Oh Halifax, you beautiful SOB you,

There’s something almost impressively absurd about a health-care system in which getting an IUD removed can become a months-long Labrynth-esque journey involving referrals, waitlists, hundreds of phone calls and the sort of perseverance normally associated with trying to get in touch with the CRA.

But if any health care system can pull it off, it’s ours! 🏆

Stephanie Comeau has been trying to get her IUD removed since June. Her family doctor couldn't do it, three gynecologists couldn't take her and after apparently calling the Halifax Sexual Health Centre about 300 times she finally managed to secure a consultation—not the procedure itself—for the end of September.

The Halifax Sexual Health Centre's executive director says these procedures are well within the wheelhouse of primary-care providers—although they require some additional training, familiarity and equipment. Oh, she also added that some doctors “may not have an interest in reproductive health”.

Additional training? Interest in women’s health? Pu-leeeease. In this economy?

So we're not talking about some experimental surgery requiring a specialist flown in from Zurich; we're talking about removing a T-shaped piece of plastic from a woman’s uterus. After 100 calls I’d just ask whichever friend I had that’s most likely to pull a Samantha:

I’m kidding guys. I know this is not the kind of procedure you can/should try at home. But imagine if this was a penis instrument of some kind that prevented pregnancy? That thing would be out of there in zero time. My dead husband had to wait like two weeks to get his vasectomy reversed. I had to wait six months to get a follicle count (and it was like tumbleweeds in there). TMI? Never!

The province, was naturally vague about the whole thing, saying it is working on improving women's health services, with gynecology, menopause and breast screening among its “initial priorities”—but there is “more to do”. Ya think?

This is all so reassuring because nothing says "modern health-care system" quite like needing a strategic plan to deal with a device that has been sitting in someone's uterus since before their doctor could find someone to remove it.

So, Ms. Comeau is suffering from debilitating pain because she can’t get someone to take this thing out of her cooch and other women are like '“I’d like to get pregnant now” and are just getting older and less fertile while the phone just rings into the abyss.

What a world.

Love and light to all the ladies!

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

Today: 🌤️ 14°

Tomorrow: ☀ 15°

Next Day: 🌤️ 19°

7-day forecast

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

The Magnetic World Music Festival just capped off its fourth event in Halifax, but its founders may be stuck in the proverbial mosh pit thanks to a New York-based lawsuit.

Legal records from the New York County Supreme Court reveal that Magnetic World Music Festival Inc., the company behind Halifax's biggest hip-hop music event, is being sued by U.S.-based financing company Orange Funding LLC for $285,118.75, interest on this amount at a statutory rate of nine percent and attorney fees at $57,023.75.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer dives into the lawsuit against Magnetic World.

🚨 The province is offering $150K for information leading to the arrest and conviction in a double-homicide, where bodies were found in a burned vehicle.

👀 Police across the province are warning the public of an ongoing scam where fraudsters are tricking people into converting their money into gold—victims are contacted by scammers who tell them they are a part of a fraud department of a major bank.

🏘️ Neighbourhood Placemaking applications have opened for the region of Halifax and will remain open until Sunday, Nov. 8—this program is offered annually, backed by the municipality to support neighbours in their efforts to connect through community projects.

💻 On Monday, October 19, join Avery Swartz, digital pioneer, to explore the complex ethical questions surrounding AI, including bias, privacy, copyright, and responsible use.*

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Starting therapy can feel like a big decision, but the first step is surprisingly simple: show up as you are. The conversation starts from there, one step at a time.

🏥 A 17-year-old is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following an alleged stabbing in downtown Halifax on Friday night—police responded to the incident on Dacosta Row around 11:30pm and found the victim suffering from a stab wound.

🤢 Two Nova Scotia universities are condemning a sign that was displayed at an off-campus property in Antigonish on the weekend—saying it perpetuated rape culture.

🚔 A police officer won’t face charges after fatally hitting a pedestrian along a Nova Scotia highway earlier this year—two RCMP officers in separate vehicles responded to a call about a group of four adults whose vehicle ran out of gas the night of March 28.

📱 Experts from around the world—including Canada—say the scale of digital technology use by children and youth is a public health issue that needs immediate action to prevent further harm.

💸 After spending by Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore’s office was flagged to police earlier this year, some residents wrote to the city to express their disappointment—while a former top bureaucrat took issue with one of Fillmore’s explanations.

🚨 Halifax Regional Police say they issued a seven-day driver's licence suspension to an impaired driver riding an e-scooter over the weekend—If police suspect someone is operating an e-scooter while impaired, they can demand a breath sample.

✈️ The world has gotten a little smaller for travellers looking for non-stop routes from Halifax Stanfield International Airport—WestJet is not bringing back its flights to Madrid and Copenhagen and Icelandair is dropping its crossing to Reykjavík.

Enjoy a curated menu of Afro-Caribbean and globally inspired vegan small tasting dishes, with each plate representing a chapter of Chef Pamela's journey. Through food, storytelling and music, guests will discover how meals can carry stories of identity, belonging, and home.

Get your tickets today!

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

🗓 Roger Mooking - SoundBites: Don’t miss Roger Mooking's first solo exhibition in Atlantic Canada, bringing together visual art, moving image, music, and text in an immersive exploration of creativity, memory, and the rhythms of contemporary life. Drawing inspiration from the sampling traditions of Hip-Hop, Mooking recontextualizes reproductions of his own artworks to create a dynamic multidisciplinary environment. | Sept 10 - Nov 8 |

🗓 Astor Piazzolla in Buenos Aires - Music Room Chamber Players Series: "A Piano Around the World" is an ongoing project of the great Canadian pianist Louise Bessette, exploring music from diverse continents and cultures. Tonight’s port of call is Buenos Aires, where Louise, along with Marc Djokic and Chloé Dominguez, will explore the joys and passions of Astor Piazzolla, master of the Nuevo Tango. | Oct 7 | 7:30pm | $35 | 

🗓 ANSMA Awards Show Gala: Featuring live performances, awards presentations, and a post-show celebration, the gala is one of the biggest nights on the African Nova Scotian music calendar. From emerging voices to established icons, this unforgettable event showcases the creativity, excellence, and cultural impact of African Nova Scotian artists. | Oct 8 | 6pm | $50 |

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

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Star container vessel arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 5:20am and departs for New York at 4pm.

➡️ The Tropic Lissette container vessel departs Halifax for West Palm Beach at 6am.

🚢➡️ The MSC Annick container vessel arrives in Halifax from Le Havre at 6:15am and departs for Montreal at 4:30pm.

🚢➡️ The Zuiderdam cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8am and departs at 5pm.

🚢 The Mountpark general cargo vessel arrives in Halifax from Philadelphia at 8:15am.

🚢 The SL Falcon container vessel arrives in Halifax from New York at 3:50pm.

➡️ The L’Austral cruise vessel departs Halifax at 7pm.

➡️ The Algoma East Coast tanker departs Halifax for Saint John at 11pm.

🎉 We’re taking the day to celebrate our Legends! On Wednesday, October 7, we’ll come together to celebrate the incredible people who make Legendary Hospitality, Legendary!

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🧻 For years, Cashmere bathroom tissue has been a household staple. But once a year, the everyday material is transformed into something far less ordinary: high fashion. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva talks to designers about how they’ve turned bathroom tissue into high fashion.

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