In this issue

My Council Update includes a very special update on a variety of frequently raised issues including information on HAF adoption, heritage, oval and common pool openings, park rehabilitation update, homelessness and tenting in parks, 24 hour pharmacies, ferry service issues, bike lane construction, Robie construction starting, Norwood and Oxford crosswalk, no right turn on Jubilee/Oxford, why traffic calming, and Shaw Wilderness Park.

Public Engagement section shows Council and Budget meetings.  Roadworks info has been updated and Community Events & Information includes some new events and upcoming important dates.

Councillor Update

Hello folks, I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather this week!

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.  It's a time to honour the stories, achievements and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, who have lived on this land since time immemorial and whose presence continues to impact the evolving Canada.  During June National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the summer solstice. You can visit www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/diversity-inclusion/national-indigenous-month for more information.

It is also Access Awareness Week right now, from May 26 to June 1, 2024, an opportunity to raise awareness and engage Nova Scotians on issues around access and inclusion. Visit https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/diversity-inclusion/access-awareness-week to learn more.

It was a very busy May and I've noticed a number of questions keep popping up in channels, and I've done my best to bring them all together and answer them here.

Housing Accelerator Fund
After three days of hearings and deliberation, Regional Council has approved the HAF amendments I wrote about previously. The Halifax region has experienced unprecedented growth and is expected to reach a population of one million residents by 2050.

The vision of growing up, not out has been the core of the Regional Plan since 2014, and six years of work in the Centre Plan creating a well-researched and consulted framework that the HAF proposals built on. I had confidence in the recommendations because we've already studied the infrastructure and the character of the neighbourhoods and are building on the Centre Plan changes adopted in 2019 and 2021.

I know many people in the district strongly for or against this.  I thank you all for your input. HRM and this plan benefitted greatly from your comments and time, and in the end we got changes I think will make for a better city while preserving what makes this a great place to live.

If you have any questions I am always happy to meet and get down into the details of what this could mean for you and your street, neighbourhood and community.

Heritage on the Peninsula
A main concern coming out of HAF was in the theme of "will you even recognize Halifax in 10 years" or "what will we do when all the heritage is gone" or "Halifax will look the same as every other city".

This is a map of proposed and current Heritage Conservation Districts and registered heritage properties:

HCDs are proposed where there are already several registered heritage buildings clustered as several similar, very likely to be qualified to be registered buildings in the immediate area.

This will protect much of the key heritage in Halifax/Dartmouth by keeping all these buildings ER2 while the HCDs are consulted on and adopted.

Oval and Common Pool summer openings.
The Emera Oval is opening on Saturday, June 1 for the summer season.HRM will also be hosting Rec Day programming on Saturday, June 1 from noon to 3 p.m. Activities include face painting and balloon animals – as well as bike decorating and parade. There will also be different sport demonstrations. For more info see halifax.ca/emeraoval. vvThe Common pool is scheduled to open June 15th is scheduled unless there are issues when the system is started, but none are anticipated. More info here.

Park rehabilitation
The work to rehabilitate VIctoria Park, Grand Parade and Nick Meagher Park should start shortly.  The contract for the work was awarded to Oakhill Outdoor on May 17.  The work includes: Grand Parade and Victoria Park - 2" topsoil, sod for reinstatement; Nick Meagher Park - remove existing vegetation in turf and bed areas, planting soil for beds, bark mulch, and installation of 4 concrete pads and benches.

Homelessness and Tenting in Parks
Due to delays in the rollout of Tiny Homes and Pallet Shelters, the province of Nova Scotia is now projecting that the needed emergency housing won't be available for residents until late summer or early fall. This means we once again are going into summer with insufficient shelter and housing, and a lot of folks are hurt and struggling still living in tents. The problem will get worse before it gets better.

Staff will present a report at Council next week on the next steps, and what to do about the growth of sites like University Avenue and Dartmouth Road. I don't see any simple solutions until the supply of shelter and housing is vastly increased, other than managing the sites.  I wish I had better news but this is going to be a difficult summer and it is going to mean HRM will have to continue to support encampments while we wait for and advocate for more housing and shelter. More on Halifax' efforts here.

24 Hours Stores, especially pharmacy
I get a surprising number of inquiries about why there is no longer a 24-hour pharmacy in Halifax.  Most often these are parents who were dealing with a sick kid overnight!  I wrote the pharmacy association of NS about it and got this explanation:

The last 24-hour pharmacy in Nova Scotia closed in 2019 due to lack of demand and until this month, we have not had any concerns raised.

