District 10 and Council Updates
Keep Current - Check Back Often
UPDATE ON TWO FAIRVIEW DEVELOPMENTS; COUNCIL LOOKAHEAD: PROGRESS ON FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING; LAST CHANCE FOR $1000 HOME HEAT REBATE; YOUTH POET LAUREATE OPPORTUNITY
APRIL 4 HEARING FOR WESTERWALD AND TITUS DEVELOPMENTS
Two housing developments planned for Fairview will be coming to council for a public hearing on April 4th. Both developments are in the Dutch Village Road area: one on Westerwald and the other on Titus at Main (across from the KFC). If you live near these developments you will be receiving a notice in the mail about the public hearing. Even if you didn't receive a notice, everyone is welcome to attend and speak to council.
The building planned for Westerwald is a Fares project that will have 90 units with 3 storeys on the Westerwald side and six storeys on the Joseph Howe side. The building planned for Titus is a United Gulf project with 119 units and ground floor commercial space. It will be six storeys. Both buildings will have underground parking.
These projects were proposed a few years ago. In the meantime, I requested zoning changes to require setbacks from the street for all new buildings in the Dutch Village Road area. I did this to avoid a repeat of the buildings at the bottom of Rosedale, which are legal under zoning introduced in 2016, but it's zoning many residents were unhappy about.
Parts of that zoning have since been changed and now developments in and around Dutch Village Road may no longer occupy 100% of their lots and must be set back from the right of way. The goal is to have more room for pedestrians and better sightlines for drivers. The revised rules will require the Westerwald building and the Titus building to have setbacks.
More on the Westerwald development:
www.halifax.ca/business/planning-development/applications/case-22816-westerwald-street-fairview-h...
More on the Titus/Main development:
www.halifax.ca/business/planning-development/applications/case-23245-main-avenue-titus-street-hal...
NEW DEVELOPMENTS MAY FUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The Westerwald and Titus/Main projects may become the first two projects in our district to generate funds for affordable housing, if new rules pass at council next Tuesday. I know this is dry stuff so I'll make this as brief as I can.
Right now there aren't any legal tools in play that would allow HRM to compel developers of projects in District 10 to contribute to affordable housing. Last fall I asked for a delay for the Westerwald and Titus/Main developments until HRM planning staff could finish new bonus zoning rules that would apply to these projects. The proposed suburban bonus zoning rules are ready and will be coming to Regional Council for a public hearing next Tuesday.
I requested options to allow suburban density bonusing in the fall of 2021 (through a motion approved by Regional Council). It's a complex change that HRM planning staff have been working on for a year and a half. This is an important change because if the staff recommendations are approved, new suburban developments will be required to contribute to a reserve fund for affordable housing.
This fund is available to help non-profit organizations build new affordable, below market rent housing (or renovate old buildings for affordable housing). Many residents have told me how concerned they are about losing affordable housing in our district. If the suburban bonus zoning recommendations pass next week, it's the beginning of more funding for affordable housing projects.
For more details on the March 21 public hearing:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230321rc121.pdf
For more details about HRM's Affordable Housing Grant Program:
www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/regional-community-planning/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-gr...
PROVINCIAL HOME HEAT REBATE – APPLY BY MARCH 31
Time is running out to receive a $1,000 rebate for those who qualify under Service Nova Scotia’s Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP). To qualify for the rebate you must be paying for your own home heat and have a household income of $85,000 or less. You can apply online, by mail, or by fax and you must apply by March 31. For more details call 1-800-670-4357 or check this link:
harp.novascotia.ca/harp/start.xhtml
beta.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2-264/heating-assistance-rebate-application-form...
CALLING ALL YOUNG POETS AND STORYTELLERS
And now for something completely different, HRM is accepting applications for the first ever Youth Poet Laureate program. The one-year position offers a $2,000 honorarium - as well as a one-year mentorship with the municipal Poet Laureate. Sharpen your quills and apply by April 1st. For more:
www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/arts-culture-heritage/poet-laureate
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
Thank goodness for building setbacks! Every building in residential areas that is being built should be required to be set back. These are neighbourhood where people live and walk, and sight lines for drivers is so important as well. Developing our city is great but it should be congruent with keeping the existing beauty of the city or even adding to the beauty in cases where that is necessary.
