🗞️ Is this Halifax's best restaurant?

Good morning, Halifax!

Between all the work for The Best of Halifax 2026, I realized that I haven’t really mentioned a bit of news from the provincial government that I find to be quite important.

Earlier this month, the Nova Scotia government announced its first 2SLGBTQIA+ Action Plan, which it calls a “co-ordinated road map to advance equity, improve access to services and supports, and build safer, more inclusive communities across the province.”

Based on public engagement sessions undertaken by an interdepartmental working group formed by the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, it outlines the steps the province wants to take to improve 2SLGBTQIA+ equity and equality throughout Nova Scotia. A few broad highlights include: improving access to gender-affirming care and other services, building safer and more inclusive schools and communities, strengthen 2SLGBTQIA+ businesses, and making the government an inclusive-minded employer.

This plan has received national attention from 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations for outlining some of the issues that the community faces every day—a stark contrast from the actions taken by provincial governments in Alberta and elsewhere. To a point, I agree. It’s great to see that our government intends to focus on objectives that, if fulfilled, will advance 2SLGTBQIA+ equity.

The issue I have with this plan, and one I haven’t seen discussed all that much, is there’s seemingly no money tied to this initiative at the moment—at least, none we can see from the release. I’m sure the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism have a broader budget with a category to help them get started, but I’m afraid without a serious financial commitment, some of these goals will unfortunately fall by the wayside.

That’s speculation, of course, but it’s speculation with evidence behind it. Premier Tim Houston announced the government’s deficit has risen to $1.4 billion. A number that high means cuts could be coming to balance the budget. Back in November, Finance Minister John Lohr had asked senior officials to look at the impacts of 10 percent cuts to program grants—some recipients of those grants being 2SLGBTQIA+ serving organizations. I highly doubt that a government trying to reduce their spending as much as they can will put the necessary funds aside to enact this plan with the full attention it deserves.

Until I see it laid out clearly in a budget line, I don’t have high hopes. Maybe it’s just my pessimistic side crawling out again, but I’ve seen a number of well-meaning plans pushed by governments (municipal, provincial and federal) only for them to collect dust.

I really, really hope I’m wrong.

Best,

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ -5°

Tomorrow: 🌨️ 3°

Next Day: 🌨️ -3°

7-day forecast

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

FOOD + DRINK

Chef Colin Bebbington’s Tribute: where anticipation met reality

Every city has a restaurant that becomes a talking point within food-obsessed circles. It is the reservation everyone tries to secure, the menu everyone watches evolve, the chef everyone is quietly rooting for. In Halifax for the past year, that restaurant has been Chef Colin Bebbington’s Tribute, located in the Cunard Residences on the Halifax waterfront. It topped my personal list of most anticipated dining experiences over the last year and thanks to the generosity of my partner, I recently had the chance to get through the door. I left with a richer picture of what Halifax’s modern dining scene can look like and a few lingering questions.

The Coast’s food and beverage critic Mark DeWolf asks the question: is Tribute really as great as everyone says?

🤔 Need To Know

🪖 The Department of National Defence is building a warship test facility in Eastern Passage to help manage weaponry on a new fleet of vessels—the federal government is in the process of replacing the navy’s Iroquois-class destroyers and Halifax-class patrol frigates with 15 River-class destroyers constructed by Irving Shipbuilding.

🛢️ The Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition is calling on Dalhousie University officials to release its agreements with the province to establish a program that could lead to drilling in Nova Scotia—the government announced in December that its spending $30 million outside the budget for Dalhousie to explore the potential for onshore natural gas.

⚖️ Brent Alexander Julien, the 37-year-old man shot by a police officer during an alleged robbery, is facing several charges in connection to the incident, including robbery and two counts of assaulting a police officer—Julien was sent to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

🗞️ In Other News

🚨 An emergency alert in Antigonish County on Tuesday was cancelled after the arrest of two men who fled a traffic stop—RCMP say the two men may have been armed, but no shots were fired.

🚗 Halifax Regional Police reported several collisions just after 7am on Tuesday due to black ice following Monday’s winter storm—Highway 111 inbound towards MacKay Bridge was closed to traffic from Portland to Main for an hour.

♿ The provincial government announced a new plan that it says will help people with disabilities—its new HomeShare program seeks to have participants in the Nova Scotia Disability Support Program to live in a shared home, matching participants with providers in their community.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 The People United Will Never Be Defeated! - Music Room Chamber Players Series: Canadian pianist Corey Hamm performs composer Frederic Rzewski’s variations of the Chilean protest song “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido". | Jan. 21 | 7:30PM | $20+|

🗓 Jeremy Vaughan Ocean Island River Forest — Reception: Nova Scotia’s Jeremy Vaughan presents his new collection of work for the Prow Gallery with an opening Artist Reception. | Jan. 22 | 5PM |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The Mignon vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Zeebrugge at 5:55am and departs for New York at 3:30pm.

🚢 The CMA CGM Ambition container vessel arrives in Halifax from Algeciras at 6:15am.

🚢➡️ The Augusta Luna container vessel arrives in Halifax from Moa at 7:30am and departs for Villagarcia (de Arousa) at 10am.

🚢 The Oceanex Sanderling container vessel arrives in Halifax from St. John’s at 12:20pm.

➡️ The Ocean Giant general cargo vessel departs from Halifax for Gaspe at 3pm.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Star container vessel arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 3:20pm and departs for New York at 11:30pm.

🚢 The One Aquila container vessel arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 3:45pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍠 2 Doors Down Dartmouth has a special Valley Squash Gnocchi for you to try out! Made with gnocchi from Maria’s Pantry, squash purée, roasted squash, charred broccolini and Ciro’s stracciatella.

🍜 Manilla Thai Grill has a whole host of new daily lunch specials, including their Imperial Combo, Pancit Combo, Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl and more.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎶 Halifax has one of the most interesting music scenes in the country. The wide breadth of talent, genre, and collaboration makes the city a great environment to write, produce and perform. Listeners can find any number of artists and acts that fit their fancy, and can even attend regular concerts to show their support. During our Best of Halifax Readers' Choice Awards, we asked you about your favourite musicians, and you answered. The results for our Music category are now live on our Best of Halifax page. Stay tuned for the results from our Shopping + Services and Food + Drink categories. Insiders currently have access to all of our award winners, so if you want an early peek, consider becoming a Coast Insider.

⛏️ The new deputy minister of justice, Alex Ikejiani, specializes in environmental law, rounding out Premier Tim Houston’s plan to further natural resource development in the province—Houston says he was connected with Ikejiani through mutual friends and that he was “a very, very talented person.”

📈 A report from Statistics Canada shows Indigenous and Black adults are more likely to be incarcerated in Nova Scotia than non-Indigenous and white adults—incarceration rates for Indigenous adults are 10 times higher, while rates for Black adults are three times higher.

That’s it!

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