🗞️ What's the deal with property taxes?

Hey Halifax,

Just when you thought it was safe to go onto the golf course.

I won’t lie, golf is my number one favourite sport…to nap to. There’s nothing quite like the whispering commentary and intermittent applause on a Sunday afternoon to lull me into a serene couch slumber. 

But holy Happy Gilmore, serenity was not the vibe for this B.C. golf course where a full brawl broke out over the Canada Day weekend. The fight involved several men and left one woman injured and—this is the best part—the whole thing was caused by a breach of course etiquette. E.Ti.Quette. The group behind kept hitting the ball into the group in front, which is, I will admit, annoying. But…come on, these guys need to get a grip (see what I did there?).

The whole thing just feels like a metaphor for the times right now and I would like to invite everyone to join me in taking a nice big deep breath before starting your day today.

Be kind out there,

– Julie

🌡️ Traffic & Weather

Today: 🌤️ 28°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 26°

Next Day: 🌨️ 24°

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.

CITY

HFX Votes 2024: How do property taxes work?

The Coast’s municipal election podcast explainers continue with a deep dive into property taxes and the property tax cap. In this episode, Coast reporter Matt Stickland sits down with local economist Deny Sullivan to ask him some questions like: What is the property tax cap? How does it work? Is our council penny-wise and pound-foolish? 

The two get sidetracked a little bit when the conversation veers into the new road safety framework and how it demonstrates a lack of fiscal responsibility by the city. Deny explains his property taxation philosophy and how council could be doing more to fix city finances while also getting housing built in a housing crisis. 

As it turns out, keeping our capped property taxes low benefits landlords a lot, and doesn’t really help anyone else. Sure homeowners save a little bit at tax time, but it costs us way more in the long term when the city can’t afford to build for a better future. The two also spend some time coming up with some potential property tax fixes to afford the better world we want. 

Do you still have questions you want Matt to look into? Send them to [email protected]. 

Until then, you can find part one of the HFX Votes 2024: How do property taxes work? here.

🤔 Need To Know

🗳️ Andy Fillmore announced that he is officially running for mayor of Halifax—leaving federal politics after nearly nine years as the city's MP.

🖼️ Kick the conventional with a visit to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and their unexpected new exhibitions. Open daily 10am-5pm; Thursdays until 9pm.*

🌊 Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend is on display at the Museum of Natural History from July 6 to September 2, 2024.*

🐄 At Purple Cow Internet our mission is to save you money. Join the herd today and get No bull internet for $60 a month.*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY JOHN HUMPHREY CENTRE FOR PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Taking action on Gender-Based Violence

Have you used or provided services that support people with disabilities or any others affected by Gender-Based Violence? Please consider answering a few questions about your experience. Your answers will help strengthen an important sector and make it more inclusive of all.

ARTS + CULTURE

Wu-Tang Killa Beez performing in Halifax for a good cause

A few of the Wu-Tang Killa Beez will stop by Halifax this month for a fundraising concert supporting the Union of Black Artists Society (UBAS).

The concert will be the union’s first big fundraising effort after their successful Block Party celebrations last summer, which launched the organization.

With help from Obediya Jones-Darrell’s Sound Body Culture organization, Wu-Tang affiliates including Killarmy members Dom Pachino, 9th Prince, Kinetic 9, and frequent Wu-Tang collaborators Killah Priest and LA the Darkman will be taking the stage at the Lighthouse Arts Centre on July 13 at 8pm. 

An afterparty will be hosted at the DOME after the concert, starting at 11pm.

Kinetic 9 will also participate in a community-based workshop hosted by clinical traumatologist Kayla Breelove regarding the expression of trauma in art. Tickets for this event on July 12 are being sold separately.

Several local artists will perform alongside the Killa Beez, including rapper and singer Real Eyez Dorrington, Corey Writes, LDN Records, and DJ Melboogie. However, there’s one more slot open for a local rapper, and that slot might be for you.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks to the concert’s organizers about getting the Killa Beez to Halifax, as well as the details to their contest to perform alongside the Wu-Tang affiliates.

