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“Far from out of the woods” with Tantallon fire threat, officials say
And Jane Kansas, travelling light
Alyssa Goulart
June 02, 2023
PRESENTED BY
Good morning!
I first met Jane Kansas in the summertime. On hot days, the office front door was often left open, causing passersby to gawk or, sometimes, come in and ask “where the paper gets made” (the printing press is not on-site). But Jane blew in like a hot breeze, appearing next to one of our desks to talk to her longtime friends. Sometimes it was a brief life update, sometimes a story pitch. (I can’t fathom why the then-food editor said no to her pitch on “what’s wrong with ketchup now”.) In a roomful of boisterous voices, hers held its own melody—enough that, after the ketchup convo, I leaned over to my coworker to find out who, exactly, was that? They shrugged: “Oh it’s Jane, one of the greatest writers in the city.”
By the time our annual summer guide dropped with a new Jane story inside, I felt how Swifties must feel when a new track is released. She captured the knife-edge bittersweet of the season, how it’s almost pre-nostalgic, in her detail-rich prose. By now, I’ve read the pieces so often I can almost recite them aloud—and return to them often when I’m feeling far away from myself, a feeling she captured perfectly.
Monday, June 5, would have been Jane’s 69th birthday, but a long and difficult illness saw her pass away in December. One of the biggest queer activists of her generation and an incredible artist, Kansas touched many more lives than she’d ever take credit for. Today, her closest friend Lis van Berkel is paying tribute to Jane below. She also invites us all to The Bus Stop Theatre on June 5 for a drop-in memorial for Kansas that runs 1pm-midnight.
Arts editor, The Coast
WILDFIRE UPDATE
“Far from out of the woods” with Tantallon fire threat, officials say
📸 Martin Bauman/The Coast
Provincial forestry technician David Steeves was asked a question about resources during his Thursday morning update from the Tantallon fire response control centre: How confident is Nova Scotia in the tools it has at hand to battle an out-of-control wildfire burning across Upper Tantallon for the fifth straight day?
The answer “balances on a razor’s edge,” Steeves says, speaking with reporters at the St. Margaret’s Centre, two-and-a-half kilometres from where a fire sparked Sunday in the Westwood Hills subdivision. “When it comes to a wildland fire… the situation can change so quickly.”
The news was both positive and cautionary Thursday. Steeves says as of June 1, fire crews have managed to contain up to 50% of the 837-hectare blaze that has displaced more than 16,400 Haligonians to date. Still, he warns that Nova Scotians are “far from out of the woods” when it comes to the threat of the fire being over.
“We’re still dealing with a very dangerous and volatile situation,” Steeves says.
Need to know
☀️ Today's weather: Sun turning partly cloudy in the afternoon. A high of 27C, low of 7C and a UV index of 8.
🌧 The good news: Environment Canada is predicting a few days of rain for Nova Scotia starting Friday, which can only help fight the various forest fires burning across the province. The bad news: After one of the driest springs on record, parched Nova Scotia will need huge amounts of rainfall to get back to normal. Kyle Shaw has the story at The Coast.
🇺🇸 100 American firefighters are expected to arrive in Nova Scotia by June 5 to assist with the wildfires.
💧 Halifax Water has confirmed its water supply is intact despite the wildfire burning nearby.
😘 PuckerUp Citrus is back! Refreshingly light, kettle-soured ale pours golden yellow with orange, lemon, grapefruit, and lime. Available at Seaport and The Oxford Taproom.*
🎺 BADBADNOTGOOD and Sudan Archives are coming to the TD Halifax Jazz Festival Jul. 14! Don't miss your chance to check them out. Get your tickets today!*
*Sponsored Post
SPONSORED BY 2023 NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS GAMES
This July, Turtle Island comes to play
The countdown is on—the 2023 North American Indigenous Games are nearly here. July 15-23, experience a week of Indigenous sport and culture as athletes from across North America arrive in Kjipuktuk to compete and celebrate. All sport competitions and culture events are open to the public.
Learn more at NAIG2023.com.
SPONSORED BY EASTERN FRONT THEATRE
Eastern Front Theatre’s STAGES Theatre Festival is back!
With a bold new lineup of exciting and playful new shows, catch STAGES Theatre Festival June 6-11 at Alderney Landing.