Why is the traffic study for Main and Titus based on 2014 numbers? Traffic is probably twice that now! Having the parking garage exit on Titus is ridiculous, they will never get out.
I really hope the Gulf project on Titus and Main will not have a parking garage entrance on Titus.
What is the rent in these affordable living apartments?
Thanks for all you are doing!
After being invited to, and going, to the Natural History Museum for 'Jane's Walk'. I feel it is imperative that all Counselors, Planners and Citizens to understamd who Jane Jacobs is and what she has done. 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' was published in 1961, in which she argued that urban renewal did not respect the needs of urban dwellers. We are seeing exactly this in Clayton Park and elsewhere in HRM.
So the regulations regarding setback were changed because some people were "unhappy". Really? There was no better reason for a change? That's a bit disconcerting that they couldn't figure this out on their own.
Where will traffic from the westerwald development go
Kathryn Morse - As a home owner on Westerwald, I feel like this public meeting is a farce; basically going through legal motions - like how a union has to give a bunch of interviews to applicants they know they aren't going to hire. The traffic in Fairview is already a nightmare. Both myself and my neighbor are very concerned about what blasting will do to our foundations. The last meeting they had for the Edison, many concerns voiced by the public were shut down and ignored. These buildings also don't provide enough parking for their units. They are so expensive that there are several people to each unit, and they all have a car, because you just can't rely on buses in NS. Our driveway literally gets blocked some days due to people scrambling to park all their vehicles. These developers do not care about people or this neighborhood, but they now own most of it... and the city doesn't even know if they'll provide some affordable housing? Late-stage capitalism at it's finest.
DISTRICT 10 DUO AT THE WINTER GAMES; NEW CULTURAL CENTRE SITE APPROVED; COUNCIL RECAP; SPRING REC/SUMMER CAMPS REGISTRATION COMING UP; JUNOS IN HALIFAX
FUN AND GAMES AND FENCING
Congratulations to District 10 athletes Anna Martin and Robert Martin, a brother/sister fencing duo who represented Nova Scotia at the recent Canada Winter Games. For Anna and Robert fencing is a family tradition: they have three other siblings involved in the sport. During Covid there weren't many fencing competitions being held, so having siblings to compete with and learn from may have given Anna and Robert an edge (pardon the pun!). Anna and Robert say they were honoured to take part in the Winter Games and they enjoyed meeting young athletes from across Canada. Touche!
SITE FOR MI'KMAW CULTURAL CENTRE APPROVED
On Tuesday Regional Council considered a request to transfer the land at the former Red Cross site near Citadel Hill to the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Society. The executive director of the society, Pam Glode-Desrochers, has been working for many years to find a site for a new cultural centre. She told council the building she envisions for the site “…will be a game changer for our city. It’s not just a place for my community, it’s a place for all of us. It will be open for everybody.” When she saw the results of the unanimous vote she couldn’t hold back the tears and there weren’t a lot of dry eyes in the room. It was the only public hearing I've attended that ended with many many hugs. Ottawa has committed more than $30 million to the project:
www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.6772403?feature=related-link
COUNCIL RECAP
Other significant projects council moved forward last week:
-HRM’s food strategy JustFOOD:
justfoodhalifax.ca/
-HRM’s public safety strategy, see page 14 in link below:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230307rc1518.pdf
-approval of a 38-room supportive housing project on Brunswick Street, run by Society of Saint Vincent DePaul; to be funded through Ottawa's Rapid Housing Initiative;
-Halifax Fire and Emergency budget - council approved more support for rural fire stations.
Now that the Halifax Fire budget has been approved, most of the municipal budget meetings are finished except for the all-important BAL meeting (Budget Adjustment List) on March 29. The Budget Adjustment List is a list of maybees. It's been called a Last Chance Saloon where all the items that council couldn't decide on - and there were many - are voted on.
