Heyyyyyy Halifax, have you been working out?

Let’s talk about an integral piece of Halifax lore that I learned about when I was today years old.

Along with being known for donairs, fog, bigotry and people apologizing too much, we also boast the legend of a remarkable orange tabby cat named Erik the Red. Although named after a viking, Erik was technically NOT a viking. He was, however, very confident, which historians agree is basically the same thing.

Kind of like how my orange cat Frank is not technically a lion, but you wouldn’t know it on account of his confidence as showcased in this video:

Aaaaanyway, Erik the Red served as the unofficial rodent control officer on the CSS Acadia for about 15 years on the Halifax waterfront before sadly passing away in 2017—and now the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has erected (hehe) a life-size statue of Erik to commemorate his hard work, dedication and service.

Erik was described as a “lovable rogue” who would approach people constantly. A natural athlete, he could easily navigate every nook and cranny of the ship. He was also manipulative and would feign love for treats. And I mean, same. He was once spotted wrestling a ferret for food scraps and I’ve never been happier to type words in that order.

In the end, Erik the Red proved that you don’t need a longship to be an explorer. Sometimes, you just need 20-something toe beans, a curious nose and—my own personal best quality—absolutely no respect for personal boundaries.

CHALLENGE: If you go take a fun pic with Erik’s new statue and send it to me at [email protected], I’ll put the best one in this here newsletter. The panel of judges will include myself, Brendyn and Poppy, so do your worst.

Love and light!

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

Today: ☀ 24°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 21°

Next Day: 🌧️ 19°

7-day forecast

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

Dana Elborno believes the most interesting thing about a person is not what can be seen on the surface.

It’s what’s underneath.

“The least interesting thing about me is my body,” Elborno says, “and the most interesting thing about me is my mind and my art.”

That idea sits at the centre of Elborno’s emerging identity as a multidisciplinary artist, where spoken word, visual art, fashion and activism have begun to converge.

The Coast’s Warren D’Silva speaks with Elborno about her new spoken word series and how she is creating spaces for other artists.

💜 The final progress monitoring report on the implementation of recommendations from the inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting included gender-based and intimate partner violence for the first time—but advocates say gender-based violence is often overlooked in the province’s response.

🇨🇦 Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. negotiators held an attitude during trade talks that would have made core Canadian industries—including the automotive sector—either become subsidiaries of their American counterparts or be “wiped out.”

Now leasing in Clayton Park—discover brand-new rental apartments designed for modern living. Choose from spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites featuring in-suite washer and dryer, pet-friendly living, and exceptional amenities. Enjoy up to one month free rent plus free internet.

Suites start from the $1,900s. Find your next home today.

🫟 An 18-year-old man who police call a “prolific graffiti tagger” is now facing more than 50 mischief charges—officers executed a search warrant at a Halifax residence last Friday in relation to multiple graffiti incidents that primarily happened in the city.

🚨 The Halifax Regional Police has deployed its armoured rescue vehicle (ARV) nearly three dozen times in a year, mainly for situations involving high-risk search warrants—police used the ARV 35 times from June 2025 to June 2026.

☀️ A recent Atlantic economic panel survey found development of solar power has the most support of any energy source in the region—but as Nova Scotia focuses on greening the grid, solar advocates say more help is needed to alleviate costs.

⚖️ Members of Halifax’s legal community are reacting after the provincial government prevented people living in tents from accessing higher income assistance benefits, calling it “cruel”.

🛢️ The CEO of the company in talks with the Nova Scotia government for onshore natural gas exploration says there’s not much left to finalize before reaching a deal—despite that, he says his Alberta-based outfit would prefer to avoid going where it is not wanted.

👀 It’s been 10 years since Halifax Regional Police found a 48-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound behind an elementary school—officials are renewing a call for information as the investigation has stalled and are offering $115K to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.

The Halifax Fringe Sampler gives audiences a taste of this year’s festival, with one-minute performances from Fringe artists all in one night. Discover comedy, theatre, music, circus and more before choosing what to see. September 2 at Neptune Theatre. Doors at 7PM, show at 8PM.

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

🗓 Better Times Comedy at Good Robot: Better Times Comedy is an award-winning stand-up comedy show at Good Robot Brewing (Robie St.) every Thursday. Regular guests include Clare Belford (writer, This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Dan Hendricken (CBC LOL, Halifax Comedy Festival), Travis Lindsay, and Adam Myatt, plus a rotating cast of Halifax and visiting comics. | Sept 3 | 8pm | $15 |

🗓 Geordie Kieffer live at Light House Arts Centre: In 2025, his 16 city tour sold out faster than you can say “encore,” drawing fans of all ages to witness his electrifying live show, a performance so hot, you’ll need a cold shower afterward. His stage energy? Pure, unadulterated spark that leaves audiences hot and bothered, craving their next Geordie fix. Geordie’s performance promises to be the biggest, sexiest, and the steamiest party of the year. Get ready to lose yourself in the rhythm and maybe steal a glance at Geordie’s mischievous grin while you’re at it. | Sept 3 | 8pm | $63.25 | 

🗓 Passed Down: This one-person 60-minute horror play coming to The Bus Stop Theatre, from Toronto. This award-winning show follows Persephone who inherits her Great Aunt’s Victorian-style home upon her passing. As a millennial living in today’s world all she needed to hear was “4-bedrooms” for her to know this was the home for her! How else could anyone living in the world today, ever be able to afford a home otherwise? Who cares if it’s in the middle of nowhere! On her first evening in the house she learns that she may have inherited more than she bargained for. | Sept 4-10 | $25 |

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

🚢➡️ The Celebrity Silhouette cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 6:30am and departs at 5pm.

🚢➡️ The Neoliner Origin roll-on/roll-off vessel arrives in Halifax from Montreal at 6:50am and departs for St. Pierre at 11am.

🚢➡️ The Seven Seas Splendor cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 9:30am and departs at 6pm.

🚢➡️ The Vision of the Seas cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 10:25am and departs at 7pm.

➡️ The Amber Bay tanker departs Halifax for Houston at 4pm.

➡️ The Leeway Odyssey research vessel departs Halifax for Dartmouth at 6pm.

➡️ The 7-Waves research vessel departs Halifax at 8pm.

🍺 Something is brewing at the BG! The team is gearing up for Oktoberfest, September 16–20, with festive flavours, good times, and plenty of cheer. Prost!

🌅 Skip the line and head straight to the flavour. Order Salt + Sol online, pick up your favourites, and enjoy them on the Halifax waterfront.

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect beer food.” Good Robot Robie’s Giant Burrito is sticking around into September: 1.25 lbs of burrito, best paired with Diablo.

*sponsored

🤢 A 53-year-old man has been charged after allegedly driving through a McDonald’s in Dartmouth without any pants on—Halifax police say they received a report of an “indecent act” on Sunday around 4:40pm.

⚠️ Eastlink is warning customers of a potential data breach, though it does not believe credit card or banking information was exposed—exposed information may include customer names, contact details, account numbers and PINs.

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