Dartmouth Centre councillor Sam Austin sent a letter to The Coast earlier this week in response to writer Melissa Buote’s review of Picnic on March 9. Austin took issue with Buote’s comparison of downtown Dartmouth at night to the old horror movie The Haunting, saying it was an “attempt at a clever analogy taken too far” and a dated stereotype that doesn’t “match the kind of place downtown Dartmouth has become.”
The letter missed our cutoff for the print edition of this week’s paper, but the councillor has now published his response on his website and you can read it there. Since Austin published his letter, we thought it only fair to also put up Buote’s response to his response, which you can read below.
Hey Sam! I actually grew up in Dartmouth. And I currently live in Dartmouth. Downtown Dartmouth to be more specific. On Portland Street if you want to give chase. And guess what? It can totally seem sketchy! (Fun fact: amount of times a complete stranger on Portland Street has followed up an unexpected—and always unwanted I should note!—“hello” with an “I’m not going to hurt you” makes me think it might actually be an unofficial motto.) But it’s actually great! (I mean, how kind is it of those men to let me know they aren’t going to hurt me! Awww!) Something can seem sketchy while actually being great. Walt Whitman contains multitudes, I contain multitudes and so, too, does Portland Street!
I really like my neighbourhood and I have seen lots of great things happening here, but as someone who actually lives here I am also keenly aware that there is very little foot traffic downtown at night. Maybe you should spend some evenings downtown when there aren’t family-oriented events that bring crowds of families and photo-ops onto one specific block. You know, when the neighbourhood is what it really is and not what the marketing plans of business groups say it is. And while I appreciate your ability to rhyme off a list of great businesses that run around the brightly lit curve of Alderney, give me a call when you’re a single woman walking home at night through the dim, empty corners around Wentworth and Queen and let me know how you feel. In the night. In the dark.
This article appears in Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2017.
Sam Austin generally seems like a nice guy, but I think it’s right for Melissa to point out his obvious blind spot that feeling safe out at night, on the street, in the dark, on the dark side (or anywhere) depends on more than the # of cool new businesses on a handful of blocks.
I’m not going to degrade how anyone does not feel safe in downtown Dartmouth but… I live in the area too, and have to say that this sort of thing will happen in any high density city area. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their living area, this is any issue a city has and this area (and Dartmouth as a whole) has been fighting this perception for many years now. All my friends asked if I had a death wish for moving here. In 8 years of living here though, I’ve only felt threatened once; and this was by a man who was clearly mentally unstable. I shrugged it off and moved on. I’ll gladly walk my children around the area as I go to get a sandwich and take them to the park. There’s a lot to be positive about here.
I will agree that DT Dartmouth is currently going through growing pains though. Talk to people who live in North end Halifax. You’ll likely hear the same thing. It’s a community policing issue and ultimately I think that perpetuating (especially in any form of media) it doesn’t help the case. Especially in a community alt weekly like the Coast.
Sam Austin was right in defending the area, and I understand that Mellisa Buote feels unsafe. However instead criticizing how detached you feel in a restaurant review, take an active role in the community and make a positive change, and if Sam Austin (a man whom I voted for) wants to change the perception of the community he needs to grow a thicker skin and stop perpetuating this knee jerk reaction we have in this community regarding this perception of it being of “hive of scum and villainy”.
Sam is doing what every councillor has to do, play up the narrative of how great their district is. Meanwhile the bank on Portland St just got held up.
I go with Melissa’s take on it. It is a sketchy area still.
Its come a long way, but it has a bit to go. As a teenager in the 80’s Portland street was an absolute no-go zone. Now, I go there on the weekend and have fun. There are normal people now walking at night, but still sketchy at times.
I would say the same about dutch village road in fairview. It’s coming along now with good restos and buildings you want to live in (not just because it’s the only thing you can afford)
Really good things happening in both places, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.
hi sam i sent you a message 3 months ago about the generator on wentworth st.your response was its new development.i responded to you that you were mistaken.so heres a timeline.june of 2016 the city put in new sidewalks.in september they were ready.october BELL ALIANT put a generator on the new sidewalks.since then they sold the building thats being renovated.meanwhile the sidewalk is unusable.so if a company can be allowed to make 2 milllion dollars on selling the property the property why cant i walk on the new sidewalks tha my taxes pay for.if a citizen puts up a hockey net or a basketball net you would be all over that.so my origanal question is the same.its been 6 months of older peiole being inconvienced how much longer or is this a permanent structure.do some research please and reply.if its the same as the last i fear i put my trust in the wrong person,regards bruce
If your born and raised in downtown Dartmouth you shouldn’t feel sketched.
You should feel aware, You should feel in touch with your street intelligence.
We are not a peaceful Japanese or Singapore society. In a city like Detroit or Chicago are problems are laughable. its important to except that we have crackheads and crazies and that they are humans too and walk among us.
It is best to leave the clever analogies to the clever people. Some writers have very limited writing and comprehension skills, which appears to have been the case here.