INITIATIVES:
Posted 
26-04-11
About taking the time to get the Oval right
Send your letter to the Mayor and Council at: clerks@halifax.ca
Why are HRM staff so rushed to "Save the Oval" without paying attention to details?
Friends of Halifax Common are not opposed to the Oval but ask that enough time is taken to get the location and design right. "Save the Oval" is a reactive response rather than a longterm planning strategy with a master plan.
FHC members have made a number of presentations to HRM Community Councils to raise the following concerns:
1. Why has there been such a superficial consideration of other locations?
For example-the Central Common was eliminated as a choice because the staff said the area needed a redesign. Why wouldn't the new skating facility act as a impetus for redesign? Or what about the waterfront development property, where proximity to existing downtown amenities and Dartmouth Ferry and would help people draw to the area outside of work hours.
2. Why has the staff report does not considered the cost of increased electrical energy associated with NSPI rate hikes? NSPI's electricity has increased rates by 43% since 2002 and is projecting 20% increase by 2015.
3. Where is the evidence that HRM staff has given careful thought about why its better to have one central destination as compared to the original "legacy" of a network of community outdoor rinks? These could be pathway skating facilities at Victoria Park or Grand Parade or in other communities. No estimates have been provided for multiple outdoor skating rinks throughout HRM.
4. There is enough waste energy generated from the Oval to heat 140 homes in a different location. On the Central Common waste energy could be captured and used for helping to heat public institutions such as the highschool, the hospital or the museum.
5. What has HRM staff done to examine the potential impact of climate change on weather and the implication for energy and maintenance costs with more extreme weather events such as increased episode of rainfall, snowfall and changeable weather? Environment Canada tells us we've just had the warmest winter on record- the 14th in a row.
6. How does this new facility fit into HRM's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when this one outdoor arenas will produce emissions equivalent to 8 skating arenas.
Please let the Mayor and Council know that they can do better.
For the HRM staff report see:
http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/110329cow3ii.pdf
Posted 21-01-10
Write the Mayor & Council
About "Improvements" to the North Common
Send your letter to the Mayor and Council at: clerks@halifax.ca
HRM have a new plan for "Improvements" to the North Common and while the North Common definitely needs a facelift most of the $2.7 budget is to support mega-concerts. This is when all the evidence about the effect on either the commercial or private sector is that these concerts are bad for business and residents. At the public meeting held on January 20th, HRM staff presented the plan for "improvements" to the North Common as if mega-concerts on the Common are a foregone conclusion. Why didn't staff provide the public with a written report on the improvements or a written project budget at the meeting? OR why is HRM staff spending so much money on private, expensive concerts without ever completing an economic analyses of the mega-concerts?
Proposed "Improvements to the North Common" include the removal of a baseball diamond and construction of a permanent plaza in for concerts. These large concerts are for PRIVATE PROFIT and interfere with other uses for 5 week to 6 month time periods, especially recreational. Originally only concerts of 40,000 or greater were to be held there.
It might make sense to use the Common for something like community gardens instead of private parties, to spend the money landscaping active transportation (walking & biking) routes throughout the entire Halifax Common all the way to South Street instead of widening and asphalting paths into roads so trucks can drive on the Common for stage set-up.
1. THIS IS NOT THE BEST USE OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACE: The Halifax Common is less than 1/3 its original size. Although the plan proposes planting a few trees it continues the erosion of public open land by removing the baseball diamond next to Cogswell to make way for a permanent hard-surfaced plaza for concerts, using asphalt instead of permeable materials for wider paths on the Common and creating hard surfaced entrances.
2. HRM COUNCIL is IGNORING ITS OWN Memorandum of Understanding that ONLY CONCERTS OF > 40,000 ARE TO BE HELD ON THE COMMON? Private music business promoters have only held one concert (Paul McCartney) which met this criteria. Exhibition Park is an under utilized Crown owned facility, why isn't it being used? - Like Moncton's permanent Magnetic Hill concert venue, its outside of town, there'd be better parking, less disruption of traffic and no interference with multi-purpose use of the Common.
3. THIS IS NTO THE BEST USE OF MONEY FOR CULTURE or the COMMON: A written budget break-down of the "improvements" is not yet available. There has been no Cost-Benefit analyses of mega-concerts and yet private concerts on the Common received ~$600,000 in public support in 2009 alone and over $1.2 million in the past 3 years. This while other HRM & NS cultural events struggle for any money. For example the Jazz Festival received only $40,000 from the province but attracts ~60,000 over the week long event. Many businesses have stated that the concerts have a negative impact.
