Local business and consumer news. Openings, closings, deals, sales, what to buy and where to buy it, we round it all up and give you an insider's shopper's special on small business in Halifax. Contact shoptalk@thecoast.ca to send a tip.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Taking Blk Gottingen is back for a fall edition
Vendors like No Days Off Apparel have seen growth thanks to the pop-up market.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 3:56 PM
Organized by the North End Business Association, the pop-up market will span from Propeller Brewing at Gottingen near Cogswell to Fortune Doughnuts at Gottingen near Buddy Daye Street.
The 32 guest vendors will be selling and promoting products ranging from art and crafts to clothing, makeup, jewelry and food.
At Seven Bays Bouldering, No Days Off Apparel will be set up with never-before-sold products including custom masks and a new colour hat (pink!), as well as some of the most popular items of their streetwear and activewear brand.
“Our activewear seems to get some pretty good response and that’s really our niche, so we’re trying to like actually push forward into the activewear brand and the activewear market,” says co-owner Chaz Samuel.
No Days Off was set up at Seven Bays during the last event in August, and Samuel says it was a great way to meet new potential customers.
“We were really flattered with like how much good response we got, and we were really connecting with a lot of people. The sales were good also but more so just the fact that we were able to see new people and like other people that we’ve never seen before,” he tells The Coast.
No Days Off started last year in November, inspired by Samuel’s motto of pushing himself in work, school and athletics.
“Basically, the whole idea came because Chaz was very athletic, he’s into basketball and he actually played basketball in high school on a national team back home,” says Shayna Cort, co-owner along with Samuel and his long-time girlfriend. The duo met on their home island of Antigua before moving to Halifax for university.
“With all the knowledge that he had with basketball he started to do a summer camp in Antigua with kids,” says Cort. “The idea of No Days Off came cause he was working pretty hard during the summer with the kids and helping to boost their confidence, helping to boost their knowledge in basketball. And the whole idea just grew out of that and became infectious.”
Since that first spark of an idea, the No Days Off motto has grown to be interpreted in many different ways.
“What’s unique about No Days Off is that it’s specified to the individual. So we love that anybody can identify with what it is and what it means to them personally,” Cort says.
The NDO logo, designed by Cort, is featured on the brand’s apparel ranging from hoodies to crop tops, leggings, shorts hats and more. Each piece is designed by the pair.
“We started off with like streetwear, so like hoodies, caps, t-shirts, crewnecks, and then just recently we actually started off and branched off into activewear,” says Samuel.
The upcoming market will be a mix of new items and those from the most recent athletic collection, Resilience, released in early August.
“We’ll have new masks in and a pink hat because breast cancer awareness month is coming up,” says Cort.
The company is big on social issues, having donated the proceeds from their recent NDOxBLM collection to the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. The duo says they’re happy to be a part of the wider Halifax community and want to be able to give back even more in the future.
“Growing up in Antigua there is like a really big sense of community,” Cort says.
No Days Off will be set up at Seven Bays Bouldering on Saturday from 12-5pm. For the full list of Taking Blk Gottingen vendors, check out the Facebook event and the map below.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Supernova Market hopes to lift makers' spirits this Saturday
With most in-person events cancelled, market vendors are seeing decreased revenue this year.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Tue, Sep 22, 2020 at 12:15 PM
Thanks to COVID-19, market scenes like this won’t exist this year. But one market—the Supernova Market—will spring up this coming Saturday, September 26.
The curated event with 30 vendors will be hosted at Rogers Square in Halifax, the only event to be held there in 2020, according to organizer Jacquelyn Miccolis.
“It’s somewhat of a new space, it hasn’t been utilized very well I don’t think,"says Miccolis, who also owns Sparkles n' Sawdust art studio on Argyle Street.
"They were very excited when I approached them and asked if we could rent this space because like, their ideal events for this space are cultural, arts, you know, these types of events. So they were pretty quick to agree to booking us.”
The Supernova Market was first planned well before the pandemic, and Miccolis was forced to postpone from the original date in May and downsize her planning team to a one-woman operation.
“We had a date and everything and we had been advertising it, posters were all around the city, we had all the vendors chosen, we were ready to go and then, well, the whole city shut down,” she tells The Coast.
The vendors will range from Glitterbean Cafe and Good Parma to Shimmering Seas Jewelry and Travis Smith art. Because it's a curated market, no one will be selling the same thing.
“We made sure that there were no overlaps. So every type of vendor is representing their type of product,” Miccolis says. “Because a lot of vendors are hurting right now because there’s nowhere else to sell, we want to maximize the chance for them to profit and have a good experience.”
Many of the vendors are regulars at the Seaport Farmers Market, where Miccolis also has connections.
“I’m hoping a lot of people will be excited to come down and support some of the Seaport Market vendors that haven’t been able to get the sales that they are used to,” she says. “The Seaport Market just recently reopened only a couple weeks ago. I don’t think they’re getting the foot traffic that they hoped for and a lot of the vendors haven’t returned, so I’m hoping that this will be kind of a good compensation."
Though the vendors are familiar faces in the Halifax craft community, the market will look a bit different than the markets of the days of yore (six months ago before Covid).
“We hired a bunch of security so we’re going to have an arbour entrance, an arbour exit, all the area roped off to ensure that no more than 250 people are inside at a time as per, right now, the provincial guidelines and laws for the pandemic,” says Miccolis.
Although Rogers Square is considered an outdoor space, because it’s a private event masks will be mandatory. There will also be directional marking on the ground and a one-way flow of foot traffic inside the market space.
“Originally when I talked to the venue they said 45 [vendors] but this was prior to the pandemic. So, we cut it down a bit so we can ensure the two-meter distance between each vendor,” says Miccolis.
