Season 4 continues with James Collins and Alec Cranston as they discuss an unexpected cruise-ship diversion to Halifax and the strange story of Jerome of Sandy Cove. Then they’re joined by Charity Baker, chair of Hal-Con, to talk about the community behind the convention and what’s next for its growth.

Baker shares how she went from attendee to volunteer to chair, how Hal-Con chooses its guests, and how the volunteer-run event keeps growing through year-round gatherings and community outreach.

Along the way, they cover:

• Insane as the Crane: a Bahamas-bound cruise ship ends up in Halifax
• Harbour of Lies: the mystery of Jerome of Sandy Cove
• Hal-Con’s volunteer spirit, guest selection, and impact on Halifax
• New year-round events and highlights from this year’s convention
• Baker’s vision for Hal-Con’s future and advice for first-time attendees

CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Welcome and Halifax wildlife stories
03:21 — Insane as the Crane: A cruise ship detours to Halifax
15:24 — Harbour of Lies: The mystery of Jerome of Sandy Cove
27:27 — Charity Baker and the community behind Hal-Con
31:29 — How Hal-Con chooses its guests
34:32 — Hal-Con’s growth and economic impact
38:35 — Year-round events and community outreach
41:03 — What’s happening at this year’s Hal-Con
45:37 — First-time attendee advice and Charity’s dream guest
48:59 — Hal-Con’s future
51:21 — Closing remarks

Follow Matter Of 'Fax: https://www.instagram.com/matteroffaxpodcast/
Follow James: https://www.instagram.com/teamcollinsns/
Follow Alec: https://www.instagram.com/aleccranston9/

Season 4 continues with James Collins and Alec Cranston, though James joins from his sickbed, loaded up on throat lozenges, while Alec runs the studio on his own. This episode is about one of the biggest questions facing the city: what happens next at the Wanderers Grounds?

Halifax Wanderers FC owner Derek Martin explains how a weedy, neglected field became the home of professional soccer in Halifax. He talks about why the "pop-up" stadium was only ever meant to be temporary, and why he's now pitching City Council on a privately funded modular stadium on a 99-year land lease, which he says would cost taxpayers very little. He also covers what the plan could mean for concerts and events, and for Halifax's ability to compete for big shows.

Along the way, they cover:

• Insane as the Crane: the "Lake America" sweaters, an AI photo that went viral, and the CEO who lost her job over it
• This month's Harbour of Lies: Enos Collins, the Nova Scotia privateer whose bank became part of CIBC's history ("he put the R in banker")
• James's accidental three Harbour Hopper tours in 15 hours
• How a beach volleyball event on the waterfront led Derek to the Wanderers Grounds
• The rugby game that was cancelled after the field ended up with "crop circles" of burnt grass
• Why the Wanderers Grounds has been a fenced sports venue since the 1880s and has never truly been open space
• Surviving COVID, a two-year city study, and a $120M worst-case estimate
• Life at the pop-up stadium: no washrooms, no running water, and shipping-container locker rooms
• James on Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, which was in use 300 days a year
• Why concert promoters start every show $2 million in the hole, and how a permanent venue changes that
• The road ahead: HRM review, a council decision targeted by year-end, Maybank Field, and a 2028 opening goal
• How Haligonians can make their voices heard with their councillors

Chapters:

• 00:00 Cold open
• 00:16 Intro: Alec alone in the studio, James sick in bed
• 02:45 Insane as the Crane: the "Lake America" sweaters
• 10:25 Harbour of Lies: the story of Enos Collins
• 19:36 The verdict
• 21:57 Derek Martin joins the show
• 23:01 From beach volleyball to the Wanderers Grounds
• 25:20 The "crop circles" rugby disaster
• 27:18 How the Wanderers and the pop-up stadium were born
• 28:44 "It's truly never been open space" 29:42 Right-sizing a stadium, COVID, and the city study
• 33:36 The privately funded proposal and the 99-year lease
• 34:51 Pop-up realities and the grandstand tender
• 39:35 James on Cardiff's Millennium Stadium
• 42:19 The economics of concerts in Halifax
• 45:48 "We haven't profited yet"
• 46:53 What's next: council, Maybank Field, and the 2028 timeline
• 51:34 How the public can help
• 54:02 Outro

Follow Matter Of 'Fax: https://www.instagram.com/matteroffaxpodcast/
Follow James: https://www.instagram.com/teamcollinsns/
Follow Alec: https://www.instagram.com/aleccranston9/

Season 4 continues with hosts James Collins and Alec Cranston back in the studio after a chaotic Halifax summer of heat, bomb threats, and breaking news alerts — and turning their attention to something even more unsettling: Halifax quietly becoming one of the least affordable cities in Canada.

James walks through a new Urban Stress Index report ranking Halifax above Toronto and Vancouver for unaffordability, while he and Alec unpack what it means when rent eats 60% of a typical income, how that changes everyday life in the city, and why it’s not just a “people are bad with money” story.

Along the way, they cover:

• What the Urban Stress Index is and why Halifax tops its Canadian unaffordability rankings
• How rising rents and stagnant incomes are reshaping what people here can actually afford to do for fun
• The trade‑off between “charming small East Coast city” vibes and wanting big‑city amenities and investment
• The flood of emergency alerts in Halifax lately, from the downtown bomb threat to a gunman in Bedford
• How Canada’s alert system really works (and why your phone goes off for incidents hours away)
• This month’s Harbour of Lies: the charming “village” of Anus, Nova Scotia
• A detour through some of the world’s most ridiculous real place names, courtesy of James’s UK upbringing
• How the show has evolved as the hosts loosen up, swear a bit more, and reflect on past “frosty” guests

Follow Matter Of 'Fax: https://www.instagram.com/matteroffaxpodcast/
Follow James: https://www.instagram.com/teamcollinsns/
Follow Alec: https://www.instagram.com/aleccranston9/