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- 🗞️ Premature polling
🗞️ Premature polling
Plus, Dartmouth roads closed for police firearms investigation, federal leaders making their final pitch to voters and a local artist is turning grief into a thing of beauty.
Julie Lawrence
April 23, 2025
Good morning Halifax,
To all the young men now entering the wonderful world of being ripped apart on social media for how you look - welcome! It’s so nice to have you.
The technical term for it is “Looksmaxxing” and it started where all the best things start: male incel message boards in the 2010s. It refers to a process of maximizing one’s own physical attractiveness by asking you peers for advice. Why you would willingly sign yourselves up for this kind of ridicule is truly beyond me, but here we are.
Looksmaxxing is—on the surface—about trying to look your best in order to attract a partner. But a new study from Dalhousie University says while the community is framed as self-help, it can be harmful to participants. While there are several sites devoted to looksmaxxing, the study examined the most popular message board by analyzing more than 8,000 comments and guess what? They were mostly mean!
Here’s how it works: Participants post photos of themselves and ask for feedback to improve their looks. Other members evaluate their height, weight, musculature, hair, skin, as well as fun minute details like the size of your forehead and how pronounced your jawline is.
Members then rate the user, with men who are 10/10 deemed "Chads," those just below them "Brads," those who are around 5/10 "normies," and those who are 3/10 or lower "subhuman" or "ogres." Then they tell you how to fix the flaws and level up your score by doing such things as botox, leg-lengthening surgery and “bone-smashing” (exactly what it sounds like).
@refine.men Shape your face . . . #fyp #foryou #outfit #fashion #oldmoney #men #menfashion #starboy #softboy#GlowUp #tips #Skincare #jawline #fat #hei... See more
This whole thing chills me to my very core. Please don’t volunteer to be humiliated; I promise, you can get humiliated a lot without even trying. I do it all the time.
– Julie
🌡️ Traffic & Weather
Today: 🌦️ 12°
Tomorrow: ☀️ 11°
Next Day: 🌧️ 11°
🚗 Driving, biking or busing today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.
ARTS + CULTURE
Local artist turns grief into a thing of beauty
📸 Credit: Chanelle Jefferson
The space feels sacred; the stories it holds makes the air thick. Each piece of art is given space and room to breathe. Each story is tragic and each painting is beautiful, somehow capturing the essence of the loss without descending into darkness.
As I walk around the show at Applehead Studios on Barrington Street with artist and creator of The Grief Project, Chanelle Jefferson, I can’t help but ask: isn’t it heavy? Carrying all of this sadness?
“I really lean into the energetic side of things and have really learned how to become a vessel of information rather than having it come from me,” says Jefferson. “I think a lot of times when we talk to healers or people that help others, the energy comes from them and they get exhausted really quickly. Part of my journey has been learning how to bring energy through me and offer it to others.”
🤔 Need To Know
🇨🇦 The Liberals have a six-point advantage over the Conservatives on Day 31 of the 36-day federal election campaign—a three-day rolling sample by Nanos Research conducted on April 19-21 has the Liberals at 43% over the Conservatives who are at 37%.
☑️ As the federal election campaign nears its end with less than a week to go before voting day, all federal party leaders are making their final pitches to Canadians—Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled his party’s platform on Tuesday while the Liberals and NDP already released platforms over the weekend.
🚨 Several roads were closed on Tuesday morning due to a police firearms investigation in Dartmouth—officials said that the search is happening in the 100 block of Albro Lake Road and is related to an ongoing case.
🌮 Half-price wings, 28 sauces, and $4.50 draught? Consider your Wednesday plans made. See you at The Pint on Argyle Street! The Pint’s Wing Wednesday is THE place.*
🤣 Catch Cindy Rivers April 25–26 at Halifax Live! Quirky, fearless, and hilarious—her offbeat style and sharp insights make for a comedy night you won’t forget.*
🚗 Optimize your vehicle fleet with Jim Pattison Lease! Flexible leasing, telematics, analytics, upfitting, and fleet management tools boost efficiency and reduce costs. Learn more about our services now!*
*Sponsored Post
SPONSORED BY MAYWORKS KJIPUKTUK/HALIFAX
Mayworks invokes hope and solidarity
This year's Mayworks Festival of Working People & the Arts is packed with events to fuel you up for the bumpy ride toward a better future.
The festival kicks off with a live recording of the Sandy & Nora podcast, a cross-border all-star Hip Hop concert, and an international dance troupe exploring our ability to influence both our own destiny and that of others.
This year’s slate of events is as diverse in its art forms as it is with the artists on showcase. The program also includes a VR experience about rising seas, performances about chronic illness and loneliness, Indigenous and Black filmmaker showcases, a banner making workshop, and more.
The world may look bleak, but there's no shortage of hope in the many ways we can come together and express ourselves creatively.
NEWS
Voters turn out in record droves to cast early votes: here’s how it went down in Nova Scotia
📸 Credit: Inclusion Canada
A record number of Canadians cast a ballot during four days of advance voting over the Easter long weekend.
Elections Canada says an estimated 7.3 million people cast a ballot during advance polls April 18 to 21. The previous record for voters at advance polls was 5.8 million ballots cast during the 2021 federal election.
🗞️ In Other News
🚨 Halifax police have charged a teenager with manslaughter in connection with the death of another man last year in Dartmouth—on Nov. 10, 2024, police responded to a home on Craigburn Drive in Dartmouth after a report of a drug overdose.
🏢 After large-scale investments from both the federal government and the province, the Neptune BioInnovation Centre opened—giving Nova Scotia the edge in developing technology and products.
😀 Autism Nova Scotia is opening five new sensory-friendly spaces this week at its new office in the HRM—these Smile Zones are designed to create inclusive and calming environments for people experiencing anxiety and overstimulation.
🚔 RCMP in Nova Scotia are investigating two fatal collisions in the province over the Easter long weekend—including a crash between a motorcycle and a full-sized van.
💸 An internal provincial investigation revealed that fraud artists passed more than $35K in fake cheques in a months-long scheme against the Bridgewater courthouse.
SPONSORED BY THE SPRING GARDEN AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Catch the Wave This Weekend
The Halifax Tides are making waves in their Inaugural Season! This Saturday, April 26, fans will experience high-energy action, hometown pride, and unforgettable entertainment. Don’t miss your chance to be part of history as Halifax’s newest team hits the field. The tide is rising—be there from the very beginning!
SPONSORED BY LIVE ART DANCE
Live Art Dance presents Kira Arts, Aly Keita. Altération
Memories of past experiences and scars - in other words, Altération - are transmuted into a vital breath through reactivating movements, both individual and collective, that revitalize our bodies and rekindle our inner power.
Don't miss out! Get your tickets today.
Kira Arts, Aly Keita. Altération
May 3rd & 4th, 2025
Breaking Circus
🗓️ Things To Do
Looking for something to do this week? Check out these Coast picks:
🗓 Spontaneity Improv April Showcase: Get in on the laughs as Spontaneity Improv Company presents their monthly showcase. A group of talented improvisers will be taking the stage and improvising based on audience suggestions. | April 24 | 7:30pm | $15 |
🗓 Halifax Tides FC vs. Calgary Wild: It’s finally here! Come cheer on your Halifax Tides in their franchise opener as they take on the Calgary Wild at The Wanderers Grounds. | April 26 | 6pm | $32 |
🗓 Coastal Dance Theatre Spring Showcase 2025: Don’t miss this unforgettable show of talent, imagination, and inspiration at our annual spring performance. Be captivated by excerpts from the classical ballet Sleeping Beauty, along with a commanding mix of contemporary pieces. | April 26 | 2pm and 7pm | $22 |
Have an event to share? Let us know at [email protected].
⚓️ What’s In The Harbour
🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sea container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 5pm.
➡️ The Kivalliq W oil tanker leaves Halifax for Montreal at 10am.
🍴 Where To Eat & Drink
🍕 This week is your last chance to show your patriotism through pizza with The Canadian at Morris East: bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, maple drizzle.
🍸 Warm up on the chilly spring evenings by sipping on the Perfect Days at Bar Kismet: Japanese whisky and chamomile, wild geneva crabapple, aperitif wine.
👀 In Case You Missed It
🇨🇦 Democracy isn’t inherently permanent. That fact—clearly linked to growing concerns about human rights and democracy in the United States—is on the minds of more than a few Coast readers. We recently posted an explainer article called Government 101 and it spawned a flurry of follow-up questions from readers about how our federal government functions, and many people asked about what—if any—safeguards exist to protect our own democracy and rights. The questions get to the very heart of Canada’s Parliamentary democracy and constitution, so we have taken time to explain them as best we can.
📱 A new app launched in Nova Scotia will allow residents to create a legally valid power of attorney—the tool lets users designate a trusted person to manage their finances and property if they are unable to do so themselves.
That’s it!
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