Happy Tuesday Halifax, you look so rested and youthful!

Sadly, we lost a real one this weekend. Laurie Wickens—president of the UFO society and witness to the Shag Harbour sighting—has passed away.

But backing up a half step, did you even know that Nova Scotia is home to Canada's most famous UFO incident, investigated by the RCMP and Canadian Forces? If not, buckle your ass up.

Picture it: Shag Harbour, 1967…

A sleepy fishing village is shaken to its very core when on the night of Oct 4, local residents noticed strange lights in the sky. Most witnesses agreed that there were four orange lights, and five teenagers watched these lights flash in sequence, and then suddenly dive at a 45-degree angle toward the water's surface.

The late Wickens was one those teens and actually the one who reported the incident to the RCMP.

But the (probably drunk) village teens weren’t the only ones to bear witness. Ralph Loewinger was a co-piloting a cargo plane from New York to London that same night, and saw the event unfold from a different perspective.

Loewinger said he thought it was another plane and was waiting for it to pass so they didn’t collide. After seeing the lights just hanging in the air, he was quoted as saying: “I remember the three of us were looking at it and we said, what is this? And we couldn’t discern what it was. I called Boston and asked if they still had us on radar, and he said, ‘yeah’ and I said, ‘Well, who’s this at 11 o’clock?’ He watched the sweep on his radar scope, and he says, ‘I don’t have anybody out there.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m looking at somebody.’”

Full. Body. Chills.

Norman Smith was also a teenager on the night of the incident. He saw the lights in the sky, and then followed them until they crashed into the water before he, his father and his uncle hopped in a fishing boat on an immediate rescue mission. Guess what they found. No, no, guess.

I’ll wait…

Ok, nevermind, you’ll never guess.

They found nothing but a long streak of yellowish-orange foam which was four to six inches thick on the water. What in the what?!

The Shag Harbour incident remains one of the most well-documented and intriguing UFO cases in history—drawing the attention of researchers and enthusiasts from around the world. You can learn more about it here ⬇️

Wickens regularly shared his story at the local UFO centre and during the annual Shag Harbour UFO Festival. RIP to UFO truther royalty.

Love and light to all beings in our great universe! 👽 ❤️

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

RELATED: Pentagon officials have released another batch of UFO files. These guys will literally release ANYTHING except the Epstein files, amirite or amirite?

Today: 🌤️ 25°

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 21°

Next Day: 🌧️ 22°

7-day forecast

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

Jessie Everill's bedroom is her recording studio.

From within her four walls, she's crafted the DIY emo project idialedyournumber, delivering songs that sway between soft melodies and screeching wails with an incredibly charming lo-fi production. She utilizes digital instruments and plugins to create chaos with chiptune waves and ground-shaking glitching.

It's a modern musical project that sounds as if it were buried within a deserted blog, a treasure long forgotten. Lyrically, idialedyournumber is personal—heartwrenchingly so. It teeters between amateur and professional in production, a result of Everill's time spent studying as an audio engineer and the years she's spent as her own producer.

As far as Halifax's emo scene goes, idialedyournumber has a sound unlike any other, and that has only become clearer with the release of her third publicly available album.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer chats with Everill about idialedyournumber’s new album Teenage Widow and her first foray in professional recording and production.

🚨 RCMP have charged a 19-year-old man with intimidation and mischief related to a protest last week in Wolfville where Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s vehicle was surrounded and damaged—the man appeared in provincial court in Kentville and remains in custody.

🚒 Nova Scotia fire crews are continuing to hold a wildfire burning northeast of Halifax—officials say the Mooseland Road fire has not grown since Sunday afternoon and still covers about 14.5 square kilometres.

😡 Donald Trump threatened to add more tariffs on Canada over what he described as “willful negligence” to prevent wildfires that have blanketed much of Ontario and some northern U.S. states with smoke.

🛋️ You can't solve tomorrow's problems today. Start where your feet are. Support is here. Lets Talk.*

🦕 Before extinction, dinosaurs fought to survive! Dinosaur Exploration 2 is a sequel to the hit 2024 exhibit, featuring some of your favourite dinosaurs.*

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Join Tribal Fusion Art and Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 for cultural sharing from Indigenous artists who will share teachings, traditions, and personal stories into their creative process.

Your package includes museum admission, a personal tour of the Welcome to Turtle Island installation, and a hands-on mosaic glass art workshop grounded in Mi’kmaw, Anishinaabe and Anisininew teachings.

📅 July 21st, 2026 at 1 pm

Can't make this date? More dates are available in August! Learn more here.

💸 Labour advocates in Nova Scotia are raising concerns over the widening gap between wages and the cost of living—researchers are calling for employers to offer a living wage, as recent data shows more Atlantic Canadians are struggling to hold on to their paycheques.

🚑 Emergency crews are were on the scene of a “serious” crash on the Bedford Highway in Halifax—the incident happened near the Flamingo Drive and Bedford Highway intersection around 6am Monday leaving a 66-year-old man dead.

🇨🇦 The federal government says it will spend $2B to recruit and train up to 100,000 more Red Seal trade workers through bilateral deals it plans to strike with the provinces and territories.

🚲 Halifax police report that a 71-year-old cyclist has died in hospital after the driver of a pickup truck opened its door into his path—the driver of the pickup truck was issued a summary offence ticket.

🔋 Programs focused on environmental stewardship, social entrepreneurship, arts, science and music are going to be more accessible for youth in Halifax thanks to a $128K investment from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund.

🪧 More than 60 medical dispatchers across Nova Scotia went on strike Friday evening—after more than a year of bargaining, Nova Scotia Medical Communications said it remains far apart from the employer, Emergency Medical Care Inc., on key issues including wages, staffing, and working conditions.

🎨 After losing its location at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, the ArtPort Gallery is has opened a new location at 1473 Barrington St—six artists from the original gallery made the move, joined by four new members.

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

🗓Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance Film Screening: Presented in partnership with National Film Board, Nova Scotia Office of Equity & Anti-racism, and Halifax Pride, this screening invites audiences to reflect on the struggles, resilience, and activism that helped shape rights, visibility  and belonging across the country. | July 21 | 6:30pm | Free |

🗓Atlantic Lottery Presents: Pride Bingo: This fundraiser for the Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia will feature prizes for winners, incredible performances, a lively atmosphere and plenty of laughs. Come support local drag and show out for a good cause! | July 21 | 7pm | $30 |

🗓Shakespeare by the Sea presents Beauty and the Beast: This summer sees the world premiere of the new family musical Beauty and the Beast: The Fairy-Tale Game Show. This musical reimagines Beauty and the Beast through the chaotic world of gameshow television, bringing a modern, comedic edge to the classic “tale as old as time.” | July 4-Aug 30 |

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

➡️ The Tropic Lissette container vessel departs Halifax for West Palm Beach at 6am.

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Jewel cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 6am and departs at 1pm.

🚢➡️ The Norwegian Breakaway cruise vessel arrives in Halifax at 7am and departs at 4:30pm.

➡️ The Algoma Acadian tanker departs Halifax for Saint John at 8am.

🚢➡️ The St. John container vessel arrives in Halifax from New York at 8:20am and departs for Kingston at 6pm.

➡️ The Morning Lily roll-on/roll-off vessel departs Halifax for New York at 1pm.

➡️ The CSL Tacoma bulk carrier departs Halifax for Wilmington at 6pm.

🥤 Public's Root Beer Float pairs Propeller Root Beer on tap with creamy vanilla ice cream. Childhood memories, upgraded.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “One of the juiciest, most savoury burgers I have ever had.” Good Robot Robie’s Smash Burger is now our #1 seller.

🍦At Sweet n' Salty, every waterfront visit is sweeter with creamy soft serve and your choice of dips, creating the perfect treat for every stroll.

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🏳️‍🌈 The biggest celebration of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Atlantic Canada is back and bigger than ever. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer breaks down what’s happening during the 2026 Halifax Pride Festival.

🖼️ When Raymond McCabe and his husband, Alex, launched their handmade arts business in 2024, the goal was simple: make a living creating art while giving back to the queer community that helped shape them. Two years later, the Halifax couple behind Bobbin's End is preparing for another busy Pride season. The Coast’s Warren D’Silva speaks with the owners of Bobbin’s End about running a queer-owned business in Halifax.

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