🗞️ Sloppy bureaucracy

Happy Friday Halifax,

This week’s star-studded episode of Top Chef Canada cranked up the temperature in the kitchen. The iconic food blogger MiJune Pak enlisted the contestants to create dishes for her upcoming nuptials in the Quickfire Challenge—including canapes, mains that fused French and Chinese flavours, “something blue” desserts and, of course, late-night bites.

A spectacular man bun named Haan has emerged as the favourite because he won BOTH elimination challenges so far, so he gets first pick on who he wants to cook against, and he chooses our Moira Murray because “if he’s going to pick first, he’s going to pick the best.” Preach.

Moira is calm, cool and collected, but the subtext is that she wants to destroy Haan. She serves a Salt Cod and Truffle Croquette with Creme Fraiche and Caviar, which the judges unfortunately declare to be a “salt bomb,” although they do concede that they liked the concept.

Onward and upward.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs have to create and deliver a dish that reflects the diversity of cuisine in the city of Toronto. They got to sample food from a bunch of different food trucks to get inspired—which was when I hit pause and shoved some Compliment’s egg rolls in the oven that burned my mouth and sucked in equal measure: badly.

The guest judge for this one was Gail Simmonds, so you know shit is getting real. Moira took her inspiration from China and made Molasses-Glazed Fried Chicken with a Fresh Marinated Cucumber Salad. The judges liked it generally, but found it a bit too saucy. Which, incidentally, is how most people describe me.

The dish landed Moira in the middle and there ain’t no shame in that game. Man Bun Haan won again and the toxically masculine french d-bag, Remi, was eliminated—thank god—because the judges said his salad dressing smelled like “shellfish, mayo and fat.” Au revoir!

Until next week, Sauté Queen 🔪

– Julie

PS: It’s last call for votes in the 2024 Best of Halifax Awards! Voting closes Sunday Nov 3 at midnight. Read up on some of the key categories in our BOH Hub below.

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌧️ 19°

Tomorrow: ☁️ 5°

Next Day: 🌤️ 6°

7-day forecast

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

NEWS + OPINION

Councillors Hendsbee and Purdy judicially reprimanded for bias

Is it okay for a city councillor to vote against a proposed construction and demolition disposal yard? Yes.

Is it okay for a councillor to be so biased and “incapable of persuasion” to legitimate arguments that they vote against a proposed C&D site even though it is well within the city’s rules and precedents? That’s a completely different question—one that a provincial judge recently answered with a rebuke to councillors David Hendsbee and Trish Purdy.

At issue is a slightly complex attempt by a property owner to get their land rezoned to allow a C&D operation, and a straightforward misunderstanding of what exactly a councillor’s job is.

The Coast’s Matt Stickland looks into the judge’s findings, and explains how a councillor has to know when it’s time to legislate and when it’s time to administrate.

🤔 Need To Know

🥀 Halifax police say a 24-year-old woman was struck by a Halifax Transit bus at the downtown intersection of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street on Thursday morning just before 7am—she was pronounced dead at the scene.

🌁 The Progressive Conservatives have promised to remove the tolls on the bridges: a tolling expert, a traffic engineer and a longtime head of the organization that oversees the bridges all say the move will likely make congestion worse.

📬 The potential for a strike at Canada Post is having an impact on the provincial election—the agency will not be printing voter information cards because of the looming postal strike.

SPONSORED BY ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA

The Unexpected Awaits at AGNS

A giant claw crane game, a disappearing art installation, artwork influenced by your brain signals—it’s all at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s latest exhibition Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins: Three Dimensions.  

Opening tomorrow, November 2, visitors will explore themes of authenticity and influence in the digital age while interacting with the installations throughout the exhibition.  

Plus join us tomorrow at 2pm for a talk by artists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins as they discuss the multi-faceted dimensions of their art practice and contextualize it within the exhibition! 

Finally, art you can play with. 

EDUCATION

Al Zeitoun Weekend is happening this Saturday and Sunday…somewhere

This weekend, the NSCAD Student Union—SUNSCAD—and Students for the Liberation of Palestine—Kjipuktuk (Halifax), or SLPK—will host a two-day event “in solidarity with the Indigenous struggle against the genocide in Palestine.” However, the event’s location has been thrown into flux.  

The SLPK is a coalition of students from across Halifax universities, including NSCAD. Over the spring and summer, the SLPK created Al Zeitoun University on Dalhousie’s campus as a space for teach-ins and organizing for Palestinian liberation.

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips finds out why the two-day event hosted by NSCAD’s student union is having trouble securing a venue.

🗞️ In Other News

💙 The daughters of a woman who was killed in Nova Scotia 12 days ago by her husband are calling on the RCMP for more transparency around domestic violence—alleging the force is covering up what happened because their mother's husband was a retired Mountie.

⚖️ A teen who pleaded guilty for his role in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old last spring at a Halifax shopping mall parkade will undergo a psychiatric-psychological assessment before he is sentenced in February.

