🗞️ Summer's last hoorah

Happy Friday Halifax,

Now I’m a whole grown-up, mature adult person (allegedly) and I feel the effects on my brain and self-esteem when I consume too much social media content. It seems adulthood does nothing to enhance social media immunity.

Especially now that I’m pregnant, my algorithm is inundating me with so much baby information/misinformation that I no longer trust anyone or anything. One lady told me that it’s better to “startle rather than swaddle” your newborn baby as I watched her lean the baby back suddenly—and without warning—as the baby's hands extended in sheer panic, wailing. Surely, that can’t be right, right?

Then there are all the post-partum bikini pictures that just lead me down another rabbit hole of expectation and self-loathing. It’s a lot.

So now let’s place all of that stress on teens. A report out of Yale explained the stressors that the brain is going through a highly sensitive period between the ages of 10 and 19, when identities and feelings of self-worth are forming. 

Frequent social media use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain, potentially affecting such functions as emotional learning and behaviour, impulse control, and emotional regulation. It also heavily contributes to the development of eating disorders and provides a platform ripe for sexual exploitation.

In that vein, on Wednesday, the Nova Scotia Liberals announced they will table the Social Media Responsibility Act this fall. While the bill would be the first of its kind in Canada, similar legislation is in place on a national level in Australia, coming into effect in December, and in a public consultation phase in Norway.

According to Ian Rankin, the bill will ensure that children under 16 are not exposed to harmful content or interactions that can have lifelong impacts on their mental health.

The problem is that I’ve watched the young people that I love in action on social media—making TikTok dances, sending truly meaningless Snapchats—and while I can go ahead and judge it as a vain waste of time, that’s just what the generation does to connect with each other. 

That same Yale article explained that social media—for all its pitfalls—can help teenagers foster meaningful connection with others who share the same interests and identities, creating a safe space for self-expression. Relationships formed in communities like these can create opportunities for positive interactions with more diverse peer groups than are available to them offline.

It’s a real balancing act, with lots of different angles to consider. I have no idea how the Liberals feel they can even police this policy—and with only two seats in the house, it’s probably a moot point anyway.

I’m inclined to feel that the responsibility should be placed on the parents—setting ground rules, having lots of conversations—rather than on a public policy, but I’m still five weeks away from being one (a parent, not a policy), so what do I know?

Please have a safe and restful long weekend.

Love and light!

– Julie

📷 @editorjulesl

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 23°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 20°

Next Day: 🌧️ 19°

7-day forecast

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

💨 Here is Halifax’s Air Quality Index and the smoke report.

MUSIC

 East Coast Music Association in turmoil? Ex-CEO speaks out

The East Coast Music Association, responsible for the annual East Coast Music Awards, is facing another wave of backlash for allegedly underpaying artists and for their antiquated bylaws. This time, it comes from its former CEO. Blanche Israël, an accomplished musician and artist manager, was appointed CEO of the ECMA back in February 2024. This leadership change wouldn’t last long, as Israël was dismissed at the start of 2025 for what the ECMA noted in a press release as “serious risks to the (East Coast Music Awards) event.” They would posit that these risks included a lack of institutional knowledge, decisions made without board approval, and legal risks. 

Following Israël’s firing, the organization faced scrutiny from its membership and the broader public for its awards nomination process, which had changed under Israël to focus more on cultural impact and less on streaming numbers and economic success. They had also been criticized for their lack of clarity in some of the genre classifications in their awards show. Most of all, artists took to social media to lambast the ECMA for the organization’s lack of transparency, whether it be around the changes made under Israël, or the reasons behind Israël’s dismissal. 

Months after the 2025 East Coast Music Awards, which took place in St. John’s, NL, from May 7-11, Israël resurfaced on social media to share details about the ECMA’s alleged mismanagement. In two videos posted to Instagram—one on Aug. 21 and another on Aug. 24—she outlined issues with the ECMA’s 2024 audited financial statements and board bylaws that she believes reveal a non-profit in decline.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer dives into the financial statements and speaks with both Israël and the ECMA to get the full story.

