🗞️ The big park

Let’s talk about sex, baby!

Why not invite me into your bedroom in the least creepy/fun way possible by taking part in The Coast’s annual Sex & Dating Survey?

That’s right Halifax, it’s time for you to spill!

Like sex, you can take the survey alone or do it with a partner. You can fill it out real slow, taking your time to really enjoy each question, or bang it out quickly to get it over with and go to sleep.

The survey is anonymous, so there is absolutely no need to hold back. The answers will be collected and then highlighted in February. Any identifiable information we find submitted in the answers—accidentally or purposefully—will be edited out at our discretion in order to preserve privacy.

So, let’s hear it. Did you knowingly date roommates and have to sneak out of the bathroom window so you didn’t run into the other one when you were leaving? Did you hook up with your brother’s girlfriend the night before Thanksgiving and then have to awkwardly ask her to pass the gravy at a family dinner? Oh my god, no, me neither…👀

Have a great day!

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌨️ 1°

Tomorrow: 🌨️ -11°

Next Day: 🌨️ -10°

7-day forecast

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

OPINION

Don’t listen to spreadsheet patriots

Today in Washington, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the next, hopefully not the last, president of the United States. To mark the occasion with a certain Coast je ne sais quoi, we are revisiting a subject that lately got us in a lot of trouble with readers like you. But please bear with us! This time around we’re sharing the counter-argument to the Trumpian notion of Nova Scotia becoming the 51st state—a passionate celebration of our province and its place in our country.

“Nova Scotia is very much an important part of Canada,” writes Josh Healey. “To leave at this juncture would be to abandon a journey this province helped start in 1867, to jettison the principles of community and togetherness which has bound together 40 million people spread from Cape Spear to Vancouver Island. I’d argue it’s this idea of community that defines Canada from its southerly neighbour. This is especially true in Atlantic Canada.”

Healey mentions our freedoms, our universal health care, our annoying neighbour: “Trump isn’t threatening tariffs or annexation to improve the lives of Canadians—he’s looking to swindle us using sales ploys from his own money-grubbing memoir.”

Read Healey’s full opinion here, and found out why he thinks Nova Scotia has a lot more going for it than can be tallied on a spreadsheet.

🤔 Need To Know

🚨 Halifax police are asking anyone with information regarding a death following reports of gunshots fired to come forward. Two adults—one male and one female—were transported to hospital where the male victim was pronounced dead. 

👀 Police are advising residents of HRM that a high-risk offender is now living in the community—57-year-old George Durling has been granted statutory release from the Jamieson Community Correctional Centre in Dartmouth.

❄️ Just because it’s January doesn’t mean you have to hibernate—Downtown Halifax is full of year-round adventures! Embrace the magic of winter in the heart of the city.*

🏠 At least four homeowners have fallen victim to suspected fraud in Halifax—between Jan 5 and Jan 10, police responded to four reports of fraud where a group of men were canvassing door-to-door offering homeowners chimney repair services.

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY CANADIAN MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION AT PIER 21

We Are Country: Julian Taylor

Join us at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to celebrate African Heritage Month with a captivating stage performance by Juno-nominated artist and 2022 Solo Artist winner Julian Taylor. His soulful voice combines his unique blend of blues, roots and folk music which has earned him a growing fanbase across Canada, the US and Europe.

Don't miss this unforgettable night of music presented by Joy Bullen. Purchase the event’s ticket and get free admission to the Museum from February 19th to February 29th!

CITY

Councillor Cuttell throws spanner in big-vehicle parking plan

Halifax’s Transportation Standing Committee is meeting this Thursday, Jan 23. On the agenda is a staff report that recommends to the committee that they not implement a policy that would help council achieve its strategic priorities. And that’s a shame. An avoidable shame.

For a bit of background, in July of last year councillor Shawn Cleary put forward a motion asking for a staff report on whether or not Halifax should start charging higher parking fees for larger vehicles. So, for example, when a big car and a small car are caught parking illegally on the same street, the ticket for the big car comes with a bigger fine than the smaller car’s ticket.

But how do you measure big? Cleary proposed using vehicle weight—heavier cars pay more for parking than lighter cars. However, councillor Patty Cuttell pointed out that electric vehicles tend to be heavier, and we don’t want to punish people for making a good environmental choice, therefore vehicle length should be the factor that determines when a car or truck has to pay more to park.