Catch HEIST’s award-winning mixed-reality techno confessional Frequencies, Zuppa’s high octane theatre-dance global economy workout spectacular The Movements, Vivek Shraya’s Baby, You're Projecting, and more!
In other news
👷♂️ Meet the Halifax roofing crew who spotted the Tantallon wildfire and immediately alerted the neighbourhood.
💨 We all know what the short-term health effects of breathing in smoke from the wildfires are but how about long-term health effects? Experts discuss the topic with CBC.
🔥 The historic Waegwoltic Club in south end Halifax caught fire yesterday afternoon. Halifax deputy fire chief David Meldrum has told CTV the building suffered “significant damage.”
📡 Satellite images of the wildfires show smoke travelling across the border into the United States.
👶 Psychologist Dr. Christine Chambers explores how wildfires affect the younger population and how to speak to children about the issue.
REMEMBERING JANE KANSAS
Jane Kansas, travelling light
Jane Kansas, an artist, activist and queer elder, passed away in late 2022—a loss felt by many Haligonians.
Here, her close friend says goodbye:
Jane Kansas loved to travel, so when she died on December 18, I preferred to imagine her on a trip. Not the best trip, but the next trip she wanted to go on.
I went many places with my closest friend Jane, happy places and terrible places, places you go with a friend and ones you never do. She was an exacting friend, like she was an exacting writer, artist, performer and activist. She could make you go places you might rather not, and she was not all nicey-nice asking you to go. Sometimes it was like a delightful hostage-taking.
What did you think of today's newsletter? |
COMMUNITY KINDNESS
Here’s a bit of kindness to brighten up your Friday:
Proud grandfather and Coast subscriber, Alex Watters, shared a story with us yesterday morning about some local Halifax heroes in the making.
Watter’s grandson Ollie and his friend Annabelle, knowing there was a giant cruise ship in town, set up a lemonade stand at the Halifax waterfront on Wednesday. They managed to make $450 (without counting the change!) all of which they decided to donate to the Canadian Red Cross Fire Relief Fund.
“They worked their tails off and had fun doing it,” Watter’s tells The Coast in an email, “donating 100% of the proceeds to the Red Cross fire relief fund is a classy move for 10-year-olds. I’m really proud of them!”
Do you have a local story of kindness you’d like to share? Send me an email at [email protected].
Sure things
Looking for something to do this week? Check out these Coast picks:
🗓 Dartmouth Spring Clean up: Help make Dartmouth sparkle and participate in the annual spring clean up. Cleaning equipment will be distributed at Alderney Plaza by the Town Clock where there will also be light snacks and refreshments. Make sure to RSVP to [email protected] | June 2-3 | 10am-12pm | Free.
🗓 Community Art Market: Check out the first Community Art Market of the season at Southdale Neighbours Community Garden. Shop from 20+ local artists, crafters and creatives | June 5 | 4pm-8pm | Free admission.
🗓 STAGES: The annual theatre festival kicks off this coming Tuesday. Check out the lineup of “boundary pushing” new work being showcased at Alderney Landing | June 6-11 | $15-$25.
Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings
Shop talk
🍦 Eva’s Original Chimney’s food truck will be hanging out at Lake Banook in Dartmouth this summer.
🥥 Tiki Tours tour boat is out on the water prepping for the upcoming season. Keep your eye out on its socials and website for information on when you can book your Halifax harbour tour.
Eat this
🥪 Head down to The Osney and try its sandwich of the month the BLT-C: Brothers Meats bacon, arugula, tomato, cheddar and balsamic-herb mayo packaged perfectly between two slices of East Coast Bakery sourdough.
Drink this
🍺 Good Robot has released its Goodwill Beer a new blend of “toasted malts, subtle spices, and a touch of cranberry.” Part of the proceeds from the beer will be donated to the Ecology Action Centre.
🏳️🌈 In honour of Pride month Lake City Cider’s Pride Rosé is back on the menu!
🍹 Try Compass Distillers' New Dots and Dahses drink. It’s made with Compass Daily Ration Rum, pineapple liqueur, lime, cinnamon, agave and strawberry.
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And if you have any news tips, questions, or thoughts about Halifax, drop us an email.
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