E-News March 2026

News

Student Bus Pass Program
You might have caught the news that, as part of Provincial budget cuts, the Province is eliminating funding for HRM’s student bus pass program. This will impact 36,000 junior high and high school students.

For the last several years, HRM and the Province have partnered to provide junior high and high school students with bus passes. The program launched in 2021 with four schools as an initial pilot and expanded to include all schools in HRM in 2024. To evaluate the program, HRM completed surveys of students and parents in 2024 and 2025, which generated over 8,100 responses. Survey results show an increase in usage, with 52% of student respondents indicating that transit is their primary mode of transportation. The number of students who reported that transit is their primary means of getting to school increased from 12% to 33%. Parents and kids both independently reported that about 75% of students were using transit on a weekly basis and were making trips for other non-school related purposes too. The HRM survey data suggests the program is being widely used and provides value to many families throughout HRM. A 21 percentage point shift to transit is a big change!

For HRM, the benefits of the program are both immediate and long-term. There is an immediate short-term benefit of more students taking transit, which means fewer car trips by parents shuttling kids around. Access to transit provides kids with more independence, allowing them to take on other activities like part-time employment, volunteering, and sports or other recreational activities. The long-term benefits of providing transit passes to students is that it’s easier to convince folks to make transit their regular mode of transportation if they’ve had some prior experience using it. Providing students with passes normalizes transit use in those formulative years, potentially creating a life-long culture of transit ridership. It’s an investment in future ridership!

So what has the Province actually cut? The main cost of the program is lost fare revenue. By providing students with free passes, HRM doesn’t sell as many passes and tickets as the municipality normally would. HRM and the Province had to estimate this cost as an exact figure is hard to determine. The agreed upon figure based on 2023 data was $1.8 million. The Province contributed $1.2 million towards that lost revenue and HRM absorbed the remaining $600,000.

I have seen some commentary about the program being wasteful because not everyone uses it, but that’s not true because HRM doesn’t bill the Province on a per-student basis. Students that don’t use the program cost nothing more than the very small incremental printing and administrative cost of providing them with a pass. The Province isn’t billed by student, and hasn’t had to pay anything for the greater transit usage that has resulted from all these passes. The cost of the program is offsetting lost fares from the pre-pass era, which means this program was a steal of a deal for the Province! If HRM sold a pass for all 36,000 students each month at $66 (current rate for a monthly youth pass), the total cost for the year would be $28,512,000! The Province is getting $28,512,000 worth of transit access for the low, low price of $1,200,000! Even when factoring in a bulk discount (say half!) and the fact not all students regularly use the program, this is still an absolute bargain. If you fully understand how the money behind this program actually works, it’s too damned good for anyone to turn down. $1,200,000 to buy $28,512,000 worth of transit passes!

It’s tempting to say that HRM should just continue the program alone by raising the age that kids ride free for. We need to acknowledge that lost fare revenue is a real cost to the municipality. Transit fares in HRM bring in about $35,000,000. That’s not revenue that HRM can just casually disregard. Funding the student passes alone would also be hard to justify given that HRM receives external funding for all of the municipality’s other bulk transit pass programs including the U-Pass (university student fees cover part of it), employer passes (employers and employees), and passes for folks on social assistance and income support (Provincial funding). Providing students with free passes would mean subsidizing youth transit at a level that HRM doesn’t for anyone else and doing so when the municipality’s finances are increasingly stretched.

So what happens next? Council concluded our review of the 2026/2027 operating budget this week and we left funding for this program as is, which means that HRM is still at the table should the Province have a change of heart. We haven’t cut our side of the funding. We also, however, didn’t top up the program to replace lost Provincial funds. Current student passes are good until September, but if the Province doesn’t change their mind between now and then, the funding will run out and the program will come to an end.

If the student pass program is important to you, I would encourage you to reach out to your MLA, the education minister, and the premier. I can say from first hand experience that governing is hard, and it can be even harder to change direction. This is especially true in Federal and Provincial politics where partisanship fosters an adversarial environment. No government’s decision-making (including HRM’s) is infallible though. There is a lot of complexity and sometimes things get missed or misunderstood, sometimes we don’t have all the information, sometimes issues are more important to people than we think, and sometimes people just make mistakes. There is no shame in that. It’s human. It’s what we do in those situations that matters. This is a good program that produces measurable results that is being provided to the Province at an absolute bargain price. The Province would be really wise to take a second look at this.

