🗞️ Taking on the champ

Good morning Halifax 👋

I’m always up for a game of chess. I’ll lose every time, but I do find the act of thinking of every move in advance a fun exercise, even if it’s a futile effort for me personally.

Even with my limited knowledge, I do know the name Hikaru Nakamura. One of my best friends is a chess fanatic, and often watches his YouTube videos and livestreams. He also happens to be the second best chess player in the entire world.

You can only imagine the surprise of 12-year-old Halifax chess prodigy Michelle Zhang when she faced off against Nakamura at the Maritime Open in Summerside, P.E.I.

For Zhang, the tournament has been an annual trip to test her skills. For Nakamura, it was another set of classical games out of the 11 he needs to compete in this year so he can qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament, bringing the top-ranked chess players together to duke it out.

Zhang describes her initial feelings as a mixture of excitement and nervousness, and according to Nakamura himself, she managed to hold her own until she admittedly blundered. The fact that she put up any kind of fight at all against the number two player of the world is beyond me.

Congratulations to Zhang for the amazing opportunity. I hope she continues on her way and gets to challenge Nakamura again someday.

Try your best today!

– B

📷 @creamy_yet_smooth

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 17°

Tomorrow: ☁️ 16°

Next Day: 🌧️ 14°

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.

NEWS + OPINION

Ozanam Place opens on Brunswick Street, offering housing to 38 people experiencing homelessness

Thirty-eight people who’ve been living without a home now have a place to call their own, thanks to a new supportive housing facility that opened Thursday, Oct. 9, on Brunswick Street.

Ozanam Place isn’t a shelter—it’s permanent housing designed for people aged 50 and older who have been experiencing homelessness. Each of the 38 studio apartments comes with its own bathroom and kitchenette, and rent is set at just 30 per cent of whatever income a resident has.

The Coast’s Emily Edwards has more on the new housing facility operated by the North End Community Health Centre.

🤔 Need To Know

👶 Some child-care advocates are warning against public funding for private daycare expansions—the provincial early childhood development minister says private daycares are necessary to meet the government’s goal of $10-a-day child care.

☀️ Wells are running dry and farmers are harvesting withering crops as parts of Nova Scotia experience a once-in-50-year drought—other parts of the province are reporting their driest three-month periods on record.

⚖️ A former undercover police informant is suing the RCMP and federal government for alleged abuse—Paul Derry worked with the RCMP as a teenager, more than 40 years ago, saying he infiltrated a child sex ring when he was 17.

🎧 Head Downtown this Thursday, October 16, from 6–8 PM, for a starry-night Silent Disco on the Halifax Waterfront, courtesy of Downtown Hali Hangouts.*

🍻 You're invited to Nocturne's 2025 Launch Party! Join Nocturne at Propeller Brewing, 2015 Gottingen, on Thursday, October 16th, 9PM - Midnight! All are welcome!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Your impact deserves a spotlight.

Every achievement deserves recognition. The Halifax Chamber of Commerce celebrates the success of our members every day, so your impact can stand out. When you join, you gain a platform to showcase your story, inspire others, and grow your influence. Be seen. Be celebrated. Become a member today.

🗞️ In Other News

🔥 The Department of Natural Resources says the Lake George wildfire is under control—the fire grew to an estimated 288 hectares after igniting on Sept. 28.

📬 Parcels will start moving again as Canada Post’s workers union switches to nationwide rotating strikes—contract negotiations are still on-going after the feds attempted to cut out rural mail delivery.

🚗 A single-vehicle crash on Highway 118 Friday afternoon has left one New Brunswick man dead—the cause of the crash is still being investigated.

SPONSORED BY CHMA HALIFAX-DARTMOUTH BRANCH

Mosaic for Mental Health Art Sale

The 27th Annual Mosaic for Mental Health Art Exhibition & Sale, "Gratitude", opens at The Craig Gallery October 16. Over 1,200 6" x 6" artworks for sale donated by artists who care about mental health, in support of CMHA Halifax-Dartmouth. Sales go live October 17, 6pm at www.cmhahalifaxdartmouth.ca. Instagram: @mosaicformentalhealth

SPONSORED BY CRAFT NOVA SCOTIA

Art exhibition on human touch

In Hands On, artist Mengnan Qu explores resilience and intimacy through enamel, silk, and sculpted hands. This evocative exhibition reminds us of the human connections that ground us, even in a world shaped by distance and technology. On view at the Mary E. Black Gallery now through Oct 26. Learn more.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Tuesday Night Talks: Abandoned Roads of Nova Scotia: Join writer and photographer Steve Skafte of Bridgewater at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic as he talks about his adventures exploring the abandoned roads of Nova Scotia. His book will be available for purchase and author signing. | Oct. 14 | 6:30pm |

🗓 Tuesday Night Jazz at The Shoe: Join us every Tuesday night for three sets of live jazz featuring Leo Cox (Bass), Dante Kierstead (Drums), and Ben Tucker (Guitar). Happy hour is from 4pm-7pm. | Oct. 14 | 7:00PM |

🗓 Halifax Tides: Watch the Tides take on visiting Ottawa Rapid FC in this hometown game at the Wanderers Grounds. | Oct. 15 | 6:30PM | From $32.99 |

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sea container vessel arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 5:20am and departs for New York at 4pm.

🚢➡️ The MSC Hong Kong V container vessel arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 5:45am for Montreal at 5pm.

🚢➡️ The AS Felicia container vessel arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:50am and departs for Kingston at 4:30pm.

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Gem cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 8:30am and departs for Canadian seas at 5pm.

➡️ The Leeway Odyssey research vessel departs Halifax at 11am.

🚢➡️ The Star Pride cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 11am and departs for Canadian seas at 11pm.

🚢 The Arctic Rock cargo ship arrives in Halifax from Salerno at 12:30pm.

➡️ The Algoma Acadian oil tanker departs Halifax for Charlottetown at 10pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🥪 Try out the Chopped Cheese sandwich from 2 Doors Down. A little messy, but packed full of flavour. Contains adobo beef, onions, peppers, shredded cheese, warm queso, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, and toasted hoagie.

🥤 Introducing Dessert Yard’s cake can Tiramisu collection, featuring fresh flavours such as Nutella tiramisu, Dubai Chocolate tiramisu, Lotus Biscoff tiramisu and classic tiramisu.

👀 In Case You Missed It

📽️ Fifteen years ago, Devour! The Food Film Fest began as a small but spirited idea: pair the stories we tell on screen with the flavours we love on our plates. Today, the world’s largest food film festival celebrates a milestone with a week that feels like a love letter to Canada’s culinary present and to the filmmakers who keep our appetites curious. From October 20 to 26, Wolfville welcomes an all-star cast from Montréal, a slate of foodie films, and enough pop-ups, markets and dining events to make even the most seasoned festival-goer loosen their belt a notch or two. The Coast’s food critic Mark DeWolf goes over what folks can expect from the festival in Wolfville.

👩‍⚕️ Bookings are now open for COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in Nova Scotia—starting Oct. 9, people could book to get their shots with family doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacies, public health offices and mobile units.

🏡 A total of 197 affordable homes will be preserved in Dartmouth and Truro through a nearly $7 million in provincial grants to the organization Rooted—the units will remain affordable for a minimum of 30 years, says the government.

That’s it!

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