☑️ Nova Scotia’s temporary rent cap and a loophole that allows landlords to avoid it were the targets of the provincial NDP on Thursday—the party promising to protect tenants from evictions and excessive hikes if elected.

⚽ After a 2024 regular season deemed “simply unacceptable,” Halifax Wanderers FC has brought Canada Soccer Hall of Famer Mark Watson on board as a senior football strategy adviser.

⚖️ The lawyer for a homeless man who died at a Halifax encampment argued in court that his client’s welfare payments should have been as high as those received by people with permanent housing.

SPONSORED BY BEST OF HALIFAX

Last chance, Halifax!

Don’t miss your chance to have your say in The Coast’s Best of Halifax Readers’ Choice Awards! Voting is now open, but it won’t be for long. You have until this Sunday Nov 3 at midnight to vote or forever hold your peace.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Trick or Treat Bar Crawl 2024: Introducing Halifax's FIRST Halloween bar crawl! Trick and treat your way through the hottest spots in Downtown Halifax along with your team. | Nov 1 | 9pm | $20

🗓 Christmas at the Forum: Back for its for its 46th year, this beloved event brings together an exciting and festive celebration of handmade crafts, local art and delicious food. As one of Canada's largest craft shows, this event has become a cherished holiday tradition in Halifax, attracting thousands of visitors each year. | Nov 1-3 | $12

🗓 Geoffroy—Good Boy Tour: The Montreal-born songwriter and producer takes the next step internationally with his fourth full-length LP, Good Boy. Almost 10 years on from his first release, this blends organic instrumentation and electronic elements into a bright and rich album filled with diverse sounds, a collection of songs that moves beyond the brooding depth that has defined recent works. | Nov 1 | 8pm | $29

🗓 Future of Efficiency—Open Access Day: Explore the future of efficiency at the Discovery Centre through hands-on activities and interactive booths, and meet industry experts who are leading the charge toward a sustainable future. | Nov 2 | 9am | Free

🗓 Poppy Tribute Show: The 20-member cast will take its audience on a musical journey telling the tales of our country’s bravery, sacrifice and selflessness through familiar wartime songs with a breathtaking backdrop of 10,000 handmade poppies on display. The evening will include a special tribute to the 80th anniversary of D-Day as well as the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. | Nov 2 | 6pm | Donation

🗓 AfterWords Literary Festival: The 6th Annual Afterwords Literary Festival—where writers and readers meet—will take place at venues across Halifax. | Nov 2-10 | Festival pass $100

🗓 Halifax Mooseheads Home Game: Come cheer on the home team as they take on Huskies De Rouyn-Noranda on Nov 1 at 7pm, and the Moncton Wildcats on Nov 3 at 3pm. | From $15.25 |

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

SPONSORED BY SPIRIT SPA

Relax and recharge

Feeling a little run down or run off your feet? Fall is a busy time and at Spirit Spa we have treatments to help you slow down and reset. Try one of our fall wellness specials like the Cozy Sweater Pedicure or a Warm Stone Massage. Vote for The Coast’s Best of Halifax Spa.

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️ The CMA CGM Panama container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 5:15am.

🛳️➡️ The Zim China container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 11pm.

🛳️➡️ The Jewel of the Seas cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 6pm.

🛳️ The Pearl Mist cruise ship arrives in Halifax from Canadian seas at 8:15am.

🛳️ The East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 11:40pm.

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

➡️ The CSL Tacoma bulk carrier leaves Halifax for Wilmington at 8pm.

➡️ The Augusta Luna container ship leaves Halifax for Villagarcia at 10pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍄‍ Relationship status? Fully committed to the Mushroom Risotto at Brooklyn Warehouse: shitake and oyster mushrooms, crispy leeks, candied walnuts, brown butter and blue cheese.

🍔 If you’re on the hunt for some elevated late-night eats this weekend, The Narrows has you covered. Try the confit chicken wings, salmon pâté, fried cauliflower sandwich or flat-top cheeseburger.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏫 Nova Scotia’s School Code of Conduct Policy is overdue for an update. Six years overdue, to be exact, writes the Auditor General’s report from June, Preventing and Addressing Violence in Nova Scotia Public Schools. The report contained several recommendations related to updating the code of conduct, all of which the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, or EECD, agreed to. So, does the draft of the new code of conduct policy fulfill the recommendations made by the auditor general’s report? The Coast’s Lauren Phillips has the answer.

🏘️ Property management company Olympus Properties has been accused by Dalhousie Legal Aid Service of requiring money from potential tenants in advance of providing a lease—an action contrary to the Residential Tenancies Act. In an Oct. 29 press release, Dal Legal Aid says they have heard from tenants who have been asked to pay a damage deposit along with last month’s rent before they have been provided a lease to sign. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer goes over the allegations made against Olympus Properties.

🎤 Sarah McLachlan is postponing her 30th anniversary tour of her album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy due to health concerns—the internationally adored singer from Halifax says she is “devastated to make this announcement.”

⛺ A pair of recent shootings near encampment sites in two Maritime cities—including one Halifax Monday night—is concerning those who work with the unhoused population that crime could be on the rise within these sites.

That’s it!

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