The event is from 1-6pm on Saturday, and the first hour will also include a dance performance from local bellydance group The Halifax Shimmy Mob, who are raising money for Alice House. “It’s a nice little thing to be able to give them the space to raise the money that they would’ve missed out on,” says Miccolis.
Although the Supernova Market is only a one-day event, Miccolis hopes it can make up a bit for all the other markets that have been cancelled, postponed or seen a lack of customers.
With the holiday shopping season looming, holiday craft markets are trying to find ways to make their 2020 events work. In mid-September, the Christmas at the Forum announced they will be going ahead with a different, yet-to-be-announced, form of the market.
“Right now, with indoor venues having such a small cap on what they’re allowed to have there’d be no way to host a craft market like that,” says Miccolis. “And really there is no covered outdoor venues besides Rogers Square, and outdoor markets are not usually as popular because of the weather being so unpredictable in Nova Scotia.”
Based on the success of the Supernova Market this weekend, there may be a December edition, Miccolis says, “I’m hoping if this event goes off without a hitch I’ll host another during the holiday season.”
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Plans are in the works for Canada's only Black hair school to open in Halifax
Samantha Dixon Slawter's hopes Crown of Beauty Institute and Association can make for more inclusive hairdressing in the city.
Posted By Seyitan Moritiwon on Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 5:55 PM
It was Jennifer Kpolu’s twentieth birthday and she wanted a pixie haircut. She went from salon to salon but only got bad news.
“They were either fully booked or they just didn’t know how to cut Black hair,” she says. After several dead ends, she found a salon at Park Lane Mall that agreed to cut her hair. “By the time he was done, the hair was, it was far from the hairstyle that I wanted,” she says even after showing him a picture of what she wanted.
“I accepted my fate that day because I felt like it was Black hair and nobody really knows how to cut it,” she says, but now, two years later things may be changing in her favour.
That’s because what will be known as this generation’s first Black hair school in Canada is in the works here in Halifax. The last time a school like this was opened was 77 years ago in 1943 when Viola Desmond started The Desmond School of Beauty Culture. She'd opened the school for Black women who weren’t allowed to attend white-only beauty schools at the time.
Hairstylist and owner of Styles by SD Ltd. Samantha Dixon Slawter is the founder of this hair school, which will be called Crown of Beauty Institute and Association, and she says she's been working towards this for 30 years.
“It’s necessary. And Black beauty culture needs to be recognized,” she says.
Dixon Slawter grew up in a family of hairstylists and says she had always known the significance of Black beauty. “To me, Black beauty was it. We knew the importance of it,” she says.
She says a woman who trained under Viola Desmond trained her in the use of Marcel curling irons and piqued her interest in the history of Black beauty in Nova Scotia. “So, one of my aims is to actually have Black beauty culture acknowledged as a course of study in Nova Scotia.”
Dixon Slawter says after she got her hairdressing license through an apprenticeship 35 years ago, people were no longer allowed to get their license that way. And for 30 years, she had requested for apprenticeship training to be reintroduced. “So that for one, Black people can train their own stylists and even for me, as a salon owner, I want to train my own stylists and I was unable to,” she says.
But it's since changed again now and hairstylists can get their licenses through apprenticeship. “But that’s not good enough for us. They’re still not training you on Black hair care,” she says. “There’s no school that can train you on Black hair.” Most cosmetology diploma programs take two years and combine in-class learning with hours spent training—but very little focus is put on Black hair.
At Dixon Slawter’s Crown of Beauty Institute and Association, it will be all about learning how to care for and style Black hair in two streams: Apprenticeship and a private career college.
Dixon Slawter says now that her applications for the school are in, she’s hopeful they will get approved. “We see a future, we do see promise in having the application in,” she says. “This is the first time they’ve offered an apprenticeship to study Black hair care.” And although the school will just start in Nova Scotia, she hopes that soon, it will be the same throughout the country.
She and her aunt, Natherine Willis, one of the first Black hairdressers with a master instructor’s license in hairdressing will be doing the teaching.
The school will start with a small size of seven students. “We want to start off small so we can get people trained efficiently and effectively,” she says. Desmond's school was also small, graduating only 15 students each year.
Dixon Slawter's website says her salon is about hair as a texture, not a colour. “When you talk about hairdressing, you should be able to know hair textures,” she says. “Hair is not just a colour. Meaning it’s not just Black and white. Hair is a texture.”
Knowing that, she says hairdressing in Nova Scotia has a long way to go with being inclusive and her school will work toward making this happen.
Alexa Pope closes its doors
The trendy downtown boutique is selling off all inventory now online.
Posted By Feleshia Chandler on Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 3:18 PM
Seven years ago, Marianne Thomson and Lauren Wambolt launched their online store Alexa Pope, making waves in the Halifax fashion scene with a minimalistic and chic aesthetic. Later, the store would get an IRL footprint at 1477 Lower Water Street, eventually expanding in 2019 to serve even more looks inside its airy space.
Along the way, Alexa Pope never lost its fashion-forward focus, offering more looks pulled from your IG feed than almost any other shop downtown.
The journey to becoming successful entrepreneurs for Thomson and Wambolt was not an easy path. Putting in long nights and investing hundreds of their own dollars in their business finally paid off when they were able to build success for themselves, appealing to fashion go-getters with a passion for chasing the next hot trend. ("We've worked for oil companies doing dispatch at night, we worked for lawn-care companies. These were jobs we got that were great that we could use to work around our schedule so we could give our all to Alexa Pope," Thomson told The Coast last year.)
But now, after all these years of owning and operating one of Halifax’s trendiest retailers on Lower Water Street, Thomson and Wambolt announced July 31st via their public Instagram that they would be closing.
“It has been a tough few months for everyone but we feel like this is the right choice for us to make,” the pair wrote on their business Instagram.