We encourage the public to keep a supply of over-the-counter products on hand as these can be purchased at any time.  If there is an emergency during the night that requires medical attention/treatment, patients should go to an emergency department.

HfxGO Fare System
HfxGO was launched a few months ago and allows transit users to buy tickets and passes using their smartphones.  The next phases of the project will have validators working on all buses and ferries, then allow pay-by-tap-and-tap validation for tickets and then debit/credit cards.  As of May, all the bus installs are complete and the contractor is working on getting them connected to the back-end system now.  Specialized terminal validators will be delivered and installed at the ferry terminals by mid-summer.

Ferry Service Issues
Halifax Transit ferry service has had to reduce service on routes several times in the last two months as a result of a shortage of staff.  To fix this, HRM has started the recruitment for an additional four Deckhands, two Engineers, and five Mates, creating more staffing capacity than HRM has ever had, which will significantly reduce the risk of daily service disruptions.  It is challenging to recruit for these positions (the skills and certifications mean these folks are in high demand) and there will be a training period.

Once someone is recruited, it will take 7-9 weeks before their impact becomes evident, but this work is underway and the new staffing structure will be permanent, to avoid a repeat of these issues in the future.

AAA Bike Network and bike lanes
As a regular cyclist, I too want to see the completion of the AAA network in the regional Centre.  The good news is that the contract to do Almon Street has been awarded, and Isleville is currently out to tender.  Dartmouth Harbourfront is still expected to go to tender shortly.  Harvard / Allan is on this list for this year but will be a later tender. A design for improvements at Coburg/Seymour/Vernon is being worked on for a potential installation that would be in the late summer.

In addition to these AAA network projects a multi-use path is being installed on Coburg between the Connrose Park path entrance and Oxford Street.

Robie and Coburg empty lots
Excavation has begun on one of two lots at Robie and Cedar.  The design of the nine-story building is not final but they wanted to get a jump on the excavation as they plan to build three levels of parkade.   That would give them roughly an 85% unit-to-parking ratio.  To date, they only have a grade alteration permit which is why no development notices are up.

Excavation is expected to run until the 1^st week so of September, at which time they will start excavation next door at Robie/Cherry.  The concrete crew will move in the first week of September.   The developer is J2K (https://j2kproperties.ca/) who built the building Coburg across from Kings.  This sketch was supplied but I was cautioned this is not a final design by any means, more of a starting point:

Norwood/Oxford Crosswalk
Parents at Central JHC and Sir Charles Tupper have bene asking when the damaged curb would be reinstalled to narrow the crosswalk at Norwood and Oxford.  I am pleased to share a contractor has quoted the job and staff are aiming for installation before school ends, hoping for weekend June7th/8th

No Right Turn On Red at Jubilee and Oxford
A reminder of why this happened - as I said in an email last summer: drivers would come up to the intersection and only look left, if they did not see a car they would turn right on a red, brush and in one case hit the kids and in other brushed by the kids and crossing guard.  While the parents at Tupper, LMST and Central were by and large very supportive of this change (in fact many demanded it), the traffic backup on Jubilee drives many residents, especially those in Connrose, around the bend.

HRM has tried to help with backups by reducing the no right turn on red to weekday only, but the best solution is to upgrade the signal at the intersection and put in controlled turns, which in plain English is green arrows saying "yes you can turn".  To put in new signals a pole needs to be moved which required purchasing land from one of the neighbours.

This appears to be done, and you can expect the signals to get upgraded late this summer/early fall.  This should reduce the traffic backup while also keeping pedestrians and crossing guards safe.

Why Traffic Calming?
The impacts of traffic calming are well-researched and strongly suggest that it is very effective.  Speed humps and narrowing the street with temporary curbs (Bell and Ahern for example) or paved curbs (Vernon) slows cars.

“Generally, the mean vehicle speeds and the proportion of vehicles exceeding the 50 km/h speed limit were significantly lower in settlements that have traffic calming measures compared to towns without any traffic calming measures.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31033340/

Why do we want to slow cars on residential streets?  The slower the car, the less injuries there are, and the less harmful they are when they occur:

“For the sample as a whole, collisions decline to a very significant degree after traffic calming (the difference being statistically significant at the .001 probability level). Adjusting for changes in traffic volumes, and dropping cases for which volume data are not available, collisions decline to a less significant degree (but still statistically significant at the conventional .05 level)” https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/impacts_of_traffic_calming_ewing.pdf

What really gets me is this is especially true for children:

 “In our observational study, we found that children who lived within a block of a speed hump had significantly lower odds of being struck and injured by an automobile in their neighborhood. Living within a block of a speed hump was associated with a roughly 2-fold reduction in the odds of injury within one’s neighborhood (adjusted OR = 0.47). This protective effect was even more pronounced among the subset of children who were injured on the block immediately in front of their house (index street). Children living within a block of a speed hump exhibited a 2.5-fold reduction in the odds of being injured on their street (adjusted OR = 0.4). These results highlight the effectiveness of speed humps in reducing child pedestrian injuries.” 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448312/#:~:text=We%20found%20that%20speed%20humps,an%20automobile%20in%20their%20neighborhood.\

$6.1 million to support affordable housing projects
Regional Council has directed the Chief Administration Officer to allocate $6.1 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund to support affordable housing projects in the regional centre. Council has also directed the Chief Administrative Officer for additional funding for project grants in the suburban area of the municipality.
Grants would support renovations or repairs to shared housing and apartments rented at below market value and grants to support new construction. A grant would support the purchase of an existing building to be used for affordable housing. This funding will allow the municipality to support the current and urgent need for affordable housing for its residents.  For more information, read the motion.

Finally, a note that HRM has purchased four parcels of land totalling approximately 46 hectares, located to the west of Shaw Wilderness Park, in Halifax.

The municipality intends to use most of this land to add to Shaw Wilderness Park, providing additional opportunities for wilderness recreation and nature appreciation.

These acquisitions align with the municipality’s 2021-25 Strategic Priorities Plan in obtaining land to contribute to the municipality’s regional wilderness parks.
Approximately 10 hectares near existing streets and utilities will be retained for potential future uses.

The land being added to Shaw Wilderness Park will be incorporated into future park planning. This process will include public consultation, as well as collaboration with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which partnered with the municipality in establishing the original Shaw Wilderness Park lands. More information will be made available once these details are determined.

Thanks,

Waye

Public Meetings, Hearings & Engagement

Halifax Regional Council – Halifax City Hall, Council Chambers or Virtual.
If you want to read reports coming to Regional Council (posted mid-day Friday prior to the Tuesday meeting) or to check the agenda. Upcoming meetings:

• Tuesday June 4 10am
• Tuesday June 18 10am

Agendas here: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/agendas-meetings-reports?category=127

Halifax & West Community Council – Halifax City Hall, Council Chambers
Community Council meets on Tuesday evenings alternating with Regional Council. Please check the webpage here for agendas (usually available a week before the meeting), locations, and times.

• Monday, June 11 6pm (if required)

Agenda here - https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/agendas-meetings-reports?category=140

Regional Centre Community Council – Harbour East Marine Drive Room, Alderney Landing
Community Council meets on Tuesday evenings alternating with Regional Council. Please check the webpage here for agendas (usually available a week before the meeting), locations, and times.

• Wednesday June 26 6pm (if required)

Agenda here - https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/agendas-meetings-reports?category=140

Information about how to watch or participate in virtual meetings can be found on the agenda pages. Please confirm meeting dates and times on our website as dates and times are subject to change.

Roadworks Update

You can find out road closure details on the HRM Roadworks map:https://www.halifax.ca/transportation/streets-sidewalks/RoadWorks

• SOUTH ST from SOUTH PARK ST to QUEEN ST, starting on 2024-05-28
• BIRMINGHAM ST from ARTILLERY PL to SPRING GARDEN RD, starting on 2024-05-30
• COLLEGE ST from CATHEDRAL LANE to SUMMER ST, starting on 2024-05-28
• UPPER WATER ST from DUKE ST to HOLLIS ST, starting on 2024-05-21
• BIRMINGHAM ST from SPRING GARDEN RD to CLYDE ST, starting on 2024-05-22
• COGSWELL ST from ROBIE ST to RAINNIE DR, starting on 2024-05-18
• NORTH PARK ST from COGSWELL ST to CUNARD ST, starting on 2024-05-18
• CUNARD ST from ROBIE ST to CREIGHTON ST, starting on 2024-05-18
• AGRICOLA ST from CUNARD ST to NORTH ST, starting on 2024-05-19
• AHERN AVE from COGSWELL ST to BELL RD, starting on 2024-05-18
• BIRMINGHAM ST from ARTILLERY PL to SPRING GARDEN RD, starting on 2024-06-02

Cogswell Construction Project Important Update

Beginning June 17, Barrington Street, from Upper Water Street to Duke Street, will be closed to accommodate construction in support of the Cogswell District project for approximately six months. This is a major closure that will impact drivers, Halifax Transit, pedestrians, cyclists and access to abutting properties. The closure will require the relocation of the Barrington Street bus bays, the rerouting of 30 Halifax Transit routes, and the relocation of lounge/ washroom facilities for Transit Operators.

