The Halifax Common Master Plan Review and Implementation Plan was adopted by HRM Council on January 23, 2024. In February 2022 HRM Council directed staff to undertake further public consultation and review as the masterplan process begun in 2017. The public had not seen the plan since pre Covid and had little awareness of it. HRM staff chose to not host any public information or consultation sessions but sought feed back via a Shape Your City on-line survey for 9 months.
The presentation to HRM Council by HRM staff Carol Kodiak Roberts begins at 4:37. Council comments begin with Waye Mason at 4:48. Most of the discussion is around the stadium. HRM Staff are awkward in their answers. Councillor Mancini is excited. Councillor Patty Cuttell gives the best insight to “All winners no losers,” (5:06) Continue reading
HRM Council Approves Carbon Bombs for Carlton Block
On January 23 HRM Council voted to give the Dexel / Lawen development even more benefit but still without any public benefit in exchange. For almost a decade HRM Council and staff ignored public concerns about the Lawen and the Rouvalis families’ two projects and refused requests that the four towers be considered together. Citizens support the need for development and density but want better options. Now the combined impact on the existing/future affordability, climate, traffic, community, heritage, wind, shadow, noise etc. will only be understood in real time. HRM made no attempt to balance the private, for-profit interests of the developer with societal needs. The HRM public hearing recording begins at 8:08 & the citizen speakers at 8:34 -Its worth the watch. See details below the video.
FHC Writes to Ms. Maggie MacDonald, HRM Executive Director Parks & Recreation
FHC sent a letter to HRM’s Executive Director of Parks & Recreation Ms Maggie MacDonald to with information for her use in writing a staff report for the HRM Standing Committee on Community Planning and Economic Development about the Wanderers Grounds, particularly in the context of the proposal Mr. Derek Martin made for a long-term lease of a publicly funded stadium.
As the matter of the public funding stadiums is as yet untested in Halifax we recommend the Journal of Economic Surveys’ February 2022 article, The Impact of Professional Sports Franchises and Venues on Local Economies: A Comprehensive Survey. This recent analysis of 130 studies on the economic impact of publicly financed sports venue…
“…confirms the decades-old consensus of very limited economic impacts of professional sports teams and stadiums. Even with added non-pecuniary social benefits from quality-of-life externalities and civic pride, welfare improvements from hosting teams tend to fall well short of covering public outlays. Thus, the large subsidies commonly devoted to constructing professional sports venues are not justified as worthwhile public investments.”
(https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4022547)
Todd Veinotte & FHC’s Howard Epstein re HRM’s Proposed $40m Stadium Build
Listen to Todd Veinotte’s interview with Howard Epstein about SEA/Derek Martin’s pitch for HRM to spend $40 million on a permanent stadium for his private use and profit for thirty years.
Watch Derek Martin/SEA pitch to HRM Community Planning and Economic Development standing committee along with presentations by Howard Epstein starts at 13:03, David Bentley and Vince Calderhead here:
The Wanderers Grounds was fully used by amateur players prior ot HRM’s deal for a ‘temporary pop-up stadium’ – HRM’s 2017 staff report stated that if it was successful was to go elsewhere, no park space would be lost.
FHC to HRM Community Planning & Economic Develoment Standing Committee
The Wanderers Grounds was fully used by amateur players prior ot HRM’s deal for a ‘temporary pop-up stadium’ – HRM’s 2017 staff report stated that if it was successful was to go elsewhere, no park space would be lost.
Dear HRM CPED Committee Members:
Re- Wanderers Grounds – FHC Comments
FHC’s FOIPOP information received Sept 11and attached below shows that the Wanderers Grounds was used almost exclusively by Derek Martin/SEA activities with virtually nothing for amateur players. This is similar to two previous FOIPOPs. Martin/SEA private-for-profit stadium is consistently shutting out amateur players year after year.
ARG-23.24-00118 – Response Letter 00118 – Responsive Record (In Full)
HRM’s 2017 staff report wrote: Continue reading
Todd Veinotte- Interview re Ron Pink’s letter to HRM on Privatization of Wanderers Grounds
In 2018 just before the start of public consultation for the Halifax Common Master Plan HRM signed a contract with a private, professional, for-profit soccer club for a temporary “pop-up” stadium on the Wanderers Grounds. According to the 2017 HRM staff report, prior to this agreement amateur players of all ages and gender fully used the field for football, touch football, rugby, lacrosse, frisbee and soccer— an estimated 325 hours. (Even more had the field been maintained.) The report also states that if the club was successful they would have to move elsewhere-no park space would be lost. Public tax dollars paid for initial ~$1million dollars in field improvements, and since then for on-going maintenance and utilities. There has been little to no public access. And no public consultation. With thousands more residents moving to the Peninsula we need public open green space more than ever.
The Wanderers Grounds was fully used by amateur players prior ot HRM’s deal for a ‘temporary pop-up stadium’ – HRM’s 2017 staff report stated that if it was successful was to go elsewhere, no park space would be lost.