Their post has been followed with support, with many commenters saying how much they will miss the two fashion moguls.
Although this is the end of that Alexa Pope store, it's not the end for Thomson and Wambolt: “We are ready for the next chapter in our lives and believe when one door closes, another will open,” They wrote on their Instagram.
The shop is currently having a warehouse sale online until all of its inventory is gone—so it’s now or never when it comes to snagging some Alexa Pope merchandise.
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Halifax is losing one of its last antique shops
Both the shop and the building it calls home are remnants of Halifax's history that will soon be gone.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Thu, Aug 6, 2020 at 9:15 AM
“My restoration will continue on a smaller scale. I won’t be doing pianos, dining sets, I won’t have employees — it’ll just be a one-man operation,” he tells The Coast in between helping customers find pieces in the narrow, cluttered storefront (2738 Agricola Street). Walking into McLellan's, dozens of dim light fixtures adorn the walls, antique kitchenware sits atop 100-year-old tables, and an antique gramophone with a petal blue bell sits nestled beside a velvety red chair.
“We specialize in furniture, lighting, weapons, tools,” says McLellan. Some items, like a cash register and a solid oak wood hall tree, he’s keeping for himself. But everything else will be put on sale over the coming weeks before the shop closes at the end of August.
When it does, it will leave few antique shops in a city where there used to be many. “There used to be six antique dealers in the area, and they all closed down around 15 years ago,” says McLellan.
Finer Things Antiques & Curios (6438 Quinpool Road) and Hayes Antiques (5737 McCully Street) may well be the only antique shops remaining on the peninsula. Dartmouth store Retrospekt (166 Ochterloney Street) sells mid-century modern furniture, and a group of local vintage vendors and thrifters have popped up on Instagram, but with a different vibe than the piled-high storefront of McLellan’s.
Originally from California, Jim McLellan moved to Halifax in 1995 to open his own store. But over the past two and a half decades, era-specific shoppers have become few and far between.
“Fifteen years ago people stopped largely buying antiques, especially furniture, especially Victorian furniture,” he says.
For several years, McLellan says the storefront hasn’t been profitable. “My restoration side of the business is booming and it’s always done well. But it’s kind of had to support the sales side, so that’s why I’m going to close the store permanently.”
In place of the small, two-storey blue house the antiques shop is in, will eventually grow a development. McLellan originally planned to sell the building to a women’s charity, but the deal fell through at the last minute.
“The same day, the developer that bought the properties next door, he offered me extra money and so I said OK,” he says. “I didn’t want it to be torn down, but there you go.”
Although the storefront will close, McLellan will continue to repair and restore furniture at a new workshop. He says “it’s time” to move on, and despite his best attempts to preserve the building, it was only a matter of time before gentrification continued to creep into the north end.
“It’s been gentrified a lot. Whole blocks, you don’t have to go far. just off Almon, on both sides of Robie,” says McLellan. “I don’t know where all the people are going to come from to fill the condos, but they keep building them.”
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Zero waste Tare Shop to expand to Dartmouth this fall
Some stores stopped allowing reusable packaging during the pandemic, but Tare’s green mission continues.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Wed, Aug 5, 2020 at 8:37 AM
Since those early days, Pepler has always dreamed of expanding, as many small business owners do. In fall 2020 that dream will become reality as the Tare Shop opens a second location at 21 Portland Street, Dartmouth.
“I kind of paused throughout quarantine but then this place came up and the timing was right, and it’s in a perfect location right on Portland Street,” Pepler tells The Coast.
When it opens, the new store will be a mirror image of the current Tare Shop, with pantry items, household goods and even a cafe (the Halifax location’s cafe will re-open by then as well, pandemic willing). The new location will be bigger than the current 800 square foot shop, allowing for some expansion and tailoring to the Dartmouth side of the city.
“We’ll probably just start with the same inventory and then grow from there,” says Pepler, citing a customer-driven model that's worked in Halifax. “How we’ve been adding products in this location is what folks have been asking for.”
Things will be busy for Pepler, who runs the shop by herself but gives credit to her staff. “It’s definitely going to be busier for me. It is my baby. So, I’m having another baby,” she laughs. “But I have a really solid team here who are all really excited for this growth and just really looking forward to it.”
Pepler says plenty of her customers already come from Dartmouth, and the location will also be closer for regular customers who drive in from the Eastern Shore or beyond. “It feels good that people are excited for this and ready for this.”
Throughout the pandemic, the Tare Shop closed for just two weeks to figure out how to allow shoppers to physically distance and employees to sanitize. That was the only interruption to its zero waste mission.
“We’ve kind of increased our cleaning protocols and like we sanitize things in between every use, like surfaces, and then sanitize all high-touch areas once an hour,” says Pepler. “And with the containers, we are being very strict about the containers people bring in, making sure that they’re clean and empty “
Stores like Bulk Barn that used to offer “bring your own container” have currently stopped that program, and grocery stores even stopped allowing reusable bags at the height of the pandemic.
“There was an article that came out, over 100 scientists and health professionals said that using reusables is safe as long as they’re being cleaned,” Pepler says. “But a lot of businesses are still only using plastic bags, are not allowing you to bring reusables and stuff like that.”
The Tare Shop currently allows for five customers at a time, and unlike before the pandemic, containers must be completely empty of product. But you can still stock up on most pantry items and even a few frozen goods and cleaning supplies, without using any plastic in the process.
“I think a lot of people are becoming more and more frustrated, so really excited to be able to offer even more folks the opportunity to shop package-free and shop sustainably throughout this,” says Pepler.
In Dartmouth’s growing downtown, the shop will sit directly across from The Canteen, in the space that was originally supposed to be occupied by the Town’s End Tavern.
