Best Of Halifax

Every year Halifax’s free weekly, The Coast, has a couple of Best Of competitions, where the readers vote in numerous categories (typically the Food & Drink voting is one competition, and all the other Best Of voting happens in the other competitions.

This year’s Best Of results are out now.

I note that Strange Adventures has won again. I am not surprised–I would call them the best comic store in Canada, and I’ve seen what the competition would be in every major city in Canada, and lots of the minor ones (although I think Butcher and the Beguiling guys might be able to make a very good argument on that point, I’d ultimately come down on Cal’s side).

Best comic book store, Winner
Strange Adventures Comic Bookshop
Address: 5262 Sackville
Phone: 425-2140
Eight years in a row for Strange Adventures. Balou the dog is still around. Owner Calum Johnston says, “We enjoy what we do. We have a great selection and knowledge we try to share.” There’s no hard sell at Strange Adventures. Johnston’s job, as he sees it, is to get you in the door and give you suggestions if you want them. “After that,” he says, “the work will speak for itself.”

Also worthy of note is that the Best Salesman in Halifax is apparently “Crazy Uncle” Drake, although I know a few people, including Mike himself, who would be surprised to find out that he was suddenly the store manager. I also know a lot of people who would be surprised that someone with as much HATRED as Drake has can manage to deal well with the public–I guess you can never underestimate the power of a good hug.

Best salesperson, Winner
Mike Drake
Address: Strange Adventures Comic Bookshop, 5262 Sackville
Phone: 425-2140
The fact that Mike Drake was too busy helping customers to spend much time talking to a reporter probably explains a lot about the Strange Adventures manager’s win. After a bit of small talk—“It’s easy to be good at your job when you have a great boss and great customers,” Drake said—he excused himself so that he could go help with a sale. So put it down to his excellent product knowledge and customer service—or maybe what he calls “a willingness to hug my customers.” Drake is the Superman of sales people.

(In addition to this, Drake also hosts a mean poker tournament. But don’t get him started on the Fireball.)

There’s lots of other interesting results in this year’s Best Of:

Best member of parliament, Winner
Alexa McDonough
Love her or hate her (but probably love her), New Democrat Alexa McDonough always lets you know exactly where she stands. For that, you’ve at least gotta respect her. “There’s a lot of cynicism surrounding politicians these days,” says McDonough. “Although there may be many people who don’t totally agree with my point of view, they at least know that I’ll be direct about what my point of view is.”

I still wish Alexa was leading the NDP–I was always impressed with her stances, which seemed to be based on an underlying philosophy that I could get behind. I was never more impressed with her than when she stood up to Manning, et. al. and argued that Canada should not be involved in the U.S.’s ridiculous and illegal war in Iraq. Hell, read what she wrote at the time–her predictions for what would happen are pretty sound, and you can’t argue with this:

On invasion, however, Washington has the gall to say the test of UN relevance is whether it obeys.

True irrelevancy comes when, after Mr. Bush fails to heed the world majority, countries such as Canada participate in a reckless invasion only to inoculate the UN against charges of impotence. It is perversity to suggest that complicity in a clear breach of the UN Charter somehow helps the United Nations.

The challenge facing Canada is not Mr. Manning’s, but whether we will stand for peace with other middle powers, or invade under cover of a UN resolution that fails to specifically authorize it.

This one made me laugh:

Best cheap thrill, Winner
Ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth
I suppose the novelty wears off if you commute via ferry each day. For the rest of us, two dollars buys a little slice of naval paradise, plus views of Dartmouth, Halifax and the bridges–all worth the proverbial million bucks. Up on deck you can play King of the World or stand steady, chin jutted to the brine, arms akimbo, riding up and down with the swell of the waters.

Best cheap thrill, 2nd Place
Rolling down Citadel Hill

and, of course…

Best place to have sex outside, Winner
Point Pleasant Park
Forget nooners in a secluded parking lot overlooking the Bedford basin; Haligonians are making it happen in Point Pleasant Park. Not wind, nor sleet, nor rain, nor lack of cover will deter Halifax’s outdoors-lovers from getting busy in the great outdoors. Hurricane Juan and the subsequent loss of foliage in the park didn’t seem to bother too many people; this is a repeat win for the park. One wonders what effect recently proposed changes to Point Pleasant—with more trees at the top of the list—will have for our wilderness Romeos and Juliets. Requests for more spongy undergrowth should be submitted before planting season.

(I’m guessing that’s for the people with cars, since it would be a bit far to walk from the bars for the downtown folk.)