Nova Scotia Teachers Union has a new president

Hi Halifax,

If you love yard sales as much as I do then this weekend is your birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. That’s right, it’s Curbside Giveaway Weekend! And it’s all FREE!

Here’s how it works…

Post your ‘fully loved by you, but maybe ready to accept someone else’s love’ items on the Interactive Map or Facebook event. Then, place those items out on your curb Saturday and Sunday. Finally, sit back and relax as your stuff gets adopted by your neighbours or complete strangers!

You’ve got two days to purge your house of reusable items, so I recommend you get to it! 🛋️

Have a great day! 

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 21°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 18°

Next Day:  ☀️ 20°

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.

EDUCATION

Peter Day wins presidency of teachers’ union Wednesday evening

The results are in and Peter Day has been elected over Shawn Hanifen as president-elect of the Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union–or NSTU–as of Wednesday, May 29. This was the second, or run-off ballot between just two candidates, because the first round of voting between five candidates on May 15 did not result in a majority winner. 

Day will take over his new role when current NSTU president, Ryan Lutes, finishes his term on July 31 of this year.

Formed in 1895, the NSTU represents over 10,000 teachers across the province and 22 distinct local chapters. Lutes has seen the union through their last round of collective bargaining, which lasted 10 months, required conciliation, received a 98% strike vote from the union, and resulted in a ratified agreement on May 22. 

Read the full story by The Coast’s Lauren Phillips on the new NSTU president and the challenges facing the union.

🤔 Need To Know

👀 Former lieutenant-governor Myra Freeman will replace Linda Lee Oland as the lead of the committee tracking how governments and the RCMP are responding to the inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting.

🌱 The HalifACT community update is an overview of the many projects that are happening in the municipality as part of our once-in-a-generation climate action plan.*

🚌 Transit changes are coming to Scotia Square. Learn more about the bus bay relocations starting June 17.*

*Sponsored Post

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MUSIC

Ian Janes blends genres with a soul-pop focus on new album ‘WeakNights’

After a music career spanning over two decades, Ian Janes is still finding new ways to craft a sound of his own.

The next step in this evolution is Janes’ seventh studio album, WeakNights, where he blends his love of soul-pop with a vivid array of instrumentation—’80s style synths, Motown basslines, and even a song where two drum kits are interwoven to create a beat unlike any other.

By the end of the record, it may be hard to place where it belongs in our genre-dominant musical canon, but in a way, that’s what Janes is going for.

“I kind of feel like sometimes my stuff has all of the groove and the elements of soul, R&B, and jazz and all that stuff, but maybe leans a little bit harder on this storytelling of country and singer-songwriter a little bit,” said Janes about his music.

While Janes said he isn’t looking to necessarily break any one genre’s boundaries, he readily admits his sound is derived from that of a multitude of genres while still keeping a soul-pop groove.

“I’ve always wanted to make stuff that felt fun,” he said. “Balanced, feeling fun and celebratory, and being a good time without being too vague, bitter, or lacking in content.”

By that standard, WeakNights achieves this and more. Each track brings its own blend of styles, and each end result feels completely original.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer talks with Janes about his new album and how it defies categorization.

🗞️ In Other News

🏀 HRM school officials have decided against charging youth basketball teams to rent school gyms on weeknights—fees that would have been a dramatic financial hit for some organizations.

🔥 After narrowly managing to outrun a raging wildfire, one N.S. woman is calling for faster alerts.

💰 Insurance claims and financial losses are taking their toll on people who lost their homes to wildfires last year.

🚨 Halifax police have charged 47-year-old Michael Anders McKinney with manslaughter in connection with a homicide that took place in Dartmouth on March 25.

🥀 A baby died and two adults suffered serious injuries following an ATV crash in Lunenburg on Monday evening.

💡 The N.S. Energy Poverty Task Force—a group advocating for cheaper home energy costs—is recommending a 50% reduction in home heating fuel and electricity bills for low-income earners.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

The Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival: In the 18th edition of this annual festival, enjoy four days of boundary-pushing cinema from Canada and around the world, plus filmmaker Q+As, panels, parties and more.  | May 29-June 1 | $49.26

Lebanese Cedar Festival: This festival  promotes and fosters Lebanese culture and traditions and provides a venue for Canadians of Lebanese heritage to reacquaint themselves with their rich roots. Guests will be able to enjoy delicious Lebanese cuisine while enjoying the sights and sounds of Lebanese music, dancing and more. Takeout is also available to enjoy at home. | May 30-June 2

Argyle Street Shore Party: Get ready, Halifax—Argyle Street is shutting down and lighting up for a party you won’t want to miss! Catch live performances from an incredible lineup of artists, including Ria Mae, Neon Dreams, Adam Baldwin + The Jenny Wren, Rankin MacInnis and the Broken Reeds during this open-air celebration of Nova Scotia’s vibrant musical landscape. | May 31-June 2 | Free

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Acadian oil tanker leaves Halifax for St. John’s at 10am.

🛳️➡️ The Bakkafoss container ship arrives in Halifax from Partland at 8:15am and leaves for Argentina at 3pm.

🛳️ The NYK Meteor container ship arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 3:20pm.

🛳️ The Sunshine Ace vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Newark at 5:25pm.

🛳️➡️ The One Swan container ship arrives in Halifax from Columbo at 5:45am and leaves for New York at 10pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥪 Larry’s Sandwiches and Sides has a new home for the summer! Starting June 4, grab your favourite sandwiches on the patio of Dear Friend in Dartmouth. Enjoy the freshness of Luke's bread paired with Larry's homemade ingredients.

🍛 Calling all veggie lovers: this one’s for you. Stop by Salt + Ash Beach House and slice into a roasted tandoori cauliflower, presented on a tasty bed of cacio e pepe chickpeas, cashews, kale and peas.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏛️ On Monday morning, the HRM’s Executive Standing Committee learned that Halifax’s municipal emergency management organizations are at risk of failing. The city hired KI Emergency Management to compare the HRM’s emergency response documents and plans to the best practices in the world of emergency management. The Coast’s Matt Stickland has more from HRM’s Executive Standing Committee meeting.

🎞️ The Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival (HIFF) began as a response to the Atlantic Film Festival, or rather, a response to what the Atlantic Film Festival wasn’t. It was a place to show cool, innovative films that were often left off the program of more mainstream festivals. Eighteen years later, it’s still going exactly as it started. The Coast’s Julie Lawrence caught up with festival coordinator Tara Thorne on the day before the festival kicked off to talk about the 2024 program.

That’s it!

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