
“trees aren’t just ‘pretty things to look at” a nice short film by Uytae Lee about our urban forest https://shorturl.at/choDH

“trees aren’t just ‘pretty things to look at” a nice short film by Uytae Lee about our urban forest https://shorturl.at/choDH
Join us for a Walk around the Common – June 23rd @4pm – to mark the 258th anniversary of the Halifax Common, a gift ‘to and for the use of the inhabitants of the town of Halifax as Commons, forever.” We’re following the German tradition of a Grenzgang –when people walk around a property to check the borders and to protect it against intruders. We all need to become familiar with our collective Common and help protect it for future generations. Details below…

The North Common is about 20% or 1/5 of the 240 acre Halifax Common grant.(David Garrett)

The Common Link is a pilot pathway that links the green spaces within the Halifax Common – Victoria Park, Public Gardens, and the Halifax Common North.
The Common Link is a pathway currently being developed to link the green spaces within the Halifax Common – Victoria Park, Public Gardens, and the Halifax Common North. See pathway on the attached map. Friends of Halifax Common are excited to be working with the Common Link folks who have taken inspiration from the Boston Common’s Emerald Necklace and are working to to re-connect Halifax’s green space.
The walk is about 4 – 5 km long and takes ~ one hour to complete. Consider joining the Common Link Association to help with this important initiative.
Please attend this important meeting and make comments on the 19 proposed developments…

The classic 3-storey Coburg Apartments, an Edwardian-era building at Spring Garden and Robie, on the South Common, is one of a dozen+ buildings that will be demolished by two developers if their plans for 16 & 30 storey and 20 & 26 storey high-rises in the single block between Carlton, College, Robie and Spring Garden Road are approved.
Most of the 19 proposals are for highrises that break existing height restrictions and are out-of -scale with neighbourhoods. They’ll cause dozens of affordable small-scale, mixed-use residential units, commercial spaces & historic houses to be demolished. This will harm Halifax’s Common in various ways. Examples are:
You are invited by the recently formed Common Link Association to join us for a walk along a newly proposed ‘Common Link.’ This route is designed to connect the green spaces and blue vistas through the heart of Halifax. Please come and support our efforts to create and promote a continuous, easy-access loop through the existing trails within the Halifax Common (including Victoria Park, the Public Gardens and North Common) as well as the Citadel. This walk is free and open to all. Bring friends.
When? 10 am Saturday, Oct 24th, 2015
Rain date: 10 am Sunday, Oct 25th, 2015
Where? Victoria Park at Spring Garden Road/South Park St. by Robbie Burns Statue Statue.
Why? To enjoy and promote the creation of The Common Link, a continuous loop trail.
Who? Walking enthusiasts and all others who are interested.
How long? Approximately 1.5h.
Membership: Should you wish to be a part of the initiative to develop The Common Link you are invited to start the process by becoming a Common Link Association member.
Please RSVP if you plan to join us, by sending an email to info@halifaxcommon.ca and writing ‘CONFIRMED’ in the subject line so we know numbers in advance.

The SW corner of South & Robie has 1 of 50 perimeter flags & 4 corner gardens to mark when we enter or leave the Halifax Common.
For FHC 100 in 1 Day is the perfect way to Celebrate the Common. To remind Haligonians of the Halifax Common’s real size the Friends have marked the perimeter by hanging approximately fifty small flags silk-screened with “Halifax Common” and an outline of its shape. And as well the group has marked the four corners of the Halifax Common by planting small garden boxes and installing painted signs.
“The flags around the perimeter and four common corner gardens at South/Robie, South/South Park, Cunard/Robie, and Cunard/North Park are to help remind us when we are entering or leaving the 240 acre Halifax Common,” said participant Jyelle Vogel. “Everyone will be surprized at how large our Halifax Common is,” said Vogel.
“Halifax isn’t just giving away the common green space, its now privatizing the blue space on and around the perimeter by permitting developers to build out of scale high-rises so they can sell the luxury view to their paying clients,” says Peggy Cameron, Friends of Halifax Common, Co-chair. “This changes the experience of being on the Halifax Common by blocking the view, the access to light and Continue reading
Did you know that Halifax has its own lost river system? Join Jane’s Walk guide, Ben Wedge on the North Common to explore Halifax’s river system and its influence on development patterns in a growing garrison town. After centuries of development burying our beautiful urban streams, cities are rediscovering them and starting to bring them back. Inspired in part by the documentary “Lost Rivers” Halifax Council is debating daylighting Dartmouth’s Sawmill River.
Here is a nice facebook page and previous posts on Freshwater Brook can be found here…This post about HRM’s 2006 daylighting policy for both Sawmill River and Freshwater Brook. This post includes links to excellent essays by Matt Neviille and Sam Austin. Continue reading

