🗞️ Last-minute gift guide

Happy Friday Halifax!

Did you know that it’s Dec. 20th? How in the heck did that happen? I am woefully unprepared for the holidays and if you find yourself in the same boat, check out our last-minute local gift guide below. We put together a bunch of ideas to give you inspiration for your last-minute shopping blitz and to avoid the Chapters gift card trap that we all have one toe inside of at all times.

Speaking of great gift ideas, why not give the gift of local news this year by giving someone in your life a Coast Insiders membership? It’s the gift of knowledge that keeps on giving all-year round, plus, it has the added bonus of supporting local journalism and helping us to keep The Coast Daily FREE for anyone who wants it. 

It’s hard to believe, but this is officially my last edition of the daily newsletter for 2024 and I have to say, hanging out in your inbox has been a true privilege for me and I’m looking forward to what horrors (I mean joys…) befall us in 2025.

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Though I’m signing off today, your final edition will arrive on Monday and will be written by Coast reporter Martin.

Please remember that for a lot of people, the holiday season is the most difficult time of the year, so be gentle with yourselves and the people around you. Whether you’re celebrating or surviving—getting lit and/or just getting through it—know that you are very loved.

Have a very restful break and I’ll see you next year, same time, same place.

– Julie ❤️

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ -2°

Tomorrow: 🌨️ 0°

Next Day: 🌤️ -8°

7-day forecast

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

HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Spoil your loved ones with The Coast’s last-minute local gift guide

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been watching helplessly as the days pass you by, vowing to finish up your holiday shopping “first thing tomorrow.” We see you and have you covered! 

Forget the 12 days of Christmas—or whatever tradition you celebrate. Here at The Coast, we’ve got your back with a dozen last-minute local gift ideas to give you inspiration and help you think outside the box (store).

Here is our last-minute gift guide, from four procrastinators to you, with love.

🤔 Need To Know

❄️ A developing storm moving northward just off the U.S. eastern seaboard looks likely to bring a heavy early winter snowfall to much of Nova Scotia starting Friday night.

👀 Halifax police are investigating a robbery at the Circle K gas station on Robie Street—at around 9pm on Wednesday night, a man brandishing a knife entered the store and demanded money and cigarettes.

🇨🇦 Explore A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada, the first national exhibition that reveals a history many Canadians don’t know about.*

🎄 Explore enchanting holiday window displays, support local businesses, and vote for your favourite! Celebrate creativity and festive cheer in North End Halifax today!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY NEPTUNE THEATRE

The story of Civil Rights icon Viola Desmond

On November 8, 1946, Viola Desmond entered the whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, unaware that the theatre was segregated. Viola was dragged from the theatre, jailed, and charged with tax evasion. An ordinary woman forced to be extraordinary by an unyielding and racist world, Desmond never gave up — despite the personal cost to her and those who loved her.

On stage at Neptune Theatre from January 14 - February 2.

Tickets start at $33.

Book today.

EDUCATION

Racism and non-disclosure agreements: watch and learn

This month, a new series of educational videos was released that explain how non-disclosure agreements are often misused to cover up racism and discrimination in the workplace. The Canadian/UK advocacy group Can’t Buy My Silence collaborated with the Canada-based BIPOC Academic Coalition on this “Racism and NDAs” video series, which centres on the stories of individuals who’ve been directly harmed by these practices, as well as people working against such misuse of NDAs. 

CBMS has been pushing for legislation to end the misuse of NDAs in Canada and the UK. It has created two pledges—one for businesses and one for universities—to sign on to ending their misuse while legislation is forthcoming. So far, four Canadian universities have signed the pledge, including three in Nova Scotia: Acadia University, the Atlantic School of Theology and the University of King’s College. 

The Coast’s Lauren Phillips has more on the newest video in NDA educational series released this week on International Migrants Day.

🗞️ In Other News

💸 A panel of senior Nova Scotia government bureaucrats will examine the pay packages for members of the legislature—which have not increased since before they were frozen nearly a decade ago.

🔥 One resident of a Dartmouth homeless encampment says he could ‘hear the screaming’ as a fire blazed that could have ended in tragedy.

🚢 Pieces of the munitions ship involved in the Halifax Explosion were discovered earlier this year when Irving Shipbuilding workers were dredging the harbour—but questions remain about where these shards of local history should go. 

🦉 This Halifax woman never thought she’d become an owl expert, but after an unexpected close encounter about a week ago on the city’s Chain of Lake trails, she’s on the road to becoming one.

