🗞️ Sam I stan

Happy Friday Halifax,

Never have I related to anyone more than I do to Bill Murray in Groundhog Day before he learns any lessons…

When you really think about it, Groundhog Day is a truly bonkers tradition. It dates all the way back to 1886 and the Pennsylvanian town of Punxsutawney, where people I guess just started gathering around to watch a groundhog crawl out of a hole 🤷🏻‍♀️. Which, I have so many follow-up questions about how this happened the first time.

Annnnyways, if a groundhog comes out its burrow and sees its shadow on February 2, there will be six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, spring will arrive early.

Our hometown hog Shubenacadie Sam is actually a huge trend-setter; on Sunday he’ll make the earliest prediction in North America because his family crib is in the Atlantic Time Zone. Also, all of the groundhogs in the Shubenacadie Sam family are capable of predicting spring’s arrival—the skill is passed between generations. Like red hair or trauma!

The Sam family are basically the Kardashians of the rodent space, and now that I know about the family gift, I simply must stan Sam. And if we do end up with six more weeks of winter, I won’t blame them, I’ll blame DEI hiring practices.

Have a safe and restful weekend,

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌨️ 2°

Tomorrow: ☁️ -8°

Next Day: ☀️ -8°

7-day forecast

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

ARTS + CULTURE

Every big show happening in Halifax in February

As the calendar turns from January to February, there’s a brand-new lineup of shows coming to Halifax. And from weekend jams packed with surprise guests to some of the best in Canadian theatre, there’s plenty on offer that’s worth venturing out into the cold for.

The Coast’s Martin Bauman has you covered with all the February shows you need to know about, from globetrotting DJs to sketch comics to theatre productions inspired by civil rights icons.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨Police have charged a 32-year-old man with nine offences including attempted murder and aggravated assault after several health-care workers were attacked Wednesday afternoon in the emergency room of the Halifax Infirmary.

🏈 THE Superbowl Sunday Party is at The Pint, February 9th. 40 HDTVs. Food & drink specials, contests and giveaways. Book now to avoid disappointment!*

🏠 Front-line organizations say that housing remains a massive barrier for women fleeing domestic violence—many shelters and supportive housing are full, leaving some women with no option but to go back to their abusers.

🖼️ Craft East Buyers’ Expo annual trade show to promoting crafts in Atlantic Canada. Handmade products from the region. Open only to the qualified retail trade.*

🍝 If you have never made Carbonara pasta, or never tried Guanciale as a key ingredient, this is your sign that now's the time. Visit us in person, or arrange for delivery, through our online store.*

👀 A Halifax man is wanted on a provincewide warrant for child pornography offences. Police describe 43-year-old Anthony Brown as being six-foot-two and 145 pounds, with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

*Sponsored Post

CITY HALL

Status quo sedition

On Tuesday morning, on a windy, snowy day, city council dealt with some major issues. While the cancellation of the Windsor Street Exchange redesign was well covered by media including The Coast, you won’t find much other reporting on what was arguably more important at the meeting: the update on council’s strategic priorities asked for at the last meeting by councillor Tony Mancini. In that update, the extent of the rot within Halifax’s municipal democracy was exposed.  

Staff explained that a team of experts within the HRM sets the “key performance indicators” to meet council’s strategic priorities. Which would be fine, if the KPIs in some way matched up to the outcomes councillors expect to see in the real world to improve the lives of Haligonians. But as staff sees it, setting their performance expectations based on outcomes isn’t possible because outcomes are tangible things, not indicators of year-over-year progress. 

So staff made up KPIs that could track progress instead of outcomes, and as a result, staff have KPIs that can indicate good progress even when real-world outcomes get worse. That’s why annual budgets are built around spending money trying to improve those KPIs, not real-world outcomes. And that seems really bad, because it is really bad. It’s one hell of a correlation that since the city started spending money in line with this unburdened-by-outcomes plan, Haligonians’ satisfaction with municipal spending has dipped by 30%.  

The Coast’s Matt Stickland has the full report from Tuesday’s council meeting.

