🗞 Will the trees survive?

STORM WATCH

Will Halifax’s tree canopy survive the next hurricane?

Hurricane Lee, almost assuredly, will not hit Halifax with the same oomph of last year’s Hurricane Fiona, but it could still bring enough wind, rain and surf through the Maritimes over the weekend to stir up memories.

Winds are forecasted to gust between 60 to 90 km/h throughout the HRM and much of Nova Scotia on Saturday—and in some southwestern parts of the province, including Lunenburg, gusts could exceed 90 to 120 km/h. There are concerns about the potential for flooding in the low-lying Chignecto Isthmus, which links Nova Scotia with the rest of mainland Canada.

While Halifax has shaken off most of the wreckage and debris left behind by Fiona last September, one question that hasn’t been swept away is what happens to our region’s tree canopy the next time a hurricane or post-tropical cyclone hits. Halifax has a plan to add more than 26,000 trees on HRM lands in the next decade—and every decade thereafter.

Will they last? Coast reporter Martin Bauman seeks the answer from the lead researcher of Halifax’s last urban forest plan.

Need to know

🌀 A clearer picture of Hurricane Lee’s path is emerging as it approaches the Maritimes—and the heaviest rain looks set to arrive Saturday.

🥦 Halifax’s post-secondary schools are seeing a surge in demand for food bank services amid ongoing inflation.

🏠 With an increase in tent-dwellers, some advocates say Nova Scotia’s government should redirect its $115.7M surplus into housing.

⚖️ The Halifax Alehouse’s lawyer says evidence from the pub’s Liquor Control Act-related hearings should be kept confidential, lest it prejudice the bar and its staff in other criminal and civil cases already before the court.

🎻 Tickets for Symphony Nova Scotia's Opening Night Reunion with Maritime fiddler Natalie MacMaster September 28 and 29 are selling fast. Get yours today!*

*Sponsored Post

SPONSORED BY LIVE ART DANCE

Live Art Dance's 2023-24 Next Stage!

Live Art Dance’s season comprises of two series: the popular Main Stage series and the experimental Next Stage series.

The Next Stage series opens with New Tricks by internationally acclaimed choreographer, Christopher House. Next, Moncton-based artist Jalianne Li from surFace Dance will mesmerize us with an evening of multidisciplinary dance works. Last up after an inspiring run last year, Coastal Currents is back for its second iteration. An evening featuring and celebrating the works of emerging Atlantic Canadian contemporary dance artists.

Make sure to check out the Main Stage series as well, and get your Next Stage subscription package today! ✨

On The Coast

SPONSORED BY GARRISON BREWING

Oktoberfest on The Pier 🍻🌊

Save the date Halifax! 🍻🥨🎶

Oktoberfest at The Stubborn Goat Beer Garden is back for another 10 days of beer, food & live music. Join us from September 15-24 for a special German-inspired brew & food menu! So dust off your steins - we've got a Wiesen to party 😁

In other news

🔎 Six years after Josiah Sparks’s murder in Lake Loon, Mounties are appealing for tips in solving the 22-year-old’s killing.

⛺️ Halifax councillors are exploring the possibility of buying prefabricated shelters as the HRM grapples with a growing number of unhoused Haligonians.

⛴ Nova Scotia’s Liberal leader says he’s worried “the fix is in” to end the ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine.

👩‍👩‍👦 Today marks Military Family Appreciation Day across Canada.

SPONSORED BY GOOD GRIEF, NOVA SCOTIA!

Good Grief, Nova Scotia! Festival

This September 23-30, participate in a week of in-person and virtual events designed to increase knowledge about grief across Nova Scotia and beyond. Do you want to better understand your own grief and how to be there for others? Then this is the festival for you!

EDUCATION

Rain or shine, Halifax School Strike 4 Climate rally organizers are resolute: “We’re still striking”

What’s a little rain in the forecast? A student-led climate movement that saw more than 1,000 young protesters flood the streets of Halifax two years ago is back again—and organizers say they expect another strong turnout, showers be damned.

The School Strike 4 Climate rally begins today at 12:30pm at the Grand Parade in front of Halifax City Hall. Rally-goers will parade down Hollis Street and up Barrington Street, before returning to City Hall for speeches.

This year, in the aftermath of a flood- and fire-filled summer, and in anticipation of Hurricane Lee, the message is clear: “We’re still striking,” says three-time organizer, Sadie Quinn.

And while many eyes—rightly so—will be on the weekend wind and rain to come, as The Coast’s Lauren Phillips reports, for some attendees, the recent weather crises have only made the rally more critical.

Sure things

Looking for something (dry) to do this weekend and next week? Check out these Coast picks:

🗓 Before the Dinosaurs at The Carleton: The four-piece Moncton, NB band “have no regard for following any kind of rules—musical or otherwise.” They’re currently recording their debut full-length album. | Sept. 15 | 8pm | $17.25

🗓 Concert for Peace: Catch a live performance from jazz artist Denzal Sinclaire and spoken word poetry by Guyleigh Johnson at the Halifax Central Library to mark the UN’s International Day of Peace. | Sept. 16 | 1-5pm | Free.

🗓 Atlantic International Film Festival: See Halifax’s own Elliot Page star in Dominic Savage’s Close to You, a film that captures “the awkwardness, the nerves, the joys and the tensions of returning home to family and friends after coming out.” | Sept. 19 and 21 | Showtimes vary | Festival passes from $55-185.

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings.

Shop talk

🗣 The Daily Grind Cafe and Bar is undergoing renovations of its yet-to-open location on Gottingen Street.

🗣 As of this weekend, PMQ restaurant is extending its dinner service to Sundays and Mondays.

Eat this

🍴 Try LF Bakery’s limited-run “Far Breton”—a cake slice from France’s Brittany region made with baked flan and figs.

Drink this

🍺 Propeller Brewing’s Pumpkin Ale is back for the season—made with pumpkins from Howard Dill’s world-famous farm in Windsor, NS.

☕️ North end coffee hub Alteregos Café has a top-notch cardamom latte that has all the fall flavour.