🗞️ The Housing Games

Happy Friday Halifax,

This edition of The Coast Daily is brought to you by Kitchen Aid! Just kidding, but Top Chef Canada was rife with sponsored content this week from the appliance conglomerate, so it has seeped into my pscyhe.

First up, it’s a coffee challenge with $5K on the line for the chef who is best able to pair their dish with some sort of caffeine drink. They have to make a sweet or savoury breakfast or dessert, and our Moira Murray randomly selects “sweet dessert.” Yum.

Sweets are admittedly not her strong suit, but it was all going pretty well until she had what I can only describe as a “crumb-tastrophe”—too much butter made her crumble into a paste, which was no bueno. She had to pivot quickly to replace the crunch and ended up presenting the judges marsala poached apricots with butter almond cream and toasted almonds, served with an espresso.

The judges were like “we wish there was a crumble” and she was like “yeah, you and me both.” But everyone rightfully lost to Chanthy, who made a beautiful chocolate and guava granola bar with smoked bacon and chantilly cream, served with a latte. 

But who really cares because everyone knows that Quickfires are “nice” to win, but not the end all.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs have to prepare hors d’hourves for the Top Chef Canada Gala (Gayla?) Fundraiser. Each selects the vessel they will have to serve their dish on/off of—Moira selects skewer, and I’m immediately excited because “meat on stick” is my favourite food group. It definitely beat the other options like shot glass and spoon, which would have totally worked for me at a party if it was 2010. But I digress…

Moira serves 225 portions of spiced honey-glazed lamb brochette with eggplant puree, chamomile relish and a lavash cracker. The judges are blown away and the main lady judge says it’s the “best bite she’s had all season.” Hell yeah!

At the judges’ table—in a Top Chef Canada first—Moira and Chanthy tie for best dish, which I don’t agree with, but will allow since Chanty seems lovely.

Then the judges have to choose between getting rid of Shane—who dyed halibut pink and the judges called it “pretty, but very unpleasant” (where have I heard that before?) and Miriam—who just didn’t follow the instructions and make enough portions. They decided “terrible” was better than “didn’t listen,” and Miriam packed her knives.

Our Queen lives to sauté another day! 👑🔪

– Julie

PS: The next issue of The Coast Daily will come out on Tuesday, as our team is off on Monday to remember those who gave—and continue to give—their lives to serve our country. Here is a list of Remembrance Day events in the Halifax area on Nov 11. Lest we forget 🇨🇦

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 11°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 4°

Next Day: ☀️ 6°

7-day forecast

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

NEWS + OPINION

How much death is enough?

We all know what happened in Nova Scotia on April 19 and 20, 2020. The events of those fateful days are etched into our collective consciousness; a stain on our very fabric.

A 51-year-old man—in a car he designed himself to look like an RCMP vehicle—went on a murder rampage, killing 22 people and injuring three others before he was shot and killed in Enfield, fully 13 hours after the attacks started.

As a province, we were shocked. How could this happen here? In our home that we love? We banded together, changed our Facebook profiles to “Nova Scotia Strong” and we grieved and we mourned and then we moved on. To make sense of it, we convinced ourselves that this was a one-off; a case of one bad apple. Because what was the alternative? 

The truth though, whether we like it or not, is that this attack—while horrifying—was not a case of one unhinged man going off the deep end one day, but the result of a systemic problem: of lack of care, understanding or accountability around gender-based violence.

The Coast’s Julie Lawrence re-examines the circumstances leading up to April 19, 2020 and speaks with trauma therapist Kristina Fifield on why accountability is the key to ending gender-based violence.

🤔 Need To Know

💜 For the third time in less than a month, the Nova Scotia RCMP has ruled two suspicious deaths a case of murder-suicide resulting from intimate partner violence—police responded to the sudden deaths of a 58-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman in a Placid Court home in Yarmouth on Nov 1.

