🗞️ What makes a good downtown?

Good morning!

A special note from The Coast’s Matt Stickland:

I think a lot about how to get people interested in our municipal democracy and just this week I found a crisp $20 bill in my coat pocket as I was putting it away for the summer. I briefly considered sticking it back in my pocket to get a joyous surprise next winter. While procrastinating I came across this tweet:

I hope some journalists FOIPOP the city communications surrounding when to reopen the parks. They still haven’t reopened Meagher Park and that has been almost two years. 

This gave me an idea, since I now have $20 burning a hole in my pocket. I’m thinking about doing my best impression of a very boring FM radio drivetime DJ. 

Hello listeners, traffic today is terrible because the city builds infrastructure for cars and only cars so you can expect delays going across the bridge. The weather is warm and getting ever warmer, which means today’s a good day to beg off work and go to the beach.

Do you need some light beach reading? The phone lines are now open and we’re taking your FOIPOP requests. Do you have questions about the city? Do you hate overly cumbersome paperwork that needs to be filed in person, on paper, in a mailbox? Reply to this email with your requests of things you’d like me to FOIPOP. 

(The fine print: Preference given to FOIPOP requests from Coast Insiders, offer only valid as long as this $20. The Coast does not assume liability for FOIPOPs that last longer than 4 hours.)

– Matt

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 25°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 22°

Next Day: 🌧️ 19°

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.

PODCAST

HFX Votes 2024: What makes a good downtown?

In this episode of the Grand Parade, Matt sits down with the CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, Paul MacKinnon, in the first of a series of explainers leading up to the municipal election. Since every good city needs a good downtown Matt wanted to talk to MacKinnon because he knows what downtown needs to succeed.

MacKinnon faces a similar challenge to elected officials. His organization did a study and proved that bike lanes were good for business, but how does he convince his membership to support the evidence? He has some advice for potential councillors. 

The two also talk about their love of Urban3’s studies, which always, without fail, prove that a well-built mixed-use downtown is the economic engine of any healthy city. MacKinnon also tells Matt all about his organization's new plan for downtown, Vision 2030, and the challenges of getting it implemented as a non-governmental organization. 

🎧 Listen now

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 RCMP are searching for a Halifax man wanted on a province wide arrest warrant. Police say 20-year-old Kyle Gordan Joseph Buffett is wanted for multiple offences ranging from assault with a weapon to vehicle theft.

🖼️ The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia has re-opened with two exciting new exhibitions to experience. Open daily 10am-5pm and until 9pm on Thursdays.*

*Sponsored Post

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Free EV test drives

The municipality is partnering with Next Ride to offer free EV test drives across the Halifax region from June to August 2024.

NEWS + OPINION

Learning from the land with the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre

A class of Grade 5 students from Truro Elementary wondrously inspected replica Mi'kmaq artifacts and practised firing arrows in a small clearing surrounded by trees.

To Mi’kmaq educator Gerald Gloade, this is how children should learn about their culture and history.

The class had come out to the Mi’kmawey Debert Interpretive Trail on Tuesday afternoon as folks from the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre (MDCC) celebrated several of its recent achievements—notably, the success of its environmental stewardship, and the steps they’ve taken towards the construction of their cultural centre, a project that’s taken over two decades to get off the ground.

At the heart of the celebration was education. Educating folks who walk through the trails as they read displays concerning Mi’kmaq history. Learning from the artifacts that have been found throughout the site in Debert. Most importantly, teaching children to embrace their Mi’kmaq heritage and to learn not just from textbooks, but the world around them.

“We went to the Department of Education, and looking at the educational outcomes, the only thing they had for Mi’kmaq studies was history,” said Gloade. “We’re still a group of people that are here. We still have a way of life and contributions to make.”

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer has more on land-based education and the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre’s progress.

🗞️ In Other News

🌲 The Nova Scotia Nature Trust has reached its goal of doubling the amount of land it protects—totalling an additional 6,000 hectares. The Twice the Wild goal was set in 2020 to help address biodiversity loss amid climate change.

🏥 A new outpatient recovery support centre is opening on Fenwick Street in Halifax today. The Addictions and Mental Health Department says the centre will have a physician, registered nurses, social workers and administrative staff.

🏠 Parts of a Dartmouth apartment complex—made up of more than 40 low-rise buildings and townhouses—will be torn down to make way for denser housing. A notice delivered to residents last week says the first phase of redevelopment will start this month with the demolition of seven buildings. 

🎷 Jake Clemons—Bruce Springsteen’s sax player—will be taking the stage at the Carleton on Aug. 8 for a solo show.

🚨 A 17-year-old youth and a 21-year-old woman are in custody after four stolen vehicles were recovered following multiple police searches along Nova Scotia highways.

⚖️ A student at Université Sainte-Anne is suing the school for failing to protect her from physical and emotional harm following a series of alleged sexual assaults on campus. 

🚙 HRM says it will not meet its spring deadline of installing 56 electric car charging stations across the city.

SPONSORED BY GARRISON BREWING CO.

Hold Fast, Enjoy The Ride

If you like Tall Ship, you'll love Hold Fast! ⚓🍻 Seriously refreshing with a citrusy haze, Hold Fast Dry-Hopped Pale by Garrison is brewed for those that love a lager but want to try a little something new.

Get it fresh at Garrison Seaport, The Oxford Taproom, or the NSLC.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 North by Night Market: This pop-up style party with food, music, artisanal goods and lots of North End flair is sure to be a good time! Support your local economy and get to know your community better. While you shop and enjoy the atmosphere, make sure to take plenty of pics and use hashtag #NXNMRKT. | June 14 | 7pm | Free

🗓 Shanneyganock - Live at the Shore Club: Shanneyganock are a Newfoundland phenomenon—with 14 recordings with sales in excess of 150,000 copies. From headlining at major festivals, to performing to sold-out audiences on George Street, the group has built a loyal following traveling around the world promoting and preserving the culture, music and songs of Newfoundland and Labrador and now they’re hitting Hubbards! | June 14 |  9:30pm | $35

🗓 The Art of Folk Song: This captivating concert explores folk music as art song, bringing together four unique and exciting artists and different musical traditions. The Art of Folk Song is not just a concert; it is an homage to the enduring power of folk music, and a unique opportunity for Halifax audiences to have an intimate experience of the incredible artistry of internationally renowned artists Charles Daniels and Jonathon Adams with Nigerian tenor Emmanuel Solomon and Nova Scotian director Nick Veltmeyer. | June 16 |  7pm | $40

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The Atlantic Sea container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 5:20am and leaves for Liverpool at 5pm.

🛳️➡️ The CMA CGM Chile container ship arrives in Halifax from Tanger-Med at 5:45am and leaves for New York at 11pm.

🛳️➡️ The Pacific Trader container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 6:20am and leaves for Kingston at 10pm.

🛳️➡️ The Liberty of the Seas cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 7:30am and leaves for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🛳️➡️ The EF Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland at 8:15am and leaves for Reykjavik at 3pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🐟 If you’re looking for something that’s both beautiful and tasty, treat yourself to the tuna dish at The Black Sheep: seared ahi tuna loin with bean salad, smoked tomato vinaigrette, olive tapenade, pickled egg, garlic chips and puffed wild rice.

🌶️ Spice up your life at the CHKN Shop with the spicy honey chicken sandwich: fried chicken, spicy honey, lettuce, jalapeno jack cheese and spicy mayo.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏫 In the past seven years, schools across the province have reported 60% more violence. That’s according to the latest from Nova Scotia’s auditor general, Kim Adair, in a report titled Preventing and Addressing Violence in Nova Scotia Public Schools, released Tuesday, June 11. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has an overview of Tuesday’s AG’s report on school violence, with more coverage to come as this story develops.

🎤 Everyseeker has just about everything you could classify as music, and that’s no exaggeration. Formerly known as the Obey Convention, Everyseeker will see performances throughout Halifax from some of the most creative, genre-bending acts across the country, with half of their lineup being local artists. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer spoke to co-directors Carmel Farahbakhsh and Nik Basset on the festival and what it has to offer.

That’s it!

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