Happy Friday Halifax,

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to spending money, I’m not the most…responsible. My shrink said that online shopping is ok as long as I don’t do it in bed anymore. We all have to start somewhere.

But the thing is: the money I’m spending is mine. I made it, so I can spend it on consignment designer dresses and Taylor Swift merch until my heart’s content and it really only hurts me (and my baby’s college fund).

But the spending by the city and the province is getting out of control, even by my bar which is literally in hell.

Earlier this week—in a situation I find hilarious to picture—Tim Houston attended the 47th annual conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (rolls right of the tongue) and he was the only one there. Just him sitting at a little desk with tumble weeds rolling by.

Ok, that’s something that just came from my imagination. But, he was only one of two premiers who attended along with one of six senators—and that senator was hosting, so it doesn’t really count. So, we likely paid for Tim to go eat conch chowder or whatever because it’s not like any meaningful discussions could be had.

In the slay of the century, the chair of political science at UPEI said that the lack of attendance was likely because—and I quote—”premiers currently focused on finding realistic solutions may be uninterested in such a gathering given the state of relations between the two countries.”

Luckily, our premier is unencumbered with such trivial things as “realistic” solutions.

He went on to say that we have a generation of premiers now much more focused on the practical and much less concerned about the image. Maybe the “practical” gene is recessive and skipped a generation in Nova Scotia or something. Science isn’t really my thing

Meanwhile, over at city hall, Halifax council committee has called for a plan to improve financial accountability within the mayor’s office and the municipality in general after an audit raised questions about $111K in Andy Fillmore’s mayoral expenses.

Ol’ Andy is having a hard time following the proper procurement process by hiring HR (90K), a speech writer (15K) and internal legal services (7K) without receiving competitive bids as per protocol.

Fillmore has said he personally repaid the legal expenses, though he insisted they weren’t personal expenses.

Have a wonderful weekend by beautiful Coasties and take a page out of out political leaders’ playbook and buy yourself something special. You deserve to splurge.

All the love and light!

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

Today: ⛈️ 23°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 26°

Next Day: 🌤️ 26°

7-day forecast

🚗 Driving, biking or busing today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.

After seven years with Ubisoft, George Greer was shocked to learn of the layoffs that left him and 70 others out of a job when the multinational video game corporation shut down its Halifax branch in January 2026.

Not even a full year later, and Greer has launched his new independent studio, besszong, and is in the midst of developing the company's first project: a comedic multiplayer camping game called Out of Office!

"When we first had the layoffs, one way of coping a core group of us had was to jump into multiplayer games and just kind of disconnect from the bad news," says Greer, the studio's founder and creative lead.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer chats with Greer about besszong’s first video game, Out of Office!

🛴 Pediatricians are urging better tracking of e-scooter and e-bike injuries after a report shows a “significant number” of severe injuries and deaths among youth who used them last year.

⚠️ Costco Canada is warning shoppers about a recall involving certain yogurt products that may contain mould—the recall affects both The Greek Gods’ Honey Yogurt and Organic Yogurt Plain items, both sold in two 650-gram containers.

👵 Adult children of seniors are helping their parents decide whether to age in place. This free guide helps everyone figure it out together.*

*Sponsored Post

Get ready for family fun at the Spring Garden Area Business Association’s 12th Annual Children’s Festival, happening Saturday, August 22, from 11 AM to 2 PM!

This beloved community event returns with even more excitement, offering a full day of entertainment, games, crafts, food, and live performances for kids of all ages. Held in the heart of the Spring Garden neighborhood, the festival celebrates local businesses and families coming together in a safe, vibrant environment.

Don’t miss face painting, bouncy castles, and surprises around every corner. Mark your calendar and bring the whole family for an unforgettable day of fun!

🇺🇸 Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s state of the province tour brought him to Sydney, on Thursday, where he shared words on U.S. President Donald Trump—Houston told the crowd he has taken action to defend the province’s industries against U.S. tariffs expected Aug. 19.

🏒 An independent report found that the five players on Canada’s 2018 world junior team who were acquitted of sexual assault breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct.