Wyse Road Bus Lane Returns
It has been a long 11 month wait, but the Wyse Road bus lane is finally back. The bus lane was shut down as part of the Bridge Commission’s toll removal project. The Commission’s original design for a post-toll Macdonald Bridge had three lanes going onto the bridge, but at the last minute, plans changed to a two-lane design. The result was that HRM couldn’t safely operate the bus only lane because three lanes incoming from Wyse Road would reduce to two on the bridge side, forcing buses and cars to merge in the intersection.

HRM and the Bridge Commission spent a good portion of 2025 in disagreement as to what should be done to address the problem. The Commission wanted HRM to install a transit signal so that buses can move separately from regular traffic, allowing the current 3 to 2 lane configuration to work. HRM’s position has been that the Commission should install a third lane on the Bridge side. The advantage of HRM’s approach is that a separate bus only signal phase wouldn’t be needed and buses could move with a green light alongside regular vehicle traffic, saving both drivers and transit riders time. The primary plus of the Commission’s approach is a signal is quicker to implement and avoids further complicated design work on the Bridge side of the intersection.

At this point, HRM has agreed to try the Commission’s approach. Signal work has been completed and transit drivers have been trained on the new setup. On Monday, buses were once again able to skip rush hour traffic on Wyse Road. The setup isn’t quite as good as it was when buses could move on a regular green light and HRM is still looking at adjusting the timing of the signal, but it’s far better than the situation of the last several months where every Halifax bound buses had to wait through multiple lights in rush hour traffic. I wish it hadn’t taken this long, but I’m glad this critical piece of transit infrastructure is finally back up and running.

Alderney Ferry Disruption
Still with transit, it has been a frustrating couple of months with the Alderney Ferry. HRM has five ferries in the fleet. On any given weekday, HRM needs four to operate the Woodside and Alderney routes. The fifth ferry is a spare so that one ferry can be out of service at any given time for repairs and maintenance without impacting service. Unfortunately, the Craig Blake has been out of service for several months to complete major maintenance work, meaning HRM has been without a spare. That caught up to us in January when the Vincent Coleman suffered steering issues. HRM didn’t have the specialized parts on hand, and has had to order replacements from Europe. The additional parts needed to get the Vicnent Coleman back in service are expected to arrive later this month, at which point the Alderney Ferry will return to 15 minute service. Transit is taking away some lessons from this and is rethinking how we stockpile parts to better ensure that, in future, we’re not stuck waiting months for replacements.

Lancaster Roundabout
A disappointing update on the Lancaster Roundabout. The Province didn’t include the project in their capital plan for the coming year so work is indefinitely on hold. The intersection at Lancaster / Micmac Boulevard / Woodland Avenue / Highway 118 has been a dangerous spot for a long time. There is a crash there every few weeks.

Over the last several years, HRM and the Province have been looking at making improvements at Lancaster. We completed a joint design study to identify options to address the problem and the outcome of that was a recommendation to turn the intersection into a roundabout. The agreed upon plan was that the Province would build the roundabout and then turn it over to HRM along with the section of Woodland Avenue that is currently Provincially owned (dividing line between HRM and the Province is at Ryland Avenue). HRM would then be responsible for all ongoing work and maintenance and the boundary between highway and city streets would be reset to a logical location.

It looked like this project was finally going to proceed last year as the Province included it into their capital budget. The Province even went out to tender and received two bids. Rather than award the tender though, the Province cancelled the work citing budget availability and concerns about how congestion would be managed during construction. Given how political traffic discussions became in 2025, my suspicion is it was mostly the later! In a roundabout way, the bike lane circus killed this project! I had hoped that the roundabout would be put back into the Province’s capital plan this year, but when they released their plan in January, it sadly wasn’t included. I’m afraid this project is at a standstill right now. Hopefully the Province will advance this work in a future year. It’s needed.

King’s Wharf Occupancy
A number of people have contacted me regarding the completion of the latest building, the Kevel, at King’s Wharf. New residents have moved into the Kevel, but there is a problem with that: HRM hasn’t issued an occupancy permit. The Kevel is being illegally occupied. I’m very disappointed that this is the approach that Fares Inc has taken.

HRM has inspected the Kevel and has no concerns with the building’s condition. HRM’s inability to issue an occupancy permit is connected to the King’s Wharf development agreement. The development agreement requires that a grade-separated emergency route be built over the tracks before any additional buildings can be occupied. The development agreement stipulates that access will come off the corner of Alderney and King’s Wharf Place and bridge the tracks between the Kevel and the planned next building at King’s Wharf. Planning for a bridge over the tracks is well underway, but it isn’t built yet and, as a result, HRM can’t issue an occupancy permit for the Kevel.

