🗞️ Police intervention and gender-based violence

Happy Friday, folks!

As we continue to work through the Best of Halifax 2026 results, I wanted to share with you a wonderful article from our very own superstar journalist and editor Julie Lawrence.

On Wednesday, you may have received an emergency alert regarding a man with a gun near Mosherville in West Hants. Some of us are way too used to these alerts; for others, it’s like experiencing the trauma of April 19-20, 2020 all over again.

Julie wrote an excellent piece about how situations of gender-based violence can evolve into a rampage, harming whole communities, when the signs of violence are ignored by those in power: governance boards, police, etc. It’s a good reminder to keep those supposedly in charge of our safety to task, and the systemic issues we need to repair in order to prevent mass violence like what happened in 2020.

Please give the article a read below. If you’ve read it before, give it a second read. More Best of Halifax is expected to release next week, so stay tuned!

Thanks and have a great weekend,

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 4°

Tomorrow: 🌨️ 0°

Next Day: ☁️ 2°

7-day forecast

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

NEWS+OPINION

How much death is enough?

We all know what happened in Nova Scotia on April 19 and 20, 2020. The events of those fateful days are etched into our collective consciousness; a stain on our very fabric.

A 51 year-old man—in a car he designed himself to look like an RCMP vehicle—went on a murder rampage, killing 22 people and injuring three others before he was shot and killed in Enfield, fully 13 hours after the attacks started.

As a province, we were shocked. How could this happen here? In our home that we love? We banded together, changed our Facebook profiles to “Nova Scotia Strong” and we grieved and we mourned and then we moved on. To make sense of it, we convinced ourselves that this was a one-off; a case of one bad apple. Because what was the alternative?

In this evergreen article from The Coast’s Julie Lawrence, she goes into all the mechanisms that failed to stop what was the worst mass shooting in Canadian history.

🤔 Need To Know

🌿 Despite the Nova Scotia government’s claim that there are 118 illegal cannabis stores across the province, it will not release information on how it determined the number of dispensaries—its response is it isn’t about statistics, but preventing harm.

📜 The Assembly of Mi’kmaq Chiefs have purchased four plots of land near a petroglyph site in Bedford to protect it from development—the land was originally zoned for residential development and went up for sale in 2024.

🛥️ The Vincent Coleman ferry that crosses between Halifax in Dartmouth is expected to be back in service on Jan. 31, pending part shipments—however, another ferry in its fleet, the Craig Blake, is set to undergo maintenance, making it unavailable until later this year.

🕺 Get the best of dance with Live Art Dance! 2026 traverses the breadth of what contemporary dance can be. Get your tickets today!*

🎸 Classic rock meets symphonic power as Symphony Nova Scotia pays tribute to the iconic music of Journey. Relive the soundtrack of a generation!*

🍤 Dine Around is back. Eat out this February. Or order in. With specially-priced menus from great Halifax restaurants, there’s no reason to cook!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY TASTE OF NOVA SCOTIA

Celebrating Nova Scotia's Land and Sea

Join Taste of Nova Scotia to sip, slurp, and savour the very best of the province’s land and sea at the annual Sip n’ Shuck event, Friday, January 23rd at the Westin Nova Scotian. From 7 to 9 p.m.

Indulge in an unforgettable evening of fresh-shucked oysters, exceptional local seafood, and a curated selection of award-winning Nova Scotia wine, beer, cider, and spirits. All under one roof and expertly selected, Sip n’ Shuck is a delicious celebration of the incredible products and people that define Nova Scotia. A must-attend evening for food and drink lovers.

Tickets available now.

🗞️ In Other News

⚖️ The man accused of stabbing staff at the Halifax Infirmary last January lashed out in a virtual court appearance on Thursday—Nicholas Robert Coulombe faces nine charges including attempted murder.

🏘️ The province will be looking for tenders to complete a major housing development in Dartmouth’s north end this spring—the project includes the construction of public housing units.

