KANA’TA DAY – JULY 1ST, 2022

This is a re-envisioned format for Canada Day celebrations with plenty of new and refreshed cultural, musical, and family-oriented events to enjoy. The program was developed in close collaboration with Indigenous communities to honour the traditions of the Mi’kmaw Nation and pan-Indigenous communities within HRM.

Here’s a list of free metro events for Canada Day:

• Mawio’mi on the Commons

• Free admission at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and the Halifax Citadel National Historic site

• Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Canada Day Parade

• Dartmouth Summer Sunshine Series free concert featuring ANSMA artists

• Grand Oasis free Music Festival

• Cross the Harbour on the ferry for free

• 3 separate fireworks/pyrotechnics shows in Halifax, Dartmouth, and Bedford

Visit  www.hrmcanadaday.ca  for more details.

OASIS FESTIVAL IN GRAND PARADE

HRM is pleased to host the Grand Oasis Festival

Series – a 15-week festival to celebrate music, art, and culture at Halifax City Hall – Grand Parade. It will take place from June 21st to October 1st. All events are free of charge. Each week will include a new lineup of artists and events, from Canada’s greatest musicians to chart-topping artists to Indigenous performers. More artists and events will be added to the festival website over the coming weeks. To see the initial Grand Oasis Festival Series schedule and to sign up for the Grand Oasis newsletter and to reserve your free passes, go to:  www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/events/grand-oasis

FREE BUS FARES & FERRY RIDES

Halifax Transit will be offering free transit service – that’s all conventional and express buses, ferry, and Access-A-Bus services on FRIDAYS and free Alderney ferry service on SATURDAYS in July and August this summer. This initiative was approved by HRM Council and aims to encourage former or new riders to take transit and to get familiarized with the transit service available in your communities. Visit  www.halifax.ca/freefares  and check out all the Transit routes and schedules so you can figure out where you’d like to go for free!

SUPERVISED SWIMMING BEACHES

HRM will be providing water quality monitoring at its supervised beaches at various locations throughout the municipality for July & August. However, due to a shortage of qualified lifeguards, HRM had to reduce its offerings of aquatic programs and supervised beach locations. There will be lifeguard supervisors on duty at these local lake locations:

• Orenda Beach – Lake Echo

• Kinap Beach – West Porters Lake

• Petpeswick Lake Beach – Pleasant Drive – Gaetz Brook

For up-to-date info on hours of supervision and the latest water quality results, go to:  www.halifax.ca/recreation/programs-activities/swimming/supervised-beaches-outdoor-pools-splash-pads

BLUE-GREEN ALGAE AWARENESS

Watch for blue-green algae from May to October. It

is also called cyanobacteria which occurs naturally in surface waters like lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. The toxins in the algae can make people sick and be fatal for pets if ingested. Blue-green algae tend to develop when a period of hot, dry weather is followed by heavy rainfall. If you think you see blue-green algae, you should treat it as potentially toxic. Report

it to your local NS Department of Environment and Climate Change office or call 1-877-936-8476.

For more information, go to:  www.novascotia.ca/blue-green-algae

2022-23 HRM COMMUNITY GRANTS

The 2022-23 HRM Community Grants Program received 106 applications with a combined total of $1,172,793.83 in requests. After HRM staff assessment and review by the HRM Grants Committee, 59 awards were approved by HRM Council for a total of $452,714. Here are the local organizations that were granted awards from this year’s program:

2022-23 HRM – GSAR GRANTS

HRM provides operating grants to our volunteer Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) Teams. These teams provide assistance to all three levels of government in the event of a missing person search, an evacuation, natural or man-made disaster, or evidence search. Although the four organizations are based in predominantly rural locations their search areas cover the entire region and on occasion, more than one unit may be called upon to provide volunteer personnel and equipment. 

Here are this year’s GSAR grants totalling $141,300.00:

• Musquodoboit Valley GSAR Team – $19,990.00

• Eastern Shore GSAR Team – $24,680.00

• Sheet Harbour & Area GSAR Team – $25,880.00 

• Halifax Regional GSAR Team – $70,750.00

PORTERS LAKE TRIATHLON – JULY 10th

The Halifax & Navy Tridents Triathlon Clubs will be hosting the first open-water race of the 2022 season at the Kinap Canoe Club Park at 181 Greenough Drive in West Porters Lake. 

Registration is limited to 100 participants. The race starts at 8 AM with a 750m swim then followed by a 22.5 km bike ride and finishes with a 5 km run. Awards ceremony at 10 AM. 

Volunteers will be appreciated to help keep an eye along the race route. More information can be found at: www.  porterslaketriathlon.com  or  https://ccnbikes.com/#!/events/porters-lake-triathlon-2022  or call 902-580- 9924 or email:  porterslaketriathlon@gmail.com

TRUNK 7 MUSIC FESTIVAL – JULY 22nd & 23rd

After a pandemic reprieve, the Trunk 7 Music Festival will be held again but at a new venue: the Porters Lake Superstore Parking Lot. Plenty of bands and great music. 

More details at:  www.trunk7musicfestival.ca  or on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

WEEKLY ORGANIC BIN COLLECTION

Again, as a part of the 2022–23 HRM Budget, weekly organic green cart collection will resume. These changes come into effect on July 2nd and will be carried out for a three month period during July, August, and September.