📄 Halifax Water customers will continue getting paper bills while the utility works to address a recent privacy incident that saw 16 accounts affected—the utility’s web portal for customers to access their bills has been offline since March.

🌡️ A growing number of parents, educators, health and legal advocates across Canada are lobbying for maximum indoor temperature at daycares like the standards adopted for long-term care facilities.

🎐 Green hydrogen hopeful EverWind Fuels has to submit more information to the province before it can move forward with one of its proposed wind farms in Guysborough County–the company failed to complete baseline field surveys for about 6,000 hectares covering the location of 30 wind turbines.

Choose from one, two, or three-bedroom Peninsula Place apartments with stunning Halifax Harbour and city views, five appliances, in-suite laundry, and green space.

Enjoy downtown, the waterfront, Point Pleasant Park, shopping, restaurants, and more, all within walking distance.

1015 Barrington Street, Halifax
Call Amber: (902) 706-8301 | Open 24/7

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

🗓 Halifax Seaport Beer & Fizz Festival: With 400+ beverages to sample, including craft beers, ciders, sodas, hard seltzers, and pre-mixed cocktails, there’s something for every taste. Your ticket includes all samples and a souvenir festival mug, so you can explore everything from local brews to international favourites. Not into beer? Head to Halifax FizzFest, where you’ll find 100+ refreshing options like sparkling sodas, seltzers, and cocktails—plus plenty of low- and no-alcohol choices. | Aug 13-15 | From $45 | 

🗓 Max McNown - The Summer Vacation Tour: Catch rising artist Max McNown live as part of his Summer Vacation Tour, bringing his signature blend of heartfelt lyrics and laid‑back, feel-good sound to the stage. Known for his honest storytelling and acoustic-driven style, McNown delivers an authentic performance that captures the spirit of summer road trips and quiet moments alike. | Aug 14 | 7:30pm | From $71.75 |

🗓 Beach House Summer Party at the Dome: Get ready to escape to a tropical paradise without ever leaving downtown Halifax. They’re bringing the heat with summer anthems, beach-house energy and nonstop dancing all night long. Throw on your favourite summer outfit, gather your crew and come celebrate the season under the palm trees! | Aug 14 and 15 | 10pm | $5 | 

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

🚢 The Algoscotia tanker arrived in Halifax from Corner Brook at 3:15am.

➡️ The One Aquila container vessel departed Halifax for Singapore at 3:30am.

🚢➡️ The Morning Cello roll-on/roll-off vessel arrives in Halifax from Southampton at 5:55am and departs for Baltimore at 3:30pm.

🚢➡️ The Pictor container vessel arrives in Halifax from Portland (Maine) at 8:15am and departs for Reykjavik at 6:15pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container vessel departs Halifax for Argentia at 4:30pm.

➡️ The Oceanex Sanderling container vessel departs Halifax for St. John’s at 6pm.

➡️ The Target heavy lift vessel departs Halifax for Newfoundland and Labrador at 11pm.

🍫🫐 Want to surprise your partner? Take them to Good Robot Commons for Dee Dee’s popsicles: Chocolate and Blackcurrant. Only at Good Robot.

🍦At Sweet n' Salty, every waterfront visit is sweeter with creamy soft serve and your choice of dips, creating the perfect treat for every stroll.

🌅 Skip the line and head straight to the flavour. Order Salt + Sol online, pick up your favourites, and enjoy them on the Halifax waterfront.

*sponsored

👗 The Downtown Halifax Business Commission and Patterson Law are supporting Halifax Fashion Week, which is now in its fifth year. The commission has sponsored the event since its launch in 2021, while Patterson Law has joined as a sponsor this year. Their support comes as artists and arts organizations across the province contend with reductions to government funding. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva speaks to some of the organizations who have stepped up to help fund Halifax Fashion Week.

🎞️ The Atlantic International Film Festival has announced its 2026 lineup—the festival will show 113 feature and short films at Halifax’s Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane from Sept. 16 to 23.

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