“It’s still under construction, so we take ownership soon once a bit more of their work is complete, and then we can get started on all of our stuff,” says Pepler.
But besides its reputation as a vibrant young downtown, Portland Street is also smack dab in the middle of a food desert, with the closest grocery store being the No Frills on Wyse Road. “In the downtown core there is no place to find groceries really. I know Café Goodluck has started to do a little pantry style, but just like this area”—around Tare Shop’s north end Halifax location—“there’s not really a spot to buy groceries.”
With the growth of the store, Pepler is excited to help water that food desert, and to work with local vendors and suppliers to feature their products in The Tare Shop’s newest iteration. “Dartmouth really feels like the right, natural next step.”
Saturday, July 25, 2020
Cape and Cowl creates a space for queer, nerdy youth to flourish
Everyone can be themselves, the only pretending at Cape & Cowl is in the fantasy worlds of comic books.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Sat, Jul 25, 2020 at 12:00 PM
“I like to wear my heart on my sleeve, I wear my activism on my sleeve, so my business is very much a social enterprise,” says owner Jay Roy.
In 2014, Roy opened the store at its first location—then, in December 2019 moved down the road to 622 Sackville Drive, near the library. Along with the move came a bigger and more accessible space.
“The doors at my original space was a little difficult to get in, so when I moved I wanted to move specifically to a space where we have a more accessible entrance, so I believe I’ve achieved that,” says Roy.
From the very beginning though, accessibility and inclusion were the focus for Cape & Cowl.
“Not only do I make a pointed effort to support local, I also make it a point to show diverse representation in all body types, all skin tones, all backgrounds, all cultures,” says Roy.
Before he founded Cape & Cowl, Roy worked at other comics stores, but often faced challenges as a transgender person. “Being in charge of my own space, being able to cater and sort of be a body guard against bullying for gender expression and things like that in my own space, I really wanted to do that,” he explains.
But one connection from those early days stuck with Roy—a friendship with Leighann Wichman. “She was account 166 at the store,” he recalls.
As executive director of The Youth Project, Wichman helped Roy grow in the queer community and find himself. “Leighann had such an impact on my life. And so my drop-in centre is named the Leighann Wichman Safe Place, because we unfortunately lost her a few years back,” he says.
Within Cape & Cowl, the room dedicated to Wichman is used for various purposes (or it was before COVID, at least), including Autism Nova Scotia’s D&D game night and free counselling sessions for 2SLGBTQ+ youth provided by the NSHA.
“I decided to meet youth where they were at, and made it so that if they had to tell their parents or their guardians, ‘I’m just going to the comic book store,’ those parents or guardians don’t necessarily need to know the reason why," says Roy. “Maybe they’re going to seek help, maybe they’re going to buy a new comic, that’s not their business.”
Cape & Cowl is still closed to foot traffic right now, because many of its customers are immune-compromised. But Roy is eager to be the “personal shopper” for anyone wishing to purchase online for pickup, deliveries, or mail order.
The shop is also giving back to Black Lives Matter charities in the wake of recent protests and is also selling Harry Potter books with all proceeds going to local charities that support trans youth after JK Rowling outed herself as a TERF. (“I’m a sassy human being so I like to think that maybe she was that and was annoyed,” Roy laughs.)
But above all, the shop owner wants to create the space he wishes he had as a youth, one where everyone can truly be themselves. “I use a lot of my square footage to give back to, well, basically create a space I could’ve used as a kid,” he says.
Friday, July 24, 2020
Coeur Clothing’s unisex designs put Pride front and centre
Queer, unisex designs are the priority all year long for Coeur Clothing
Posted By Victoria Walton on Fri, Jul 24, 2020 at 4:11 PM
“I had a design teacher that always told me don’t create just to create, create for something. So I feel like it’s a big responsibility as a designer to always notice what you’re doing it for. If you want to make something, have a back for it,” she says.
With a graphic design degree from NSCC in her back pocket, Francoeur has always been a creator with an interest in fashion. “All through my life, I’ve been like an artist, painter and I’ve dabbled in Photoshop and whatever,” she says.
So the designer started Coeur Clothing in 2017 with the objective of giving back to groups she felt passionate about. Each design has a charity behind it, like Tree Canada, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and WWF Canada.
But Francoeur also wanted to create clothing that appealed to people who might fall outside traditional gender norms.
“My involvement with the queer community and my design, I wanted to collab it, so I thought that I would create a platform, an inclusive platform to create clothing,” she says.
As a lesbian woman, Francoeur says she was fed up with the division of male and female in many traditional clothing stores. “You walk into a store and you either go left or right, women, men, children. There’s like three sections, and I felt uncomfortable because I want to go to both,” she says.
With new designs released each season, Coeur Clothing’s most recent Pride shirt references the Stonewall riots in New York City in 1969, and $5 from each shirt goes to The Youth Project in Halifax.
“We just went with wording and thought it would be good inclusivity for what’s going on with the Black Lives Matter movement and also queer, I think both are important. So we wanted to combine both and release something that would really be for everybody and that would be a statement for everything that’s going on right now,” says Francoeur.
An alternative vintage design shows queer bars from Halifax over the years, including the iconic Menz & Mollyz, which closed permanently in March.
In the coming months, Francoeur has plans to work with other local artists, including a collab with Fat Chance Vintage to print Coeur's designs on pre-loved clothing. Coeur is also currently doing pre-sales on a shirt designed by Emerson Roach from queer-focused Outlaw Tattoo.
“I really want to collab with some tattoo artists, because our designs are heavily tattoo influenced,” Francoeur says.
She also aspires to get the clothing into retail stores that support local businesses, like Trainyard General Store and Riot Pixie, both in Dartmouth. For now, the unisex clothing is available online and through Coeur Clothing’s Instagram page.
