HRM council to consider a plan that will fix everything

Worth knowing

☁️ Today's weather: Cloudy with a high of 17C, a low of 8C and a UV index of 7.

💨 Here is Halifax’s Air Quality Index and the smoke report.

🚘 Driving in the city today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.

COUNCIL PREVIEW

HRM council to consider a plan that will fix everything

Today, the Halifax Regional Municipality’s committee of the whole will meet before the normal council meeting. For people who have active social lives, the committee of the whole is still a formal meeting of council, but the rules around debate are more relaxed so councillors can have a more fulsome discussion about an issue or report. In this case, they’ll be considering the holistic plan for the future of the HRM in the super boringly titled Regional Municipality Planning Strategy Draft, dated June 2023.

This planning strategy is a dense policy document that will dictate how the city of Halifax grows into the future. As The Coast has reported, Halifax abandoning its pre-car urban planning in favour of adopting the post-war North American trend of motorist-based suburban sprawl has made the city extremely vulnerable to the climate emergency burning through our backyards.

This report will take some time to fully digest, but there are a few big early takeaways lightly camouflaged by bureaucratic jargon. They are the proposed changes to development charges and municipal service boundaries.

Read more from Matt Stickland at The Coast.

Need to know

🛞 The HRM is reducing speed limits from 50km/h to 40km/h in the Westmount area. You can find a full list of streets affected at halifax.ca.

🧶 Visit #HopeandHealingCanada, a live installation, using thousands of meters of red yarn, by Métis artist Tracey-Mae Chambers. Check it out at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.*

🦠 The Province has identified multiple lakes in Halifax where toxic blue-green algae has been spotted this month.

🌀 A tropical depression has been identified in the Atlantic Ocean—an early sign of a possible tropical storm.

🎭 Let’s Dance! The Musical celebrates the greatest pop songs of the 1960’s. At the Neptune Theatre Fountain Hall, July 27-30. Get your tickets today!*

⛴ Ferry service between Nova Scotia and PEI is cancelled until at least mid-July while the Monday MV Confederation awaits a new part.

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY BEST OF HALIFAX

Get your nominations in for Best of Halifax Readers' Choice Awards

The Coast’s Best of Halifax Readers’ Choice Awards are back for the 29th year.

Taking part is easy! We are looking for nominations—names of your favourite people, places and businesses—in dozens of categories from Best Restaurant to Best DJ, and Best Gym to Best Tattoo Artist. Think about the things that make the city great for you, then put those names on your nomination form.

Get your nominations in by July 13, the top six most-nominated names in each category, along with the category's gold winner from 2022, move on to the final vote.

Submit your nominations now!

On The Coast

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY

Test drive an electric vehicle

In partnership with Next Ride, the Halifax Regional Municipality is hosting electric vehicle test drive events across the region. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and share information regarding available rebates and what to expect from the municipality’s electric vehicle strategy.

See the full list of events and register.

In other news

🔥 CBC spoke to fire safety experts who shared tips and tricks on how to keep your property protected against wildfires.

😧 As of yesterday evening a submarine on a tourist expedition to the Titanic disappeared. A search and rescue mission is underway.

🧑‍🚒 Justin Trudeau made a stop at a Hammonds Plains Road fire station yesterday to thank firefighters for their efforts in battling the recent wildfires. Global has the story.

🧑‍⚕️ Hear from the new president of Doctors Nova Scotia, Dr. Colin Audain, on the ongoing issues in the province’s healthcare world.

🫶 In a heartwarming gesture, a Dartmouth father is throwing his son an inclusive birthday party and is inviting any HRM children between the ages of 10-14 who are on the autism spectrum, identify as 2SLGBTQ+, or have a disability.

🇺🇦 Polina Kozlova, a 17-year-old from Ukraine, tells CBC about her solo escape to Canada and how she’s making a life in Halifax.

COAST POLLS

Sure things

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

🗓 White Rose Family Folk Festival: Check out the first-ever White Rose Family Folk Festival held by the St Margaret of Scotland Parish and the North End Community. Listen to live music and enjoy a community BBQ | June 24 | 1:30pm - 5:30pm | Free.

🗓 Philippine Fiesta!: The waterfront will be teeming with good food, music and activities for the Philippine Fiesta! Check out a sneak peek of what to expect from the fest on The Coast’s Instagram | June 24 | 12pm-8pm | $6.75.

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings

Shop talk

👀 Canada’s first art maze, BernArt Maze, is opening in Lunenburg tomorrow!

�� Bar Kismet has opened its patio for the season.

☕️ Cafe Aroma Latino will be closed until July 4 due to a loss in the owner's family.

Eat this

🦞 It’s seafood season! Tribeca Bistro & Bar has added its infamous lobster roll back to its menu.

Deals

🍗 Doing something special for the upcoming long weekend? Maria’s Pasta Bar & Pantry is offering a BBQ kit for 4-6 people that includes chicken, pork, pasta salad, romaine salad and strawberry rhubarb crisp for $125.

Have a local special we should feature? Reply back and let us know!