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)

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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
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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:

    • 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).

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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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Thank you for Writing to Protect Former Home & Clinic of Dr. Clement Ligoure—5812-14 North Street

On January 24th HRM Mayor and Council unanimously supported  FHC’s 2022 Heritage Designation Application to help protect the former home and clinic of Dr. Clement Ligoure at 5812-14 North Street by giving it heritage designation.

This important building is a legacy to Nova Scotia’s first black doctor, co-founder of Canada’s first all black military battalion and editor of Nova Scotia’s first black newspaper. 
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Send Your Comments to Help Make the Halifax Common Plan Better!

HRM is continuing its ‘public consultation’ on the Halifax Common draft plan via an on-line survey or comments until February 28, 2023.  Thanks to Mayor Savage  and HRM Council supporting HRM’s Community Economic Development standing

The Halifax Common grant in 1763 was for 235 acres ” to and for the use of the inhabitants of the town of Halifax as Common, forever.” This entire area was to be considered for planning purposes in the 1994 Halifax Common Plan.

committee’s excellent recommendation in January 2022 to bring it back to the public for feedback. (view video of committee meeting) 

This plan is critical to the future of the Halifax Common. That’s why we want HRM staff to do more than an online survey or emailed comments. That’s no substitute for public presentations and engagement. We are also very concerned that HRM has not consulted with the public about the Wanderers Block and that it is engaging in side deals.

Below are draft notes you can use to help you to write more detailed comments to HRM. Please email commonplan@halifax.ca to ask for actual public presentation(s) of the revised document followed with opportunities for public feedback. And to also ask that there be public consultation on the Wanderers Block.
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