🗞 Bad budgeting and broken promises

SOCCER

The playoff table is set for the Halifax Wanderers. How far will they go?

Eleven months ago, on the day the Halifax Wanderers announced Patrice Gheisar as the second head coach in the club’s short history, the new man of the hour paused for a moment to talk about expectation. It was the elephant in the room: Despite leading the Canadian Premier League in attendance through four seasons—and by a margin about as wide as the Bedford Basin—the Wanderers had precious little silverware to show for it.

How much expectation, then, did Gheisar feel stepping into his new role with a sparsely-filled trophy cabinet?

“The word I use is excitement,” he told the reporters gathered on Nov. 30, 2022. “I’m excited to fill that [cabinet] up very, very quickly.”

Job one in achieving that goal is done. A year after Halifax’s seventh-place finish, the Wanderers are officially headed to the playoffs—and for the first time in franchise history, Halifax will host a playoff game at the Wanderers Grounds.

Read more on the Wanderers’ journey and playoff outlook at The Coast.

Need to know

⚠️ The RCMP is warning Nova Scotians of a new scam where people pose as police—using real officer’s names—through email in order to prompt individuals to share personal and financial information.

🧓 The eligibility for the province’s rent supplement program for seniors has expanded to include more people. Find out if you qualify here.

🧑‍🚒 This year’s Fire Prevention Week™ campaign is “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™.” Take the quiz and enter our contests to win some great prizes!*

🚘 The speed limit on Mineville Road from Highway 7 to Civic 823 is being reduced from 70km/h to 50km/h. Signs are being changed this week.

🤖 There's less than 17 days until Hal-Con. Hurry, tickets are flying off the shelves! Saturday is already SOLD OUT and the rest are going fast. Secure your spot for the ultimate experience!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY NOCTURNE HALIFAX

You're Invited: Nocturne 2023 Launch Party!

Propeller Brewing (2015 Gottingen Street) will be hosting Nocturne's Launch Party from 7-11pm on Friday, October 13!

Come kick-off the festival with Nocturne artists, curators, staff and volunteers. Plus, Propeller's limited-edition traditional German-style black lager (with a special can design by artist Myron Campbell) will be available for purchase.

Each year, Nocturne brings art and energy to the streets of Kjipuktuk/Halifax and into our lives (for free). Nocturne’s efforts are part of what makes us proud to call this place our home. As a show of Propeller's support for the festival, profits from Nocturne Black IPA are donated directly to the festival. So buy more beer—and help bring art to everyone!

On The Coast

SPONSORED BY ROSEMARY PORTER

Fall Real Estate States

The fall market is here and real estate is not slowing down. Listing numbers are increasing but this is still considered a strong seller’s market. There are more listings on the market now than last year at this time, which gives buyers an opportunity to view more options and compare properties. Are you ready to take the next step? I'm always happy to chat!

In other news

🤨 A Halifax public housing tenant who has been dealing with mould and regular flooding is questioning how the province plans to maintain the new housing units that were announced.

🪧 Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel rallies took place at the Halifax waterfront and at Victoria Park on Monday. CBC has the story.

💦 The insurance nightmare continues for Halifax-area business owners dealing with the aftermath of the July flash floods.

🦃 The annual Souls Harbour Thanksgiving dinner was a success and a big help to many amid inflated grocery costs.

⚓️ There were over 100,000 visitors to the Halifax waterfront during last month’s Fleet Week. Find more info on all the visitors here.

🎄 Thanksgiving may have just passed but it’s looking a lot like Christmas in Halifax for the filming of the new Hallmark movie The Secret Christmas.

THE GRAND PARADE

Here lies the Integrated Mobility Plan. It was nice while it lasted.

Remember the Integrated Mobility Plan—that vaunted guide that was meant to usher Halifax into a new era of transportation? The one where people could walk, wheelchair, bike or take the bus from their home and feel safe doing so? The same one that was meant to help the HRM slash its carbon output amid a global—and also worryingly local—climate emergency? That one? It’s sure starting to feel like a whole whack of nothing.

In this week’s episode of The Grand Parade podcast, Coast reporter Matt Stickland convinces fellow reporter and co-host Martin Bauman that the IMP is dead. Why? Because of the way the HRM sets its budget. Plus, the two detour onto the subjects of roads, and whether the provincial government’s plans to spend more than $1 billion to expand its highways* should qualify as an investment. (It shouldn’t. And it’s making Nova Scotia poorer.)

Three cheers for the sunk-cost fallacy!

*Yes, the money is also earmarked for bridges and ferry services. But mostly roads.

🤝 Now hiring

• Candle seller at Lawrencetown Candle Co.

• Customer service representative at John Hancock

• Server at The Cannery Kitchen & Social

• Administrative assistant at Thales

• Pharmacist at Boyd’s Pharmasave

• Account executive at Nielsen

• Hiring? Reply back and let us know!

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