🗞️ The Tides are coming!

Oh hi Halifax,

It sure is hot out. Still. I’m starting to get extreme “end days” vibes, you? The earth is most def broken and if it feels like I’m making light of it, that’s because it’s the only way I know how to cope with such existential dread. I’m also reading The Deluge by Stephen Markley—which I do not recommend if you don’t love facing the reality of our imminent demise.

In a surprise to literally nobody, the federal government announced last week that the heat waves across the country are because of climate change, after conducting a rapid analysis of extreme heat in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada between June 17 and 20. 

The analysis—conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)—found that the heat wave in June was made two to 10 times more likely because of climate change. That seems like a large range to me to be science, but I’m not a doctor. 

The findings add to a growing area of research known as rapid attribution—where scientists use models to quickly determine to what extent climate change is linked to extreme weather events. The conclusions can help governments make better decisions, like planting trees in particularly hot parts of a city.

That’s good I guess? I don’t really know.

Keep your pets cool,

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌦️ 29°

Tomorrow: ☁️ 29°

Next Day: 🌧️ 26°

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.

LISTEN

NEW EPISODE - The Wanderer Grounds Podcast: The Halifax Tides to be Halifax’s first-ever women’s pro soccer team

The recently-announced Halifax Tides are gearing up for their pro women's soccer debut in the Northern Super League in 2025. The team will compete in a new Canadian professional women’s soccer league created by Project 8 Sports Inc.

In this week's episode, Coast reporter Martin Bauman chats with Tides president Val Malone and sporting director Amit Batra about recruitment efforts, kit reveals, starting from scratch and where the club will play.

🎧 Listen now

🤔 Need To Know

🇨🇦 Halifax is hosting all 13 premiers from across Canada for three days of meetings—focusing on issues like affordability, housing and infrastructure.

🩻 People living in Nova Scotia will soon be able to access more information about their X-ray results through the YourHealthNS app.

EDUCATION

King's College president says funds invested in weapons manufacturers reduced to zero

On Thursday, July 11, the president of the University of King’s College put out a statement about the school’s investments, following months of demands around divestment and disclosure from students and alumni groups in solidarity with Palestine. 

President William Lahey shared that the current market value of the King’s portfolio, run by TD Asset Management, sits just under $44 million. As of June 24, King's has removed all pooled funds that held shares in companies that, Lahey wrote, “might broadly be considered to be involved in weapons manufacturing…or in the related aerospace and defence sector.” This amounts to a total divestment of 0.75% or $320,938.

“To the best of our knowledge, King’s prior 0.75% exposure to the shares of companies in weapons manufacturing, has now been reduced to 0%,” he wrote. “There will be ongoing vigilance through the [Board of Governors] Investment Committee to ensure this continues to be the case…to ensure full compliance with the [university’s Responsible Investment Policy].” 

This policy includes nine points of practice, and runs as an appendix within the school’s Statement of Responsible Investment Policy and Goals, created in 2021.

The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has more on King’s divestment commitment.

🗞️ In Other News

🪧 Halifax Pride has faced calls from parts of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to support Palestinian people by divesting from companies on the Canadian boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) list—including Pride sponsor TD.

🏛️ The shadow of violence in the United States will be hanging over Canada’s political scene this week in the wake of an attempted assassination on former president Donald Trump.

⛈️ Nova Scotia has built a new online system to help it administer emergency relief grants following lessons learned from post-tropical storm Fiona. 

🎐 Opponents are voicing concerns as Canada’s largest wind farm is to be built in Nova Scotia—not to provide power to the province but to power North America’s first green hydrogen facility.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Craft Nova Scotia Summer Market: Find unique gifts, high-quality crafts, pottery, heirloom homewares, jewellery and a few special guests from our friends at Taste Nova Scotia. | July 19 | 4pm

🗓 Drag Dinner & Bingo At Halifax Shopping Centre: Hosted by the iconic Deva Station this event will include live performances by Deva, Steph Peaks and Izzy Limpwrist. | July 19 | 6:30pm | $10

🗓 David Myles - Live at the Shore Club: With two Junos to his credit, David Myles has established himself as a world-class entertainer with an uncanny knack for dispersing profound truths about the human condition through dynamic songwriting. | July 19 | 9:30pm | $50.54

🗓 Halifax Gay Men's Chorus: This is the music that ignites us, empowers us and fuels us to keep going—to shine our light and share our flame! Come out for an out-of-doors free performance that celebrates the very YOUniqueness of one another. This is the place where everyone's included and worthiness is not up for debate. | July 19 | 5:30pm

🗓 2024 Nova Multifest: Get ready to embark on a thrilling journey of cultural discovery. This vibrant celebration promises to be a melting pot of traditions, flavours,and rhythms, bringing together communities from around the world in a dazzling display of unity. | July 19-21

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

➡️ The One Eagle container ship leaves Halifax for New York at 8am.

🛳️➡️ The Lake Taupo vehicle carrier arrives in Halifax from Emden at 5:55am and leaves for Freeport at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The Emerald Princess cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 7am and leaves for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍒 Chica-Cherry Cola! Sip on something different with the Batanga at The Bicycle Thief: crafted with cherry infused tequila, lime, salt and topped off with Fever Tree Cola. 

🦞 It’s a classic for a reason, but the lobster roll is elevated to perfection at Peacock Wine Bar: made with fresh lobster and drawn butter, tucked between a potato bun.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🧙 You don’t have to know how to play Dungeons & Dragons to take a new course developed by Jeff MacLeod for January 2025, called Wizards, Rogues and Elves: Exploring Politics Through Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a 3000-level (upper year) special topics course, cross-listed within the departments of political studies and cultural studies at Mount Saint Vincent University. The Coast’s Lauren Phillips spoke to MacLeod about how this popular role play game helps teach themes like power, politics and empathy.

🎧 NEW EPISODE - HFX Votes 2024: In this episode of the Grand Parade podcast's ongoing series explaining municipal issues, Matt Stickland sits down with mayor Mike Savage to find out what the mayor does. This conversation bounces around from the fiscal challenges facing the city, some practical advice for running a good meeting and an answer to the question: Does Mike find it weird that people call him "Your Worship?" Listen now.

🏠 A historical piece of real estate on Maynard Street in Halifax—listed as the childhood home of civil rights trailblazer Viola Desmond—has been conditionally sold. 

🔥 Agencies have issued 16 tickets worth more than $25K each to people allegedly violating daily burn restrictions so far this year.

That’s it!

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