Huddle’s Top 10 Stories From Nova Scotia In 2022
If there’s one image that will stick in Haligonians’ minds from 2022, it’s hundreds of cars jammed together in an impossibly long line snaking away from a Bedford fried chicken joint.
Popeyes Lousiana Kitchen’s arrival in the city marked the international chain’s first restaurant in Atlantic Canada, and people in the city were, to put it mildly, here for it.
While Huddle’s story on the opening was our most popular this year, many of the rest of our most-read stories in 2022 reflect our readers’ hunger for information about the new businesses, developments, and film shoots coming to their communities.
But as pieces like our profile on Mary Nkrumah demonstrate, our readers are also fascinated by the stories of the people behind the local businesses they know and love.
And, of course, our readers were also very interested in the big, economic issues affecting their lives (like housing and the price of groceries) and stories that turn a watchful eye on the big players influencing them.
Here’s a list of our ten most-read Nova Scotia stories from 2021, as well as a few “honourable mentions” our team particularly loved.
Popeyes Hires Crowd Control For March 30 Opening In Bedford
Before lines of cars snarled traffic in Bedford, before the fast food joint had to close early and bribe people in line to leave–before the spectacle that gripped the city in late March, there was nothing but anticipation for a new fried chicken joint.
This story, which came out just days before Popeyes officially opened its doors in Bedford, captured that anticipation as readers appeared just as hungry for details as they were for chicken.
Disney Series Will Bring Crew Of 150 To Shelburne For Filming This Spring
In January, Huddle broke the news that big-name stars like Sterling K. Brown were set to descend on small-town Nova Scotia to film a Disney series.
Although much of Washington Brown was shot in Nova Scotia, Shelburne did not end up being the prominent filming location that was initially anticipated.
It’s Time For The Alcohol Industry To Face Facts
In one of our most widely read columns ever, Huddle reporter Derek Montague reflects on what he calls the “hypocrisy” of a province that puts significant restrictions on cigarettes but appears to embrace alcohol consumption, despite the fact that alcohol can be incredibly dangerous.
From Ghana To Barrington Street: The Remarkable Story Of Mary’s African Cuisine
This fascinating profile of local restauranteur Mary Nkrumah follows her journey from West Africa to opening her own restaurant in the middle of downtown Halifax.
Nkrumah began with a farmer’s market stall a decade ago and opened a full-fledged restaurant in 2019, “working herself like crazy just to survive” after the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Sobeys Boss On Rising Profits: ‘I Refuse To Apologize For Our Success’
As food prices were skyrocketing across the country, Sobeys boss Michael Medline railed to investors against what he called “armchair quarterbacks” criticizing his company for pulling in record profits.
It was a bold statement from a company many believed was using inflation as a smokescreen to squeeze more money from its customers.
Halifax Homes Lost $100K Of Value In Three Months And The Decline Isn’t Over
For most of 2022, Halifax’s real estate market had been surging wildly. A market correction was always inevitable, but when it hit the value it wiped out for homeowners was still shocking.
We published this story just as the impact of the correction started coming into full view.
Peavey Mart Opening First Maritime Location In Bedford
Early in the year, the Western farm-and-hardware chain Peavey Mart announced it was opening its first store in Atlantic Canada.
The news didn’t garner too much reaction at the time but over the course of the year readers gradually found the story and boosted it to one of our most read of the year.
Sobeys Scraps Air Miles, Moves To Scene Points
Air Miles has been a staple of shopping at Sobeys for decades. So when the company announced it was ditching the long-time rewards program, our readers reacted strongly.
Along with being one of our most read stories this year, our brief news hit sparked an ongoing conversation online as readers debate the merits of both Air Miles, and its replacement, Scene+.
Another Highrise Planned In Dartmouth’s ‘New Downtown’
The skyscraper that Boston Developments plans to build at the foot of the Angus L. MacDonald Bridge is just one of several projects that will dramatically change the character of a Dartmouth neighbourhood the city hopes to build up as a major residential and commercial space.
A ‘Fornever’ Home: How A Halifax Couple Lost Their House Before It Was Even Built
Joanne Kimm’s experience with a shady contractor who promised to build her and her husband a house and then sold it out from under them demonstrated the pitfalls of the wild housing market Halifax found itself in in early 2022.
The couple eventually won a court case against Almadina International but the experience cost them a lot of money and took a major toll on their mental health.
Honourable Mentions
Along with our most-read stories in 2022, we’re also highlighting a few pieces that we have soft spots for, or we wish had seen a little more love.
Here are a few of our team’s favourite stories and columns from Nova Scotia that didn’t crack our Top 10: