Some north enders received a note in mail last week urging them to “maintain the integrity” of the neighborhood by signing a petition to reject Reflections’ application for cabaret license on Gottingen Street. The bar is applying for the license as part of their move to the old Marquee location, after their Sackville Street spot was slated to be razed for condos.
The anti-Reflections petition offers up a number of assertions; the unnamed author argues that increased foot traffic in the residential area will be “loud and potentially destructive” and that revellers wishing to carry on with their Bacchanalia after other bars close at 2am “will always” flock to cabarets — the worst of whom lurk between the hours of 2am and 4am, mischievously breaking bottles and taking leaks. Additional claims are that Falkland Street Condo residents wouldn’t be able to handle the music, property values would depreciate and tax money would be wasted on all the sleepyheads dialing the police.
Reflections owner Mike Schmid, says he has lots of support from musicians, promoters, neighbors and Gottingen Street Business owners.
“We can’t go too far away. The city loses it’s character if we don’t have entertainment somewhere in the city,” says Schmid, “There’s not much point in living in Halifax if all that’s down there is a bunch of condos and there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go.”
He’s met with sound technicians to ensure the music is kept to a dull roar and argues that the move will bring increased safety to that end of the strip that’s largely deserted at night.
Schmid finds it frustrating that there weren’t complaints about the two previous bars at the site—The Marquee and The Paragon—but now there’s a curious uprising against Reflections from the newly built condo across the street.
But the Falkland Street Condo Resistance is going strong with 56 signatures as of Tuesday. Music promoter, Tiffany Spencer, started a counter-petition that advocates for Reflections’ move standing up for the city’s depleting music venues. On Tuesday, that petition had 500 signatures.
The argument that the area is residential doesn’t fly, says Schmid, saying it’s always been a commercial street.
“If you want to live downtown there is going to be a certain level of noise versus living outside the city,” he says. “I want to run a nightclub that does good things for Gottingen Street whether you live there or work there. I think if everybody works together, rather than try to oppose each other, we can make that happen.”
The Utility and Review Board will have a public meeting to address the issue on November 29. See the anti-Reflections petition via thecoast.ca/ReflectionsNo, and the pro-Reflections petition via thecoast.ca/ReflectionsYes.
This article appears in Nov 24-30, 2011.
So there used to be an after hours bar in that location and now if there’s a motion for change to that status quo by rejecting another one moving in then not only is it sneered at as being anti-live music but it’s classed as “a curious uprising” that the Marquee/Paragon never contended with. That kind of innuendo does nothing for rational consideration or fair representation. Sometimes The Coast is so predictably superficial and narrow in its conservative view of retaining all that once was it is maddening. Sure, various and plentiful music venues are good for the city but that doesn’t mean one business owner’s preference should inherently be the right thing. Broaden your view or the city’s vibrant arts/music scene will only ever look like a past version of itself.
If they want peace and quiet, these “residents” can get all the peace and quiet they can handle in the other 98% of this province that is completely and utterly rural. Otherwise they should STFU
That was confusing RB33. Unnecessarily confusing. Although I think I agree with part of your post. If I was a homeowner/apartment dweller living next to a bar pumping out the tunes into the wee hours of the night for the last few years, I might see this as one of the few opportunities to both voice my displeasure, and encourage others to dissent, the potential move for an especially popular bar like Reflections. Let’s be clear though, I fully support this relocation for Reflections — I love the bar! One of the few in Halifax where I actually feel like diversity and sexuality is celebrated, not closeted, and even as a run of the mill white straight dude, I feel welcome and encouraged to just enjoy the energy it puts out.
My only confusion in this issue, is the idea that there is some ‘neighborhood integrity’ to uphold? Ever since I’ve gone to shows, I remember the Marquee and it’s many iterations to be a staple of a venue in the city. Arguing that another bar, in the same location, somehow goes against the identity of that part of town is misguided, no? I understand their argument about noise and party-goers if you don’t like that sort of thing, but rallying the troops around this issue as if it were some surprise a bar would have the nerve to take up root in that spot, where many have been before it, is poor strategy.
As for the possibility that this dissent is somehow connected to Reflections as a ‘gay bar’, I think that’s purely speculative. I mean, it would be shitty if it were the reason behind everything, but still, I think Reflections has done well to survive the homophobia in this city and I expect whatever the motivation of this dissent, it’s largely in the minority.
Lastly, I selfishly hope that reflections makes the location change successfully. I believe this would open up that area of town a little more, invite a varied demographic, and provide Reflections the building blocks to create a spectacular venue.
One of the best (and maybe dying) things about Halifax is the nightlife. I know a certain demographic in our city would love to roll up the streets at 10pm every night, but The Marquee and The Paragon were already well established music venues at that location. Why complain now?
