🗞️ Strategic failures

Good morning Halifax,

Police say the death of a 22-year-old woman who was found inside a burning home in the Annapolis Valley was the result of intimate partner violence. Six other people escaped the house without injuries. A 28-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder and arson with disregard for human life.

Disregard for human life. Really let those words sink in, because in not listening to victims, not taking instruction from experts and advocates, not implementing accountability measures and not allocating pandemic-level funding, that’s exactly what the Tim Houston government is demonstrating: a flagrant disregard for human life.

Experts and advocates agree that Nova Scotia is a pressure cooker that is poised to explode. The string of femicides, the cultural climate and the political neglect is creating an environment that is ripe for something catastrophic to take place—something that we will not be able to ignore.

I encourage you to start calling this what it is: a male violence epidemic. If you’re paying attention, your cortisol level should be through the roof with the constant reminder of how structural misogyny is harming women. Most people of marginalized genders feel the same—something that the conversations I’m having on a daily basis confirm.

And save your “not all men” comments. When you say “not all men,” what you mean is “Not me! I have never hurt a woman!” and you don’t get a medal for that.

Take care of each other and if you see something, say something.

– Julie 💜

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

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7-day forecast

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

CITY COUNCIL

Council’s strategic failures

It’s a big day down at Grand Parade today, because two very important things are part of today’s city council meeting. The first is that at 1pm, Property Valuation Services Corporation will come to council and tell them how much money property taxes will bring in this year. There are also likely to be some debates about pickleball at the Mainland Commons because the Castle Hill Pickleball Saga will write its next chapter today. All that and more in The Coast’s council preview.

Less important than pickleball, attached to the meeting as an information report that is not scheduled to be debated, is a staff update on how Halifax’s strategic plans are going. This is a pretty surface-level report, and in fact, it’s so surface-level that it may actually be hiding a fatal flaw within Halifax’s strategic planning. Apologies because this one is a pretty weedy affair with PKIs and other acronyms, but the headline takeaway is that Halifax’s strategic planning is fatally flawed. Get below surface-level with Coast reporter Matt Stickland’s explainer.

🤔 Need To Know

🏠 New pallet shelter units are now open in HRM for people experiencing homelessness—the province says 85 new transitional housing units are open in shelter villages located just off Bancroft Lane near Burnside Industrial Park (45 units) and the other is near Thomas Raddall Drive (40 units).

🎶 Celebrate Black History Month with a captivating performance by Juno-nominated artist Julian Taylor. Don't miss this unforgettable night of music presented by Joy Bullen.*

🥀 A six-year-old girl has died following a house fire in Lower Sackville over the weekend, according to an online fundraiser for her family—she was reportedly staying at her cousin’s home the night of the fire.

❄️ Neptune Theatre's production of Disney's Frozen is magnificent! Packed with thrilling surprises, hilarious characters, and unforgettable songs. Extended to January 26, 2025! Tickets start at $40.*

*Sponsored Post

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NEWS + OPINION

Meagher Park returns to the people

To City Hall, the greenspace on Chebucto Road at Dublin Street in Halifax’s west end is Nick Meagher Park. During the housing crisis that arrived with the pandemic, when it became home to many as an encampment, it was known as People’s Park. Then the fencing went up in August 2022 and it turned into an exclusion zone.

It remained that way for nearly two and a half years, until just yesterday. The city removed the fencing from both Meagher and downtown’s Victoria Park on Monday, a welcome move that came with an extensive FAQ. Among the questions not addressed: Did you ever consider officially keeping the People’s Park name?

The city is more focused on practicalities. “How much did the restoration/remediation efforts cost for Nick Meagher Park and for Victoria Park?” Victoria Park, which had only been fenced in March 2024, was about $196,000 including tax, spent on sod ($178,000) and fertilizer ($18,000) to bring the grass back after its longer time supporting unhoused tenters. For a total around $78,000 Meager got some upgrades—$14,000 for lights, $32,000 on path paving—along with the grass repair, the sod bundled into a single $32,000 line item in the FAQ with shrubs and a new bench. 

Now that the parks are returned to service as just parks, there’s a risk of forgetting what else they did for the city in recent years. So we’d like to bring your attention to a Coast story that Martin Bauman wrote one year ago, when Meagher Park was behind a fence and its community rallied around a poem.

🗞️ In Other News

⚖️ A friend of a teen who was killed outside the Halifax Shopping Centre changed his testimony in youth court yesterday—the witness testified that he heard the accused say, "do you want to get killed?”—but under cross-examination, admitted it was difficult to hear what was said.

🎐 Nearly half of Halifax's municipal electricity will soon come from a Queens County wind farm—a move the city says will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter.

🖥️ Nova Scotia’s Education Department has asked for help from IBM as it investigates a cybersecurity breach involving a student information system—saying the breach could have a financial impact on some former and current teachers and staff.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓Spontaneity Improv—January Showcase: This monthly showcase brings a group of talented improvisers to the stage to improvise based on audience suggestions. Get your tickets now and take part in the show by calling out ideas and inspiring hilarious improv scenes. | Jan 16 | 7:30pm | $20.50

🗓Halifax Live Comedy Club Presents Paul Thompson: Swiftly emerging as a top performer in Canada, Paul Thompson’s performances have taken him across North America and the UK, captivating audiences with his unique and unforgettable style—and now he’s showcasing that talent on the Halifax stage. | Jan 17 and 18 | 7pm | $26.25

🗓Exhibition—Dinosaur Explorer at Discovery Centre: Step back in time and explore the incredible world of dinosaurs like never before. Come to the opening weekend for a roaring-good time of discovery, learning and of course—play! Plus, on January 19 join the Dinosaur March throughout the centre! Wear your favourite dinosaur attire and join in on a prehistoric walk. | Opening Jan 18 and 19 | $14.50

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The Sypros V container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Delphinus C container ship arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 5:20am and leaves for Southampton at 11pm.

🚢 The MSC Silvana III container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 4:15pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🤌 Bask in pillowy potato bliss with the Housemade Gnocchi at Da Zero: paired with prosciutto, fresh ricotta, parmesan and fresh basil. 

🧀 Cheezus has risen at Rinaldo’s: PEI beef patty, bacon, American cheese, house made cheese sauce, pimento cheese, red pepper jelly, lettuce and tomato.

👀 In Case You Missed It

👮 Last Wednesday’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting was one for the record books, as the embattled board struggled to maintain its legitimacy in the face of withering public scrutiny. The Coast’s Matt Stickland has everything you need to know about what happened at the Board of Police Commissioners.

⚽ Gianna Creighton is the first international signing for the Halifax Tides, set to embark on their first season in the newly-formed Northern Super League, Canada’s first-ever professional women’s soccer league. Never mind if she’s never lived away from Southern California, she’s ready to come to Halifax. Creighton catches up with The Coast’s Martin Bauman on the latest episode of The Wandering Tides podcast.

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