🗞️ In Other News

🫐 Blueberry and apple producers in Nova Scotia have access to a new program designed to help them be more efficient and safer on the farm—the province’s new harvest efficiency program offers up to $50K for the purchase of new equipment.

🚪 After one Nova Scotia woman experienced homelessness for the last few years, she says she's feeling a renewed sense of hope, privacy and determination since moving into a Pallet shelter.

🏒 Sidney Crosby is back in a familiar spot as Canada's captain—the Pittsburgh Penguins star was named to the role Thursday for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament next month in Montreal and Boston.

🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend

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

🗓 Nova Scotia Retro Film Festo: ​The inaugural Nova Scotia Retro Film Festo is here! Over the course of four evenings, the festival is unearthing a few classics of Nova Scotian cinema for you to see the big screen. | Jan 30-Feb 2

🗓 Halifax Thunderbirds Lacrosse: Come cheer on the home team as they take on the Vancouver Warriors at the Scotiabank Centre. | Jan 31 | 7:30pm | From $26.25

Sip n’ Shuck 2025 Presented by Taste of Nova Scotia: Sip n’ Shuck your way through one of the most delicious culinary events in Nova Scotia. If you enjoy oysters, seafood and award-winning Nova Scotia wines, beer, cider and spirits, this is the place for you! | Jan 31 | 7pm | $143.75

🗓 Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival: Bundle up and come out for this winter celebration of local love! Enjoy live ice carving, live entertainment, a street party, and so much more. | Jan 31-Feb 2  

🗓 Dino Disco 19+ Party: Step into a roaring night of music, dinosaurs and science as Discovery Centre presents Dino Disco, a 19+ Silent Disco experience. Move to the beats of DJ Mucky Ebanz while exploring the centre’s latest exhibit, Dinosaur Explorer, featuring animatronic dinosaurs. Show off your best dino dance moves, wander the centre after dark, and experience the ultimate mash-up of music and prehistoric vibes. | Feb 1 | 9pm | $23

🗓 Spontaneity Presents Court of Nonsense: All Rise. Welcome to The Court of Nonsense! Roommate won't do the dishes? Co-worker always taking your parking spot? If this sounds like your life, head to the Bus Stop Theatre for a night of laughter and legal chaos. The litigious group of improvisers will take your conflicts, arguments and interpersonal gripes, and put them to the legal test! | Jan 31 | 7pm | $23

🗓 Winter Rave-Up: Come and join this free outdoor event inside a huge inflatable igloo to kick off the year. Shake off those winter blues to big energy rave tunes on a brand-new sound system. | Feb 1 | 6pm | Free

🗓 Dine Around Halifax: Mark your calendars! Dine Around is coming back for the month of February. Savour special menus from your favourite Halifax restaurants, priced from $10 to $60. | Feb 1-28

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The MSC Michaela container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 5am.

➡️ The Oceanex Sanderling container ship leaves Halifax for St. John’s at 6pm.

➡️ The Nolhan Ava container ship leaves Halifax for Argentia at 6pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍅 The Ricotta Toast at Little Fish is simple, fresh and full of flavour: grilled sourdough, creamy ricotta, pickled hen of the woods, heirloom tomatoes, spiced honey and za-atar.

🥟 Water Polo is taking dumplings to the next level: beef and scallop dumplings, black garlic ponzu, chili crisp, scallop cracker.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎨 Last November, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design emailed its students, staff and faculty to share some news about NSCAD’s president. Peggy Shannon, the email said, would be leaving the president’s job “soon” to “round out her career at another art school.” This week, “soon” became more like in a few days. With interim president Jana Macalik starting Saturday, The Coast’s Lauren Phillips reports on how NSCAD is starting the search for its next top executive with a search for an executive search firm.

🎤 Dane Stewart’s Resurrection—“part investigation, part documentary and part love story”—is entering production of its third season, with a slew of rave reviews from The Guardian to Amazon Music. And now, as The Coast’s Martin Bauman reports, it’s a cabaret show—and it’s coming to Halifax next week.

That’s it!

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