Todd Veinotte Asks FHC About Paving the Garrison Ground for Healthcare Parking

(Ki’jupuk) Todd Veinotte & Peggy Cameron discuss the Nova Scotia’s Department of Health pitch to Parks Canada to pave more green space on the Halifax Citadel’s Garrison Grounds for healthcare parking. Already ~30% of the Common is parking/parkades, mostly hospital. Have a listen, learn more about better options. Then please write to Parks Canada to say “no way!” April 24th deadline: halifax@pc.gc.ca 
Include: Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca  andy.fillmore@parl.gc.ca 
To help you, please see the list of concerns below Todd’s pic.
FHC has been working for better transportations options since 2007. (See Tag)

Below are some concerns to mention in your email

  • Only 20% of the Halifax Common’s 240 acres remains as public open space.
  • 25% – 30% of the Halifax Common is already parking or parkades, mostly for hospitals
  • Citizen’s want green space protected: 3,000 citizens opposed the Department of Health’s new 8-storey parkade on the NS Museum of Natural History’s lawn.
  • HRM citizens and guests enjoy the Garrison Grounds as a historic place to gather, play, recreate, hear music, connect, walk, relax
  • Paving for private vehicles is not a transportation, health or climate solution.
  • The feds, province, city need to support better transportation options: public & active transportation; bike, ride & car share; park & ride.
  • In 2019 FHC’s Peter Zimmer recommended the province build a compact, modular underground robotic parkade that would fit on hospital grounds for hospital users/workers. This is still an option.
  • Vehicles have a negative impact on health & safety:- pollution, GHGs, collisions, noise, congestion etc.
  • Over 30% of Canada’s GHGs come from transportation-expanding capacity for storing private vehicles is not a solution.
  • Asphalt is a toxic fossil fuel, as is run-off that includes vehicle fluids and tire particles. It also increases heat island effect and worsens flooding in extreme weather.
  • Canada is in a political turmoil over the carbon tax. DoE should not support expansion of car parking at a time when countries around the world are working to improve better options that reduce emissions and have societal not private person benefits.