🗞️ New comedy club has big dreams

Oh hi Halifax,

Good ol’ Scair Canada is pissing people off again. And in a move I never thought I’d make in this lifetime, I’m kind of on their side on this one.

The airline has implemented a new rule requiring passengers to check in at least one hour before their departure time for domestic flights. As of Wednesday, people arriving later will not be allowed to board their flight. The whole point is to allow enough time for people to get through security so that there will be FEWER delays.

But of course, some people didn’t get the memo and then showed up their usual 45 minutes prior to the flight (which used to be allowed) and were denied boarding. 

I’m frankly flummoxed—and I don’t use that term loosely—that there is a universe in which people are out there just showing up for flights 45 minutes before like it ain’t no thing. I didn’t know people lived so dangerously! My militant boomer father (hi dad!) ingrained in me that you need to be at the airport a minimum three hours before the flight with 16 name tags on your bag, less the world implode. 

Anyway, that’s my baggage, not yours. 🧳

Have a wonderful weekend!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☁️ 20°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 19°

Next Day: 🌧️ 22°

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

This new comedy club in downtown Halifax has big ambitions

After a successful soft opening last weekend, Halifax’s newest comedy club plans to take it up a notch.

Halifax Live, located at 1737 Grafton Street, seeks to be the city’s premiere comedy club, promising to bring in up-and-coming acts from the city as well as favourites from across the country. Their first night saw Kyle Hickey, fresh off his new comedy album Blowing Fire, take the stage in front of an electric crowd.

“[He] is one of my personal favourites to watch, and he did great,” says club operations manager and fellow comic Josh Poulain. “We had about 50 people out, which is great for a first show, and we’re just kind of going to keep building it from here.”

While they’re still in the soft launch phase with a grand opening expected next month, Halifax Live plans to keep the momentum going with hopes of being another destination for laughs, exclusively. No music, no theatre, all comedy.

September will feature local headliners Dan Hendricken (Sep. 7) and Clare Belford (Sep. 14). While the act for the grand opening show is still under wraps for now, Poulain mentions that American comedian Jared Nathan, known for being a regular on the Kill Tony comedy podcast, will be headlining on Oct. 26. They also have plans to bring in JUNO-award winning comic Kyle Brownrigg in December.

“We’re really trying to use these soft launch shows to kind of get our feet under us and hit the ground running come October,” says Poulain.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with Poulain about their intentions with the new club, and how it hopes to further boost Halifax’s burgeoning comedy scene.

🤔 Need To Know

🧸 Health Canada is recalling a pair of children’s plush toys—sold at Winners, HomeSense and Marshalls—due to a choking hazard.

🎭 Neptune Theatre's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream opens next week! Onstage from September 11 - October 5. Tickets start at $33. Book here.*

🚔 The commander of the RCMP in Nova Scotia will apologize to the province’s Black community on Saturday for the Mounties’ historic use of street checks.

⏰ Tick Tick Boom!! Time is running out for you to get your nominations in for The Coast's 2024 Best Of Halifax Awards.*

🏛️ The provincial legislature opened for an early September sitting, adding to the speculation of a possible election call later this fall—but Tim Houston will only say that he’s excited about his government’s legislative agenda.

🧑‍🌾 Take the whole family out for a fun-filled day to meet the farmers who grow our food on Open Farm Day, Sunday, September 15th.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY NOCTURNE HALIFAX

Get ready for Nocturne Microcosm: October 17-20

Everyone's favourite FREE art-at-night festival returns October 17-20, curated by Shuvanjan Karmaker. Nocturne: Microcosm presents artist talks, installations and art events spotlighting the local art scene while featuring regional and national artists. Change the way you see art, change the way you see your city.

ARTS + CULTURE

 Enter the immersive, uncanny environment of Strange Birds

Graeme Patterson has built a new world of maturing dreams, fears and anxieties that can be experienced in many forms.

Up now at the Dalhousie Art Gallery and showing until Nov. 10, Strange Birds is the Sackville, NB artist’s third thematic show. Organized and circulated by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and Dal AG, curated by Ray Cronin, Strange Birds draws together multiple perspectives to untangle Patterson’s fears of a future flooded land. 

Through sculptural installations of the artist's house built to 1:10 scale, video projections, an atmospheric soundtrack, dancing avatars, virtual reality a video game and more, Patterson transforms a familiar landscape through humour, play, imagination and wonder.

The Coast’s Lauren Phillips spoke with artist Graeme Patterson about the show that imagines his home washed away by a flood.

🗞️ In Other News

📋 Nova Scotians who have a serious illness and need to take time off work will have their jobs protected for at least six months once changes to the Labour Standards Code—tabled Thursday—are brought into effect.

