🗞️ Seeing the invisible

Good morning, Halifax!

I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Cabot Golf’s bid for West Mabou Beach Provincial Park was shot down by the government, with the reason being that the asks were too unreasonable.

The issue with this reasoning is that the government isn’t against selling off protected land to the highest bidder. On Thursday, the minister of natural resources Kim Masland doubled down on this, saying that while the Cabot Golf proposal is a no-go, she’s open to talking about other developments on protected land.

Now, she goes on to say that you don’t need to agree with someone to hear them out—which is true enough. The problem comes when you hear something you do agree with and decide to trample through a provincial park to get it done. Masland is giving non-answers, trying to establish that she isn’t biased, when the bias itself is in the fact that she’s open to these conversations to begin with.

What needs to happen here is more protection for these protected lands. They obviously aren’t protected well enough when our politicians can offer them up on a silver platter to whoever wants to give them the greatest sum of cash.

What’s worse, it’s like the government has learned nothing from the West Mabou Beach situation. The decision to even hear a proposal was heavily contested, not just by people near the provincial park, but by folks across the province. While other articles I read say Tim Houston’s government is delivering on promises and doing oh-so-well, it really isn’t hard to see all the enemies they’re making in the process.

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

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Tomorrow: 🌧️ 4°

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7-day forecast

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

LIFESTYLE

Dalhousie grad with invisible disability wins first place in international speaking competition

Michelle Weger was a Dalhousie University student when she discovered symptoms that would ultimately lead to a diagnosis of narcolepsy.

With her service dog by her side on stage, Weger took home the first-place prize at Speaker Slam’s 9th Annual Grand Slam for her speech describing her experiences and how she has made her disability a strength.

“Receiving this honour means so much to me,” says Weger in an email to The Coast. “As someone living with narcolepsy, I know what it feels like to doubt your own potential. To now be recognized as the Inspirational Speaker of the Year for the story I once tried to hide is incredibly meaningful.”

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer describes Weger’s story and how she came to win an international speaking award.

🤔 Need To Know

⚖️ A Halifax-area teen was sentenced to four years in custody and three years of community supervision for fatally stabbing Ahmad Al Marrach in a group attack at the Halifax Shopping Centre in April 2024—the accused was 14 at the time of the attack.

🏠 The construction of Halifax housing units is up 32 percent from the same time last year, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation—while more than 13,000 units are under construction, it could be years before they are finished and make any impact on the ongoing housing crisis.

🚨 The man with a firearm arrested after an emergency alert in Enfield is facing several weapons charges, including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose—39-year-old Michael Franklin Garden Cole of Shubenacadie was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being arrested.

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One Stage, Two Shows!

Live Art Dance, in partnership with Upstream, returns with an incredible double bill! A mesmerizing solo from local artist Gillian Seaward-Boone, paired with a soaring piece from Compagnie ODD with live music from the electrifying Raphael Wenroth-Browne. An evening of dance not to be missed – get your tickets today!

🗞️ In Other News

🍺 Alcohol sales have increased in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year, says the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation—while total sales were slightly down, it seems sales of local and Canadian products, as well as cannabis sales, have increased.

💧 Halifax Water is blaming a harmless compound called geosmin for the musty taste of some Halifax tap water—a representative says they don’t know what causes geosmin’s appearance in the water, but predict it should subside in a few months.

🥌 The old Mayflower Curling Club on Monaghan Drive in Halifax’s west end was torn down on Friday—the curling club is now located in Timberlea.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 First Thursday’s Monthly Market: This monthly evening market brings out over 40 local vendors under one roof at the Park Lane Mall. | Dec. 4 | 4PM |

🗓 70th Annual SSFA Exhibition - Opening Reception: Family and friends are invited to the Dalhousie Art Gallery to celebrate the 70th Student, Staff, Faculty and Alumni Exhibition. | Dec. 4 | 6PM |

🗓 Neptune Theatre: The Wizard of Oz: Get ready for the classic tale of Dorothy’s travels in the magical land of Oz on the Neptune Theatre stage. Featuring all your favourite songs from the movie. Family-friendly. | Nov. 4 - Jan. 4 | 7:30PM | From $40 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The Atlantic Sea container ship departed Halifax for New York at 1:31am.

➡️ The Contship Cup container vessel departed Halifax for Kingston at 3am.

🚢 The One Eagle container ship arrived in Halifax from New York at 4:45am.

🚢 The Pictor container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland (Maine) at 8:15am.

🚢 The Algoma East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 9:40am.

➡️ The MSC Nisha V container vessel departs Halifax for Malaga at 1:30pm.

🚢 The Atlantic Sun container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 3:20pm.

➡️ The Atlantic Sail container ship departs Halifax for New York at 4pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍔 Try the Dorito Chop Cheese at Wave Foods. Quarter-pound smash burger chopped with melty cheese, pepperjack, red onion, jalapeno, nacho cheese Doritos, Wave Sauce and tomato on a sub bun.

🍾 Lake City Cider and Darty Brewing have teamed up for a holiday collab: Snakebite. Half Darty Lite lager plus Lake City cider/black currant wine.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🧀 There are moments in our province’s food story when a single win feels like a symbolic turning point, the kind of recognition that doesn’t just reward one producer’s hard work, but signals that something bigger is happening across our culinary landscape. This month, Nova Scotia had one of those moments. At the 2025 National Cheese Competition during the Royal Agricultural Fair in Toronto, Annapolis Fine Cheese, barely two years into its cheesemaking journey, earned first place for their Truffle Fresh Cheese and second place for their Herb and Garlic Fresh Cheese in the flavoured cheese category. Taking first and second place in a category with 18 submissions speaks to the quality and distinctiveness of the product. Both cheeses are part of their Fresh Cheese line-up, which also includes an unflavoured version. They describe these products as akin to French fromage blanc. The Coast’s food and wine expert Mark DeWolf goes over the prestigious award given to Annapolis Fine Cheese and why it’s so well deserved.

👨‍⚕️ The province has amended nursing regulations to allow psychiatric nurses specialized in mental health and addictions to practice in Nova Scotia—Nova Scotia Health is expected to begin recruitment in January.

🏛️ Former justice minister Becky Druhan is speaking out against the PC Party after her departure—she says a staff member told her not to speak on a bill that was in the legislature during the fall session.

That’s it!

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