⚖️ It has been nearly a year since a convicted sex offender was arrested in Halifax on a slew of new charges, including aggravated sexual assault—but the case against Gamon Jay Leacock remains bogged down.

🌿 A 34-year-old man is set to face charges after the Nova Scotia RCMP seized thousands of grams of illegal cannabis as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

📦 An Annapolis Valley woman is grateful for honest people and an online Facebook group created to post images of wayward packages for helping her find her lost presents in time for Christmas.

SPONSORED BY ROYAL LEPAGE ATLANTIC

We are deeply thankful, thank you!

"This still feels as good as my first win in 2010" says Scanlan, who has held a top 3 spot every year since. "You can't grow without change and you can't do it alone. I'm surrounded by incredibly supportive and like minded people and a team I consider family."

🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend

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

🗓 Handel's Messiah: A highlight of the holiday season, Handel’s Messiah is the consummate masterpiece, eliciting joy, triumph, and majesty. This year’s concert will be conducted by Vicki St. Pierre, a contralto and specialist in early music with a doctorate in vocal performance from the University of Toronto, who has performed internationally and directed choirs across Canada and the UK. | Dec. 20-21 | 7:30pm | From $31

🗓 Dickens' A Christmas Carol Presented by Neptune Theatre: In this one-person version, Dickens' A Christmas Carol follows Ebenezer Scrooge on that fateful Christmas Eve as he meets the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. With zippy dialogue, impressive physical comedy, and lively audience participation this show is a tradition for generations of Nova Scotian families. | Dec. 5-29 | From $40

🗓 Science with Santa & the Grinch: Join the Discovery Centre and bounce foggy bubbles, make instant snow, launch snowman stomp rockets, watch chemistry light up decor, fly snowflakes in the wind tunnel and so much more! | Dec. 21 | 9am | $17.50

🗓 Glow Garden: An enchanting light festival featuring dazzling displays, food, entertainment, inflatables, games, and unforgettable holiday experiences for all ages. Wander through a sea of giant ornaments, magical trees, and shimmering lights as you take in this spectacular indoor light festival. | Nov. 20-Jan. 1 | $26

🗓 The Passive Aggressive Comedy Tour: Rebecca Reeds, Tamara Shevon and Monica Gross are going on tour and stopping by a city near you to sling jokes and give you a show full of top tier comedy, wit and very little grace. Come to a comedy show where likeminded perpetually passive aggressive people can come together and laugh. | Dec. 20 | 7pm | $25

🗓 Super Secret Santa Mission: Are you ready for an exciting in-person event that will challenge your problem-solving skills and teamwork abilities? Join us in saving Christmas in a day filled with thrilling puzzles, riddles, and clues that will test your wits and creativity. Gather your friends, family, or colleagues and embark on an adventure like no other. Can you beat the clock and save Christmas before it's too late?| Dec. 21-22 | 10am | $66

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Frisian Octa general cargo ship leaves Halifax for Moa at 2pm.

🛳️ The CMA CGM J Adams container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 5:15am.

🛳️➡️ The AS Felicia container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:20am and leaves for Kingston at 6:45pm.

🛳️➡️ The MSC Lisa container ship arrives in Halifax from La Havre at 6:15am and leaves for Montreal at 11pm.

🛳️ The Algoscotia oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Sept-Iles at 2:15pm.

🛳️ The Acadian oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 3:40pm.

➡️ The Oceanex Sanderling container ship leaves Halifax for St. John’s at 6pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🐑 Seek shelter in the winter storm with the braised lamb shank from Black Sheep: served with cassoulet, seasonal vegetables, pear mostarda and lamb jus.

🪅 Feliz Navidad! Celebrate the season with the baked enchilada at Antojo Tacos: choice of chicken or beef, corn tortilla, jack cheese, creamy green salsa, crema, cotija, pickled onion, cilantro, baked in a cast iron skillet.

👀 In Case You Missed It

📕 What do you get when you mix a celebrity jewel thief with the Halifax Explosion, and then throw in a few tales of family secrets, Haligonian oddities and bike-bound hijinks? Well, you end up with this: The Coast’s end-of-year list of the best books written by local authors in 2024. The Coast team has you covered with all the best local books you need to read from this year.

🏛️ Blink and you’d have missed it, but a routine community council vote—passed with little fanfare—might be heralding a new era of bureaucratic nimbleness. It happened at the Halifax and West Community Council meeting on Dec. 16. The Coast’s Matt Stickland has more on a decision that could usher in a new era of bureaucratic flexibility in HRM.

That’s it!

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