District 7 Update – Be Prepared in the face of a busy hurricane season, housing & homelessness update, more

Pictured above – the last overpass in Cogswell has been removed, and Barrington Street is being levelled.

In this issue

My Council Update includes info on emergency preparedness in the face of a summer of hurricanes, housing and homelessness update, pools and beaches are open, weekly greencart collection has begun, road safety during construction, traffic calming and road safety websites.

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

Councillor Update

Hi folks,

The recent boil water order and the combined with Hurricane Beryl arcing north and east from the Gulf of Mexico have reminded us all how important it is to be prepared for an emergency.

An important note last week was that it is more important than ever to sign up for HfxAlert (see below).

Be Prepared!
I’ve created a new post on this site that summarizes much of what I’ve shared in the past when faced with an emergency.  It starts with:

Major storms and emergencies are occurring far more often now than in the past.  HRM’s emergency operations Centre was activated 64 times last year, four times the average of the previous years. 

The types of emergencies are changing too, with floods, fires, hurricanes and other major storms all taking place in rapid succession.

In 2024, the Canadian Hurricane Centre “expects a very active hurricane season” and US NOAA “predicts above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.”

Essential Preparedness Top 3

1. You should take steps to stay informed and up-to-date about emergencies, specifically, sign up for Halifax Alert. This system can email, text, or call you, or do all three, so you don’t need a computer or to use data to access it. Issues from winter parking bans and up are communicated using this system. (Only the biggest emergencies use the Alert Ready phone alert system, which can take longer to get a message out on).
2. If an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.
3. Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR) is a voluntary, self-referral list only for residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality who may require support during emergency situations – please have a look and determine if you or anyone you know should sign up.

So in summary, sign up for HfxAlert and sign up your parents and neighbours to get a phone call from HfxAlert if they are not text and email types of folks, prepare or renew your 72 hour plans, and sign up for the VVPR if you may need those supports.

Again you can read the entire post (and share it) here.

Housing and Homelessness Update
There should be no need for tents on public land. But until we have enough housing and shelter, we will have tents. Unhoused people need somewhere to go.

This is an issue Council will once again discuss on Tuesday, July 9.

There are no “good” places for encampments — not near schools, hospitals, seniors, families, parks. It’s all bad. People are not supposed to live in tents because they have nowhere else to go. But that’s the reality. So, for now, we need to manage our response to the national housing crisis in an empathetic way.

And that means managing temporary encampments in our city.

There needs to be sanitation, water, and power in temporary sites until housing is made available. As of today, there are not enough spaces in the municipality’s designated sites, but when there are, the tenting happening in undesignated sites needs to stop.

When an adequate variety of low- and high-needs housing options are available, wrap-around services are up and running, and we can truly focus on a housing-first approach — not in words, but in deeds — encampments need to be reduced and eventually shut down.

While current plans by the Province of Nova Scotia could see as many as 200 new tiny homes or Pallet Shelters open by early fall, those beds are unavailable today. As you may have read in the news, the province has so far rolled out 10% of the housing it promised late last summer. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/less-than-10-per-cent-of-homeless-shelters-n-s-promised-last-year-currently-in-place-1.6928986

The number of people living in tents has approached 160 this summer. It’s a lot. I wish I had better numbers to give you in this update.

Just to give you a sense of the scope of Halifax’s housing problem, the Deputy Mayor of Toronto told me two weeks ago that Halifax now has more tenters in total than Toronto. In that city’s case, the province has delegated housing and shelter to the city, which deals with the on-the-ground issues more directly. In turn, Toronto has bought several hotels to create housing, among many other projects. In Nova Scotia, the provincial government remains responsible for housing and shelter.

While it would be easy to be critical of the province, at this point I see many signs that we are heading in the right direction. I have more hope now than I did six months ago, and certainly more than a year ago, but I share the frustration that this has taken far longer than initially announced.

As Councillor Austin has written: “Asking someone to move if you can’t tell them where they can go instead (basically asking them to cease to exist) is morally problematic, makes no practical sense, and is also illegal. There have been court cases in BC and Ontario that have established a clear Charter-protected right to shelter in public spaces when there are no suitable alternatives available.”

In line with this, I continue to push to have adequately managed designated encampments as the only places that people can tent this summer while the shelters and tiny homes are completed.

Notices have been given to the tenters at Grafton Park (the old Memorial Library heritage site) that camping will not be allowed. As of July 7, there is enough space to move the 6 people at Grafton Park. There is not enough designated space to move the 11 illegally tenting at Northbrook in Dartmouth or the 15+ overcrowded on University Avenue. These moves cannot happen without Council designating more space for people to go.