4. THESE "IMPROVEMENTS" DO NOT RESPECT THE HALIFAX COMMON PLAN: The 1994 Halifax Common plan proposes maintaining a diversity of activities (health care, sports, education, recreation, gardens & cultural activities); retaining the public nature of the Halifax Common and involvement of the public in the future planning and design- has the public agreed to privatizing the Common by regularly closing it down for private music business promoters?
download HRM plan for the North Common
Posted 10-01-10
Two Important Meetings
1st meeting:
Planning Meeting hosted by Friends of Halifax Common
When: Tuesday, January 19, 7:30 PM,
Where: Women’s Council House (Inglis &Young Ave.)
AGENDA: to prepare for the Wednesday night public presentation by HRM on "Improvements to the North Common" (details below)
2nd meeting:
Public Presentation of "Improvements to the North Common" by HRM Staff
When: Wednesday, January 20, formal presentation-7:20 PM
(Plans can be viewed starting at 6:30)
Where: Halifax City Hall
AGENDA: ask questions and make suggestions about
HRM plan for the North Common 
Background for both meetings
The proposed "Improvements to the North Common" include the removal of a baseball diamond and construction of a permanent plaza in for concerts. These large concerts are for PRIVATE PROFIT and do "lock down" the availability of the Common for other uses, especially recreational. Originally only concerts of 40,000 or greater were to be held there.
It might make sense to use the Common for something like community gardens instead of private parties, to spend the money landscaping active transportation (walking & biking) routes throughout the entire Halifax Common all the way to South Street.
It's important to ask decision makers:
1. Is this the best use of public green space? The Halifax Common is less than 1/3 its original size. Although the plan proposes planting a few trees it continues the erosion of public open land by removing the baseball diamond next to Cogswell to make way for a permanent hard-surfaced plaza for concerts, using asphalt instead of permeable materials for wider paths on the Common and creating hard surfaced entrances.
2. Why is HRM Councils ignoring is own MOU whereby only concerts of > 40,000 are to be held on the Common? Private music business promoters have only held one concert (Paul McCartney) which met this criteria. Exhibition Park is an under utilized Crown owned facility, why isn't it being used? - Like Moncton's permanent Magnetic Hill concert venue, its outside of town, there'd be better parking, less disruption of traffic and no lock-down on the use of the Common.
3. Is this the best use of money for culture? The budget break-down of the "improvements" is not yet available. There has been no Cost-Benefit analyses of mega-concerts and yet private concerts on the Common received ~$600,000 in public support in 2009 alone and over $1.2 million in the past 3 years. This while other HRM & NS cultural events struggle for any money. For example the Jazz Festival received only $40,000 from the province but attracts ~40,000 over the week long event.
4. Does this respect the Halifax Common Plan? The 1994 Halifax Common plan proposes maintaining a diversity of activities (health care, sports, education, recreation, gardens & cultural activities); retaining the public nature of the Halifax Common and involvement of the public in the future planning and design- has the public agreed to privatizing the Common by regularly closing it down for private music business promoters?
Posted 10-21-09
Take a Chalk around the Common
Friday, October 23rd, 2009: 12 noon
Pick one of seven Meeting points:
Robie at Cunard
Jubilee or University;
South Park at South or Spring Garden
Bell Road across from Bengal Lancers
North Park at Cogswell
Guest Speaker: You, fellow Earthling on the Global Common
Topic: Action to promote International Day of Climate Action, 350.org
:: see the story at FHC in the press ::
Posted 04-28-09
Next Meeting:
The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Friends of the Halifax Common:
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009: 7:30-9:45
All Nations Church (Robie at Charles St.)7:30 - 9:30 PM
Guest Speaker: Dr. John Gillis, M.D.,
Topic: "Green Space and Healthy Living"
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Haligonians reclaiming the Halifax Common
Correspondence
The Friends of the Halifax Common has engaged in a number of initiatives to try and raise interest in and support for ensuring the intent and spirit of the Halifax Common Plan is upheld.
This has included succeeding in having the 1994 Halifax Common Plan be available on HRM’s website.
Because most HRM Councillors are unfamiliar with the Halifax Common Plan, FHC asked to permission to do a presentation before the Council.
We were not granted this but we did make a presentation to the Community Council (Dawn Sloane, Sue Uteck, Sheila Fougere & Patrick Murphy) to inform them about the existence and principal mandate of the Friends of the Halifax Common. One outcome was that each Councillor was to receive a hard copy of the Halifax Common Plan 1994.
We also asked that the Mayor and Council follow through on a promise made by the Mayor to have a Halifax Common Task Force formed to ensure that there attention being paid to the Common and with public participation.
The Mayor has not kept this promise.
Queen Elizabeth High School
Friends of the Halifax Common have undertaken a number of interactions with City government relating to the disposition of the Queen Elizabeth High School. It is the position of the Friends that this is part of the Halifax Common.