🚨 One man was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after police responded to a shooting in Halifax’s north end yesterday morning—the investigation is ongoing.

💙 A Nova Scotia woman who lost her son to addiction says his memory is driving her family to raise awareness around overdose prevention.

🫁 As Nova Scotians grapple with the growing effects of climate change, new research is attempting to help clarify how those changes are affecting people’s lungs.

🌊 Occurrent Power—the latest tidal energy company with hopes of harnessing the tides of the Bay of Fundy to generate electricity—has come up short and filed for insolvency.

⚖️ Two Canadians are facing dozens of human trafficking charges following a 10-month-long investigation that started in eastern Ontario.

SPONSORED BY [COMPANY NAME]

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🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend

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

🗓 2024 Halifax Fringe Festival: This annual Atlantic performing arts festival spans 11 days with over 60 productions, performing over 300 individual performances, at over 14 venues! | Aug 28-Sept 8 | From $29

🗓 Christina Martin Premiere Storm with Band and String Quartet: This premiere performance will feature Christina's band and a string quartet, creating an unforgettable live experience. The concert will be filmed, enhanced by projection and lighting design by local artist MacKenzie Cornfield and incorporate stunning album imagery by Nicole Aline Legault. | Sep 6 |  7pm | $29.32

🗓 Halifax Lebanese Festival: Celebrating 23 years of bringing the rich culture, delicious cuisine and vibrant traditions of Lebanon to the heart of Halifax. Come indulge in mouthwatering Lebanese cuisine and enjoy captivating live dance performances and fun activities for all ages. | Sep 6-8 | Free |

🗓 The Curio Collective Pop Up at IKEA Halifax: Halifax’s biggest exclusively vintage and antiques how is popping up in the IKEA community room with some super-fun wares and clothing just in time for back to school! | Sep 7-8 | 11am | Free

🗓 Battle at the Port Presents Atlantic Breaking Alliance: This annual waterfront showcase of hip hop and street dance in the Maritimes features artists (dancers, musicians, DJs, graff artists) of all ages and skill sets showcasing and competing for numerous prizes. | Sep 7 | 2pm

🗓 Halifax Colour Festival: The 10th annual festival invites you to play with colours and move to music at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. | Sep 8 | 10:30am  

🗓 Agricola Open Street Sunday: This event helps to animate Halifax’s city streets and public spaces with activities, events and entertainment! Open Street Sundays encourages people to enjoy their city in a new way by walking, biking and moving around safely and comfortably on the street. Agricola Street will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from Cunard to Almon Streets. | Sep 8 | Noon

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The CMA CGM Argentina container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 5:15am and leaves for New York at 11am.

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

➡️ The Algoscotia oil tanker leaves Halifax for Corner Brook at 6am.

🛳️➡️ The Lake Wanaka vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Emden at 6:10am and leaves for Baltimore at 12pm.

🛳️➡️ The EF Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland at 7:15am and leaves for Reykjavik 1am.

🛳️➡️ The Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 5pm.

🛳️➡️ The Viking Mars cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🛳️➡️ The Nolhan Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 8:15am and leaves for Argentia at 4:30pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥪There’s a new sammy in town…and it’s vegan! Meet the Hunni Garlic Rib-witch from Real Fake Meats: topped with pickled peppers, slaw, red cabbage and roasted garlic mayo.

🐑 The cool breeze calls for comfort food. Warm up with the Braised Lamb Shank from Black Sheep: Mediterranean rice, seasonal veggies, spiced mint crema and lamb jus.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🚍 The future of transportation in Nova Scotia was foreshadowed at Tuesday's council meeting, as councillors peppered former city executive Dave Reage with questions about the future of Halifax Transit. The city is applying for federal funding, $890 million, to try and improve Halifax Transit’s infrastructure and replace its diesel buses with more environmentally-friendly options. But when councillors asked questions about the federal program, Reage instead informed councillors about the province’s plans. All this and more in The Coast’s Matt Stickland’s report from Tuesday’s council meeting.

🩺 For the first time in six years, business administration is not the number-one program for student enrolment at the Nova Scotia Community College. Since 2019, business administration has maintained the highest enrolment numbers—by hundreds of seats—above a fluctuating series of programs vying for enrolment spots two through five: continuing care, social services, office administration, electrical construction and industrial, early childhood education and practical nursing. Find out which program is leading the way in enrolment in the full story by The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips.

🚨 Halifax Police have found human remains near Long Lake Provincial Park—there is no indication whether the remains are connected to the search for a missing kayaker in the same area last month.

🚌 A tour operator says traffic congestion caused by road closures, accidents and construction has drastically impacted his bottom line—with some frustrated tourists demanding refunds.

That’s it!

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