Designating more encampments will not be an easy decision for Council, but it is an important one and the issue will come before us at our next meeting on Tuesday, July 9, when staff bring forward a list of potential alternative sites. They include:

• Bayers Road
• Windsor Street Park
• BiHi park
• Bisset Road
• Farrell Street Park
• Chain Lake Park
• Starr Park
• Cogswell Park
• Glebe Street Park
• Halifax Common(berm)
• Point Pleasant Park

And reconsidering:

• Beaufort Park
• Geary Street Green Space
• Saunders Park

I recognize that some will be upset by the proposed sites, but I encourage you to ask yourself: if not here, then where? We need to have an interim strategy to deal with tenting while the new programs and supports are rolled out, and I think designating more temporary encampments is the best of the bad options we have at this time.

Outdoor Pools and Beaches Open for Season
The Bedford and Cole Harbour outdoor pools, as well as all supervised municipal beaches, opened for the season on Monday, July 1. The new Halifax Commons Aquatics Facility opened on Saturday, June 15, and the pool schedule can be found here.

The municipality will also begin testing water quality for bacteria levels and monitoring for blue-green algae at all municipally supervised beaches on Monday, July 1. Testing will continue until Saturday, August 31.  Some beaches had to be closed already, so it is important to check.

High bacteria levels can be caused by several factors, including dogs, birds, wildlife, heavy rainfall and impacts from climate change such as high temperatures, lower water levels and decreased rainfall.

For more information, visit our website.

Weekly Green Cart Collection
Starting Saturday, June 29, weekly green cart collection has begun in all communities across the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The summer weekly green cart collection service will be in effect for July, August and September. Collection services can begin as early as 7 a.m. To ensure collection, residents are asked to place materials curbside the evening prior to collection day. Residents can look up their collection schedules on our website.

The last day for weekly green cart collection is Friday, September 27. Bi-weekly green cart collection will resume on Monday, September 30. For more information, visit our website.

Road Safety- Construction
Summer is a peak time for construction projects. Without a doubt, you’ll come across a construction crew on our roads in your travels. Crews working on roads are counting on you to work with them to ensure everyone gets home safe at the end of the day. Keep the following tips in mind to safely navigate through construction zones:

• If construction is happening on roads you frequently travel, consider taking another route and avoiding the area.
• Always obey the posted speed limit and signage when driving through construction zones. Speeding in a construction zone will result in a fine that is double that of a normal speeding ticket.
• Pay close attention to sign flaggers and obey their instructions.
• Stay extra focused and alert when driving; take note of where construction zones begin and end.
• Always be prepared to stop suddenly when driving through construction zones.
• Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the construction workers’ equipment and vehicles.
• As always, avoid driving while distracted.
• Stay calm and be flexible when encountering traffic delays.\

Traffic Calming Assessments and Infrastructure Map
While traffic calming is being installed on a number of streets in District 7 this year (Young Ave, Maynard, Pepperell, Shirley) it is often useful to see what work has been done, and whether traffic calming is considered for a particular street or neighbourhood.  To check the traffic calming status of any street in the Municipality, visit: https://hrm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/media/index.html?appid=b0309077a2ec4f8ea769d438966c971d.

Don’t see an open traffic calming assessment on your street but would like to initiate one? Contact the HRM Contact Centre to submit a new request. Have further questions? See our FAQ section here.

Road Safety Dashboard
Interested in learning more about road safety in HRM and the progress we are making? The Road Safety Dashboard provides an overview of collision data and allows users to track the progress the municipality is making on a number of different road safety initiatives as we work together to accomplish our Towards Zero goals. Collision details are also available on the Open Data Catalogue.

That’s it for now!

Be kind, be patient, and take care,

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 July 9, 10 am
• Tuesday August 6, 10 am

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, July 16 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 July 24 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

• MARKET ST from SACKVILLE ST to BLOWERS ST, starting on 2024-06-26
• PEPPERELL ST from OXFORD ST to PRESTON ST, starting on 2024-07-11
• MAYNARD ST from CUNARD ST to FALKLAND ST, starting on 2024-07-06
• CREIGHTON ST from FALKLAND ST to COGSWELL ST, starting on 2024-07-06
• CREIGHTON ST from CUNARD ST to FALKLAND ST, starting on 2024-07-06
• BRUNSWICK ST from ARTZ ST to UNIACKE ST, starting on 2024-07-01
• YOUNG AVE from INGLIS ST to ATLANTIC ST, starting on 2024-07-04

Cogswell Construction Project Important Update
Beginning June 17, Barrington Street, from Upper Water Street to Duke Street, was closed to accommodate construction in support of the Cogswell District project for approximately six months. This is a major closure that impacts 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

Public Gardens Summer Programming
Various Dates and times | Halifax Public Gardens
The annual summer programming for the Public Gardens resumes this month, with Sunday concerts, Country in the City on Thursday, and much more.   This includes the Friends of the Public Gardens 40th anniversary event taking place this Saturday, 1-3pm, in the Gardens (see graphic below).  I am sorry to say I don’t return from Ottawa until that evening so I will miss it!  For more info visit https://www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca/

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:

• 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.

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