My fingers and toes are crossed that the increase in the sidewalk budget I added to the BAL will pass the vote. There are 120+ sidewalks on HRM's high priority list. At the current rate of building 6-10 new sidewalks per year, we won't get the high priority sidewalks built until at least 2035. A budget increase for sidewalks is important for safety, for accessibility, for transit, for fitness, and simply for enjoyment. It's a low-tech and relatively low-cost solution that would improve the quality of life for many people in our city.
TIME TO MAKE YOUR KIDS' SPRING AND SUMMER PLANS
Here are details and upcoming registration dates for recreation programs and summer camps:
www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/programs-activities/program-registration
canadagamescentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-Summer-Camps-and-Programs-Guide.pdf?x64042
HALIFAX TO HOST JUNOS
And in case you missed it, Canada's biggest night in music is coming to Halifax in 2024:
junoawards.ca/the-juno-awards-head-east-to-halifax-in-2024/
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
Kathryn Morse Councillor District 10 Halifax-Bedford Basin West can you explain.. copied this from paddling group....We've lost access to the small pier and boat launch area of Kearney Lake beach. Apparently it is privately owned (not part of the city park). It is marked as private property and has surveyor stakes around it. They are getting ready to sell it to a developer is my bet 😭
Kathryn Morse Councillor District 10 Halifax-Bedford Basin West re sidewalks wherever possible this should be double wide multiuser. Let's get it right before the concrete is poured. Multiuse allows for people walking, biking and using mobility devices to have a safe place to travel.
ELECTRIC BUS TEST DRIVE; TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS AHEAD; NEXT WEEK AT COUNCIL: DUTCH VILLAGE RD, JUSTFOOD, PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY AND PLAYING FIELDS
BATTTERY POWERED
This week Mayor Savage and council took a test drive in the LFSe+ electric bus. What a smooth ride! This battery powered bus has seating for 41 passengers, is very quiet, and of course, has no diesel fumes. Overnight charging will provide enough power for a full day or 350+ kilometers. HRM has ordered sixty electric buses like this one, with the first bus to be delivered in late summer. This model is expected to have a lifespan of 16 years and will have lower operating costs than a conventional vehicle.
MOVING FORWARD ON MOVING FORWARD
Speaking of transit, on Wednesday the budget committee voted to move forward with the “Moving Forward Together Plan.” This plan is mainly aimed at improving service in suburban areas. Starting next fall, there will be better connections to Bayers Lake, the Larry Uteck area, Burnside, and Dartmouth Crossing (including a new stop near IKEA!). Route 28, which runs through Clayton Park and Fairview, will be expanded to provide service to the outpatient clinic at Bayers Lake, scheduled to open in November.
Perhaps you’re wondering why councillors are discussing new and expanded routes when just last week Halifax Transit reduced service on many routes. The reductions were made mainly because of staff shortages. The driver situation is expected to improve over the next several months, as Halifax Transit continues hiring and training. By fall more bus operators will be in place to deliver the expanded and restructured services. Halifax Transit's Moving Forward Together plan took several years of planning and public engagement, and is needed to make the whole system more reliable.
www.halifax.ca/transportation/halifax-transit/plans-reports
Along with approving the Moving Forward plan, the budget committee agreed to fund four safety officers, a new role developed in response to increasing incidents on transit. The safety officers will be trained in de-escalation and will be riding along on certain routes. They will also be based at the Lacewood and Dartmouth transit terminals to provide a visible presence there. Sadly, many cities across Canada are having to increase security to protect both transit operators and passengers:
halifax.citynews.ca/national-news/transit-union-calls-for-national-task-force-as-violent-attacks-...
By the way, I took the "Flamingo Express" to the transit budget meeting. Just trying to walk the talk. Plus you don't have to scrape the windshield.
