News 1. Development agreement approved for preschool at Halifax councillor’s house Zane Woodford reports on the approval of a development agreement for councillor Shawn Cleary’s house Wednesday night during a virtual public meeting. Cleary and his wife, Michelle, have been running a preschool, Maple Tree Montessori, from their home at the corner of Quinpool Road […]
Council approves 12-storey Halifax development after virtual public hearing
No one signed up to speak for or against a 12-storey development proposed for Joseph Howe Drive during a public hearing Tuesday night, and council approved bylaw amendments to allow the project. The proposal from Alex and Besim Halef’s BANC Investments Ltd. would see a one-storey commercial building at 3514 Joseph Howe Dr. torn down...
“I have never dealt with a landlord like this”
Tenant in north end Dartmouth building gets rent increase of 45% after making complaints about safety and maintenance issues.
A Dartmouth woman recently got a rent increase of 45% for what she believes is retaliation for making complaints about safety and maintenance issues in the building where she lives. Kimberly Rankin has lived at 6 Nivens Avenue in north end Dartmouth since January 2019. But this year, she started reporting issues around the building. […]
Halifax developer proposes 23-storey tower for Robie Street under baked-in Centre Plan exception
Developer Danny Chedrawe submitted a new proposal for his Robie Street property this week, seeking approval for a 23-storey tower next to the Willow Tree site. The proposal, submitted by WSP Canada Inc. on behalf of Chedrawe’s Westwood Developments and posted on the city’s website on Monday, is for a development agreement on the...
Where do you go when you gotta go?
Morning File, Tuesday, February 25, 2020
News 1. Supported living This item is written by Tim Bousquet. In 2013, the Nova Scotia government accepted a report titled “Choice, Equality and Good Lives in Inclusive Communities: A Roadmap for Transforming the Nova Scotia Services to Persons with Disabilities Program.” That 56-page report clearly identified the reliance on large institutions to house people […]
Halifax rental vacancy drops to 1%, below Toronto, Vancouver
Halifax’s apartment rental vacancy rate has dropped to a new low of 1% — below that of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its 2019 fall rental market survey on Wednesday. The numbers represent privately-owned apartments in buildings with three or more units, based on an annual survey conducted […]
Councillors cold to cooling-off proposal, and other Halifax City Hall updates
Halifax councillor Shawn Cleary’s proposal for a cooling-off period for councillors and senior officials was met with a cool reception at council. The request for a staff report looking into the policy, which would temporarily bar politicians and some staff from taking a job dealing with the city after their terms ended, came up during...
The Transportation Safety Board doesn’t want you to hear the Cockpit Voice Recording of Flight 624
Morning File, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
News 1. Weather There’s weather today. A lot of schools, businesses, and governments are closed. Everyone will complain about stuff. 2. Taxes “It’s early in the budget season, but Halifax regional councillors are hoping to keep next year’s tax increase well below inflation,” reports Zane Woodford: Council’s budget committee met Tuesday to work toward creating […]
Not enough is being done on the affordable housing front, say advocates
Last August, the federal government signed a 10-year-deal with the province of Nova Scotia to cost-share a $400-million-dollar contribution towards affordable housing. The timing couldn’t be better for people trying to find a place to live in Metro Halifax. Not only is the population growing but the vacancy rate is at a historic low —...
How a Young Avenue property is being flipped to “Canada’s worst landlord”
Morning File, Monday, December 2, 2019
News 1. Gerald Regan Writes Stephen Kimber: How do you reconcile the contradictory facts of our 19th premier’s life? You probably can’t. No matter what you write, you’re either rinsing Regan’s black heart in the cleansing stream of his passing or dancing gleefully on his grave. Most news reports I saw got it about as […]