“You don’t see it in stores much. I just wanted it to be all year round,” she says. “Pride is really just the one month, and I think people should continue it all year.”
Queer-run Outlaw Tattoo breaks the mould
Gabe "Squalor" David is making a permanent mark on the lives of queer folk in Halifax.
Posted By Feleshia Chandler on Fri, Jul 24, 2020 at 1:00 PM
With a passion for art spanning more than a decade, David and her art finally found a permanent place—literally—to call home at Outlaw Country Tattoo Co. in October 2018.
Despite being open for less than two years, David has been responsible for needling her precise line work and bold designs onto the skin of hundreds of Haligonians.
But for David, who also plays guitar in local indie rock band Holy Crow, it’s not about fame.
In her six years of working for other people, David says there were many times she was told by a tattoo shop to pack up her stuff and leave without reason.
"I knew there wasn’t really any queer safe spaces in tattooing, and so I knew that I would only last so long jumping shop to shop and trying to make it work,” she says. “So every little extra bit of money I was saving up just in case I couldn’t find the next shop to be at.”
Eventually, David grew tired of shop-hopping and decided to open her own shop at 6103 North Street.
“Fortunately, we had people care enough about what we were doing to just give us just a tiny bit of money. A lot of shops and businesses open with something like thirty grand but we did it with like ten grand. I happened to save up a lot of money myself, from working at other places,” says David.
David and her longtime friend and roommate Tucker Bottomley run the shop together, with the goal of creating a workspace that’s more than just a job. Outlaw hires other 2SLGBTQ+ artists who may not fit in elsewhere and takes on apprentices who are just starting out.
“We’re creating a space together and operating it together,” says David. “Everybody has needs. I definitely wanted to create a space for a long time and I definitely wanted to do this and teach other queer people,” she adds.
Going from a self-described “crust punk” to an established business owner (who’s still punk as heck) is no easy feat, and David says she’s still learning every day.
“As much as I wanted to be the cool boss, I realized once I started off in the studio...the cool boss is a problematic figure,” says David. “It’s been a tricky journey learning how to balance wanting to be everybody’s friend but understanding I can’t always be,” she adds.
In terms of the future, David says Outlaw plans to stay open as long as they’re able. “It would be one thing if this was just a fun adventure but it’s our livelihood,” she says.
For now, the shop is doing well even during COVID, and David has high hopes for the next few years. “I had seen a lot of queer tattoo shops pop up in major cities and I don’t think our town is too small for that,” says David.
The tattoo artist sees herself as an example of what happens when you turn your passion into a job. Above also else, David has made a permanent mark on the lives of so many queer folk and otherwise.
“I do get a lot of love and appreciation from the community,” she says. “Which I’m so friggin’ grateful for.”
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Don’t pass me by: Nova Scotia's hidden gems
Don’t stick to the rivers and lakes you’re used to; try chasing some waterfalls this summer.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Thu, Jul 9, 2020 at 5:00 PM
You're planning a weekend road trip. Maybe it's somewhere you go every summer, or maybe it's a whole new Nova Scotian adventure you're inspired to take because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. This province has countless popular tourist destinations that are usually packed to the brim with come-from-aways. But they won't come this year, so it's the perfect opportunity to check it out.
While you're there, take a look around. Where are the locals having lunch? What's that cute, kitschy shop on the corner with the stuffed lobster in the window? What happens if you take the road less travelled? Here are some recommendations for just about any area of the province. You might find yourself a new favourite spot, and it'll be one the tourists don't know about.
The Valley
If you're whale watching in Digby, check out Roof Hound Brewing Co. (2580 Ridge Road, Digby), for outside-the-box brews like the Keltic Devil porter and the Big Stink IPA. Owner Les Barr was a contestant on Season 3 of MasterChef Canada, and whips up some yummy eats. If you're a bit further up the Valley, they've also got a Kingston location.
If you're headed to Cape Split for the view, hit up nearby I Scream (9838 Main Street) in Canning afterwards for a sweet cone to make it all worthwhile. Or skip the hike and just get the ice cream, we don't make the rules.
If you're checking out the 17 acres of beauty that is the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, make sure you have lunch at The Crow's Nest AKA Shore Road Seafood (3931 Shore Road, Hillsburn) for the best and freshest seafood you can find.
South Shore
If you're spending a day at The Ovens, check out family-owned Rose Bay General Store (3452 Highway 332) just 10 minutes down the road. It's the general store of your dreams, with local meat and produce, homemade sweets and even a pretty decent wine selection. They've also got a cute bistro where you can grab a sandwich or pizza on your way to Sand Dollar Beach next door.
If you're thinking of digging for treasure at Oak Island, treat yourself to a day where you're the real gem at Sensea Nordic Spa (40 Sensea Road, Chester). Dip into their pools that overlook the nearby lake or relax in a sauna to watch your stress melt away.
If you're headed for a getaway at White Point Beach resort, make a secondhand shopping trip of it by hitting up nearby Guy's Frenchy's (344 Main Street, Liverpool). Tucked away in a strip mall, this second-hand haven has a wide selection of men's wear and plus size clothing.
Cape Breton
If you're driving the Cabot Trail, check out Charlene's Restaurant (9657 Highway 105) in Whycocomagh. It's only doing take-out for now, but there's no better way to eat some fish and chips than while watching the sunset over the mountains.
If you spend a day at Ingonish beach, be sure to stop at The Dancing Moose Café (42691 Cabot Trail Road, Birch Plain) on your way back. Their Dutch pancakes aren't your typical Nova Scotian fare but you can forego seafood for one night, right?
And if you're chasing literal waterfalls, Mary Ann Falls, located inside the Highlands National Park is the spot for both a picturesque hike and a plunge under the water.