NEXT TUESDAY - COUNCIL PREVIEW
Here are some of the highlights on the Regional Council agenda for March 7:
DISTRICT 10: By-law changes for Westerwald, Main Ave and Titus Street in Fairview to clarify regulations for future development in the Dutch Village Road area and to require density bonusing (for community benefits) similar to the peninsula:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230307rc101.pdf
Playing Field Strategy
HRM’s first comprehensive review of playing fields. It will guide improvements to municipal playing fields over the next 15 years.
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230307rc1531.pdf
Public Safety Strategy
This strategy recommends changes to how HRM delivers community safety including alternatives to policing:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230307rc1518.pdf
JustFOOD: Action Plan
First-ever strategy for a healthier, more secure and more equitable local food system. Ten years in the making:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230307rc1517.pdf
Land sale to the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Society
Council to discuss sale of former Red Cross site on Gottingen Street to house a future cultural centre and mixed use development:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230307rc121.pdf
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
I have a good friend that drives bus. He says since kids under 12 ride free there has been nothing but problems with older kids. They are not allowed to ask for ID when kids get on the bus and are obviously older than 12 traveling late at night with groups of friends causing problems on buses and all over the city. I don't know what the answer is but when the hell are we going to hold teenagers accountable?
So you are "selling back" indigenous land to the people from whom it was originally stolen?
SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR ALL
UKRAINE; HRM'S HOMELESS PLAN;
ONE YEAR OF WAR
On Friday night I attended a ceremony at Grand Parade marking a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. The solemn occasion was marked with candles, music and speeches. A Ukranian teenager shared her personal story. She told the crowd when the war broke out she had to leave her family behind and come to Canada alone, at the age of 16. She said she became an adult then. Other Ukranians at Grand Parade were collecting money to buy a drone to protect soldiers in Bakmut. The suffering of the Ukranian people, whether displaced or still in Ukraine, is unimaginable. They are in a historic fight and will need Canada's support even more in the months ahead.
A WAY FORWARD FOR THE UNHOUSED
This week Regional Council received a sobering report from HRM’s first Director of Housing and Homelessness, Max Chauvin. Max is the former manager of the Dartmouth Sportsplex and someone with a long commitment to community development. He told council there are 790 people in HRM who are unhoused and living in emergency shelters, cars, or other temporary accommodations. They are men and women. They are youths, adults and seniors. Of those unhoused, 108 are sleeping outdoors, up from 18 a few years ago.
Chauvin said those numbers could get a whole lot worse by the end of the year if the provincial government lifts the rent cap. Asked what he expects would happen, Chauvin said, “We would have to learn how refugee camps work.” By that he meant HRM would need emergency solutions like large inflatable buildings often used to house refugees. Max predicted without the rent cap, HRM could see the homeless numbers increase by 500-1000 very quickly. That’s on top of the 790.
Apologies if I’m repeating myself but the Province of Nova Scotia has the legal responsibility to provide emergency housing and social housing (deeply affordable, below market rent housing). Although HRM’s population has grown significantly since the 1990s, the provincial government hasn’t built any social housing during that time. That's one of the main reasons why HRM’s emergency shelters are overflowing and why many of those who run the shelters are worn out. With no room even in the emergency shelters, people are ending up sleeping in tents in municipal parks because they have nowhere else to go.
In Max Chauvin’s report “A Framework to Address Homelessness in HRM” he advised that the only real solution to the growing numbers of unhoused is for new housing to be built, subsidized by the government. The Framework states ".... it is not feasible for the commercial market, without substantial support, to build, offer, and maintain deeply affordable housing."
In other words, Nova Scotia can’t continue to rely solely on the private sector for all our housing needs. Developers are not charities, and with the cost of labour, materials, and interest going up, they can’t repay their bank loans unless they charge “market rent”. In Halifax, market rent is now $1400+ per month for a one bedroom apartment. HRM needs thousands of apartments at rents geared to income, at $500-800 per month or less. Private companies can’t and won't build housing like that on their own.