🏥 Nova Scotia PC Leader Tim Houston announced he will eliminate fees for everyone parking at a Nova Scotia Health Authority or IWK property, including patients, health-care workers and visitors, if his government is re-elected.

✨ DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN’s light projection shows are back at the Old Library at Grafton Park starting with the Remembrance Day and Fall shows running nightly from 5:30-11pm.*

🛂 Nova Scotia Liberal leader Zach Churchill says immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and other services—adding the PC plan to double the province’s population to two million people by 2060 is “unrealistic and unsustainable”.

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY ALDERNEY LANDING FARMERS MARKET

Farm Fresh Finds in Downtown Dartmouth

It’s that time of year again—Alderney Landing’s Farmers Market vendors have moved back inside for the season! This fall, the market is host to vendors from 4 farms across the province, and is Dartmouthians’ go-to spot to source fresh, local produce. You can find fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, home-style baked goods and much more all inside the Alderney Landing Marketplace, 8am-1pm every Saturday.

Plus—every Sunday, explore handcrafted goods at Alderney Landing’s Artisan Market from 11am to 3pm. Whether it’s your weekly essentials or one-of-a-kind treasures, shopping locally has never been easier or more enjoyable. Experience the best of Downtown Dartmouth and support your community all season long!

NEWS + OPINION

These housing issues are what Nova Scotia’s political parties are focusing on

Housing is at the forefront of many people’s minds, as the province faces a shortage while experiencing high rent and purchase prices. It’s no surprise, then, that the NSNDP, Liberals and the PC Party have announced plans for improving the housing situation as election day looms.

Following an announcement last week regarding their plan to lower the rent cap and scrap fixed-term leases, NSNDP leader Claudia Chender followed up on Monday, Nov 4 by promising a rebate for homeowners and renters facing exorbitant housing costs. A press release states this will save Nova Scotians making less than $70,000 a year around $900 on their rent or mortgage payment. They say half of all households in the province bring in less than $70,000 annually.

The PC Party similarly announced plans on Nov 5 to expand the province’s Small Business Loan Guarantee to apply to first-time home buyers, which will apply to potential homeowners purchasing a house up to $500,000 in value; these buyers will only have to to pay a 2% down payment instead of the typical 5% minimum.

The Liberals also announced their plan, looking to cut the rent cap, tie up the fixed-term lease loophole and reverse the decision to adjust the provincial rent supplement from 30% to 50% of total income spent on rent.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer covers the housing platforms of each political party and speculates on how effective they will be.

🗞️ In Other News

🚔 The Nova Scotia RCMP has now confirmed a man who killed his wife and then killed himself in Enfield last month was a former Mountie, who retired more than 10 years ago.

🇨🇦 Google Trends reports that “how to legally move to Canada,” “moving to Canada from U.S.” and “moving to Canada requirements” all surged and appeared as breakout terms after the American election results were made official this week.

🚒 The association that represents firefighters in Halifax is sounding the alarm about a lack of in-service fire equipment after a busy south end station was recently left without an engine for hours.

🏪The commercial bakery oven where a 19-year-old woman was found dead in the Mumford Road Walmart is being removed—the company says removing the oven had always been part of a standard remodel program being implemented across the country.

🚢 A postcard written by a first-class passenger on the Titanic will go up for auction later this month—Richard William Smith, a British businessman, scrawled a message in pencil to a Mrs. Olive Dakin in Norwich, England.

SPONSORED BY ATLANTIC NEWS

New Atlantic News Podcast

Visit Atlantic News in person for magazines, books, cards and puzzles; we are the ONLY place in town to get weekend newspapers—The Globe and Mail, New York Times, Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. Visit us online to check out our new podcast featuring discussions with interesting Haligonians.

