The report into making donairs Halifax’s official food is finally returning to regional council, and it’s some pretty weak sauce.
“Staff has no recommendation,” reads the thin report.
Maggie MacDonald, managing director of government relations and external affairs, writes that council can direct mayor Mike Savage to make a proclamation declaring donairs our official food, but that will have no actual legal effects.
“In the absence of detailed staff analysis, including consideration of supporting process to identify and evaluate other official foods or other official features, staff would not put forward a recommendation for a proclamation.”
Some other levels of government do have more defined procedures to thrust “official” statuses upon whatever’s lying around. The province, for instance, has an official tree (red spruce), fossil (Hylonomus lyelli), horse (Sable Island’s) and dog (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever).
Councillor Linda Mosher had originally wanted to make it official with donairs while forgoing the need for a staff report. As that goes against procedure, a motion for a report was instead passed during council’s October 20 meeting—but not without some debate.
“When I first heard about this...the person that talked to me basically laughed at me that council would be talking about donairs,” councillor Bill Karsten said. “When we talk about wanting to be recognized as a level of government, then quite frankly, in my humble opinion, we need to act like one.”
Regional council will meet this Tuesday to discuss the report, at which time the beautiful dream of donairs as Halifax’s official food may evaporate like so much milk.