Building social housing will require leadership from the Province of Nova Scotia and partnerships between all levels of government, the private sector, and non-profits like the YWCA and the NS Housing Trust. Unfortunately, even if construction of hundreds of units of social housing started immediately, that housing will not be ready for a year or two, and the problem of homelessness will continue to grow in the meantime. That’s why HRM’s Director of Housing and Homelessness is recommending HRM increase supports, including a day centre, a place for the unhoused to warm up, get a shower, get some food, and get some help. The estimated cost would be $1.5 million, proposed to be shared between HRM and the Province of Nova Scotia.
Like the modular emergency housing set up through Regional Council approval last year, the work of developing practical solutions for the unhoused is often being led by HRM. The time to build social housing is now. It's the only long term solution to addressing homelessness in HRM. And keeping the rent cap is critical too. It's encouraging to the growing concensus on these points spelled out in the Framework recommendations adopted last week by HRM Regional Council. For more details:
www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230221rc1515.pdf
www.halifax.ca/city-hall/regional-council/making-a-difference-our-region
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
I will say I am not super educated on this matter and will do some research but wanted to throw my comment out there, as far as housing goes can you tell me why Shannon Park is going to take 10 years to develop? If the developers can put up all the buildings in Fairview and Clayton Park within the last couple of years surely Shannon Park can be developed faster. We won't have any land to build on if the city keeps selling it to developers.
Then why is HRM trying to double our population? I guess to become a "big" city with no housing or medical care for the current residents? The developers seem to run this town and their high rises are approved without making them partially responsible for the infrastructure required for their "upscale" apartments like schools, roads, fire service, garbage collection. Also, how many if the current homeless have come from other parts of Canada because our climate isn't as harsh? I would like more information about why these people are homeless. Information provided by someone other than those that want the tax payers to be responsible not only for those that are homeless through no fault of their own but those who make bad choices and refuse to help themselves. And, there are lots of landlords who are greedy who charge way above market. It seems like they are continually rewarded with more approvals. Can you tell that I'm angry?
Thank you for your commitment to and heart for housing as a right for all!
Thank you for sharing Kathryn Morse Councillor District 10 Halifax-Bedford Basin West .
We need the registry of landlords implemented and “slum lords” who refuse to maintain their buildings held to account. As we’ve discussed before, a nominal fee per unit would be able to be offset against costs of enforcing the registry and building standards. Social housing is desperately needed. Whether they be mini homes, trailers or renovated empty houses that are in HRM, we cannot wait years for sites to be developed. This is urgent now. Look to Finland’s “Housing First” project. amp.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/03/its-a-miracle-helsinkis-radical-solution-to-homelessness There are solutions but they need to be implemented.
BUDGET UPDATE; COUNCIL LOOKAHEAD: REGULATING SHORT TERM RENTALS, HOMELESSNESS PLAN AND BONUS ZONING FOR D10 AND SUBURBS; INDIGENOUS GAMES SEEKS VOLUNTEERS; BEWARE PHONE SCAM TARGETING SENIORS
ARTS GROUPS PROTEST PROPOSED CUTS
On Friday the council chamber was packed for the budget debate, a rare thing. About two dozen people spoke very passionately against proposed cuts to arts and heritage grants. The cuts are among dozens of options proposed to reduce the pending property tax increase. As many of the advocates pointed out, HRM’s support for the arts is modest and therefore does not have much impact on the tax rate, however it is significant enough to be meaningful to those working in the arts. Instead of a cut, council agreed to consider an increase for arts grants and moved this item to the end of March for a vote.
Also on Friday, the budget committee approved an increase in the cost of building permits which could generate an additional $1.5 million for the muncipality. Next week the budget committee will discuss the Parks and Recreation budget.
SHORT TERM RENTALS - PUBLIC HEARING FEB 21
Next Tuesday at City Hall there will be a public hearing about new regulations for Airbnb and other types of short term rentals. This will no doubt be of interest to the 2000+ hosts in HRM offering short term rentals, including at least eighty in District 10. Regional Council is taking steps to regulate short term rentals because of the severe housing shortage in HRM. The aim is to place limits on short term rentals, which mainly serve visitors on vacation, in order to make more rental housing available for local residents year round.
