Author Archives: FHC Editor

Media Release – Common for Sale?

Is the Halifax Common for Sale?

HRM Council is going to sell the Queen Elizabeth High School site, Halifax Common land. This is to facilitate Flagship Developments on Spring Garden Road & Queen (the new public library) and the Grand Parade & Province House.

The Halifax Common Plan is very specific about the amount of city-owned land in the Halifax Common not being decreased (3.1). The Plan recommends preserving public open space for a variety of outdoor recreation and leisure activities or other suitable public uses.
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Chronicle Herald Op Ed – Protecting Halifax’s Common Ground

Money spent by HRM for private and expensive Concerts on the Common would be better spent on protecting the Common for everyone.

Public money spent by HRM for private, expensive Concerts on the Common would be better spent on protecting the Common for everyone.

Recently, Friends of Halifax Common were informed HRM will begin electrical repairs to the Centennial Fountain on the North Common. This was conveyed to us as a “good news” story. Indeed there hasn’t been much good news about the Common for a long time.

The Halifax Common, Canada’s oldest urban park, was created in 1763 when King George III granted 240 acres “for the use of the inhabitants of the Town of Halifax forever.” Originally extending between Cunard and South Streets, bounded by Robie on the west Continue reading →

Friends of Halifax Common Challenge Sale of Common Land – Media Release

Friends of Halifax Common (FHC) are calling on the provincial government to stop the sale of 5.5 acres of Halifax Common land at the former Queen Elizabeth High School (QEHS). The QEHS land is included in a land swap between HRM and the province. FHC says this a bad deal. HRM will lose public open green space, pay $1.9 million for the land swap but will acquire half as much as land as the province.
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Haligonians Reclaiming the Common

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 1994 Halifax Common Plan is upheld.

This has included succeeding in having the 1994 Halifax Common Plan be available on HRM’s website in 2008.

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 Mayor Kelly and Council follow through on a promise made by Mayor Kelly 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.