🗞️ Picnic picks

Hey Halifax,

In order to save money in these broke-ass times, a lot of you brilliant people are turning to community events—like clothing swaps—to get “new to you” clothes without flushing what little money you earn down the capitalist toilet.

An organizer of an annual free clothing swap in the city's north end said she has seen more people come through the doors than ever.

And saving money is just one positive by-product of sharing clothes—it’s also saving the planet. I’ve recently learned of a truly bone-chilling place in the Chilean desert called “Fast-Fashion Waste Mountain”. This is not a mythical place that I just made up—which admittedly feels on brand for me—but it’s an actual place where all the crap that we don’t buy just…ends up.

Fast-fashion, a business model focused on rapidly producing trendy, inexpensive clothing to capitalize on the latest styles—I’m looking at you H&M 👀—has spawned a mountain of leftover clothes in the Chilean desert that's so massive it can now be seen clearly from space.

This is no joke:

So although Haligonians are saving money by attending community events like clothes and book swaps, it’s also stopping us from buying new, terribly made garments that will end up in African villages, on Trash Island or atop the aforementioned Trash Mountain. 

If you are interested in learning more about the hellscape that is fast-fashion, I recommend checking out the HBO doc Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion. Moral of the story: Go hit up your friend’s closet. I hate all my perfectly good clothes and they probably feel the same about theirs. Swap it up!

Have a wonderful day out there! 👗

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☀️ 18°

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.

NEWS

Halifax's best picnic spots: From the public gardens to the beaches

As International Picnic Day approaches on Wednesday, June 18, there's no better time to gather your loved ones and enjoy the natural beauty of Halifax. 

From lush gardens to scenic waterfronts, The Coast has put together a list of some of the city's top picnic spots.

🤔 Need To Know

💰 Nova Scotia’s premier joined regional counterparts for a meeting Monday with governors from the northeast U.S., in a bid to get more allies in the fight against tariffs.

👁️‍🗨️ A woman whose daughter is a former resident of a Nova Scotia safe house for survivors of sex trafficking is raising concerns about the involvement of a man at the organization who is charged with sex offences.

🇨🇦  The federal government’s new “Canada Strong Pass” will provide Canadians and visitors with free entry and discounts at national parks and museums this summer—the tourism initiative will also allow children aged 17 and under to travel for free on VIA Rail when accompanied by an adult.

🥤 Cool down with creamy milkshakes sweeter than summer romance—find them at Jam’s Burgers & Shakes, 8 Jam Lane. Warmer days call for cooler sips!*

🎓 Student Rent Special at Ogilvie on the Park! Sign your new one-year lease before August 1, 2025 and save 10% on your rent!*

🏙️ Student Rent Special at Ridgeway Towers in Cowie Hill!! Sign your new one-year lease before August 1, 2025 and save 10% on your rent!*

🌙✨ Experience the vibrant North by Night Market this Friday at The Local Restaurant & Bar back patio, where flavours and creativity come alive!*

🚌 Halifax Transit’s electric buses are ready to ride! 60 electric buses have been added to the fleet. We’re Ready to Ride toward a cleaner, more sustainable transit system for everyone. The future of Halifax Transit is electric.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN DARTMOUTH BUSINESS COMMISSION

Dartmouth Open Street Sunday - June 22

Get ready - Dartmouth Open Street Sunday is right around the corner! On Sunday, June 22 from 12 noon-4pm, Portland Street will be car free and filled with fun from Alderney Drive to Victoria Road. No cars - just music, entertainment, community vibes and loads of fun. See you there!

🗞️ In Other News

⛽ The price of diesel will change at midnight and into Tuesday as the Nova Scotia Energy Board said it will be invoking the interrupter clause—the change is necessary due to significant shifts in the market price for diesel oil.

⚖️ The defence presented its closing arguments Monday morning in the second-degree murder trial of Adam Drake who is accused of killing rapper Pat Stay—but the defence has asked the jury to disregard video evidence.

