🗞️ Make Halifax great again

Good morning Halifax,

Over the weekend I caught wind of a troubling event scheduled to take place in Halifax this week that has left me, frankly, shocked and confused.

On July 23, an event reportedly being hosted by Sean Feucht—an American evangelical speaker known for MAGA-aligned Christian nationalism, including anti‑LGBTQ+ rhetoric and politically motivated gatherings—will be taking place at York Redoubt National Historic Site.

A little about this guy: He holds rallies that blend upbeat Christian-rock songs with sermons that tie in his right-wing political views. Between praising President Donald Trump as “God’s chosen one” and suggesting that abortion supporters are “demons,” Feucht has repeatedly advocated for the fusion of church and state. 

And now his MAGA Christian roadshow is hitting Halifax. Here’s a little taste of what attendees can expect:

Through research I have found out that any event taking place at a National Historic Site has to be approved by Parks Canada. I reached out by phone and email to find out how and why this event was approved, but at the time of writing this, I haven’t heard back. Ditto for the comms people at York Redoubt itself.

I did speak with a member of the communications team at the province’s Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage—whose mandate is to help protect and promote Nova Scotia's culture—and they had no idea that the event was even happening and staff there confirmed that they didn’t receive any grant applications to help support the event. 

Apparently, events on National Historic Sites are not something the province would have any say or control over; but I do wonder if Tim Houston knows about it. Or whether the police are prepared in case of violence. Both emails with those questions remain in the ether at this point. But as soon as I know, you’ll know. 

In the meantime…

Very interested to hear your thoughts.

Have a wonderful day!

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☀️ 23°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 26°

Next Day: ☀️ 23°

7-day forecast

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

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

NEWS

Nova Scotia realtor helps 2SLGBTQ+ Americans find safe haven in Halifax

As legal protections for 2SLGBTQIA+ people continue to unravel in parts of the United States, a Nova Scotia realtor is seeing a growing number of queer couples turn to Canada for safety — and he's helping them find their new homes in Halifax.

Jody Allen, a real estate agent with Royal LePage Anchor Realty, has worked with over 10 2SLGBTQIA+ couples in the past year alone from the U.S. seeking a safer and more welcoming environment. A queer realtor himself, Allen understands the gravity of what his clients are facing.

The Coast’s Warren D’Silva chatted with Allen about how he has helped over 10 queer couples fleeing U.S. discrimination, using his own experience to guide them.

🤔 Need To Know

🏳️‍🌈 Nova Scotia’s premier was absent from this weekend’s Halifax Pride parade, marking the second year in a row he has missed the largest LGBTQ+ celebration in Atlantic Canada.

👀 An independent assessment of the RCMP watchdog—prompted by an anonymous email from employees—uncovered concerns about favouritism, a lack of transparency, heavy workloads and “a toxic environment.”

📮 Unionized workers at Canada Post began voting on the Crown corporation’s latest contract offer on Monday—the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is urging them to reject the proposal.

🥞 Don't miss out on the new interactive exhibition eat make share: a taste of immigration. Discover the surprising histories of Canadian foods we love and much more!*

🎭 AS YOU LIKE IT opens this Friday night at Shakespeare by the Sea! Don't miss this music-infused production that travels through Point Pleasant Park. Book seats TODAY!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY UNIVERSAL REALTY GROUP

Discover why Ridgeway Towers feels like home!

📣 Choose an apartment that offers comfort and community in Cowie Hill!

Enjoy:

🌇 Sweeping views of Halifax and its scenic surroundings
🚍 Direct Metro Transit routes to downtown Halifax
🏡 Comfortable, affordable, and connected—urban living made easy

Book your personal tour now. 

🗞️ In Other News

👨‍💻 Online misogyny is seeping into Halifax classrooms in 'frightening' ways, according to teachers and experts—one Dalhousie researcher is blaming social media influencer Andrew Tate for affecting student behaviour.

🍺 The Convenience Industry Council of Canada—which represents hundreds of community-based convenience stores across Nova Scotia—says they support the retailing of packaged alcohol in convenience stores.

💸 The federal government is providing $2.8M in funding through the Emergency Treatment Fund to support four projects throughout Atlantic Canada—the announcement came as overdose deaths in the region are on the rise.

🚨 It has been 25 years since the murder of 20-year-old Tyrone Oliver and Halifax Police say the case remains under investigation—officers found Oliver at a basketball court suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; he was taken to hospital, where he later died.

🏳️‍🌈 Representatives from the Community-Based Research Council were at Halifax Pride Saturday seeking responses to its new “Our Bodies, Our Health” survey—a pan-Canadian study into the health experiences of those who identify with the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

🥷 The Shine Foundation—which fulfills the dreams of young people with severe physical disabilities—helped a 16-year-old Halifax boy accomplish his wish of making a 24-hour ninja video.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Dalhousie Art Gallery Summer Exhibitions Opening Reception: Explore two powerful new exhibitions that interrogate image-making, colour, and visual culture as tools of both disruption and expression. Wavelengths: Colour | Code | Concept, curated by gallery director/curator Pamela Edmonds, draws on the gallery’s permanent collection to investigate how colour operates as both material and message within abstraction and conceptual art. In parallel, Broad/Cast: Reclaiming Representation, curated by Geoffrey Webster as the final project of his curatorial internship at the gallery, brings together lens-based works by artists who challenge and redefine portrayals of Black identity in media and culture. | July 19-31 |

🗓 Anchor City Rollers’ Pride Scrimmage: Come celebrate Pride with ACR with a special scrimmage—a fun, low-stakes game of roller derby where the league (and close friends!) split into two teams to play each other. It's a great learning opportunity for all of our players and officials, but with all the hard-hitting action of a full-length roller derby bout. | July 22 | 7pm |

🗓 Crystal Queer - A Sober Drag Show: Step into a world of glitter, glamour, and fabulous performances to get into the spirit of Pride. Get ready to dance, cheer, and experience the magic of drag in a substance-free environment for the second year in a row. The Soberish Mocktail Shoppe will be tending the dry bar, providing a variety of non-alcoholic beverage options. | July 23 | 7pm | $15 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The Siem Cicero vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Vlissingen, Netherlands at 10:25am and leaves for Davisville, Rhode Island at 4pm.

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

🚢 The Atlantic Sail container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 10:20pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🤌 Take your taste buds on a tour of Italy with Maestra’s Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese at Tribute Restaurant: paper thin layers of spinach dough pasta, creamy bechamel ragu, topped with parmesan. 

🧆 Cool off at The Canteen with the Falafel Bowl: house made falafel, tomato, cucumber, pickles, feta, greens, garlic sauce, crispy chickpeas.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🍽️ Driving into a busy strip mall on Cobequid Road in Sackville at six o’clock on a Wednesday, I admit I was puzzled. Why was the parking lot full? The answer became clear as soon as I stepped through the doors of Casa di Stefano—the space was buzzing. Read The Coast’s resident food and wine expert Mark DeWolf’s full review of Casa di Stefano.

🏛️ Tim Houston says his government will be forced to act if council moves ahead with a recent decision to make Morris Street in the downtown core a one-way street in favour of bike lanes—he has raised concern that the decision could worsen traffic congestion, create unnecessary public safety risks and potentially impact operations at the port.

🌡️ Amid a provincewide heat warning, a Halifax emergency room doctor is speaking out about the severity of heat-related illnesses—adding seniors, children and immunocompromised individuals are particularly vulnerable.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading The Coast Daily today.

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Haligonian.

And before you go, let us know: