🗞️ Meet our very own humans

Happy Friday Halifax!

I just wanted to do a little spring housecleaning and introduce you to the very real, non-robotic, human being writers that create the content for you everyday, dear readers.

First of course…

I’m Julie! I have a degree in PR and also one in journalism and I’m a generalist who writes about all kinds of things—but mainly cats and feminism. 

Warren D’Silva—who you met while I unexpectedly had to be away—is our amazing intern who writes about all things fashion and lifestyle and is an overall style icon. He’s also a full runway model who is finishing up his Master’s in Journalism at King’s.

Brendyn Creamer—who you should know pretty well by now—is our incredible music writer who hails from Truro. He was a staff writer all last summer and we are so happy to have him back. He also works as the Program Coordinator at Truro Pride.

Mark DeWolf—a man who really needs no introduction—is our food and wine writer who has been on the food scene for more than 25 years. 

Liz LeClair - the brave and brilliant owner of Uprising Philanthropic—speaks truth to power through her powerful and oftentimes fury-inducing opinion pieces. 

So that’s the very human, very brilliant team that we have at The Coast bringing you everything you need to know about what's going on in Halifax!

Have a safe and restful weekend!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 23°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 24°

Next Day: ☀️ 24°

🚗 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.

OPINION

We asked, you answered!

As has been reported over the past few months, the provincial government appears poised to announce changes to where alcohol can be sold in the province—with multiple sources saying that there have been ongoing conversations about expanding sales to convenience stores.   

At the end of the day, it is up to citizens and our elected representatives to weigh the competing priorities of population health and convenience.    

There are plenty of good arguments for and against—and you guys brought it. This was a closer poll than usual, with No way! leading the way. Check out the final results and our favourite reader responses.

🤔 Need To Know

💸 Well over a month after the disappearance of two children from a rural Pictou County town, the provincial government is offering a $150K reward to people with information on the case.

⚖️ A jury found 34-year-old Adam Drake guilty of the killing of the battle rapper Pat Stay in 2022 at a downtown Halifax nightclub—the verdict was delivered Wednesday, and the conviction carries an automatic life sentence with parole eligibility ranging from 10 to 25 years.

🏢 Asking rents for new apartment listings in Halifax continued to climb in May, even as cities in other provinces are seeing lower rents than they were a year ago—according to a recent report by Urbanation and rentals.ca. 

🇵🇭 Experience the vibrant spirit of the Philippine Fiesta this weekend! Enjoy traditional food, lively music, cultural performances, and fun for all—everyone’s invited to celebrate!*

😎 Too soon for The Coast’s Best of Awards? Maybe. But some things are just obvious—like The Pint on Argyle Street making a strong case for Best Patio in Halifax. Sun, sips, and unbeatable vibes. See you there for a cold one!*

🌊 Halifax Waterfront living, with stunning views, in-suite laundry, and spacious layouts—perfectly situated for summer living in style. Now renting at Peninsula Place!*

🌟 Now renting at The Paramount! Located on South Park Street, enjoy upscale amenities, in-suite laundry, and walkable access to every Halifax summer event. Live central!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY PROHIBITION - SMOKING ACCESSORIES

Bedford - Say "HIGH" to PROHIBITION

Something just lit up in Bedford. PROHIBITION is opening its newest location at 38 Ella Lane, Suite 105, in the brand-new Larry Uteck Plaza—bringing Canada’s go-to destination for premium smoking accessories to your neighbourhood.

From high-end bongs and hookahs to Cuban cigars, rolling papers, grinders, and more—you’ll find everything you need (and plenty you didn’t know you wanted).

Join us for the Grand Opening Monday, June 23rd! We’re celebrating with exclusive promotions, exciting prizes, and top-tier gear that’s anything but ordinary.

Don’t miss the buzz.
Come discover PROHIBITION Bedford.

NEWS

A day in the life with "Just So You Know Halifax"

If you’ve been scrolling through your social media feed in Halifax and stumbled across a high-energy video spotlighting a local business, odds are it came from Just So You Know Halifax. What began as a COVID-era TikTok experiment has evolved into a full-scale local marketing and media company, spearheaded by entrepreneurs Will Fleming and Peter MacKay. 

I spent a day following Fleming and lead videographer Ryan Rafuse as they shot a segment for Just So You Know featuring the beloved seasonal ice cream shop, Dairy Bar, now celebrating its 10th year in operation. Open half the year and located just off Spring Garden Road, Dairy Bar has become a summer staple for Haligonians.

Read all about how Warren D’Silva’s day was, hanging out with the new media company.

🗞️ In Other News

🚗 Halifax police have charged a man following a break and enter incident on Wednesday—police responded to a report of a man who entered a secure parking garage in the 1000 block of Tower Road where several vehicles were damaged and had been rummaged through.

👀 A Nova Scotia woman who murdered her 12-year-old daughter in 2008 has been granted an unescorted pass from prison for 60 days—the parole board denied her request for day parole, saying she wasn’t ready to live in a community for a more prolonged period with fewer restrictions.

🩺 The province announced that millions of dollars will go toward opening more first-year seats in Dalhousie University‘s Doctor of Medicine program—five seats will open this fall, with another five opening in 2026-27, at a cost of $2.2M.

⚖️ A former Halifax-area elementary school principal has been acquitted in a historical sexual assault case—Judge Alanna Murphy announced her decision in the matter of Steve Hutchins in a provincial courtroom in Dartmouth.

SPONSORED BY CROWTHER & BRAYLEY LTD.

