🗞️ Radiant reggae roots

Good morning Halifax 👋

As the provincial legislature sits for the fall session, it seems like everyone’s minds are turning to government spending.

A report from Minister of Finance John Lohr during the province’s fiscal update on Monday revealed that the government is running a record deficit—$1.2 billion. This is just under double the deficit forecasted for this fiscal year ($697.5 million).

Provincial revenue has also dropped $44.9 million, which Lohr claims is due to decreasing population growth and consumer spending. The government says most of its spending ($410.9 million of the $503 million increase) has been used for healthcare. Healthcare now accounts for almost half of the province’s overall budget.

I am not an economist, nor am I a healthcare expert. I do, however, read up on healthcare spending from time to time, so I can argue with those who voice their love for privatization. Healthcare spending is increasing nationwide, and it has been for a while. Most of the spending is in administrative costs, and this seems to be the case for the province as it increases staffing.

Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff have been facing high rates of burnout even before the pandemic. People are still waiting hours on end to see doctors in person, let alone the several hundred days it can take to see a specialist. While these stats have been marginally improving with the cutting of red tape and virtual care and pharmacist clinics taking away from waiting room pile-ups, the healthcare system is still struggling, as are the people who rely on it—more than a few of us.

Is this deficit worth worrying over? Lohr was tight-lipped about whether or not there would be cutbacks to account for the overspending, but NDP leader Claudia Chender makes a good point: this government’s projections swing like a pendulum from deficit to surplus.

As for results, they haven’t got much to show at the moment. Only time will tell if the results are worth the wait. Unfortunately, that is time some people don’t have.

Take care,

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 20°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 18°

Next Day: 🌧️ 21°

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.

MUSIC

Jah’Mila brings reggae and orchestra together in Halifax premiere

This fall, JUNO-nominated reggae powerhouse Jah’Mila reunites with Symphony Nova Scotia to premiere an electrifying new program, Oct. 3 and 4 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

Radiant Reggae Roots is a brand-new program of original music marking a new chapter for Jah’Mila as she performs popular hits from past albums, including her JUNO Award-nominated debut Roots Girl, along with unreleased tracks from her upcoming album.

The Coast’s Warren D’Silva spoke with Jah’Mila about her partnership with Symphony Nova Scotia and the celebration they’ll share on stage at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

🤔 Need To Know

🏛️ The Houston-led government is introducing the Protecting Nova Scotians Act—this deals with how the province handles Crown Land protestors, tenancy for victims of gender-based violence and new legislation to prohibit the collection of social insurance numbers.

💡 As the provincial legislature opens for the fall session, the opposition parties say they will pressure the government to lower power bills—the NDP say they will introduce legislation to lower power bills by 10%.

⚖️ A Halifax driver was handed a four-year prison sentence and a 10-year driving ban for a fatal hit and run in January—the victim was a 21-year-old student who was crossing the street.

🎉 Enjoy free, fun events on the Halifax Waterfront this October with Downtown Hali Hangouts, presented by Downtown Halifax Business Commission.*

🍻 "The Pint offers the pub staples you’d expect—wings, burgers, fish and chips—but there are more elevated options too" - Mark DeWolfe. Vote The Pint for Best Pub Food!*

🍟 Help Stubborn Goat Gastropub win Best Caesar and Best Fries (again) by nominating them before September 30! Don’t forget about Best Pub Food, Brunch, Wings, Burger and Bartender, either.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY STUBBORN GOAT GASTROPUB

Nominate "The Goat" for Best Pub Food and More

Stubborn Goat Gastropub has been a downtown destination for phenomenal brunch, award-winning Caesars and fries, wing Wednesday deals, and the best pub food in Halifax for over a decade.

“The Goat” moved to 1580 Argyle Street in in late 2023 after a fire at its previous location. The new space offers cozy vibes and same legendary service you’ve come to expect.

