Last week, some HRM staff and members of the public were surprised to learn a section of a long-time public park is not actually owned by the municipality. Sir Sanford Fleming Park, the home of Dingle Tower, was donated to the city by Sir Fleming himself. The park includes a beach and picnic area on […]
Council
Posted inNews + Opinion
New roots for urban garden, new land for Birch Cove Lakes and Barrington Street’s greenway
Common Roots Urban Garden gets the go-aheadThe urban garden gets approval to move just one month before the deadline to leave it’s home at the QEII Health Sciences Centre Emergency Department. The Bi-Hi Park sandwiched between Bayers Road and the exit ramp of the 102 will host 110 of the 200 garden plots that are […]
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Taxi changes aim to fix gender disparity and safety issues
Council moved Halifax’s taxi reform on to the next stage this week by passing all recommendations put forward by staff in the Vehicle for Hire Licensing Program Review. Sweeping “housekeeping changes” from making GPS units mandatory, increasing language testing requirements, tightening the rules around talking on the phone while driving passengers and making credit and […]
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Council calls on feds to keep shipbuilding work in Halifax
Those jobs were always meant to be in Halifax, says HRM’s chief administrative officer, Jacques Dubé. “Always were.” Regional Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to voice its opposition to a proposal for splitting up naval maintenance work between shipyards here and in Quebec—calling on the federal government to keep shipbuilding jobs in Halifax. Councillor Stephen Adams put […]
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New smoking bylaws to be enforced starting October 15
You’ve got two more weeks to light up on public property. Come October 15, Halifax will officially start enforcing its new bylaw amendments banning all smoking on public property outside of designated smoking areas. A “couple dozen” smoking areas will initially be in place come October 15, just two days before cannabis is legal. “We […]
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Micro grow-op, dispensary supporters say new cannabis land-use rules too strict
It’s not the most contentious of HRM’s new cannabis bylaws, but it still has its critics. Halifax regional council voted unanimously in favour of land-use amendments for cannabis production facilities and dispensaries in HRM following a public hearing Tuesday. The bylaw amendments are the third of a set of policy changes in anticipation of legalization […]
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Planner’s exit could impact Centre Plan
Mayor Mike Savage isn’t sure what sort of impact Jacob Ritchie’s departure from city hall will have on the long-delayed Centre Plan. The urban planner has been shepherding the new planning bible through a slow, often delayed approval process for the past few years. But this week he’ll be leaving city hall behind to head […]
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Halifax council looking for staff report on CFL stadium
It’s official. The municipality will once again tackle whether or not to build a stadium. Councillor Steve Craig is asking for a staff report on the “opportunities and risks” involved with establishing a mixed-use development, CFL franchise and football stadium in Halifax. The announcement came nearly 12 hours after council met behind closed doors with Maritime […]
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Weekends on Argyle Street will be car-free this summer
Argyle Street will be the “fun street of Canada,” promises Halifax mayor Mike Savage. City council voted Tuesday for “routine non-special event” closures of Argyle Street this summer. The road will be closed off to vehicles between Prince and Blowers from noon on Friday to midnight on Sunday during July and August. The pilot project […]
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Council wants Cogswell engagement, but only on its own terms
Public engagement’s great, but leave the big decisions to us. That seems to be the lesson from planning staff as the city moves forward with a once-in-a-lifetime redevelopment project. Halifax council voted Tuesday to proceed onto the next major steps in redeveloping the Cogswell Interchange, with an added amendment for some robust public engagement before […]
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Council approves Khyber sale to community group
After years of waiting, supporters of the old Khyber building can finally begin to rebuild. During a public hearing Tuesday night, Regional Council approved the sale of 1588 Barrington Street—the former location of the Khyber—to the non-profit 1588 Barrington Street Building Preservation Society for a nominal price of one dollar. The vote was met with […]
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The once and future Pavilion
It’s Saturday night at the Pavilion and music fans of all ages have gathered for the kind of performance most of the young crowd wouldn’t usually be able to attend if it was at any other space in town. In a bar-dominated city like Halifax, most performance venues tend to be 19-plus. For youth who […]