“There’s not much point in living in Halifax if all that’s down there is a bunch of condos and there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go.”
THIS IS TRUE!
And, also true, move to Sackville if you want peace and quiet after 10pm.
How would property values depreciate?
Why did people buy a condo downtown if they didn’t want to live in a downtown/urban environment?? That end of Gottingen is almost as close to Scotia Square as Argyle is… and there are lots of condos around the Argyle area btw! Next they’ll be complaining about the Salvation Army and the methadone clinic in “their” gentrified residential neighbourhood. You live downtown… get over it or move.
Residential development has revived the Gottingen Street area much more than any bar. Condos are just part of the change which started with yuppies buying run down buildings almost next door to the Salvation Army and then condo and apartment revitalization in the area north of the Citadel and between Agricola and Barrington.
The investment by residents in the area far exceeds anything Mike Schmid will do. Perhaps he will agree to live across the street from his proposed location.
Residents will claim their right to ‘quiet enjoyment’ and any noisy bar which causes problems in the streets will lose its licence quite quickly.
This article says one thing to me: people who live in condos are douchebags.
It seems a shame that they’re even talking about razing the current location of Reflections for condos when right across the street they’ve been trying to do that on a vacant lot (twisted towers) for years without success. Halifax does not need anymore undeveloped holes in downtown than there already are.
Look at the facts, keep it objective people!
Blame the city on the zoning laws – they shouldn’t have allowed condos there if they knew(allow) cabarets were trying to move in. Is the area progressing or regressing if they mix them so closely? Why wasn’t the area complaining before the ‘curious uprising’? Clearly, because the new residential developments are ‘new’ and there were no cabarets then. The opposition isn’t complaining about a bar being there or the people, just the late hours…they have a fair and valid concern.
Don’t compare apples to oranges – Paragon was only open until 2 AM and was not that busy or noisy but when it was, there was enough noise/raucous concerns for the locals. Now multiply that (Reflections moving) by 4 days/week by extra 2 hrs per night by increased intoxication factor and you get a Great Night for some but at the expense of the locals…
Yes, the city needs a vibrant nightlife – but if you want to keep everybody happy, as the owner claims, then find a suitable location…
Objectively Speaking
Property values WOULD go down because there would be drunk, destructive people roaming the streets until 4am. No one, including every poster here, would want to live next to that. The Paragon was closed when these condos were built, so they’re not just magically starting to object now.
This article is unfortunately one-sided, and a poor example of journalism. Reflections may tout itself as a venue to promote local musicians, but it’s a bar trying to make money just like any other. I’ve worked in bars for a long time, and people do not get nicer, quieter, or more considerate as the night goes on.
There is no reason why Reflections has to go across the street from families. People moving to Gottingen have changed that character of that neighbourhood, made it a community, and have given ALL residents pride in where they live. Keep the seedy, late-night bars downtown. If people liked Reflections so much, how come it couldn’t hold on to its last location?
Funny, I don’t notice any of those problems with Reflections. It’s mostly people dancing, not breaking bottles and urinating in public. Way more fights and yelling happen outside the other nightclubs. The current location does a good job keeping noise inside so I don’t see why they can’t accomplish that at the new location. Are the walls going to be made out of paper?
Don’t like noise on weekend nights? Move the fuck away from downtown.
Dont think people realize what the neibourhood is now. During Paragons slow death, when it was more a live band joint than anything close to a night club, the street outside changed. Out the front door its apartment, salivation army, apartment, gallery, small business, apt above small business, condo’s, houses, repeat. Its not part of the entertainment district anymore, its a small area where small business, home owners, condo owners, apartment renters are trying to start something without pounding base till 3:30 on sunday morning.
I believe as a gay man I should comment, rejections is a drug haven and its being left out because the biker gangs run this city along with the police. I remember my friend would have me with him while delivering 5+ pounds weed to a sackville rcmp pigs son while his father was sleeping. I am not scared cause it was so long ago its out of statute…., the polices are the ones too scared to bust crack dealers, or is it their business?
” I remember my friend would have me with him while delivering 5+ pounds weed to a sackville rcmp pigs son while his father was sleeping. I am not scared cause it was so long ago its out of statute….” Umm… You do realize there is no statutory limitation period for criminal offences right?
You do realize I don’t give a damn and am not scared of the police?, you sheep may allow them to harass you but im the one who harasses them. Now can you explain how your comment is helpful exactly cause it seems like a warning or something like that?, I believe you just want to look smart or like you have some inside line, no dude its the police who have something to hide not me. Now if Stephen mcneil the mp for libs ever gets tried for the lie detector scandal. Well then maybe I’ll worry, cause i relish court and putting cops on the stand, they are cowards like most of you