🚑 Nova Scotia is increasing the amount of funding available for first responders to help better equip them in the event of emergencies—organizations can now apply for up to $30K from the Emergency Services Provider Fund, a $10K increase from last year.

🧑‍💻 The head of Canada's cyber-defence agency is offering some insight just weeks after a ransomware attack against Nova Scotia Power—the utility's computer systems were breached by ransomware hackers on March 19, but did not discover it until April 25. 

🐱 Bide Awhile Animal Shelter in Dartmouth has a new addition to its memorial garden for pets—a permanent rainbow bridge—that organizers say it’s designed to comfort grieving pet owners and celebrate the bonds between humans and their animal companions.

SPONSORED BY PROHIBITION - SMOKING ACCESSORIES

Halifax, Meet PROHIBITION Smoking Accessories

Something just lit up on Agricola. PROHIBITION’s first Halifax shop brings premium bongs, pipes, cigars, vaporizers, and more to 2712 Agricola Street. Expect exclusive streetwear, retro posters, and collectibles—all with a bold vibe. PROHIBITION blends style, quality, and attitude in one unforgettable destination for smoking accessories and cannabis culture.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Exhibition - Mazes & Brain Games at Discovery Centre: Don’t miss this engaging, family-friendly exhibition that invites visitors of all ages to lose the map and find the fun. Whether you’re navigating life-size labyrinths or outsmarting optical illusions, this immersive exhibit will keep you thinking around every corner. | May 17 - Aug. 31 | 9am | $14.50 |

🗓 Eastern Shore Burger Fest: Last year was an epic celebration of burgers, community, and giving back—and this year, they’re turning up the heat. Let’s just say this will be a week to remember, with bigger flavours, bolder events, and all the small-town charm you know and love. | June 13-22 | 

🗓 Being There - Recent Paintings by Tim McGuire: The upcoming exhibition presented by The Prow Gallery, offers a captivating glimpse into village life, its people, and the untouched wilderness of Nova Scotia’s South Shore. The show invites art lovers to experience McGuire’s reminiscent and masterfully painted scenes at a special opening reception on Thursday, June 19, from 5-8pm, where the artist will be in attendance. | June 19-July 6 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The Algoma East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 3:40am and leaves for Saint John at 11:30pm.

➡️ The Hon. Paul E Martin bulk carrier leaves Halifax for Baltimore, Maryland at 4am.

➡️ The MSC Sagitta III container ship leaves Halifax for Montreal at 5am.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Star container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 4pm.

🚢 The CSL Tarantau container ship arrives in Halifax from Tampa, FL at 7:21am.

➡️ The Dalmacija oil tanker leaves Halifax for Dartmouth at 10am.

🚢 The Zuiderdam cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 10am and leaves for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍛 Spice up your usual dinner routine with the Thai Curry Seafood Stew at Studio East: cod fillet, scallops, mussels, cooked in house made Thai red curry sauce with jasmine rice, hoisin glazed gai lan, carrot ginger jam, cilantro.

🥪 Introducing the $7 Sandwich series from The Nook Halifax. This week’s creation is The Meatball Sandwich: house-baked focaccia, meatballs in slow-simmered tomato sugo, confit garlic mayo, melted mozzarella, fresh herbs.

👀 In Case You Missed It

👶 When Kian Zarkechvari welcomed triplets during the height of the pandemic, he was met with fear, stress, and unanswered questions. “It was unexpected,” Zarkechvari recalls. “Having three kids at the same time during the pandemic was crushing. It was stressful—financially, emotionally.” The Coast’s Warren D’Silva spoke more with Zarkechvari about how he turned his overwhelming experience as a new father of triplets into a bestselling book and movement supporting fathers who struggle in silence.

📱 There’s now a new way to get information from the HRM, as it phases out the use of a popular social media app—it has launched its official accounts on the platform Bluesky as it transitions away from using X, formerly known as Twitter.

That’s it!

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