Renovated Robie St House Demolished & What about those trees?
Historic, newly renovated four-unit building at 2110 Robie Street- demolished.
Mid-town Halifax housing takes another hit this morning as an “Investor” knocks down 2110 Robie to save on maintenance and taxes and to profit from poor planning.
At least four units are destroyed in a recently renovated, pristine and irreplaceable building next to the North Common. (see pictures below) This is one of 450 demolition permits HRM has issued since January 2020.
Please sign the petition to Petition to Stop Demolitions – shorturl.at/dlxET
Continue reading
FHC to Mayor/Premier: Stop Plan to Cut Mature Historic Trees on Common
re: QEII Hospital Build and cutting down Halifax Common Trees
FHC has just learned that the province intends to cut down as many as 40 mature historic trees on the Halifax Common as part of the QEII hospital build.
This 2020 aerial view shows a massive expansion of the Halifax Infirmary (The 8-storey parking garage recently built on NS Museum property on Summer St. has oddly been omitted.) Like the recent construction of a parking garage on the Common, tree cutting should not play a part in the Common future. Public money, public land— where’s the public consultation?
To learn more about the Friends of Halifax Common position read our July 14/23 letter to Premier Houston and Mayor Savage: 2023 FHC Mayor, Premier re: Tree Cutting
If you concur please send your message to premier@novascotia.ca & mayor@halifax.ca
Tell them to:
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- Protect the trees on the Halifax Common and stop plans to cut them.
- Follow good urban planning principles and engage in meaningful public consultation.
- Be collaborative in working to keeping a healthy environment for a healthy population.
Please consider becoming a FHC member: https://halifaxcommon.ca/about/membership/
Donate to support the work of Friends of Halifax Common by sending an e-transfer to banking (at) halifaxcommon.ca
Wanderers Grounds: Ron Pink Letter to HRM Mayor Savage
FHC recently retained Halifax lawyer Ron Pink with respect to concerns about the Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM) use of the Wanderers Grounds. HRM is operating in violation of the HRM Charter, the 1994 Halifax Common Plan and the Plan’s intent to maintain public access to all Common land. The letter, FHC 2023 07 10 Letter to Mayor Savage from Ronald Pink is intended to give HRM an opportunity to cease and desist all acts on non-compliance.
FHC has many posts, letters and interviews about our concerns for the Wanderers Grounds here: https://halifaxcommon.ca/?s=wanderers+grounds
Please consider becoming a FHC member: https://halifaxcommon.ca/about/membership/
Or donate by e-transfer to banking (at) halifaxcommon.ca
FHC & Todd Veinotte-Councillor Misinformed on Wanderers
Reminder: Its time for our Mayor and Council to protect the Halifax Common, not to let more of it slip out of public use and control. The temporary “pop-up” stadium on the Wanderers Grounds is turning into yet another example of privatization of the public’s Common. Before the private, for-profit Wanderers Club took over the space amateur players of all ages and gender fully used the field for football, touch football, rugby, lacrosse, frisbee and soccer. Now the field improvements, maintenance and utilities are still paid for by public tax dollars but there is little to no public benefit or access. Even if Sports Atlantic doesn’t get the $20 million its been asking for they’ve been closing off availability to land worth millions. With thousands more residents moving to the Peninsula we need public open green space more than ever. Here’s an July 2022 interview to fill in some of the information missing from the discussion!
The Wanderers Grounds was fully used by amateur players prior ot HRM’s deal for a ‘temporary pop-up stadium’ – HRM’s 2017 staff report stated that if it was successful was to go elsewhere, no park space would be lost.
FHC Response to HRM’s ‘in principle’ Halifax Common Master Plan
We invite you to read these detailed comments on the ‘in principle’ Halifax Common Master Plan (the “Plan”) that FHC recently sent to HRM staff. Collectively it took us thousands of hours. It is comprehensive and worth a look! (There is a short summary below the map.)
Halifax Common with its boundaries between Robie, Cunard, Park and South Streets, as well as land leased to the Horticultural Society for the Public Gardens, area used for cricket grounds, area used for military exercising grounds, and the water-course from the Egg Pond to the Public Garden pond to Freshwater Brook (water features aren’t labelled).
Honour the Mi’kmaq with the name “Black-duck Pool” —Forget about sponsorship or charging kids money
HRM Mayor and Council approved selling branding/sponsorship for the
Children playing in pool at Central Common. The location has historically been referred to as Black-duck Pond by Mi’kmaw. That name is better than a brand!
new central common swimming pool building. But FHC proposes that instead, HRM call the pool its historic Mi’kmaw name —Black-Duck Pool and commemorate this summer’s North American Indigenous Games. FHC opposed both HRM Parks and Recreation plan to make $100,000 on user fees and plan to charge $100,000 for naming rights for the new Halifax Common pool.
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