🗞️ $4M more cops please

Help ME, help YOU Halifax!

(Not actual footage of me, but same gist)

It’s a new year and we want to check in with you, dear readers, to find out what kind of content you are most interested in so we can give you more of the good stuff. Please take a moment to let us know…

If you enjoy what we do, consider becoming a Coast Insider so that we can keep on making it. 

Just think, an Insider membership for a WHOLE YEAR costs about the same as 6-to-8 items from the fresh produce section at the grocery store. And, instead of throwing out that partially-liquified three-pack of romaine in three weeks, you’ll get the sweet satisfaction of knowing you are keeping local journalism alive in Halifax.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ⛅️ -2°

Tomorrow: 🌨️ 1°

Next Day: 🌧️ 2°

7-day forecast

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

NEWS + OPINION

RCMP want $4 million for more cops

Monday’s special Board of Police Commissioner’s meeting was held so the Mounties could present their budget ahead of today’s meeting for the public to give feedback on the police budgets. Today’s meeting is expected to be a pretty spicy one as bodycams and an armoured personnel carrier are on the Halifax Regional Police’s budget wish list this year, and they’re asking for a few more civilian hires.

The RCMP, for its part, is asking for 14 new cops this year and plans to ask for an additional nine next year, for about $4 million in new RCMP spending. The RCMP say they need this because as the population grows, they need to expand their presence in some areas they police, like Beechville and Eastern Passage. But the city of Halifax is also making plans to accommodate population growth. And the city is undertaking some pretty substantial efforts to reform police. As the RCMP ask for more money and the city plans for the future, it might be time to start looking at changing who polices where in the HRM. 

For more on the RCMP’s budget and the future of the city, here’s Matt Stickland’s report from Monday’s police board meeting.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 The man suspected of killing his girlfriend, her father and himself in Halifax at the beginning of the year had a lengthy criminal record in Ontario—including a history of firearm offences.

🇨🇦 Nova Scotia Liberals are praising prime minister Justin Trudeau's decision not to lead the federal party into the next general election, calling it “a big day in Canadian politics.” 

🌼 Advanced Laser Hair Removal at Bloomfield Beauty Bar: Inclusive & effective. Free patch test & limited time: 50% off your 1st session! Call (902) 402-8390.*

👀 Halifax police are asking for the public’s help finding a missing 13-year-old—Gracen Campbell-Leblanc was last seen at roughly 10 p.m. Monday evening.

⚖️ Yesterday the murder trial for a Halifax-area youth accused of participating in the killing of a 16-year-old student last year heard from an eyewitness to the fatal stabbing, who called it “a horror film.”

🎥 Support4Culture believes in the photography and filmmaking industry within Nova Scotia, proudly supporting artists like Corey Katz. See the impact Support4Culture makes here.*

*Sponsored Post

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Blues, roots, folk with Julian Taylor

Celebrate Black History Month with a captivating performance by Juno-nominated artist Julian Taylor. His soulful voice combines his unique blend of blues, roots and folk music. Enjoy free admission to the Museum with purchase of this event ticket. Don't miss this unforgettable night of music presented by Joy Bullen.

EDUCATION

 Dal has started sharing drafts of new equity policies with community

Dalhousie University is moving closer to releasing updated versions of its Sexualized Violence, Discrimination and Harassment policies, and a new standalone Racialized Violence Policy.

On Dec 2, Dal’s Human Rights and Equity Services department of the Office of Equity and Inclusion shared a draft of amendments to the university’s Sexualized Violence Policy with the school community for review and feedback. HRES also opened a survey to gather anonymous student, staff and faculty feedback on current school policies. 

The survey, which is open until Jan 10, is meant as “an opportunity to share your views about aspects of the University’s climate and its existing procedures and practices” and as a place for “individuals who identify as racialized or Indigenous to provide insight about their experiences at the University.” It takes roughly 10 minutes to complete.

Dal’s spokesperson confirmed that amendments to the school’s other equity policies on discrimination and harassment “will also be released for consultation during the course of this academic term.” 