Knowing that the Kevel was heading for completion before the bridge, King’s Wharf has been working with HRM staff on potential interim solutions that could be put in place to mitigate the risk created by having the Kevel open before the bridge is finished. One of those options is a temporary sea bridge under the tracks in the Sawmill River (already in place). There is a lot of work and analysis to be done by staff and CN to assess interim measures and interim measures don’t change the fact that an occupancy permit for the Kevel can’t be issued without a bridge over the tracks. If interim measures are going to be used to gain an occupancy permit, the original King’s Wharf development agreement will need to be amended, which can only be done via a public process.

So what happens next? HRM has notified residents of the Kevel in writing of the situation and there is an open bylaw investigation. A number of people have contacted me asking what HRM will do about the Kevel’s illegal occupancy. Bylaw enforcement is not directed by Council and that is for good reason! Politicians shouldn’t decide who gets charged, what penalties apply, or how the law is enforced. So I’m not sure what HRM will ultimately decide to do here. What I can say is that HRM has a number of tools at its disposal from fines to orders. HRM’s philosophy around bylaw enforcement is to focus on bringing about compliance, but whatever action HRM takes will also need to be defendable in court. This is an open investigation.

Dartmouth North Library
Progress is slowly being made on repairs at the Dartmouth North Library and Community Centre. The Library was devastated back in March 2025 when a sewer backup flooded the space. The damage was extensive, particularly in the Library space. The work to reopen the facility is underway, but HRM has also identified issues with the roof that need to be addressed as well.

HRM has made some progress though and the Community Centre reopened in February. With the reopening of the Community Centre, the Library will be getting an upgrade from the trailer in the parking lot to new temporary space inside. The Library will be setting up in the multipurpose/gym space. The Library doesn’t have an opening date yet for the temporary indoor space so for now stay tuned.

I know the loss of the Library has left a big gap in Dartmouth North and the trailer in the parking lot is obviously not an adequate replacement. Hopefully the new indoor temporary space will help to more fully bridge the gap to when the whole facility can reopen.

Library Tax Clinics
Throughout March and April, eligible community members can have their tax returns done free of charge with Canada Revenue Agency’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. Eligibility is based on household income and having a relatively simple tax return. This program is delivered here in HRM through the Library. To check program eligibility visit the Library’s website here. Appointment bookings are now open and can be made at any library branch. Some other community partners including the North Grove, the Learning Network, and Woodlawn United are also hosting free tax clinics.

Extended Producer Responsibility
On December 1, extended producer responsibility (EPR) became the law in Nova Scotia. EPR takes the responsibility for providing recycling away from municipalities and puts it onto industry. A national non-profit, Circular Materials, is managing EPR in Nova Scotia and operations are being overseen by Divert Nova Scotia to ensure compliance with Nova Scotia’s regulations.

The big positive for HRM is that the municipality is no longer responsible for the cost of recycling. At this time, the municipality is still delivering recycling collection for Circular Materials, but the cost of that service is no longer being born by HRM.

There have been a few changes as a result of the move to EPR. Recycling is now consistent throughout the entire Province. What is recycled in Halifax is now the same as what is recycled in Yarmouth, Truro, Sydney etc. Here in HRM, the result is some items that previously weren’t recyclable now are including:

Multi-layer Paper Containers

• Paper cups (including disposable paper hot and cold beverage cups)
• Paper bowls
• Ice cream cartons
• Cookie dough spiral cans
• Frozen juice spiral cans
• Potato chip spiral cans

Plastic Tubes

• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Hand cream containers

Small item plastic packaging

• Bottles/pumps
• Candy/gum containers
• Pails
• Garden pots
• Seedling trays

On the other side of the coin, a few items that HRM use to recycle are no longer accepted

No Longer Recyclable

• Books
• Kitchen pots and pans

Businesses can still drop off recycling at 20 Horseshoe Drive in Bayers Lake. The implementation of EPR is a good thing overall as it makes producers of the waste responsible for the cost, incentivizing a full lifecycle approach to packaging and goods.

