🗞️ Turning pain into art

Good morning Halifax!

Warren D’Silva here—The Coast’s new summer intern! If this is your first time hearing from me, don’t worry, it won’t be the last. I’ll be serving up my favourite food picks, sampling some style cues, and spotlighting what’s trending in and around Halifax.

It’s finally starting to feel like spring, so maybe take a jog around the block or hit a nearby trail—after you finish this newsletter and your coffee (or tea), of course.

Not to spill too much tea, but in this issue: Andre Pettipas drops a new single, Haligonians react to the Pope’s latest comments, plus a few local recos from me and lots more.

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 16°

Tomorrow: ☀️ 23°

Next Day: ☀️ 27°

🚗 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.

Art and Music

Andre Pettipas channels heartbreak and healing into new single “Gypsophila”

Nova Scotia’s Andre Pettipas is no stranger to songs with soul – his new single “gypsophila” might just be his most personal work yet. Written in memory of his niece, Blake Everleigh, who passed away at just three months old from SIDS, Gypsophila stands as a haunting, heartfelt tribute born out of grief, sobriety, and ultimate perseverance. The track features a powerful collaboration with Jeremy Taggart.

The Coast’s Darcy Walsh caught up with Pettipas to talk about the heartbreak behind the song, the healing power of creativity, and what it means to share something so personal with the world. Read the full story.

🚘 Five individuals die in two-car crashes on Annapolis Valley highway. Police reported that a sole survivor, was airlifted to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition Sunday.

🔍 A man living with dementia has been reported missing in Halifax. He was last seen at around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday in the 1200 block of South Park Street. Police said that while his caregivers are concerned for his safety and wellbeing, they have no information to suggest foul play.

🏳️‍🌈 Nova Scotia Health is working to expand access to youth gender-affirming care. They are doing so by replicating a clinic model introduced in the Annapolis Valley. These clinics provide puberty blocker and hormone therapy treatments to youth who have hit puberty, up to the age of 16.

🍃 Ogilvie on the Park offers upgraded apartments, FREE laundry facilities, onsite available childcare, and is steps from Point Pleasant Park, campuses, and downtown — the ultimate South End living!*

🌇 Spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments with city and harbour views, in-suite laundry, green space, and walkable access to parks, shops, and universities. Check out Peninsula Place on the Halifax Waterfront.*

🌳 Armdale Place offers easy, community living! Spacious one- and two-bedrooms with free laundry, parking, and green space—near schools, parks, shopping, and transit.*

🌸 Now renting at The Paramount, downtown on South Park Street! Enjoy luxury living with upscale amenities—right across from the Public Gardens. Live on the Gardens this summer!*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY LIVE ART DANCE

Live Art Dance and Kinetic co-present Coastal Currents 2025

Live Art Dance and Kinetic are thrilled to co-present Coastal Currents for a 3rd year!

Featuring the work of choreographers who live and work in our region, Coastal Currents shares the breadth of incredible choreographic skill that we have right here in Atlantic Canada.

May 23rd and 24th, 8:00 PM, Sir James Dunn Theatre, Halifax, NS.

Featured Works:

An Anxious Agenda, Choreographer – Olivia MacLean
Nothing Doing, Choreographer – Sam Penner
Of the Earth; Propelling Forward, Choreographer – Hilary Knee
Triptych, Choreographers – Michèle King, Meghan Gilhespy, MacKenzie Greenwell
What She Holds, Choreographer – Kate Holden

Local

Haligonians react to the new Pope

Haligonians react to the new pope. Some are happy with the decision, while others want to see him prove himself. Brother Grant McLean at St. Mary’s Basilica is optimistic as we enter the Year of Jubilee.

The Coast’s Warren D’Silva took to the streets of Halifax and interviewed people to get their thoughts. Read here.

🗞️ In Other News

⚽ Dalhousie University’s Department of Athletics signed a deal with the Halifax Tides FC. They are set to be the official training facility. Halifax Tides, has been credited for bringing women’s professional soccer to the Maritimes. They will train at Wickwire Field, located on Studley Campus in Halifax. 