🗓️ Things To Do This Weekend

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

🗓 The Art of Everyday—A Still Life Collection: This exciting new exhibition, presented by The Prow Gallery, features six contemporary artists who bring their distinct vision to the timeless genre of still life. Featured Nova Scotian artists are Teresa Bergen, Philip Hodges, Patricia Lindley, Marilyn McAvoy, Tim McGuire and Farah Niarad. | Nov 7-24

🗓 Disney's Frozen Presented by Neptune Theatre: After newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally sets off an eternal winter in the town of Arendelle, her younger sister Anna (along with her friends Kristoff, Olaf and Sven) goes off on a thrilling adventure to find her sister and save the kingdom. | Nov 7-Jan 5 | $35

🗓 2024 University Women’s Soccer Championship: The 2024 national women’s soccer tournament returns to Dalhousie University for the second time in U SPORTS history. The Tigers boast extensive championship experience, having previously hosted 18 national events. | Nov 7-10

🗓 Mellow Casualty—Paint the Town Yellow Tour: Mellow Casualty comes to Gus’ Pub for their first time in Halifax for the Paint the Town Yellow tour, joined by local bands Green Eyes Witch Hands and Mojo in the Middle for a night of alternative indie rock. | Nov 8 | 8:30pm | $10

🗓 Grease—A DragAlong Spectacular: The film Grease will play on two massive projector screens on-stage, one on each side. In the middle of the stage, drag, hilarity, burlesque and gender-effery will surprise and amaze you as the classic musical parts of the film are played out live by drag, burlesque and pantomime performers. | Nov 8 | 8:30pm | $33

🗓 Jesse Singh—Baby Goat Comedy Tour: The Baby Goat Comedy Tour will feature Jesse’s charming and easygoing personality as he shares hilarious stories about his life that are equal parts goofy and gracious. This tour will also feature Ethan O’Reilly and Johnny Batta. | Nov 8 | 8pm | $23

🗓 Hal-Con Sci Fi Convention: This extraordinary celebration shines brightly as a beacon for science fiction, fantasy, gaming and comic-con enthusiasts. The convention masterfully intertwines the classic allure of sci-fi and fantasy gatherings with the dynamic flair of modern comic-con trade shows. This fusion creates a one-of-a-kind programming experience that is rare in the Atlantic Region, offering attendees an eclectic mix of activities that cater to a wide range of interests. | Nov 8-10

🗓 Nova Scotia Art & Craft Show: This event features an exciting range of handmade items, exclusively crafted by Nova Scotia artisans. Whether you're looking for unique gifts or something special for yourself, there's something for everyone. | Nov 8-9 | Free

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The Zim Asia container ship arrives in Halifax from Valencia at 6:20am and leaves for New York at 10pm.

🛳️ The CMA CGM Christoph Colomb container ship arrives in Halifax from Singapore at 3:15pm.

➡️The MCS Lisa container ship arrives in Halifax from Sines at 3:15pm.

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

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

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍕 Bring on the weekend with the Buffalo Chicken X Detroit at Rinaldo’s: Detroit-style crust topped with mozzarella, roasted chicken, white sauce, buffalo sauce, blue cheese and parm.

🥖 A match made in Parisian heaven is the French Onion Soup (gruyere, croutons, veal broth) with a side of Beef-Fat Fries at Café Lunette.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏛️ On Tuesday evening some post-election normalcy returned to municipal democracy as our new councillors were sworn in at the O’Regan Hall in the Central Library on Spring Garden Road. Thanks to our extensive candidate questionnaire during the election and The Coast having the longest-tenured active City Hall reporter in Halifax, we are able to provide a little bit of certainty about Halifax’s municipal democracy. Here The Coast’s Matt Stickland has some educated guesses about the future.

🥀 The Maritime Sikh community is in mourning for Satinder Kaur, a 24-year-old woman who died after being struck by a Halifax Transit bus last Thursday—Satinder was living in Canada for three years and recently obtained permanent resident status.

🏥 A Nova Scotia woman who’s had to wait almost two weeks for a much-needed surgery on her hand—and is also recovering from stage 3 endometrial cancer—is speaking out about how much of a “crisis” the province’s health-care system truly is in.

That’s it!

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