Dartmouth Cove
There isn’t much new to report on Dartmouth Cove. Council passed a bylaw to regulate infilling in Dartmouth Cove in 2025. All municipal bylaws are subject to Provincial approval and after Council approved the Dartmouth Cove amendments, the Premier, however, signalled that the provincial government would not allow the Dartmouth Cove Bylaw to proceed. This created an uproar, including a protest at Province House. In the end, the Minister of Municipal Affairs approved the Dartmouth Cove bylaw, but imposed a number of conditions. HRM has twice tried to satisfy the Minister, but the Province hasn’t accepted HRM’s submissions as adequate.

The Halifax Charter requires the Minister of Municipal Affairs to make decisions on planning bylaws within 30 days. The Minister can approve, reject, or amend. HRM believes the Minister has erred in this case as the Charter doesn’t provide any space for conditional approvals. The Minister has tried to create a fourth option with conditions that HRM can’t seem to satisfy, all with an indefinitely extended timeline (read all of HRM’s correspondence with the Minister here). A resolution to the impasse has, unfortunately, not been forthcoming and so HRM is taking the Provine to court. A court date has been set for April. Separately, one of the property owners in Dartmouth Cove, Atlantic Road Construction, has made their own court filings, challenging HRM’s ability to regulate infill.

It would seem that much of the Dartmouth Cove saga is now becoming a courtroom drama, although the Department of Fisheries and Oceans hasn’t yet provided a yes or a no regarding Atlantic Road Construction’s infill application.

Summer Rec Employment
HRM is hiring young adults for summer recreation jobs. The deadline for some positions has closed, but others are open for applications until April 12. Pay ranges from $17.75-$24.75. For more information, check out HRM’s website here.

Robie Street Widening
Council has been receiving a steady stream of feedback from folks concerned about the planned widening of Robie Street and I have heard from a few folks in Dartmouth, so I thought I would take a moment to share some thoughts.

I support HRM’s project because Robie Street is such a key corridor. It’s the only street that runs north/south for the whole length of the Peninsula and it passes by a variety of high demand uses including high density residential, commercial streets like Young, Spring Garden, and Quinpool, hospitals, and universities. There isn’t a street on the Peninsula that is as crucial and that passes by so much. Whatever HRM does with transportation, Robie Street will be an essential part of it. It’s a street like no other.

So what is HRM looking to do in widening Robie? The Robie widening is all about transit. HRM is looking at widening the section from Cunard through to Almon where Robie is narrow and wide enough to add one transit lane (already in place), but not two. Robie Street is the spine of HRM’s proposed bus rapid transit system, with two of four proposed bus rapid transit routes running on portions of the streets and the other two routes crossing it. Without Robie Street, there is no BRT. There is no more important street in the whole city. The widening of Robie is all about making space for effective transit.

Suggestions have been made that HRM could achieve improved transit outcomes without widening the street through measures like signal prioritization or reversible lanes or even making Robie one-way and pairing with some other street like Windsor. HRM staff have looked at all of these options and they’re all either unworkable or wouldn’t provide the transit prioritization that we need.

What resonates for me in all of this is the explanation from staff that no matter what HRM decides to do now or in the future, Robie Street will always be the key corridor on the Peninsula. It is advantageous for HRM to have a consistent width to work with to make the most of this crucial street. That is true with the currently planned bus rapid transit, and it will especially be true, if in future years, HRM wants to upgrade to LRT. Acquiring land will only get more expensive with time and, as surrounding properties get redeveloped, it will eventually become impossible to do as larger multi-storey buildings fill up the space. Securing space on Robie Street now that will work with whatever higher order public transit HRM needs is an investment in upcoming BRT, but also in the future potential for LRT.

The whole situation reminds me of bridge projects in Toronto from the 1910s. When Toronto was building bridges across its ravines at that time, they included a lower deck for a future subway line. The subway didn’t arrive until the 1960s, but Toronto’s earlier foresight eventually paid off. That kind of long-term thinking can be hard to do, but when a city can pull it off, it can prove itself valuable many times over. Robie Street is that kind of moment as it relates to future potential for LRT in Halifax: the space is needed now, the space will be key to whatever we decide to do in future, and the longer we wait the more expensive it will be to get and we risk eventually reaching the point of the space becoming impossible to ever get.

