Halifax Seafood Restaurants: McKelvie’s on Bedford Row in Halifax (Photo: Nova Scotia Tourism Agency)
SOU’WESTER
Situated next to the world-famous Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, Sou’westeron Peggy’s Cove Road offers some of the best local seafood, including chowder, fish and chips and lobster.
• Sou’Wester, 178 Peggy’s Point Rd., Peggy’s Cove, 902-823-2561, peggys-cove.com
• Map and reviews
By night, downtown Winnipeg is alive with concert-goers and diners; by day, it’s bustling with 9-to-5ers and business travellers. Busy people require specialty shops and services, and downtown is rich with options. Start your day with a quick blowout or polish change at the urban Salon One Eleven on Fort Street. Stroll a couple blocks north on Fort to Portage Avenue and turn left, followed by a right on Smith Street, where you’ll find Four Directions Trading Company. Pick up unique Aboriginal treasures like hand-carved antler earrings and traditional quilted star blankets (pictured). The Best of Friends Gift Shop, located in the Millennium Library on Donald Street, boasts stylish writerly gifts, including lovely journals and pens. Head down Graham Avenue to The Bay Downtown for a luxe department store experience. Stripe-spotters will love beautifully displayed Hudson’s Bay Company bedding and apparel. More than wedding dresses, Stella’s Bridal, located across from the University of Winnipeg, is a tony boutique for ravishing evening wear by Sophia Tolli and more.
Looking stylish need not hurt the pocketbook, especially during the post-holiday financial crunch. Famed American retailer Marshalls ensures that having fashion sense doesn’t mean pinching dollars and cents—its entire stock is discounted up to 60 per cent. Although the company debuted in Canada in 2011, its first downtown location is brand new and situated centrally in an Entertainment District heritage building. Over two floors and 29,000 square feet, coveted designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, London Fog and Betsey Johnson can be found amidst a vast selection of apparel and accessories for the whole family, including more than 8,000 pairs of footwear. Also find “The Cube” shop-in-shop for stylish teens, with purses and scarves at hand for mixing and matching. —Linda Luong
>> Marshalls, 126 John St., 416-979-2599; marshallscanada.ca.
Sushi at Hamachi House
Hamachi House on Morris Street reinvents the art of Japanese dining in the city. Often voted as serving the best sushi, the chefs use only the freshest local ingredients. Try their selection of teriyaki and tempura, too.
For a more casual atmosphere, try Fujiyama on Blowers Street, which specializes in sushi and hibachi. The menu also includes teriyaki and sashimi. Take out and delivery are also available.
Burritos at Burrito Jax
For a quick and authentic Mexican lunch, stop by Burrito Jax on Blowers Street. Burritos made from scratch are the specialty, stuffed with everything from Jax chicken, pepper steak, pulled pork or pulled beef. Choose from fixins’ including smashed beans, basmati, sweet potatoes and green peppers.
For a sit-down California-style Mexican meal, try Mexicali Rosa’s on Spring Garden Road. The tasty menu includes MexiCanada treats like the Mushroom Melt and Southwest Penne Paste. Try Mexican favourites Chicken Chimichanga, Taco Dinner, burritos or enchiladas. Mondays feature specials on margaritas and nachos.
Highlights of the AFF include The Disappeared
Photo: Michael Tompkins
For over 30 years Halifax’s thriving filmmaking industry has exploded every September. As home to the Atlantic Film Festival, the city has welcomed filmmakers, actors and fans from all over the world into its theatres. “We’re probably the biggest film festival in the region,” says festival director Lia Rinaldo, boasting about the local talent. “The heart and soul of our programs is all of the Atlantic films…we have a huge community here.”
This year’s Festival has been a work in progress since its credits rolled last September, and has seen the biggest influx of film submissions in its history. With more than 1,700 entries, Rinaldo and her team kept busy selecting the 158 for this year’s lineup. Of the chosen, about one-third are local creations, one-third national, and the remaining spanning from across the globe. “We try to pull from all areas…to keep it balanced,” says Rinaldo.