Some of the new regulations being proposed include:
• short term rentals in residential areas to be permitted only in the host’s primary residence;
• short term rentals to be permitted in mixed-use and commercial zones where tourist accommodations are already allowed;
Halifax isn’t the first municipality to take these steps. From Paris to Charlottetown, short term rentals are facing new regulations. Given our 1% vacancy rate, I believe regulations are needed in HRM. Ideally HRM's regulations will strike the right balance: more rental housing will be available for local residents, while at the same time, some small scale hosts will be able to continue to rent out rooms in their own homes to help pay the bills.
For more details on the proposed regulations and for information about how to register to speak at the public hearing (Feb 21 at 6pm):
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/221213rc15111.pdf
www.halifax.ca/city-hall/regional-council/public-hearings
HOMELESSNESS PLAN - FEB 21
Next Tuesday council will discuss a plan for addressing homelessness in HRM. Emergency shelters and social housing are provincial responsibilities, but in the last few years, the increase in tents in city parks has highlighted the gaps in these services and the urgent need for solutions.
HRM council has been working to develop practical and compassionate approaches such as the modular housing in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth, but the gaps continue to grow.
Next Tuesday, HRM council will discuss a new report called the Framework for Addressing Homelessness. One of the recommendations is for HRM to set up a year-round daily drop-in centre for the unhoused at a cost of $1.5 million:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230221rc1515.pdf
BONUS ZONING FOR DISTRICT 10 AND SUBURBS;
Also on Tuesday, council will consider changes to the regional plan to allow "bonus zoning" for developments outside the regional centre (Halifax Peninsula and downtown Dartmouth). Through bonus zoning, developers are allowed an increase in the number of units in exchange for community benefits, such as a financial contribution to HRM for an affordable housing fund.
Right now, bonus zoning only exists on the Halifax peninsula and in downtown Dartmouth. If this passes next week, a public hearing will be scheduled in the next few months. I'm hopeful these changes will go forward and in the future, District 10 residents will receive more community benefits and affordable housing from developments in our area.
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230221rc1512.pdf
VOLUNTEER WITH NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS GAMES
From July 15-23 Halifax will host the largest-ever sporting event in Atlantic Canada: the North American Indigenous Games. Five thousand athletes representing 756 Nations will be coming to Nova Scotia. For many of the young athletes it will be their first time away from home. Organizers are looking for volunteers, age 16 and over, to welcome the athletes and help run the games. Celebrating culture will be a big part of this event, so even if sports aren’t your thing, there are many kinds of volunteer opportunities:
naig2023.com/opportunities/
BEWARE OF “GRANDPARENTS SCAM”
Halifax Regional Police are cautioning residents about a phone scam targeting seniors. The scenario involves a phone call from someone who pretends to be a grandchild. In a muffled voice they explain they’ve just caused a serious car accident, are being held in jail, and need bail money right away. The caller asks the (by now) very distressed grandparent to go to the bank, get the money in cash, and hand it over to the “bailiff” who will make a house call to pick it up, often the same day. This is no way resembles a regular police or court process, but seniors in Halifax have been fooled by this scam and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here are more details:
www.halifax.ca/home/news/police-continue-investigate-recurring-scam-targeting-seniors
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
Thanks Kathryn, I too had the 'distress' phone call...when the caller stated 'it was my grandson', I said which one? Click!
Thanks Kathryn, I also had the Grandma phone call. ☹️
Thank you Kathryn Morse Councillor District 10 Halifax-Bedford Basin West
OUTDOOR ICE; BUDGET UPDATE: CLIMATE AND LIBRARIES; SCHOOL DECISION
CHILLIN' ON THE ICE
Congratulations to Alesha MacIntyre and volunteers for getting the outdoor rink at DJ Butler Park up and running this week. Finally - in February - some good freezing weather! Alesha and her dedicated group of rink builders (Nick Barker, Jason Bond, Diego Marchi and Jle Marchi, as well as Ron Burke and Nathan Guy, missing from photo) have really been fighting the weather this year. I was pleased to support this community project with a new tarp and I'm happy to see kids on the rink day and night. Fingers crossed they get some traditional winter weather for the next few weeks.