Halifax Transit users will be significantly impacted as the four bus bays in front of Scotia Square will be relocated. As a result, 30 routes passing through Barrington Street and the surrounding area will be rerouted.  You can find the map where the new stops will be located here.

Barrington Street, from Upper Water Street to Duke Street, will be fully closed. A section of the new Cogswell Street will be temporarily connected to Barrington Street at Upper Water Street, which will allow for the re-opening of Albemarle Street and will reconnect a key east-west corridor downtown.  With the closure of Barrington Street, access to Hotel Halifax will be from a new driveway off Cogswell Street. Access for loading and deliveries has been coordinated with abutting property owners.

It is anticipated the new Halifax Transit hub on Barrington Street will open by the end of the year and will include new heated shelters, additional seating space, wider sidewalks and layover space for passengers and buses. The new permanent Cogswell Street from Brunswick Street to Upper Water Street is expected to open, replacing the overpass that was previously demolished. Additionally, it is projected the new permanent Barrington Street from the roundabout at Nora Bernard Street and Barrington Street to Duke Street will open, including access to Valour Way.

More info at Halifax.ca/cogswell

Community Events and Info

Gritty to Pretty applications open now
Deadline for applications Sunday, June 16, 2024, 11:59 p.m.

Registration has opened for participants in the annual Natal Day parade. The 127^th Pepsi Natal Day Parade will take place on Monday, August 5 at 10 a.m. This annual event attracts hundreds of residents and is a key piece of the municipality’s annual Natal Day programming. For more information, visit: halifax.ca/natalday.

Candidates Information Sessions
Interested in running in the 2024 Municipal and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) Election? You're invited to attend an upcoming candidate information session. The sessions will take place on the following dates:

• Wed. May 29 | 6 p.m. | Musquodoboit Valley Bicentennial Theatre
• Wed. June 5 | 6 p.m. | Virtual session on Zoom (register to elections@halifax.ca by June 4)
• Thu. June 20 | 2 and 6 p.m. | Dartmouth North Community Centre
• Wed. July 10 | 6 p.m. | Prospect Road Community Centre
• Mon. August 12 | 6 p.m. | Henry G. Bauld Centre

Learn more here.

The Election Office is Hiring!
The Election Office is currently recruiting for eight full-time, temporary Election Area Officers!
Are you passionate about democracy and eager to play an important role in your community? Join the municipality’s Election Office, where you’ll have the opportunity to play a direct role in ensuring a fair, accessible and efficient 2024 Municipal and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) Election. Read the job description and apply here.
More information about the upcoming election can be found by visiting our website.

Summer Recreation Jobs
Are you a student or young adult looking for a summer job that offers more than minimum wage? Check out the variety of opportunities available with Parks & Recreation. We offer:

• Fun work culture
• Wage ranges from $17-$20 per hour
• Free evenings and weekends (for specific jobs)
• Interesting jobs in aquatics, inclusion and recreation
• Limited travel with jobs available in urban, suburban and rural communities
• Opportunity to work outdoors and in an environment that promotes health, wellness and physical activity

For more information, visit our website.

Community Access Program (CAP)
Starts Feb 12, 2024 | Online Application
Independent Living Nova Scotia’s (ILNS) Community Access Program (CAP) is a 9-week pre-employment program perfect for anyone who is:

• 18-24 years old
• Living in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)
• Wanting to connect with their community
• Looking to develop life and employment skills

Those interested can apply for CAP at the following link: https://ilns.ca/cap/ or get in touch with program staff at cap@ilns.ca or 902-453-0004.

Service Canada Supports Communities Online
Does someone in your community need help with Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), and more?  Are you or one of your community members a person with a disability or need extra support to get Service Canada benefits and services? Access support online at https://eservices.canada.ca/en/service/  Does someone in your community need a Social Insurance Number or confirmation of their SIN? Access help at  https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin.ht

How can we help?

311 – HRM’s Call Centre
HRM’s call centre is open 7 days a week, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to respond to routine inquiries and complaints from HRM residents. Please use this service since it helps HRM keep track of issues that are of concern to residents. More info here: https://www.halifax.ca/home/311

Call my office
Call my office for assistance with your municipal issues. Please try 311 first, and when you call the office have your 311 reference number ready. Vicki Palmeter is my Constituency Coordinator. Vicki can be reached by email at Victoria.palmeter@halifax.ca or by phone at 902-490-2012.

Call or email me
I’m always available to help residents. Email is always better than a phone call, as I am often in meetings and much of the time I cannot answer the phone. If Victoria or 311 cannot assist you, please email me at waye.mason@halifax.ca or call 902.430.7822.