Central and Northern NS
If you're headed to Shubenacadie Wildlife Park (149 Creighton Road) you can make your afternoon a bit more daring by venturing to the mouth of the Shubenacadie River, where tidal bore rafting abounds.
If you're picking up goodies at Masstown Market (10622 Trunk 2, Debert), head to nearby Great Village Antiques (8728 Highway 2) to redecorate your whole apartment with vintage paintings, clocks and other housewares.
Planning a stay on the north shore, where beaches are plentiful and the water is warm(er)? Spend a night inside one of seven train cabooses at the Tatamagouche Train Station (21 Station Road), and sip an afternoon away at Tata Brew Co. (235 Main Street). You can even head to the old Earltown General Store (5556 Highway 311) for homemade sweets, jams and jellies.
Shop local swimwear, whatever your style
With no time to wait for online orders, shop local this summer and support small biz while you're at it.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Thu, Jul 9, 2020 at 5:00 PM
The hunt for the perfect suit meets its match with Simone Prisenberg's splurge-worthy swimwear. As owner and operator of Martinique Swim, Prisenberg's cute suits are available at several stores or directly from martiniqueswim.com. Head to the showroom in Cow Bay (by appointment only) for a personalized fitting and consultation, or pick one up at Biscuit General Store (1661 Argyle Street) or Pro Skates (6451 Quinpool Road).
If you want swimwear that's printed, Thief & Bandit (1673 Barrington Street, Suite 200) is the brand for you. Whether you're a stargazer who's into an out-of-this-world pattern or you're channeling Carole Baskin with a cheetah-print bikini, Thief & Bandit's swimwear will make you the life of the pool party. Find them at thiefandbandit.com.
Sueno Swimwear owner Joanne Tranter grew up surrounded by beaches in South Wales, travelling to California and Mexico as she learned to surf, and began making her own bikinis before settling in Black Point. Tranter launched her business in 2012 and since then has been creating bold prints and asymmetrical patterns, available on her Etsy shop or at suenoclothing.com.
Local designers Ana & Zac have partnered with Sueno for a new collection that's minimalist and basic in all the right ways. Check it out at anaandzac.ca/collections/sueno.
Sisters Omeda and Anna launched label Meda Swim in 2015. Its style selection skews simple, but the basic suits are flattering on all body types and are named after different Canadian towns. Their swimsuit models are all friends, mothers, and women they know in real life. Shop at medaswim.com.
Agricola Street shop Sattva Boutique (2453 Agricola Street) stocks swimwear from size-inclusive brand Mimi & August, based out of Montreal. Grab a few of the high-quality Canadian-made suits in store, or check out the full collection online at mimiandaugust.com.
If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind swimsuit, Girl on the Moon's got you. You can literally make your own with patterns from crochet guru Girl On The Moon, AKA Alison Durning. After learning how to make bags and baskets, Durning was hooked on crochet, and began her Etsy business in 2015. Find her on Instagram @girlonthemooncrochet.
Silken Lingerie store in Sunnyside Mall (1595 Bedford Highway) is for people looking for a bit more care in their swimwear-buying experience. Owner Morva Castellani and her staff will help you with a free bra fitting to find the perfect size, and they even offer a specialty selection of D+ cup size swimwear and mastectomy swimwear. silkenlingerie.ca/
If you've had no luck with the usual suspects, try thrifting your next swimsuit. Check out Fat Chance Vintage, Me + You Thrift, or The Bounty Hfx on Instagram to find a pre-loved suit you can rock all summer. Bonus: The Bounty also has a selection of items available at Lost & Found (2383 Agricola Street).
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Salons and barber shops booked up for weeks after re-opening
You're not alone if your stylist's next open slot isn't until July
Posted By Victoria Walton on Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 10:30 AM
“Our clients have been nothing but supportive, always contacting us saying, ‘Book me in ahead, I’m waiting for a cut.’ Obviously they’re pretty long overdue,” Upshaw tells The Coast.
After being closed for the better part of three months, the team at Ascension’s two locations—in Lower Sackville and Wolfville—were ready to re-open.
“All the barbers seemed quite excited. It was almost like a resurgence, an energetic feel,” Upshaw says. Ascension’s third location at Dalhousie University hasn’t re-opened yet since no students are on campus.
Between the announcement and the re-opening, Upshaw says he read up on the rules from the Barber’s Association of Nova Scotia, which include both customers and barbers wearing masks, and not taking walk-in appointments.
“It actually assisted in stepping our game up, organization-wise,” Upshaw says. The owner says he didn’t feel rushed and had plenty of time to re-arrange the shop to allow for social distancing. “Prior to [re-opening] I ordered Plexiglass for in-between stations, proper disinfectant, new tools,” he says.
The five barbers in Sackville and three in Wolfville also need to space out their appointments to allow enough time to clean workstations in between. (The regulations require 15 minutes between appointments.)
“It’s just enough time for you to be able to see who your next appointment is, do sanitation, provide the best service for your client,” says Upshaw.
Slowly, the barbers are getting through the list of overdue appointments and everyone is adjusting to the new way of doing things.
“It’s just our responsibility to sort of help the client adjust to a new way of booking, but once they get into it they seem to like it,” says Upshaw.
In downtown Halifax, Thumpers Salon owner Malcolm Norton says he made it through the shut-down by shifting the focus to his online store.
“We have a major online shop. I set this up seven years ago,” he says. At the time, his associates didn’t think it would fare well.
“People said to me, ‘Who’s buying shampoo online, Malcolm?” he laughs. But it paid off during the past few months: “We were one of the few salons in Canada that had an online shop, and we have exclusive lines,” Norton says.
Although Thumpers’ 12 stylists were laid off temporarily, Norton has brought them all back since the re-opening.