32nd Annual Summer Auction Online

Alex Colville, Arthur Lismer, Tom Forrestall, Dusan Kadlec, Anthony Law, Adrian Dingle, John Little, Tom Roberts, Ron Bolt - Estate jewellery - Sterling Silver - Lorenzen Mushrooms - NS signed Windsor chairs

REGISTER & BID NOW
BIDDING CLOSES – THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH

For more information:
902-860-0111
[email protected]

SPONSORED BY WINES OF NOVA SCOTIA

Celebrate the launch of the 2024 vintage of Tidal Bay at 12 Tides!

On June 27th, join Wines of Nova Scotia to celebrate Nova Scotia's signature wine, Tidal Bay, for the official 2024 vintage launch event!

This lively evening will feature Tidal Bay wines from 16 Nova Scotia farm wineries, alongside local food pairings, live music from the Donald MacLennan Trio, and more.

Grab your friends and get ready to sip, savour, and celebrate the full 2024 lineup under one roof! Friday June 27th from 7-10PM, Pier 21, Halifax.

🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend

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

🗓 Exhibition - Mazes & Brain Games at Discovery Centre: Don’t miss this engaging, family-friendly exhibition that invites visitors of all ages to lose the map and find the fun. Whether you’re navigating life-size labyrinths or outsmarting optical illusions, this immersive exhibit will keep you thinking around every corner. | May 17 - Aug 31 | 9am | $14.50 |

🗓 Eastern Shore Burger Fest: Last year was an epic celebration of burgers, community, and giving back—and this year, they’re turning up the heat. Let’s just say this will be a week to remember, with bigger flavours, bolder events, and all the small-town charm you know and love. | June 13-22 | 

🗓 Being There - Recent Paintings by Tim McGuire: The upcoming exhibition presented by The Prow Gallery, offers a captivating glimpse into village life, its people, and the untouched wilderness of Nova Scotia’s South Shore. The show invites art lovers to experience McGuire’s reminiscent and masterfully painted scenes at a special opening reception on Thursday, June 19, from 5-8pm, where the artist will be in attendance. | June 19-July 6 |

🗓 Halifax International Fleet Week: This biennial celebration brings together naval vessels and personnel from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and allied nations. The event features a range of public events such as ship tours, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) information booths, musical performances by the Stadacona Band, a soccer game, and a waterfront drone light show, and more. | June 19-22 | 

🗓 Classified with Ria Mae - Live at the Shore Club: With an inherent and candid ability to break down the barrier between performer and audience while leading the vanguard of East Coast hip hop, Classified is one of Canada’s most respected and successful rap artists, producers, and songwriters. He’ll be joined at The Shore Club by Halifax singer-songwriter Ria Mae. | June 20-21 | 9:30pm | $45 |

🗓 3 Bucks Left: Get ready for a night of laughter and unforgettable comedy as legendary Irish group ‘3 Bucks Left’ bring their raucous show to Canada this June 2025! Whether you’re a long-time fan, or new to the world of 3 Bucks Left, this show promises to be a side-splitting experience you won’t want to miss. | June 21 | 7:30pm | $40 |

🗓 Walk with Refugees: For World Refugee Day, join us as we Walk with Refugees. Bring your family and friends, wear yellow and bring noisemakers to show your support. | June 21 | 2pm | 

🗓 HFX Yoga Fest: Organized in honour of the International Day of Yoga, this festival brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels to share in the transformative power of yoga and mindfulness in one of the most beautiful settings in the city. | June 21 | 9am | Free |

🗓 Halifax Wanderers FC: Come cheer on the home team as they take on Vancouver FC at the Wanderers Grounds. | June 21 | 4pm | $34.50 |

🗓 Dartmouth Open Street Sunday: Portland Street from Alderney Drive to Prince Albert Road will be car-free and open for folks to enjoy. The streets will be activated with live entertainment, music and lots more excitement! Open Street Sundays encourage people to enjoy their city in a new way by walking, biking and moving around safely and comfortably on the street. | June 22 | 11am | Free |

🗓 Gusto! Italian Festival: Don’t miss this first of its kind event as it brings the spirit of Italian culture, food and drink to the Halifax Waterfront. Over the course of the week, participating restaurants will feature Italian food and wine menus, with each restaurant showcasing different regions of Italy. | June 23-28 |

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The MSC Manzanillo container ship leaves Halifax for Colombo, Sri Lanka at 1:45am.

🚢➡️ The MSC Sandra container ship arrives in Halifax from Sines at 5:45am and Halifax for Montreal at 5pm.

🚢➡️ The Zim Atlantic container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 6:20am and leaves for New York at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Vivienne Sherri D container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland, ME at 7:15am and leaves for Argentia at 5pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container ship leaves Halifax for Argentia at 6pm.

➡️ The Oceanex Sanderling container ship leaves Halifax for St. John’s at 7pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🐔 Don’t forget extra napkins for the Alabama at CHKN Chop: fried chicken, tangy BBQ sauce, red onion, dill pickles, Alabama white sauce.

🍦 When life gives you lemons, get a lemon drop sundae at Dairy Bar: vanilla soft serve with delicious lemon curd and topped with rainbow sprinkles.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎤 It’s hard not to feel that we’re all on a sinking ship. Between climate change, endless wars, rising poverty, social disparity and the increasing prevalence and acceptance of authoritarianism, it seems many of us are doomed to get washed up in the metaphorical flood. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer spoke to Caplan about how his new album explores how we find joy in anxiety-riddled circumstances.

⚓ Every two years, the heart of Canada’s premier naval city beats a little louder. Halifax International Fleet Week returns June 19–22 along the Halifax Waterfront. This year’s celebration promises naval ship tours, public events, and cultural exhibitions. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva spoke with Corinne MacLellan of the Halifax International Fleet Week Community Committee about what the city can look forward to in this 4-day celebration.

That’s it!

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