The last thing I would note on Robie is the help that HRM has received from the Provincial government. Federal/Provincial infrastructure projects often don’t allow for cost sharing for land acquisition. Land acquisition is mostly something that HRM has to do alone. On Robie Street though, the Province has been a fantastic partner. They have done the bulk of the property purchases. This is a level of support that we don’t normally get. The landc the Province is buying won’t go to waste either as it has the potential to be either sold off or redeveloped for new affordable housing. If HRM were to walk away from the Robie Street project now it would do tremendous harm to the municipality’s credibility as a reliable partner. Just imagine the conversation:

“Hey province. Sorry about all the land we got you to buy, but we’re not doing the project anymore. No hard feelings. Can you still fund our other transit requests please? We promise that we’re serious about everything else.”

Abandoning Robie Street now, in my opinion, would effectively shelve HRM’s ambitions around transit as we would be absolutely discredited as a reliable partner and would never get the needed support from other orders of government.

2026 Community Grants Applications
HRM is accepting 2026 community grants applications. Non-profits can receive funding of up to $5,000 for a project grant or up to $25,000 for a capital grant. Funding is awarded by category: (1) arts and crafts, (2) diversity and inclusion, (3) environment, (4) emergency assistance and neighbourhood safety, (5) history, (6) leisure, and (7) recreation. Recipients from 2025 in District 5 included the Dartmouth Senior Service Centre for a new freezer, and the Halifax Art and Performance Association for a new sound system at the Sanctuary Arts Centre.

I would encourage all non-profits to take a look at the Community Grants program. It’s money that will be awarded to someone, why not you? You can check out the eligibility criteria in the program booklet online on the municipal grants page here. Applications are due March 31!

CARE Team Expands
HRM’s new Crisis Assistance and Response program (CARE) is expanding to 24/7. CARE Launched in October and was initially offered between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Those hours have now been expanded to 24/7.

CARE is a pilot program that provides in-person support for people 16 years and older experiencing non-emergency, non-violent crises related to mental health, substance use, and personal well-being. The service offers a safe, trauma-informed alternative to calling police or other first responders.

CARE staff are specially trained in trauma-informed care, harm reduction, mental health first aid, suicide prevention and cultural humility. They are prepared to respond to people from diverse communities, including African Nova Scotians, Indigenous Peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse residents. The team provides in-person support and will help to connect people to other community supports after the crisis.

The CARE team can be accessed by calling 211. A trained navigator will assess the situation and, if it qualifies for CARE, dispatch the mobile team for in-person support.

For more information about the CARE program, visit our website.

Public Consultation

M District Public Hearing
Tuesday, March 10
Halifax City Hall
Last week, Council gave first reading for the proposed major redevelopment of Mic Mac Mall (aka the M District). The plans have been revised slightly from what was presented at the Public Information Meeting back in 2023. The revised plans that is going to Council now include a public park on the property along Micmac Boulevard, a new transit terminal, and a multi-use trail through the area to facilitate active transportation. The revised report and the revised plans can be seen here. Where Council has given first reading, a public hearing to fully consider the proposal will take place on March 10, 6:00 PM. Please note it’ll be at City Hall as this is a joint public hearing with Regional Council and Harbour East Community Council.

If you wish to speak to Council, you can do so in-person or virtually. Contact clerks@halifax.ca to sign up or for more information. In-person speakers can sign-up in advance to get a spot on the list. If you don’t sign up in advance, you can take advantage of the opportunity to speak once everyone on the sign-up sheet has been called. To participate by zoom, you must sign-up in advance.

Argyle Year-Round Pedestrian Survey
HRM is considering making Argyle Street in Downtown Halifax a pedestrian only street all year round. Right now, Argyle between Prince and Blowers is open to vehicle traffic during the winter months, and closes to vehicles during the summer. HRM is looking at making the closure all year round and is looking for public feedback. You can complete the Argyle survey here.

Parks and Rec Accessibility Survey
Now – April 30
HRM is gathering input on how municipal recreation programs can be more inclusive and accessible. Feedback received will help inform updates to programming across the municipality. To gather info, HRM is holding both in-person and virtual sessions. The in-person sessions are as follows:

• Tuesday, March 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Dartmouth High School cafeteria (95 Victoria Road, Dartmouth)
• Monday, March 30, from 6 to 8 p.m., St. Andrew’s Community Centre (3380 Barnstead Lane, Halifax)
• Monday, April 13, from 6 to 8 p.m., Virtual town hall (Microsoft Teams) 

Residents can register for any session by emailing: inclusion@halifax.ca

The online survey is available on HRM’s website here. There survey will be available until Thursday, April 30.

For more information visit HRM’s website.

