🗞 Defunding the police inches closer to reality

CITY HALL

Defunding the police inches closer to reality

Today Halifax city council is meeting, and they will likely stand up a committee to defund the police. This committee is the result of the El Jones-led 2020 defunding-the-police report. The new committee will act as a liaison between the Halifax Regional Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, the new public safety department and the provincial Department of Justice.

That’s a lot to liaise, but it makes sense that reforming policing in society to better reflect and respond to the needs of society will require collaboration between all of the players in the public safety game in the HRM. And now, for the first time, we may have a public body where all of them are at the table at the same time. In a world plagued by bad news, it's nice to know that sometimes the city can pull out a win every now and then.

Need to know

🏠 The province announced that the former Waverley Inn on Barrington Street will be transformed into long-term supportive housing for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness.

🕊️ Hundreds of people attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at Sullivan’s Pond in Dartmouth—the location the Royal Canadian Legion chose to mark the occasion at instead of the usual Grand Parade.

🎶 The Nutcracker, Handel's Messiah and Symphony Nova Scotia with Holly Cole are three festive holiday programs you don't want to miss. Get your tickets now!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY AIR TRANSAT

Transat’s Black Friday Sale is ON

This year, Transat is going big for Black Friday. You can save up to $1,000 per couple on South vacation packages from Halifax Stanfield International airport—just in time for your next winter holiday! That includes flights, transfers and 7 nights at an all-inclusive resort. So if you’ve been dreaming of unwinding on the pristine beaches of Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic or Mexico, make sure to book by November 26 for travel by June 30.

Don’t miss out on scoring major savings for your next vacation. Check out Transat’s Black Friday offers today.

On The Coast

SPONSORED BY ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA

Shop Local this Holiday Season at AGNS’ Gallery Shop

Support local this season at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s Gallery Shop! Featuring an ever-changing selection of original work by regional artists and makers, the Gallery Shop has folk art, pottery, jewelry, books and more. All proceeds from the Shop directly support AGNS’ mission to support local artists and makers.

In other news

☮️ Over one thousand people gathered at Victoria Park in Halifax over the weekend calling for the ceasefire of the Israel-Hamas war. 

🧑‍🚒 A Dartmouth homeless encampment caught fire on Sunday morning. No injuries were reported.

🌳 Parks Canada is hard at work trying to reduce the wildfire risk at Kejimkujik National Park Seaside and York Redoubt National Historic Site.

🛝 A new universal play park has opened in Liverpool.

🦈 Divers discovered a dead white shark in Terence Bay last week.

😷 An RSV outbreak has been declared at an unnamed Nova Scotia long-term care home, raising more calls for the $300 RSV vaccine to be covered provincially.

🔭 Saint Mary’s University astronomy researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s most powerful telescope, to make a cosmic discovery. The Signal has the story. 

🏢 The president and CEO of Events East says the Halifax Convention Centre is on track to mark its busiest year ever.

ARTS & CULTURE

Candlelit concert series to raise funds for Dartmouth’s North Grove community hub

Hear pop music with a classical twist the weekend of Nov. 18-19. For two nights in a row, the Rostova String Quartet—a group of classically trained musicians from Dalhousie’s Fountain School of Performing Arts—will perform covers ranging from Leonard Cohen to Lady Gaga at the Sanctuary Arts Centre (100 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth).

The Coast spoke with concert organizer Lisa Blair ahead of the shows.

Sure things

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

🗓 Big Speaker Freakout: In the mood for a night of dancing and good food? Check out Stillwell Brewing Co.’s Big Speaker Freakout featuring live electronic dance acts and a Lone Wolf Halifax food pop-up. | Nov. 17 | 8pm-2am | $6.66.

🗓 Holiday Parade of Lights: Santa’s coming to town! The annual Holiday Parade of Lights presented by eastlink is this weekend. Check out the official new route here. | Nov. 18 | 6pm | Free.

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings

Shop talk

🍷 New wine bar Bravado is opening soon in north end Halifax. 

🍕 Yeah Yeahs Pizza is leaving Barrington Street to open a new spot with 2 Crows Brewing at 2983 Oxford Street for the ultimate pizza and beer combo.

Eat this

🍴 Morris East’s holiday menu goes live on November 16! Check it out here.

Save the date

🎼 Tickets for Symphony Nova Scotia’s The Nutcracker, running from Dec. 8-17, are now on sale. 

Watch this

📺 Netflix’s new docu-series, Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom, follows the murders of the former president of Nova Scotia’s Sydney Steel Company and his wife.