“We opened the morning of June 5 and we’ve been very busy, we’ve been booked solid. We’re booked solid for weeks ahead, too,” he tells The Coast.
The South Park Street salon usually has 22 chairs, allowing clients to move from one station to the next as they go from cut to colour to styling throughout their appointment. “We let eight chairs go, taken them out of the shop to give more space for physical distancing, and it’s actually working pretty well,” says Norton.
The salon and spa industry are regulated by the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia, which released similar regulations for re-opening. Norton says all salons are required to have membership, and the association is one of the few governing bodies that exist for the industry across the country.
“There’s only three left in Canada, the rest all went by the wayside years ago. So it’s just P.E.I., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. he says. “And our guys were wonderful, they got us all the regulations from Dr. Strang and it’s been very good.”
Thumpers has put screens around their reception desk and has a limited number of two clients in the waiting room. Although it is interfering with walk-ins, Norton says the salon is finally getting into a rhythm: “I think as things have gone on it’s kind of become second-nature now,” he says.
Stylist Steph McNair says business at her shop, Maneland-Non Binary Beauty, has definitely been up since re-opening. “I’ve definitely had a large increase in customers, and probably about 25 percent new people,” McNair says.
Though she's the sole hairdresser at her Queen Street shop, McNair has taken on a new employee to help with admin work and ensuring new protocols.
“I took on an employee or a person to basically help me kind of keep the cleaning and disinfecting and the vibe of the salon flow,” she says. “So I have somebody that’s going along in between and making sure that that is all done, and so I can just focus on the guest and the haircut.”
Maneland only opened last year, but COVID-19 hasn’t taken the wind out of McNair's sails. She was ready to open right away on June 5 when the regulations allowed.
“I was, throughout the couple of months that I was closed, laying low, but watching and kind of paying attention to other salons around here but also in the States and stuff,” she says.
Upon re-opening, McNair says she’s gotten to have some fun with the shaggy styles that clients have grown out in isolation.
“Some are just working with the length that they’ve grown, some people are interested in what is happening on their head. Some people just kind of want to have it off,” she says.
Other clients have also had to change their hairstyles based on their new normal. “The masks are all different, and I have to cut some bangs a little bit shorter because of not being able to see as well with a mask on,” says McNair.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Contact-free, locally made greeting cards for any occasion
Find $7 in your couch cushions and head to Alderney Landing or Scotia Square.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Tue, Jun 9, 2020 at 4:08 PM
Handmade cards are one of the most sincere and affordable ways to let someone know you’re thinking of them—and one Dartmouth shop has been making its cards available even while it's closed by COVID.
“When the pandemic hit and we had to shut down, it was just like a bomb had gone off. We didn’t know what we were going to do,” says Sam Holt, co-owner of Kept Shop on King Street.
“We spent some time just talking it out and I guess I just wanted to answer the question of like, How can we bring Kept to our customers and to Halifax? How can we still make sales but not in a social setting?” he says.
Since 2013, Kept Shop has offered home décor and giftwares that range from elegant mugs and floral tea towels to children’s bibs, blankets and books. Holt, who owns the store with his wife Charlotte Jewer, says they spend a lot of time curating and selecting items that they’d want in their own home.
“It’s a seven-day-a-week job, we’re just constantly always sort of seeing what’s out there,” he says. “It’s got to be great quality. It’s not worth selling stuff that you wouldn’t want to have yourself.”
One part of the store that’s always drawn customers is the greeting card wall. “People love to come in and go to the card wall and take anywhere from two minutes to 20 minutes picking out cards for all the occasions,” Holt tells The Coast.
Holt—who has a background in design—was trying to think of ways to use technology and even artificial intelligence when he realized what he needed wasn't a new invention: It was a simple, old-fashioned vending machine.
“There’s a vending machine that already exists that, would perfectly fit greeting cards. So I researched some of the companies and I got in touch with a guy,” he said.
As it turned out, the vending machine company was having similar problems with sales dropping as public spaces weren’t being used as heavily.
“All the places that he had his vending machines, people weren’t going. Hotels, university campuses. There was a big hole in his business, so he was keen to give it a try and really helpful,” Holt says.
Each card is $7 and the machine accepts coins only. Some are from local artists, including Halifax Paper Hearts and Kate Mitchell, while others are from Canadian or international artists.
The first vending machine was placed in Alderney Landing in early May, which coincided perfectly with Mother’s Day. A second machine was installed in Scotia Square last week, and Holt is hoping that with Father’s Day around the corner, the coming weeks will be just as successful.
“Everyone needs a Mother’s Day card, so we sold out of those. So this’ll be the next event,” he says.
Although the machine isn’t perfect—it’s old, sometimes it won’t accept certain coins—Holt says it’s a great opportunity to get the word out about Kept Shop and for people to get greeting cards without having to go into a store.
“We just wanted to maintain and have our brand still out there," he says. "Still let people know that we were there and we were there for them.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
The Last Word says goodbye
The final chapter for a Windsor Street institution.
Posted By Victoria Walton on Wed, May 27, 2020 at 4:08 PM
“Lots of students, lots of regulars. they’d sort of just come in, plop down and they’d be there for eight hours,” says Nate Crawford, who used to work at the store about 10 years ago.
In those days, the second-hand store had the very same laid-back vibe: “It was super casual. I worked Sundays, I lived on Moran street so I just would wander down here, sort of settle in,” Crawford says.
Crawford was one of several curious passersby found peering in the windows of the storefront on a Monday, after owner Wayne Greene put up a sign announcing the store would close.
“Wayne is like the O.G. classic Canadian bookseller,” Crawford tells The Coast. "He knows so much about literature, Canadian literature, special topics. He can talk a blue streak, he’s that kind of business person that is just sort of disappearing.”