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips digs into the new policy, including whether it will eliminate the university’s misuse of non-disclosure agreements.

🗞️ In Other News

🏢 The most recent Canadian Social Survey—using data gathered in August and September—found 66% of Nova Scotians experienced a housing challenge related to affordability, suitability, condition or discrimination in the past year.

👀 Police near Truro are investigating a death as “suspicious” after a woman was found dead during a wellness check on Friday—officers went to a home in Bible Hill where they found a 42-year-old woman dead, and an unconscious man who was taken to hospital.

🩺 The province is reporting just over 9,000 names have been removed from the list of Nova Scotians waiting for a family doctor—the new data shows that 110,456 people are still in need.

🇨🇦 As attention turns quickly in Ottawa to who will replace Liberal leader/prime minister Justin Trudeau now that he’s promised to move aside as soon as a new leader is chosen, some former Liberal advisers are split on how quickly the process should move. 

🏘️ A neighbour of two people who were found dead after a well-being check in Mahone Bay says he’s in complete disbelief about what happened—adding he and his wife regularly spent time with the couple, whose deaths are being called “suspicious.”

🏥 A new report on emergency department closures in Nova Scotia suggests some progress is happening—but a closer look shows that the province's biggest problem sites are getting worse.

🐻 Hope for Wildlife is looking forward to the opportunity to rehabilitate orphaned black bear cubs as the Department of Natural Resources readies to issue required permits as early as this spring.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Open Waters Festival 2025: This iconic festival celebrates the flow of new and improvised music from varied sources. A plunge into surging headwaters of creativity, with new music for the new year, all of it upstream from the mainstream. Immerse yourself in fresh music—come on in, the water’s fine. | Jan 8-12 | From $64

🗓 Spontaneity's Improv Cage Match: C​heer on your favourite team as they battle it out for a cash prize. These improvisers will be bringing their biggest and best improv to the stage for this round robin tournament, so come ready to laugh and cast your vote! | Jan 9 | 7pm | $15

🗓 Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins—Three Dimensions: This multidisciplinary art showcase on now at the AGNS features three installations: Balancing Act, THX2020 and ABCD—which combine painting, sculpture, kinetics, interactivity, virtual reality and video. | Closing Jan 26 | $8

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Rt. Hon Paul E. Martin general cargo ship leaves Halifax for Baltimore at 5:30am.

➡️ The One Stork container ship leaves Halifax for Singapore at 8am.

🚢 The Algotitan oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Sarnia at 10:15am.

🚢 The CSL Tacoma bulk carrier arrives in Halifax from Wilmington at 10:21am.

🚢 The Box Endurance container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 3:20pm.

🚢 The East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from St. John’s at 3:40pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🦪 Take a sip right from the sea with the seasonal scallop at Bar Kismet: raw scallop, salted blueberry, almond.

🍩 The donut of the week at Total Donut Solutions is the Blackberry Crumble: topped with icing made from puréed blackberries and dunked in house made short bread cookie crumble.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🍴There’s never a dull moment in Halifax’s food scene. From a trawler’s haul of new waterfront restaurants, to the closures of Salty’s, El Chino and Birch & Anchor, to a Haligonian (once again) reaching the final of Top Chef Canada, 2024 brought more than its share of dining headlines to our coastal city. And 2025 is shaping up to be another doozy. From a spate of changes coming to Halifax’s Hydrostone neighbourhood to new openings on Quinpool, in Dartmouth and beyond, there’s enough food and drink news to keep your plate full for a long time—and as The Coast’s Martin Bauman reports, some of it’s right around the corner.

🎤 The New Year might have just arrived, but the lineup of shows coming to Halifax in 2025 is already jam-packed. From a full slate of productions at Neptune Theatre to visits from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Nelly and Alan Doyle, there’s plenty on offer for the months ahead. And The Coast is on top of it all. We’ve got your guide to all the major shows coming to town this year, from concerts to comedy acts to festivals and everything in between.

That’s it!

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