🔥 Residents of Benacadie, a small community in Cape Breton, are taking issue with the police after two unoccupied homes burned down this month—police suspect it was arson but have yet to find a culprit.

SPONSORED BY NEPTUNE THEATRE

Don't Miss Mad Madge!

Join us at Neptune Theatre for 𝙈𝙖𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙜𝙚, running January 22 - February 8, an over-the-top comedy with real heart. Think Bridgerton written by Tina Fey. Sexy, saucy, satirical, and everything Madge wanted to be, you do not want to miss this show.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Halifax ReFRINGED: Three plays from the Halifax Fringe Festival return for a weekend at the Bus Stop Theatre. | Jan. 16-18 | 7PM | $15 |

🗓 Halifax Thunderbirds: The Halifax Thunderbirds lacrosse team take on the Colorado Mammoth at the Scotiabank Centre. | Jan. 16 | 7:30PM | $31.75+ |

🗓 In Conversation: Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler with Christina Végh: Artists Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler are joined by art historian Christina Végh to discuss the duo’s exhibition No More Boring Art. Taking place at the Paul O’Regan Hall in the Halifax Central Library. | Jan. 17 | 2PM | Free (reserved seating) |

🗓 Halifax Mooseheads: The hometown heroes take on the Charlottetown Islanders at the Scotiabank Centre. | Jan. 17 | 7PM | $29.25+ |

🗓 Sunday Soundbath with Rezound: Rezound presents an immersive Ambient Soundbath in the spectacular acoustic of St. David's in downtown Halifax. Rezound uses voice, instruments, and electronics to explore harmony and expression, in a resonant candlelit space against the backdrop of projection visuals. | Jan. 18 | 7PM | PWYC |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The MSC Greta III container vessel departed Halifax for Montreal at 3:45am.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sun container ship arrived in Halifax from Norfolk at 5:20am and departs for Liverpool at 4pm.

➡️ The BBC Georgia cargo vessel departs Halifax for Argentia at 5pm.

➡️ The Wind Pace offshore supply vessel departs Halifax at 5pm.

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

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container vessel departs Halifax for Argentia at 8pm.

SPONSORED BY THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES

THANK YOU, HALIFAX!

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES is honoured to win The Coast’s BEST OF HALIFAX GOLD AWARD for BEST COMEDY SHOW.

Thanks for voting, Halifax...

STAY GOLD!

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥪 New week, new sandwich from Larry’s Sandwiches. This time, they’re serving the Dartmouth Donair, made with beef donair meet from Vessel Meats, garlic and chilli butter, sweet donair sauce, provolone, raw onion, diced tomatoes and parsley.

🍖 Vessel Meats is taking orders for their special once-a-year haggis in preparation for Robbie Burns Day on Sunday, Jan. 25. Orders can be placed over the phone with some expected as early as Jan. 23.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🗳️ They make us laugh, and they make us cry. From filmmakers and theatre companies to visual artists and dancers, Halifax would not be as vibrant a city as it is without its wealth of artists who enhance our local culture through their work. As part of the Best of Halifax 2026 Reader's Choice Awards, you voted for your favourite artists, art companies, galleries, drag performers, actors, dancers, comedians and more, with winners in 16 different categories. As of Jan. 15, those results are publicly available on our Best of Halifax 2026 page. Please take some time to look through the gold, silver and bronze medal winners in all of these categories. You may even discover a new favourite.

🎰 Casino Nova Scotia will be moving from the Halifax Waterfront to Dartmouth Crossing amidst declining revenue—the building on the Waterfront will be sold off as a new casino is built in the Dartmouth shopping area.

🚨 A Sipekne’katik First Nation man with a firearm who triggered an emergency alert on Tuesday was shot and killed by police, according to the Serious Incident Response Team—RCMP previously reported that the man was taken into custody.

That’s it!

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