🗞️ In Other News

🪧 The province’s health care workers are moving closer to taking strike action as Nova Scotia Health continues to “drag its feet” on an essential services agreement.

💰 A new report—released by the Nova Scotia office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives—urges municipalities to “get creative” to find new revenue sources as Nova Scotia struggles to keep up with the cost of services and programs.

☀️ A group of Dal students have been working on technical improvements to Atlantic Canada's first solar-powered electric vehicle in preparation for its second appearance at an international competition this month.  

🎥 The provincial government is trying to lure film and TV productions out of Halifax with bigger bonuses, but production teams will have to spend at least half their shooting schedules outside the city to qualify.

🩺 Nova Scotians are now able to access a number of their personal health records through the province’s mobile phone application called YourHealthNS—the result of a successful $3M pilot project earlier this year.

🦈 A new documentary—filmed in Nova Scotia—explores the increased number of white shark observations in Canadian waters.

🗓️ Things To Do

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

🗓 Summer Vintage Show: Since 2019, the Curio Collective is Halifax’s biggest exclusively vintage and antiques market promoting a curated, sustainable shopping experience featuring sellers from across the Maritimes. This family friendly, fully accessible event is held at the Lighthouse Arts Centre in downtown Halifax. | July 6 | 10am | $5

🗓 Shakespeare By The Sea presents Alice in the Wonderland: Eat Me! Drink Me! The smash hit original SBTS musical based on Lewis Carroll's classic story is back! Grab your friends and the whole family and fall down the rabbit hole this summer! This 80-minute romp features a wildly inventive script and wonderfully musical score that will have you laughing and singing along with a curious young girl named Alice, and an even curiouser cast of characters of Queens, Cards, White Rabbits, Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats. | July 6-Aug 31 | Starting at $10

🗓 Atlantic Kite Festival: Look up, look way up! Kite enthusiasts from all along the east coast will be at the Garrison Grounds for some colourful fun in the sun for the whole family. | July 6-7 | 10am

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

⚓️ What’s In The Harbour

🛳️➡️ The Volendam cruise ship arrives in Halifax at 8am and leaves for Canadian seas at 4pm.

🛳️➡️ The Pacific Trader container ship arrives in Halifax from New York at 5:20am and leaves for Kingston at 5:30pm.

🛳️ The EF Ava container ship arrives in Halifax from Portland at 1:15pm.

🍴 Where To Eat & Drink

🌶️🍺 Cool all the way down at 2 Crows Brewing Co. with the ‘Sizzle’ Spicy Margarita Lager on tap AND in the slushy machine: Dos Cuervos Mexican lager, fresh jalapeno peppers, lime juice and zest, orange juice and zest and a pinch of salt.

🤡🧁 Indulge in the carnival collection at Layers Cupcakes: Caramel Popcorn (chocolate cake filled with salted caramel, topped with caramel buttercream and sprinkle caramel popcorn), Cotton Candy (pink vanilla cake with pink and blue cotton candy swirled buttercream on top) and Caramel Apple Turnover (cinnamon cake with caramel apple filling inside, piped wth cream cheese buttercream and a mini apple turnover on top).

👀 In Case You Missed It

🏫 School is out for the summer but the province has a lot of homework to get done in the next few months. The Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) ratified a new collective agreement back on April 26 with their employer, the minister of education and early childhood development (EECD), Becky Druhan. The Coast’s education reporter Lauren Phillips has more on the terms of the agreement.

🎤 When Nova Scotians think of traditional music, some may conjure Celtic tunes that they’ve heard over the years. For the Halifax-based Old Beef String Band, their minds go to a more southern style. The band has been fiddling and step-dancing since 2015 when they were just jamming. Now, they’ve released their debut EP Ride Home, full of Appalachian old-time originals with a few covers sprinkled in. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer speaks with fiddler and vocalist Amy Lounder about the band’s transition from live shows to producing an album, as well as their unique style of Appalachian old-time music.

That’s it!

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