Youth Services Plan
Now – April 30
Online Survey
HRM is collecting feedback for the Youth Services Plan 2026-29. The municipality is hoping to hear from young residents on ways to improve recreation services across HRM. Visit HRM’s website here to take the online survey. The survey will be available until Thursday, April 30.

Transit Accessibility Survey
HRM is seeking feedback from passengers about accessibility on Transit’s conventional buses, Access-A-Bus and ferries. The survey is part of Transit’s continual improvement program and is focussed on inclusivity and accessibility. You can complete the survey here.

Open Hour

Council Update

To keep you informed about what is going on at Council, I’m writing a regular blog after Council meetings. Each of my entries is about what I saw as noteworthy from a District 5 perspective and my views on the issues. We might not always agree, but I think it’s important to provide a record of how I voted and why. An abundance of material to share since I have been behind on sending an e-newsletter!

Council Update, February 28
Finalizing the budget adjustment list, defending HalifACT and long-term planning, the developer with two extra floors on Wyse Road, and the M District goes forward for ap public hearing. Read about it here.

Council Update, February 20
A bumpy week at Council with debates over the Mayor’s Office staffing and a motion to slash municipal staff. Read about it here.

Council Update, February 14
Budget austerity and Council’s difficult choices. Read about it here.

Council Update, January 29
The Forum and Mill Cove Ferry. Read about it here.

Council Update, January 15
The building code and missing middle housing, plus potential changes to the HRM pension plan. Read about it here.

Council Update, December 11
Council approves a plan for Lake Banook and debates the Property Assessment cap. Read about it here.

Events

Escape from Happiness
March 12-28
Dartmouth Players
Stairs Memorial Church
44 Hester Street
Admission $20
Dartmouth Players brings bold Canadian theatre to the stage this March with Escape from Happiness by celebrated playwright George F. Walker. Set in a gritty Toronto neighborhood, this darkly comic family drama explores loyalty, dysfunction, and the surprising resilience that holds even the most chaotic families together.

Performances run March 12–28 at Stairs Memorial Church. Shows are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00 PM, Saturdays at 7:00 PM (with a 2:00 PM matinee on March 28), and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $20 (seniors/students $17). For tickets and more information visit the Dartmouth Players website here

Turning Red
Monday, March 16, 2:00 – 3:45 PM
Alderney Gate Library
There is lots going on at the Library over March Break. The Library will be screening Turning Red, the story of thirteen year old Torontian Mei Lee who turns into a red panda whenever she get’s excited. Tickets will be given out 30 minutes before showtime. Space is limited and children eight and under need to be accompanied by an adult.

The Villains Theatre Puppet Show
Wednesday, March 18, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Alderney Gate Library
Join the Villains Theatre for a super-special dramatic puppetry performance! Full of drama, laughter and delight, Villains Theatre has something for storytellers and explorers of all ages. Registration is required (as I type this there are 16 spots still available). Register here.

Shadow Puppet Spectacular!
Thursday, March 19, 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Alderney Gate Library
Visit the Library for a special performance of a shadow puppet adventure! Tickets will be given out 30 minutes before showtime. Space is limited

Teen Night: Mario Kart Tournament
Wednesday, March 25, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Alderney Gate Library
The Library is hosting a teen Mario Kart 8 tournament! Contestants will race against each other on the big screen. Compete for bragging rights, cheer on your friends, and enjoy some fast-paced fun. Open to kids in grades 7-12.

Sly Fox (A Ukrainian Fairy Tale Adaptation)
Saturday, March 28, 1:00 PM
Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Sanctuary Arts Centre
100 Ochterloney Street
Admission $33
Sly Fox brings to life Ivan Franko’s classic Ukrainian fairy tale in a vibrant, humorous, and thought-provoking stage adaptation. The story follows a clever fox who, through wit and cunning, manages to outsmart the forest animals and even the villagers—until her tricks finally catch up with her. The show (performed in its native Ukrainian) blends music, dance, and traditional Ukrainian motifs to celebrate cultural heritage while highlighting timeless moral lessons about honesty, pride, and the consequences of deceit

Being Black and Beautiful in Downtown Dartmouth
Saturday, March 28, 2:00 – 6:30 PM
Alderney Landing Theatre
Join the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission for our Being Black and Beautiful in Downtown Dartmouth. This beauty, culture and community event will take place in the Alderney Landing Theatre and will include presentations, a Black Business Micro Expo, health and beauty culture demonstrations, a Gospel party and more. All are welcome to attend this free event.