Alongside the regional variety, the genres included are also quite diverse. “Pretty much everything and anything you can imagine,” Rinaldo says. Combine this eclecticism with classic Maritime hospitality and the result is a truly unique and animate Festival experience.
One big change that can be expected by Festival goers this year is sheer accessibility; all of the main activities are centralized within just a few city blocks in Halifax’s core, a concentration that Rinaldo is sure will give the Festival a distinctively different feel from other years. “It’s good for making last minute decisions,” she says, citing that between the Oxford and Park Lane locations of Empire Theatres, at any given time there will be about five screenings on the go, followed by nightly celebratory parties around town.
The Festival, supported by a large staff and a volunteer troop of over 300, is calling the Lord Nelson Hotel its home-base, where there will be a Festival Lounge open to the public and delegates from September 14 to September 20. Film-goers can stop in before or after a show or party to enjoy a variety of programs, discussion, food and beverages. “It’s sort of an all-access, behind-the-scenes [look], in a central location,” says Rinaldo.
Aside from the opening and closing galas, fans can look forward to a variety of special events. The Atlantic Gala on September 14, features The Disappeared by Shandi Mitchell, followed by the Telefilm Canada Gala on September 15, which features Midnight’s Children by Deepa Mehta. The CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala set for September 18 will present eleven short films, including Better People by Mark O’Brien and A Dog is Ignoring You From the Passenger Sear of a Parked Car by Anne-Renee Dumont.
The Festival also has eight Rogers Special Presentations, which Rinaldo considers to be “premium” screenings. “They are some of the top films from around the world and the current film festival circuit,” she says. The feature line-up includes Holy Motors by Léos Carax, Love is All You Need by Susanne Bier, Amour by Michael Haneke, and Rust & Bone by Jacques Audiard.
Spectacular opening and closing galas will feature The Angel’s Share by Ken Loach on September 13 and A Royal Affair by Nicolaj Arcel on September 20. The closing gala will also include an international jury appointed awards ceremony. This culmination, taking place on September 20, will wrap up an exciting week for fans, the world’s burgeoning artists, and their palette Halifax.
Tickets for shows and parties are available exclusively at www.atlanticfilm.com
An exercise in balance, paddle boarding is an ideal way to explore False Creek and nearby Granville Island. Photo by KK Law
The sun may be hot, but the water is cool—and you don’t have to leave town to soak up Vancouver’s marine scene. Beat the heat with urban water adventures for both families and thrill seekers
By Kristina Urquhart
Legend
+ Fun for kids of all ages
++ You don’t have to be a champion swimmer to try one of these intermediate activities
+++ Have a need for speed? These exciting water sports will get your adrenaline pumping
Paddle Boarding ++
Water babies should try this sport, which is gaining in popularity. You use a long paddle to row a surf-like board—while standing on it. Sound tricky? Once you get a feel for it, this is a relaxing way to navigate the waters. Find rentals at Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre on Granville Island.
The long-awaited return of the NHL has brought new life to Winnipeg’s downtown shopping scene.
Steeped in history, The Bay at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard sells designer fashions, furnishings and cosmetics. Face east, and let your nose lead you across Vaughn Street to Perfume Paradise, where hundreds of popular, rare and even discontinued fragrances stock shelves. At Portage Place, head upstairs to Argento World of Silver to peruse beautifully hammered sterling silver jewellery. The Winnipeg Jets are back, baby, and Jets Gear has team merchandise for every fan. Take the skywalk from Portage Place to the MTS Centre to pick up a pint-sized souvenir (pictured). Walk a block east on Graham Avenue to Millennium Library to find clever literary themed accessories and objects at Best of Friends Gift Shop.
The historic Fairmont Château Laurier is celebrating its anniversary with a series of fun and fascinating events taking place in the coming months.