With you, artist Zachery Gough will envision our Biophysical, Knowledge, Social and Cultural Commons in Halifax.
Cartography of the Commons is a collective mapping initiative and workshop series by artist Zachery Gough to take stock of the things we share in Halifax. We’ll swap info about shared and free resources (Biophysical, Knowledge, Social and Cultural) and talk about how increasingly everything is for sale.
All workshops take place a the Halifax Public Library. Everyone welcome. Free.
In October of 2014, Friends of the Halifax Common organized four days of activities to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Halifax Common. The Halifax Common came into being when the land was given to the “common folk” of Halifax by King George III “to and for the use of the inhabitants of the Town of Halifax as Common, forever”. To further mark this anniversary we published the Illustrated Catalogue “Celebrate the Common 250”.
Within the 24 pages of this historical documentary book are present-day photographs taken by Alvin Comitor interspersed with archival photographs and images. Accompanying text describes the gradual diminution of the lands allocated to the Halifax Common, south to north, over the past 250 years.
To view the catalogue on line CLICK HERE.
For beautiful print copies Contact Us. A donation of $10 per book is suggested but not required.
View On Line: Parking the Common, Documentation of Phylum Paveia

This study classifies invading species of Phylum Paveia (parking lot) responsible for the creeping disappearance of the Halifax Common. Ecological examination reveals P.Paveia colonizes territory replacing endangered natives such as Lawnis tranquilis, Gardenia publica and Serenis communis. Identified Paveias include Genera Bituminus (asphalt), Lapillius (gravel) and Cementus (cement) and species civitis (city), ecclesiais (church), hospitalis (hospital), imperium canadis (federal government), imperium nova scotis (provincial government), privatis (private), scholis (school), and universitis (university). This study raises doubt about notions of improvement historically rooted in imperialist ideology that, unless mitigated, will result in further colonization.
Have your say about the new permanent building on the North Common
Date: Thursday June 5, 2014
Time: 6:30pm to review presentation panels & 7pm for the formal presentation
Location: Atlantica Hotel (former Willow Tree Holiday Inn)
Isn’t it time for a big picture plan that respects the 1994 Halifax Common Plan? In March 2012 HRM found out through a legal opinion that buildings on the Common are likely illegal. So instead of respecting the law, HRM lobbied the provincial government to change HRM’s Charter to permit the legal erection of a permanent building on the North Common in exclusive support of the Oval. https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/61st_4th/1st_read/b157.htm
We agree that so far the aesthetic of the Oval has been a junk heap but is a new building is necessary? FHC suggested spending the money to improve the Central Common Pavilion; or to host a yearly international design competition for warming huts like Winnipeg does; or to use yurts as found in many ski hills & golf courses. These were ignored. This permanent building is another major encroachment on the remaining ~ 30 acres of the original 240 acre land grant. We like the Oval but we love the Common. At the public meeting in 2010 everything was about the concerts and $3 million was promised for improvements to the North Common. Now its all about the Oval. What’s the big picture?
Everyone is welcomed to attend events with award-winning author Heather Menzies in celebration of the launch of her new book, Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good.
A memoir of personal and political discovery, Menzies’ focus is on the need to reclaim common resources to work together to build a better society. Her message is especially relevant to Friends of Halifax Common who present these events in cooperation with Halifax’s Lifelong Learning Network, Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies (MSVU), Common Roots Urban Farm, the Council of Canadians, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Nova Scotia.
For dates, times and details… Continue reading