Halifax, we need to talk. Mayor Peter Kelly is hosting a violence summit in the wake of Damon Crooks’s murder, with invitees including representatives from the police, downtown businesses and the tourism industry. Mayor Kelly told me he’s heard from over 300 people since Crooks, a US Navy sailor, was stabbed on Argyle Street early last Saturday morning. But apparently he’s not hearing from citizens like you, who have long been talking about dangerous streets all over the city. (Listen to this clip of my interview with the mayor, where he says why he’s suddenly interested in doing something about the problem.) Last summer, The Coast ran Bruce Wark’s in-depth feature on the city’s increasingly violent streets, and hit a nerve with readers. Now I invite you to continue the conversation here. Are you scared to walk the streets? Is the city getting out of control? What can be done about it? Post your comment below. The mayor might finally be listening.
This article appears in Nov 2-8, 2006.