One of Ottawa’s most recognizable landmarks celebrates its 100th anniversary this spring. The Fairmont Château Laurier first opened its doors on June 12, 1912, although it was originally slated to open on April 26. An interesting fact that people might not know is that just days before the hotel’s original opening date, the man who commissioned the Château Laurier, Charles Melville Hays, died aboard the Titanic on April 15. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier, for whom the hotel was named, and who also helped the Château Laurier acquire its property, opened the hotel instead. With its prime location in the heart of the city, only steps away from Parliament Hill, the Fairmont Château Laurier has played host to a century of political deals and many of Ottawa’s visiting celebrities. From rock stars to political figures, its guest list has included Shirley Temple, Billy Bishop, Roger Moore, Bryan Adams, Nelson Mandela, and more.
In honour of this historic landmark reaching the big 100, the hotel is offering some fun events in the upcoming months: (more…)
Who goes there? The Ottawa Jail Hostel is both a place to rent a room, and a former jail.
If you visit Ottawa on a budget, you just might find yourself spending a night in jail — by choice. The Ottawa Jail Hostel was once a working jail (and is a good choice for those who want a cheaper stay and an experience to write home about). Guests have their choice of a solitary or double jail cell, and Haunted Walks holds a one-hour “Crime and Punishment” tour for the public that includes the old death row. No wonder travel experts at Lonely Planet named this spot one of the top 10 spookiest buildings in the world.
Soviet-era propaganda posters add a historical flair
Avant-Garde Bar & Gift Shop is easy to miss if you’re not searching for it. Squished in between the booming beats of Ritual Nightclub and the orange glow of iTan Advanced Tanning Studios, the restaurant defines hole-in-the-wall.
Dim lighting and flickering candles contribute to the feeling that you’ve stumbled upon an Ottawa secret, while the walls decorated with Soviet-era propaganda posters evoke a bygone era. All the posters, art, and other merchandise — European sports teams’ baseball hats, polo shirts, hoodies — are for sale.
This Avant-Garde promo poster describes the bar as a cultural hub "where local poets, musicians, artists, designers, and political activitists gather."
When asked about the décor, owner Alex Yugin says, “The Soviet era is very striking artistically and culturally. Every element of décor and every Soviet propaganda poster is surely unlike any traditional pub-related environment. Also, with our family hailing directly from St. Petersburg, Russia, we felt we had a very refreshing and authentic cultural Soviet perspective to offer in comparison to more of a “vintage” North American view.”
The Soviet theme carries over to the menu. For example, classic Russian dishes such as Siberian pelemeni (ground beef dumplings) and borscht are found under the witty heading, “Five-Year Plan Entrees,” referring to Stalin’s five –year plan for stimulating the Soviet Union’s economy. The traditional fare appears alongside more Western-style dishes such as nachos, fittingly named “food stamps nachos,” and a mixed greens salad.
The real gem, however, is the drink menu, which consists of three jam-packed pages of cocktails, martinis, shooters, wine, beer, port, sherry, spirits, and liquors. Cocktails such as “Proletarian Omelet,” “Orange Revolution,” and “From Russia with Love” mix the political with the whimsical. A couple of the most popular cocktails include the “Soviet Sunrise,” a mix of lemon-flavoured vodka and special syrup, and “Red October,” which contains vodka, soda, and a mix of syrups. (more…)
Just one of the archival photos from "New Brunswickers in Wartime." Photo credit: Chorus girls, Fundy Follies, around 1944. NBM, Murdoch Family fonds, F6.
New Brunswick may be hundreds of kilometres from Ottawa, but its war history is relevant to all Canadians. Until April 9, the Canadian War Museum is hosting an exhibit entitled “New Brunswickers in Wartime, 1914-1946.” Here you will find a wide selection of artwork, artifacts, and images that illustrate the stories of the people from this province during the First and Second World Wars — at sea, on land, in the air, and at home. Whether you’re from the east coast, have family there, or just take an interest in this country’s history, this exhibit will shed light on one province’s people and how they dealt with adversity during trying times.