Wednesday, July 10, 2013
metronews.ca | twitter.com/metrohalifax | facebook.com/metrohalifax
HALIFAX NEWS WORTH SHARING.
Injuries after Pop! Goes highway crash the foodie
Free will? How quaint
A pileup near Falmouth left five people hurt on Tuesday – including three children
Scientists are now predicting the lifespans of infants. Our columnist says thanks, but no thanks PAGE 11
PAGE 3
Local foods, foreign talent, and unusual pop-up locales bode well for a savoury Cape Breton summer PAGE 6
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED NATHAN MACKINNON SIGNS THREE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE AVALANCHE PAGE 16
Grant all for UFC in Halifax Bring on the sweat. Mixed martial arts card expected soon at the Metro Centre ANDREW RANKIN
andrew.rankin@metronews.ca
GROOVIN’ ... ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON
East Preston’s Kirsten Olivia performs R&B originals and covers during a performance at the Halifax Jazz Festival on Tuesday afternoon in the main tent on the waterfront. Olivia won Emerging Artist of the Year at this year’s African Nova Scotian Music Awards. The festival runs through Saturday. EVAN MCINTYRE/FOR METRO
News the UFC will be heading to Halifax in the not-so-distant future came as a surprise to most on Tuesday, but not for T.J. Grant. The Cole Harbour native and lightweight star said he’s had conversations on the topic with UFC director of Canadian operations Tom Wright long before he made the announcement during a press conference in Toronto. “In speaking with him in the past, he let me know that UFC was interested in coming here because they thought it was the hotbed region for UFC fans and that it could attract people from all
Quoted
“If I could fight in Halifax it would be amazing.” T.J. Grant, mixed martial arts fighter
over the Maritimes as well as Newfoundland, Quebec and eastern United States,” said Grant. Wright expressed the UFC’s interest in Halifax at a news conference to promote UFC 165, responding to a question that a show would be held in the province’s capital “if not in 2014, 2015, the next couple of years for sure.” There’s no doubt in Grant’s mind it would be a roaring success. “Absolutely it would be,” said Grant, who has a UFC lightweight title bout set for Aug. 31 against Benson
(Smooth) Henderson at UFC 164 in Milwaukee. “There’s no doubt in my mind. I have fans all over the Maritimes; there’s a huge, growing following here, it would be a sellout in no time at all.” Plans appear firmly in motion. “I’ve had conversations with the people that run the Metro (Centre) there,” said Wright. “I’ve had discussions with all sorts of different people politically down in Halifax. “I think Atlantic Canada is a great spot for our sport.... It’s the centre of commercial business in all of Atlantic Canada and they are definitely, definitely on our radar.” The prospect of fighting in front of his hometown is about as tantalizing for the 29-year-old Grant as you might expect. “It’s not something I’ve been able to do a lot during my career,” he said. “I’d love the opportunity.”
Get Ready, Get Set, Go!
Don’t settle for anything less than your dream job. Get the training you need to jumpstart your new career in just 14 months.
• Child & Youth Care Worker • Paralegal Plus Program • Counselling Skills
• Business Administration Program • IT Specialist • Medical & Dental Administrator • Travel & Tourism • Correctional and Policing Foundations • And many more!
Limited seating available. Call today!
1.888.809.2472 SuccessCollege.ca