sets minimum standards for the maintenance of residential buildings within the municipality. These standards are expected to be upheld by the property owner, and include specifics for fire prevention, pest control, safety and much more.

The bylaw also details the process that takes place after a report is filed, from the inspector’s visit to the property owner’s appeal period. 

For more information on bylaw M-200 and how it works, The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer has you covered.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 Halifax police responded to a report of shots fired in Dartmouth early Monday. The victim—shot by an unknown assailant—was taken to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

👀 William MacDonald has been made the new N.S. police complaints commissioner—the role that oversees complaints made by citizens alleging misconduct by municipal police officers in the province.

🎤 Fitz and the Tantrums will light up the TD Halifax Jazz Festival stage on July 10 with their infectious energy, performing hits like Hand Clap and Out of My League!*

🎵 Hotel California- North America’s #1 Tribute to The Eagles! Close your eyes and you’re right back there…You’ll hear all the hits, remarkably replicated, in this spectacular show! Purchase tickets here.*

*Sponsored Post

CITY COUNCIL

2024 Municipal Election: The Game Plan

It has been four years which once again means it’s time for the most exciting tournament. I’m not talking about the Olympics, or the European soccer championship, I’m talking about this fall’s municipal election. 

We like to treat politics like sports, but this year, we at the Coast will try something different. There are real problems with our city from fiscal sustainability to emergency preparedness to transportation. The people we elect will have real power to fix things. And in October we have the chance to use the real power given to us by our democracy to draft a dream roster of councillors who are willing to use their power to fix things. Here’s how it’s going to work. 

You, people who live in Halifax, need to email [email protected] with the issues you see in this city, from the major to the minor. We will take the big list of concerns and figure out which ones council actually has the power to fix and which it does not. Some things, like healthcare, they can’t really do much about. Some things, like transportation, their power is absolute. And a mix of things in between.

Once we have a list of issues councillors can actually fix, we are going to go track down experts who can tell us how to fix them. Armed with your problems and the information on how to fix them we will ask questions about how candidates plan to use the real power (and its real limitations) we will give them over our lives should they be elected. Instead of letting candidates tell us what they thought was important like we did last time. (Although there will be room for that too. What brings people to the table is also important, it’s just a bit less important that the impending extinction of humanity.)

Ultimately, this is us doing homework for you, so please give us feedback about this plan and point us at some research by complaining to [email protected]. Also, this isn’t high school anymore. It’s okay to pay nerds to do homework for you. Please consider doing so by becoming a Coast Insider today!

🗞️ In Other News

🏛️ The executive director of the ATV Association of N.S. says officials should take a look at ATV rules and regulations after the death of an infant in a side-by-side.

⛵ Despite windy and rainy weather, thousands of residents crowded the Halifax Harbourfront over the weekend to watch the first ever Rockwool Sail Grand Prix in Canada.

🏠 Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia has dropped an affordable housing project in Halifax that was billed as the non-profit's largest in Canada, saying the financial case no longer makes sense.

🛒 One month into the Loblaws boycott, the effectiveness of the campaign against the grocery store giant is uncertain.

💙 A new community centre opened in Portapique over the weekend with a special surprise performance by Scottish-Canadian singer Johnny Reid. Reid performed his song “People Like you”—released in 2020 after the mass shooting.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Halifax Greek Fest: A taste of Greece in the heart of Halifax! Choose your favourite Greek dish, take a seat and be entertained by the band Alexandros and Company and Romiosyni Dance Group with traditional dance. | June 6-9 

🗓 Cirque du Soleil presents CORTEO: Corteo, the most enchanting arena production from Cirque du Soleil, is heading to Halifax to charm audiences for the very first time at the Scotiabank Centre for six performances. This unique production, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, was performed for the first time in Montreal in April 2005. Since its creation, Corteo—presented by Sun Life Global Investments—has amazed over 10 million people, in 22 countries. | June 6-9 | $49

🗓 HGMC presents Pride Anthems - You Are Beautiful: This is the music that ignites us, empowers us, and fuels us to keep going—to shine our light and share our flame. Come out for HGMC’s spring concert of capital p Pride anthems and celebrate the YOUniqueness of one another. This is the place where everyone’s included and worthiness is not up for debate. | June 7 | 7:30pm | Starting at $21

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The Wolfsburg vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Jacksonville at 5:55am and  leaves for Emden at 6pm.

🛳️ The Augusta Luna arrives in Halifax from Moa at 7:15am.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🌮 Surf on over to The Wave pop-up in The Local on Gottingen Street for Taco Tuesday! This week’s edition features Pollo Adobado (pulled chicken, chipotle adobo sauce, salsa verde, pickled red onions, cotija) and Memphis Pulled Pork (confit pork shoulder, Memphis brown sugar barbecue sauce, crispy onions, jalapeno crema). Put the fire out with the strawberry agua fresca.

🍕🍑 The sun’s out, the birds are chirping and Morris East just dropped their summer menu! Back by popular demand…the peach pizza: rosemary aioli, peaches, roasted shallots, goat cheese, prosciutto, arugula.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎧 NEW EPISODE - Grand Parade Podcast : Now that the dust has settled on the Housing Accelerator Fund debates, Matt and Martin had some time to sit down and discuss what it’s likely to mean for Halifax. Plus a (very little) bit of election preview and, as always, the two discuss how the city is really not interested in fixing its transportation woes. Listen to the latest episode.

🪧 Students at Astral Drive Junior High in Cole Harbour walked out of class Friday morning to protest feeling unsafe, following a recent violent altercation that happened between students in a washroom on Tuesday, May 28. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips was on scene of the walkout and has the full story.

💰As of Monday, people living with diabetes can apply for help with the cost of some equipment.

That’s it!

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