Makes sense, right? But The Coast’s Matt Stickland explains how a well-meaning Cuttell plus unimaginative city staff equals a big problem for the big-vehicle parking plan.

🗞️ In Other News

💻 When Natalie Brown searched on her partner’s computer for a recipe on Food Network, another website starting with "F" popped up—Fetlife, a Canadian social networking site for people interested in fetishism—where she found a video of herself engaged in a sexual act. 

⚽ New Halifax Wanderers midfielder Isaiah Johnston joined The Coast’s Wanderer Grounds podcast to talk about life in Cape Breton and returning to play in Nova Scotia.

🧑‍⚕️ A new peer-reviewed study from Dalhousie University has found that pharmacists' scope of practice can be used to provide gender-affirming care—health care that supports a person's gender identity.

🇨🇦 A court has agreed to expedite its hearing of a legal challenge of prime minister Justin Trudeau’s move to prorogue Parliament.

🤢 Norovirus cases are on the rise across the country, and Nova Scotia is no exception—Dr. Aaron Smith, a provincial medical executive director with Nova Scotia Health, explains how to protect yourself.

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🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Halifax Jazz Festival Presents Dominique Fils-Aimé: HJF presents this two-time JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter from Montreal, an artist who puts the history of African-American musical culture into the heart of her work, reflecting on the social realities that influenced the genres of blues, jazz and soul. | Jan 23 | 7:15pm | $48

🗓 The Comedy Stand Presents Travis Lindsay: With a unique mix of sharp jokes and captivating storytelling, Lindsay has been making waves in the comedy scene since he was 16. He’s performed at major events like CBC’s Halifax Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs Originals and The New Faces of Comedy at the Just For Laughs festival. | Jan 23 | 7pm | $20

🗓 Spontaneity's Improv Cage Match—Semi Finals: ​These improvisers are moving on to the second part of this round robin tournament, and will be bringing their biggest and best improv to the stage. Come ready to laugh and cast your vote, and enjoy an uproarious night out full of drinks, food and an incredible show! | Jan 18 | 7pm | $20.50

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The Titania vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Southampton at 12:29am and leaves for New York at 3:30pm.

➡️ The One Cygnus container ship leaves Halifax for Singapore at 5am.

➡️ The NYK Remus container ship leaves Halifax for Port Everglades at 5am.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Sun container ship arrives in Halifax from Norfolk at 5:20am and leaves for Liverpool at 4pm.

🚢➡️ The East Coast oil tanker arrives in Halifax from Saint John at 5:20am and leaves for St. John’s at 7pm.

🚢➡️ The Spyros V container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 5:20am and leaves for New York at 11pm.

🚢➡️ The One Falcon container ship arrives in Halifax from Colombo at 5:45am and leaves for New York at 11:45pm.

🚢➡️ The Tropic Hope container ship arrives in Halifax from Philipsburg at 6:15am and leaves for West Palm Beach at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Atlantic Star container ship arrives in Halifax from Liverpool at 8:20am and leaves for New York at 6pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍩 The case at Vandal Doughnuts is filled with new tasty delights to satisfy any sweet tooth: carrot cheesecake, moose tracks with brownie cubes, berry cheesecake, lemon curd and creme brulee.

🐟 Experience seafood at its finest with the Fresh Trout at Peacock Wine Bar: Afishionado trout, fingerling potatoes, preserved lemon and dill relish, market greens.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🌡️ If you’ve ever thought to yourself that Halifax’s winters aren’t what they used to be, now there’s data to prove your suspicions correct. And those warmer winters—while easier on the heating bill—come with a raft of knock-on effects, from a greater risk of tick-borne diseases, to toxic blooms in Nova Scotia’s watershed, to increasing threats of spring and summer forest fires. Which raises the questions, as The Coast’s Martin Bauman reports: What’s next? And is it too late to change?

🗿 For 50 years, artist Dawn MacNutt has been practising in Nova Scotia. Her woven sculptures stretch, twist, pull, bind and release recognizable human forms and postures—many inspired by witnessed or personal experiences of joy, suffering and loss—into movements of tension and yearning that invite you in. And now you can accept that invitation thanks to an impressive, career-spanning show of her work that’s on now at Mount Saint Vincent Art Gallery. The Coast’s Lauren Phillips has more on Timeless Forms, MacNutt’s first retrospective.

That’s it!

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