Known for its extensive local craft beer selection, $6 brunch caesars, stellar pizza and one of the best burgers in town, The Goat is looking to win Best Pub Food in the upcoming Best of Halifax Awards. Love long-time bartender Matt Relf? Don’t forget to nominate him, too - before September 30th!

🗞️ In Other News

🔙 The federal government says it will begin it’s buyback of assault-style firearms with a pilot project in select areas of Cape Breton—gun owners can access a web portal starting in October to file a declaration of interest.

📚 Contract negotiations could delay classes further for university students throughout Halifax—unions representing part-time staff at three institutions remain in dispute following the Dalhousie lockout.

👶 A Halifax mom has opened a diaper bank to alleviate the burden for struggling parents—she’s currently accepting donations for diapers of all sizes to go to families in need.

SPONSORED BY CECILIA CONCERTS

Experience CelloFellos Live Saturday 7:30pm

Canadian cellist Bryan Cheng and German cellist Leonard Disselhorst kick off Cecilia Concerts’ new season this weekend with an electrifying mix of jazz, tango, folk and classical music featuring works by Béla Bartók, Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington, Astor Piazzolla and more in a night of global rhythms and fresh energy. Get tickets!

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Alexandra Whittingham, Guitar Virtuoso: UK guitarist Alexandra Whittingham, who has garnered over 65 million views across her social media platforms, brings her innovative style to the Peggy Corkum Music Room as part of the Music Room Chamber Players Series, presented by Scotia Festival of Music. | Sept 24 | 7:30PM | From $20 |

🗓 Mi’kmaw Language Tour: Mi’kmaw teacher Curtis Michael will lead visitors through conversations around artwork on display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, including the exhibition Ta’n a’sikatikl sipu’l | Confluence. Registration is encouraged. | Sept 25 | 7:00PM |

🗓 Neurodivergent and Spectrum Friending Event: Come out and meet with fellow neurodivergent folks in your community at the Pink Piano Cafe & Lounge in Lower Sackville. This is an 18+ event. | Sept 27 | 4:00PM |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢 The STI Queens oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Antwerp at 3:15am.

🚢 The One Millau container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 4:45am.

🚢➡️ The Contship Cup container vessel arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:20am and departs for Kingston at 5pm

🚢 The CMA CGM Paranagua container ship arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 6:15am.

🚢➡️ The Liberty of the Seas cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 7am and departs for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🚢➡️ The Seven Seas Splendor arrives in Halifax at 9am and departs for Canadian seas at 5pm.

🚢 The CMA CGM T. Jefferson container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 10:15am.

🚢 The Oceanex Sanderling container carrier arrives in Halifax from St. John’s at 12:25pm.

➡️ The Ronja Carrier fishing boat departs Halifax to open seas at 12pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍨 It’s officially fall, which means it’s time for pumpkin spice ice cream from Churned in Dartmouth. Available in scoops and pints, and it’s gluten-free.

🌭 The Oktoberfest celebrations continue at the Smokehouse Agricola Taproom. Beer is $6, sausages are $4, and you can enjoy them as a combo for only $10.

👀 In Case You Missed It

👠 House of Soli is facilitating a partnership between Halifax-based local designers and international fashion houses. One such partnership is Khush Mizaj and Parisian fashion house A.Kith for Paris Fashion Week. Solitha Shortte, the founder and CEO of Soli Productions, says the partnership grew from a shared vision of cultural exchange and creative dialogue, bringing together designers with distinct voices to showcase how cross-border collaborations can elevate both craft and storytelling. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva digs into the collaborations that are making Halifax a player in shaping conversations around fashion internationally.

🚒 The union representing Halifax firefighters is calling for the resignation of the city’s fire chief—they say concerns around wildfire response and staffing issues have eroded their trust in leadership.

📖 The common-law wife of the man who perpetrated the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia will be publishing a memoir on domestic violence—the book is set to be published January 2026.

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: