🗞️ Rent is through the roof(s)

Alright gang,

It’s the FINAL COUNTDOWN 🎶

We’re two sleeps away from election day and it’s gut check time! We need to work together to mobilize our peeps to…just, like…care that this election is even happening.

Both experts and candidates say there is a general apathy and lack of public engagement with municipal politics right now. Waye Mason—municipal councillor who is running for mayor—says that awareness of the election seems low based on conversations he’s having on people’s doorsteps.

One political science expert attributes the lack of knowledge and general apathy to a lack of local journalism. But you guys don’t have that excuse because we have developed he Halifax Election Hub that has all the information you could possibly need. And we’re adding more resources everyday—including a featured roundtable with the mayoral candidates from our friends at The Afternoon Pint podcast.

Most importantly, we Haligonians love nothing more than complaining and we can’t do that guilt-free if we haven’t even bothered to vote. You must EARN your right to complain, so let’s do the damn thing.

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: ☀️ 12°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 14°

Next Day: ☀️ 17°

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

NEWS + OPINION

Study shows that rent in Halifax is up by around 11% from last year

A new study from real estate listings site Zumper shows that Halifax is the fifth-priciest rental market in all of Canada with rent prices having gone up around 11% over last year.

With data aggregated from its website, Zumper shows that Halifax’s average price for a one-bedroom apartment is around $2,100—a 10.5% increase from last year. Its two-bedroom apartments are now priced at around $2,640—an 11.4% increase.

These increases are far above the annual growth rate for one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, which are 1.3% and 0.7% respectively. They are also higher than the other entries in the top five, with the closest being Victoria, B.C. with a 4.9% increase for one-bedroom rent over last year, and a 1.8% increase for two-bedroom units.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer has more on this annual increase and speculates how it came to be over double the provincial rent cap.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 Halifax police are looking for a man who allegedly tried to rob four youths with a knife in Cole Harbour last week.

💸 The next payment for the Canada Child Benefit—a tax-free payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of living when raising children under 18— is set to land in bank accounts this Friday.

🚲 Skip the traffic and bike to Nocturne! Join one of four group bike rides to the festival, and you can valet your bike for FREE at the Central Library.*

👟 Presented by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, the Creative Downtown Noc-Tour showcases five projects over less than 1 km in the heart of downtown!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY NOCTURNE HALIFAX

Immerse yourself in the Microcosm 🌎

Nocturne 2024 officially kicks off today! While our main event is Saturday night (October 19, 6 PM to midnight), the festival actually kicks off with a panel discussion tonight, followed by a series of artists talks on Friday.

View the full schedule and interactive map of all Saturday night’s installations online, pick up a copy of our guide at the Popcan on the Halifax Waterfront or any Nocturne venues on the night-of the main event. Or check out the digital version (you can print if off at home – ahem the office – if you’d like!)

BEST OF HALIFAX

These are Halifax’s best songwriters of 2024

From poetic verses to clever turns of phrase. Catchy melodies to soft but powerful chord progressions. There’s much to appreciate about the songwriting process, whether it be lyrical or compositional.

Most artists will tell you one of two stories—a tune that came to them out of nowhere, or a demo that’s been sitting unfinished for years on a dusty old hard drive. Some will share stories of both. Songwriting is far from easy, but if you’ve ever attempted to pen a diddy yourself, you’ll know that it can be one of the most rewarding exercises for a creative, even if the public never hears a note.

For those artists who not only commit to the gruelling process but then share their work with the world, we have the Best of Halifax awards, where the city has nominated musicians from across the creative spectrum to go head-to-head for gold. 

Check out the seven best songwriters in Halifax, according to you.

🗞️ In Other News

🥼 Tim Houston announced a new retirement benefit for doctors based on their years of service in the province—he says he believes it will help keep and recruit more doctors to stay and work in Nova Scotia.

💰 According to a new consultant’s report, Atlantic Canadian universities say Ottawa's cap on foreign student permits has cost the region an estimated $163M.

🚧 The Nova Scotia government says that in the coming days it will start building a 500-metre-long berm to protect a low-lying land link between the province and New Brunswick—but still wants Ottawa to pay for it.

☑️ John Young and Virginia Hinch are candidates in Halifax's municipal election—they say Black candidates continue to face barriers in politics, including racism and a lack of trust in the system.

💙 RCMP say three people died and three others were injured in separate crashes in Kings County over the Thanksgiving weekend.

⚖️ A 26-year-old man convicted in a brutal murder four years ago in southwestern Nova Scotia is asking the province's highest court to grant him a new trial.

🚶🏽‍♀️ In partnership with the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront, the Waterfront Noc-Tour covers 2 km and five projects along the beautiful harbourfront. Departs at 6, 8 and 10 PM.*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY NOCTURNE HALIFAX

yahkāskwan mīhkiwap (Light Tipi) 🌟

Join us for an artist talk with interdisciplinary artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle at AGNS from 7 to 8:15 PM, followed at 8:30 PM by a participatory activation, “yahkāskwan mīhkiwap (Light Tipi),” which engages people to come together and create a tipi as a community-engaged activity.

SPONSORED BY NOCTURNE HALIFAX

Quilted Canopies: A low-sensory experience

“Quilted Canopies” is an immersive installation featuring three quilt-inspired parachutes made from up-cycled sailcloth. Each parachute design is inspired by traditional quilts, blending aesthetic beauty with functional shelter. These parachutes, much like quilts, symbolize warmth, comfort, and community, creating a serene, low-sensory retreat in the Halifax Public Gardens on October 20 between noon and 4 PM.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Halifax Live Comedy Club Grand Opening With Todd Barry: Barry has released four one-hour stand-up specials including his latest one, Domestic Shorthair. He's appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ,The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and Late Night With Seth Meyers and his acting credits include The Wrestler, Road Trip and Sex and the City. | Oct. 18 | 7pm | $25

🗓 Hopscotch Festival: Get ready for an unforgettable weekend of hip hop, celebrating the best from both near and far. Hopscotch Festival, Atlantic Canada’s top annual hip hop event, is now in its 15th year. It’s made for those who love and lift up the culture. Expect to see all parts of hip hop honoured over a packed weekend with the main shows at Lighthouse Arts Centre. | Oct. 18-19  

🗓 Arkells present The Big Feelings Tour: The nine-time Juno Award winners will be joined by special guest Joel Plaskett to provide a night of unstoppable hits and fan favourites. | Oct. 18 | 7:30pm | $82.75

🗓 LAST CHANCE! It Don't Mean a Thing - A Roaring '20s Musical Dinner Theatre: Calling all dames, dolls and gangsters! It’s the Roaring ’20s and everyone is on edge. Lucky Knuckles, the greatest crime boss Halifax has never seen, is going to make an appearance at The Kit Kat Club and word is he’s none too happy. Come hear some of your favourite modern hits performed in the swinging style of Gatsby’s Golden Era and Charleston your way through Prohibition! | Closes. Oct 19 | $65.55

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Easterly AS Omaria oil tanker leaves Halifax for Antwerp at 8am.

➡️ The Algoscotia oil tanker leaves Halifax for Sydney at 12pm.

➡️ The Eagle II container ship leaves Halifax for Villagarcia at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The Zuiderdam cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The Enchanted Princess cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 9am and leaves for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🛳️➡️ The EV Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland at 1:15pm and leaves for Reykjavik at 6pm.

🛳️ The Zim Iberia container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 6pm.

🛳️ The MSC Silvia container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 11pm.

🛳️➡️ The Atlantic Star container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 3:20pm and leaves for Liverpool at 11pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍫 Indulge in the sinful delight of the Dark Chocolate Delice at Little Fish: melted caramel and white chocolate feuilletine, topped with raspberry.

🍹 The Candy Crush at 2 Doors Down is the perfect cocktail to sip away on: Compass Royal gin, Chambord, lemon, orgeat syrup, passion fruit.

👀 In Case You Missed It

☑️ There are a lot of issues in the HRM, and luckily, we live in a city with mostly competent bureaucracy working hard to correct or mitigate most, if not all, of those issues. The questionnaire we sent to candidates running for council was designed to see if the candidates read the municipal plans and have a general understanding of the issues at play in the city. Armed with the questionnaire answers and interviews about policy, The Coast tried to figure out who would be good at shaping policy for a better Halifax in 2050. In the spirit of full transparency, we have posted all of the candidate responses to the questionnaire on The Coast site for you.

🏀 Saint Mary’s University (SMU) is continuing to celebrate 50 years of women’s varsity sport at the university with their annual monthly speaker series, called “She Leads the Game: Women Shaping Sport Business.” The Coast’s Lauren Phillips has more on the line-up of CEOs, journalists, researchers, entrepreneurs to speak during these weekly speaker series.

🏥 A Nova Scotia woman is on her way south of the border to receive surgery for her endometriosis — a procedure she couldn’t easily access in Canada because of the long wait times for gynaecological services.

🌊 The province is preparing to move Lawrencetown Road— an iconic strip of coastal road that has been repeatedly battered by storm surge—marking the latest example of a need to modify public infrastructure to mitigate the effects of climate change.

👟 The North End Noc-Tour, sponsored by Propellor Brewing, covers 3 km and six installations, and departs at 6, 8 and 10 PM.*

*Sponsored Listing

That’s it!

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