🤔 Need To Know

🏘️ After a difficult battle to protect structures, government officials revealed that 20 homes have been lost to a growing blaze in Annapolis County.

🌟 Nova Scotia announced a new gold mine is coming to the province, which it says will bring jobs and boost the economy—NexGold Mining Corporation will open the new operation, known as the Goldboro Gold Mine, in Guysborough County.

⚠️ While some people are more vulnerable in these conditions, the provincial medical officer of health says everyone should be following air quality alerts.

🍻 Friday’s here. Clock out, head over, and let The Pint be your summer HQ—epic eats, cold drinks, and patio vibes that scream East Coast weekend.*

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EVENTS

Summer's last stand: Halifax Labour Day weekend offers plenty of outdoor festivities

Labour Day weekend is here—a final summer hoorah before HOCO season rolls in. If there’s one thing we know, fall is right around the corner. Jackets are slowly making their way out of storage, the nights are cooler, and every coffee shop in the city seems to have pumpkin spice and cinnamon on the menu again. 

But before we settle into sweaters and midterms, there’s still one last chance to soak up late sunsets, outdoor concerts, and evenings by the water. Labour Day long weekend is all about celebrating the season we’re leaving behind, and Halifax is offering plenty of ways to make the most of it. 

From live music and markets to comedy nights and cultural festivals, here’s how Haligonians can send summer off in style.

🗞️ In Other News

🚔 Halifax police say one of its officers was nearly struck by a vehicle on Wednesday night and used their firearm during the incident—the officer shot the side of the vehicle twice before the driver fled.

🪧 Students across Nova Scotia and the country are heading off to universities and colleges, but in Halifax, some are having to pause because of an ongoing labour dispute, with many from the Maritimes taking a “wait and see” approach.

🚨 Two people have been arrested following recent thefts in the Halifax area—the RCMP responded to reports of shoplifting at two different liquor stores in Hammonds Plains and Timberlea on Tuesday afternoon.

🎅 A Dartmouth man who brought the magic of Christmas to children year-round is being remembered by his family and generations of Haligonians for his warmth and kindness—Felix Perry, also known as Santa Fee, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer. 

🪲 If temperatures become too hot, much-maligned ticks are at risk of drying out—the parasites survive by retreating to moist areas like leaf litter and the soil, so the ongoing wildfires across Atlantic Canada have impacted the survival of ticks.

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The One Millau container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 2am.

➡️ The Annie B container ship leaves Halifax for Kingston at 5am.

🚢➡️ The Nolhan Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from St. Pierre at 8:15am and leaves for Argentia at 10pm.

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Getaway cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 10am and leaves for Canadian seas at 8pm.

🚢 The CMA CGM Norma container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo, Sri Lanka at 10:45am.

🚢➡️ The EF Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland, ME at 12:15pm and leaves for Argentia at 6pm.

🚢 The Atlantic Sail container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 3:20pm.

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

🚢 The MSC Kim container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 9:50pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🐟 The weather may soon be finally cooling off, but the Seafood Chowder is still hot at The Canteen: haddock, smoked haddock, mussels, lobster, bacon, fresh dill, house made buttery biscuit.

🍜 Dilly Dally Eats is savouring the last days of summer with the Soba Noodle Salad: fresh buckwheat noodles, fresh vegetables, mirin egg and white sesame miso.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🎭 Fringe favourite Chris Gibbs returns to Halifax this weekend with his long-running solo comedy Not Quite Sherlock, performing as part of the 2025 Halifax Fringe Festival. The one-man show opened Thursday, Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 6. “I’m coming to Halifax for the Fringe with a show called Not Quite Sherlock,” said Gibbs. “I’m British, but I live in Toronto.” The Coast’s Warren D’Silva has more on the production, which is now making its way to Halifax.

👮‍♂️ Halifax police are asking for the public’s help identifying two people suspected of using stolen credit and debit cards—photos of the suspects have been released.

🌲 Project raising insect army to protect hemlocks. A local effort is breeding beetles to fight off invasive pests threatening Nova Scotia’s ancient hemlock forests.

That’s it!

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