🐴 The Province asks Dal to consider offering doctor of veterinary medicine program. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, says the province does need more veterinarians, especially in rural areas and for large animals.

🚒 Vehicle catches fire in Upper Tantallon. Halifax firefighters were called tothe location to assist. Station 65 was there within six minutes and found a fully engulfed car.The brought the fir under control with a hose.

👠 Fabric Of Our DNA a fashion and poetry show put on by The House Of Soli showcased local models, designers and talent. The theme, “Black Dandyism” and its global impact on the fashion industry; honoured the legacy of those who have paved the way for growth and advancement, and celebrated the trailblazers shaping the future.

SPONSORED BY NEPTUNE THEATRE

Last chance to see Casey & Diana

This beautiful show is witty, vulnerable, and searingly honest. Running until May 18th, you do NOT want to miss a show that everyone is talking about.

A handshake that changed the world

In 1991, at the height of the AIDS crisis, the residents of Casey House - Toronto's first free-standing AIDS Hospice - receive word that the Princess of Wales is coming to visit.

This potent and moving drama by Nick Green, vividly captures a moment in time when a rebel Princess, alongside fearless caregivers and advocates, reshaped the course of a pandemic—and how those stricken by the virus found hard-won dignity, community and love in the face of astonishing hardship.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 ByBlacks Restaurant Week (BRW) has become a national food festival celebrating Black-owned Canadian restaurants' flavours, creativity, and culture. This food fest features caterers, pop-ups, and food trucks. Participating businesses will offer exclusive Prix Fixe menus. Participating restaurants include Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint - Halifax, NS. Flavors From The Savannah - Halifax, NS. Mary's African Cuisine - Halifax, NS. | May 12 to 18 | From $10 |

🗓 The Emera Blue Nose Marathon is the largest annual running and walking event in Atlantic Canada! Known as “The People's Marathon”, the Blue Nose Marathon welcomes participants of all ages and abilities to celebrate healthy living and active lifestyles. Now in it’s 22nd year, join one of Halifax’s most anticipated community events this | May 16 to 18 | From $19 |

🗓 Patrizia Berdkan - Upside Down & Inside Out: The show plays with the familiar—a house, a tree, a landscape—but bends the rules. These abstract, colorful paintings turn tradition on its head, sometimes quite literally. Homes float, shift, and defy gravity, their bold forms infused with the energy of mid-century modern design and the neon glow of the ‘80s. Some pieces pulse with electric color, while others invite quiet curiosity. And since the works can be flipped, every perspective is the right one. | May 6-27 |

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

SPONSORED BY UNIVERSAL REALTY GROUP

Elegant Living Across the Gardens

🌷 Live in style at The Paramount. Choose from spacious one-, two-, or three-bedroom suites with modern flooring, in-suite laundry, and oversized windows overlooking the Public Gardens. Enjoy 24-hour concierge service, a fitness centre, and lounge. Steps to shopping, dining, and Halifax’s universities.

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🚢➡️ The MSC Canberra III  container ship arrives in Halifax from Corner Brook, Canada at 9:00am.

🚢➡️ The One Wren container ship arrives in Halifax from New York USA at 9:00am.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🍜 Studio East Asian Gastropub: Located on 2446 Agricola St., your search for hearty ramen ends here. With amazing sides and welcoming team of servers check this spot out over the summer, especially with their new patio.

🍸 The Ostrich Club: Is it a bar? Is it a restaurant? The Ostrich Club is an amalgamation of both. Their Mean Girls cocktail selection is not only Instagram approved, but also delicious.

👀 In Case You Missed It

🍝A hidden gem tucked into a historic building on Barrington Street. Your tastebuds will have a ball at Pazzo. The space doesn’t whisper “Italy” so much as it channels the buzzy energy of a modern New York eatery. The Coast’s food writer Mark DeWolf revisits Pazzo a year after he last dined there.

📝 Warren D’Silva spoke to local author Moashella Shortte about her book titled Mirror,which delves into her approach to motherhood, and so much more. Her mission is to help youth in the community feel seen, heard and represented. 

That’s it!

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