BUDGET UPDATE: SIDEWALKS COMING UP
Budget debate continued last week at City Hall, with discussion of HRM’s climate plan. The small but dynamic climate team is working on projects such as energy retrofits for 5,000 residential and commercial buildings and the electric vehicle strategy, which will transition the municipal fleet to EVs and encourage electric vehicle ownership for residents. They also want to start identifying areas most at risk for coastal flooding and ways the city can adapt. The manager of the climate team requested funds to hire additional staff for these and other important projects. Without additional staff at this critical point, HRM will fall behind and fail to meet its climate targets.
www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/energy-environment/halifact-2050-acting-climate-together
Speaking of falling behind, on Friday Chief Librarian Asa Kachan told council that HRM’s libraries are falling further below the national average in terms of the number of books (e-books, videos, holdings) per person. The gap is widening because of HRM’s growing population, high usage rates, and the increasing cost of books and electronic materials. Asa said HRM would need to commit an extra $4 million to expand the library’s collection and meet the national average. Knowing the budget is tight, she asked for an additional $300,000 instead, which was approved to be added to the Budget Adjustment List (BAL) for decision in late March.
Next week, the budget committee will hear from three of the bigger departments: Planning, Parks, and Public Works, which includes roads, traffic safety, and sidewalks.
www.halifax.ca/city-hall/regional-council/february-14-2023-budget-committee
I will be advocating again for an increase in the sidewalk budget, as I did last year. The increase was approved, but then it was the first item targeted to be cut last fall when it became clear HRM was in a financial squeeze (due to rising interest rates, rising inflation, rising fuel costs and labour costs). I have been asking for an increase in the sidewalk budget to try to make progress on the 600+ sidewalks in the queue for construction across HRM. If this sidewalk budget increase doesn't pass, HRM will continue to build new sidewalks at the very slow rate of 6-10 per year. At that rate it will take 10-15 years to build the high priority sidewalks, and 60 years to get all the sidewalks built on the current list.
CLAYTON PARK WEST TO GET SECOND SCHOOL
Last week Regional Council approved the transfer to the Province of HRM-owned park land on Radcliffe Drive near Park West School. I cast one of the two votes against the park transfer. I am concerned about the precedent set by this decision and the potential impact on other parks given the growth in our city. Just last week I learned this P-8 school will be larger than originally proposed and that makes a big difference.
The province is now planning to build a three-storey school for 800-1000 children. I'm concerned this will mean it's less a walking school and more a bus and car-dependent school. A school for 1000 students will require large on-site parking areas for staff, large areas for the bus turning circle, large areas for cars to drop off students, and large play areas for the kids. It wasn't clear to me this site is big enough for all these features. At other schools in District 10 where schools are expanding and modular classrooms have been added, it's the play areas that often shrink.
If the site is not big enough, not only will the students be short changed on their outdoor space, there will likely be pedestrian safety, parking and traffic issues at the new school, which is a sadly familiar problem. The traffic issues at many schools in HRM require management by municipal by-law enforcement staff and Halifax Regional Police. However, there was very little information available to HRM council about whether the size of the school site is adequate. There was also very little information available to council about alternative locations for this school or the possibility of redeveloping existing feeder school sites. HRM council is not asked to weigh in on school design or the site selection process. We were just asked to turn over the forested park land. To a certain extent even this vote was moot: the provincial government could expropriate the park land if it deemed neccessary.
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
I read that the revenue generated from the sale of the parkland will be set aside for parks and recreation. Will it be earmarked for the Clayton Park area?
How can we engage on this important topic with decision makers? There are several flaws in this process, the most basic of which is true Community Engagement. Thank you for speaking the truth at Council. I believe some of the material presented was misrepresented.
Thankyou always for your updates..amazing job