Over the years, Crawford says the owner has become known for making small talk with anyone who comes through, and for his ability to know which books he had in stock, and exactly where they were amongst the piles of novels that filled The Last Word from floor to ceiling.
“I asked him about one of my favourite books is called The Art of Racing in The Rain. He didn’t have it, but he knew about it. He just knows books, he knew exactly what I was talking about,” says Brie-anna Bartlett, who’s lived in the apartment above the bookstore since last fall.
Bartlett says she’s also sad to see the store go, as one of Halifax’s few remaining used bookstores. “I don’t think he did this for the money, he did it for the love,” she says.
Across social media, other Haligonians poured out their support for The Last Word and the unique charm of second-hand bookstores.
"I just love how the owner knew EVERY book in the shop, without needing to look it up in a database." - thenoblejobull, Instagram
"Every morning I left the house he would be sweeping the sidewalk. He cared for that place."
- kayrauch, Instagram
Wayne is one hec of an interesting guy!
— Shannon Dawn (@Sarradis) May 26, 2020
Anytime I went in we’d always chat about the latest book he’s reading, or series we liked.
If I was missing a book in a series, and it came in he’d hold it for me.
I’m simply heartbroken over this.
Windsor st will be darker without him.
I remember going into the the bookstore and finding a title that I was really interested in, and Wayne immediately told me about the author, and found a beautiful edition of another book by the same author to give me.
— Lauren Bryant-Monk (@jl_nicegirl) May 26, 2020
I also loved all of his recommendations in the window
I was always looking for discworld novels and he would let me know if they had them or not when I walked in! He also dug through the stacks once to make sure I had a matching set of LOTR and loved to talk about Tolkien and his friendship with CS Lewis.
— paisley conrad (@weather_letter) May 26, 2020
Wayne always knew if he had a book and where it was without any (apparent) systematized or digitized inventory... very impressive
— Violet Pask (@violetpask) May 26, 2020
Wayne is the most generous person. when i stopped by, i picked out a few books and he gave me The Reprieve and also Iron in the Soul by Sartre (which i had picked out along with other books that i had purchased) for free and refused to let me pay for the two of them
— iz (@izvoid) May 26, 2020
I miss Dust Jacket which is also gone. The staff’s ability to locate a book was unbelievable. My best score there was an autographed copy of ‘Burden of Desire’ by Robert MacNeill.
— Carol Dobson (@cjdobsonpei) May 26, 2020
Window recommendations were top notch! Bought several David Adams Richards books there. ALL excellent!!!! This place will be missed by our neighbourhood. It is so sad. Stop ordering from Amazon people! It is killing our city.
— Jennifer Fox (@harlickjen) May 27, 2020
I've been gleaning discarded books from student neighborhoods since I first moved to Halifax. I know what Wayne buys and he knows what I buy. I've had him call me from across the street "Hey! You like Raymond Chandler! Check out this edition! Look at the condition its in!"
— William Vulgaris (@VulgarisWilliam) May 26, 2020
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Now's the time to look out for small business in Halifax
Social isolation is leading to layoffs and losses for some, unique opportunities for others
Posted By Victoria Walton on Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 1:00 AM
A s coronavirus spreads across Canada, shutting down local businesses and national companies in its wake, Canadians are being forced into their homes and out of public places like restaurants and bars.
Hundreds if not thousands of small businesses and their employees are now struggling to make ends meet as their income is slashed.
"It's really stressful for the staff, stressful for us, stressful for the farmers, everybody's stressed," says Lil MacPherson, co-owner of The Wooden Monkey restaurants.
MacPherson says she opened the restaurant to encourage people to eat local, and sources from 12 to 16 local farmers and butchers at any given time. She says these local vendors are losing sales, and they're also the companies that most need support through times when income is precarious.
"We employ a lot of people, the small business sector," she says. "We are the worker bees of the hive, and without us, the hive starts to break down. So it is really important to the local economy."
Premier MacNeil announced all restaurants and bars must close to dine-in customers by March 19. The Wooden Monkey, like other restaurants, is still doing take-out—and offering 20 percent off to boost take-out sales.
"It's crazy times but we're all in this together, so hopefully we can get out of this together," she says.
But MacPherson also knows that businesses won't last long with dwindling sales. She's hoping the government announces measures to keep them on their feet. "We have these really amazing, talented people and farmers and bakers that are here, and we can't let them go out of business. We can't," she says.
In the meantime, other business owners have turned to delivery services to get food and drink orders to customers who don't feel comfortable leaving their homes.
As of Tuesday, Halifax-based delivery service Couryah is not only still delivering but has seen a massive uptick in sales.
"Orders have definitely increased in the past couple of days," says Couryah's head of marketing Basel Halaseh.
Due to the rush, even the company's co-founders, brothers Moh and Omar Soliman, are out making deliveries across Halifax and the surrounding areas.
"Most of our restaurants that we partner with are local, smaller restaurants rather than big chains," Halaseh says.
The company currently partners with 11 establishments and has been providing grocery delivery since last May.
Customers can pay online and get groceries delivered to their front door—a service now in the "spotlight" says Halaseh.
"We can just leave it at the door, give you a knock and minimize social contact as much as possible."
Although drivers are using increased caution and extra sanitizer, they still risk their health to deliver to those who need it. Halaseh says Couryah is trying to get the word out to immunocompromised people and seniors.
"That's an area that we kind of want to put out more awareness towards. On social media I want to get the word out there," he says. "We dropped off some flyers at some seniors homes, and we're looking at different options for how we're going to reach that demographic."
Halaseh says it's times like this that some local businesses can step up to be there for the rest of their community in ways that large corporations don't.
"In our community we see that our service can be a bit of a saviour for some people right now," he says. "So we definitely want to ramp up and try to serve as many people as possible."
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