News 1. No charges in case of woman who died of horrific bed sore Chrissy Dunnington died from complications of a pressure sore (often called a bed sore) in March 2018. She was 40 years old. Dunnington had been living at the Parkstone Enhanced Care home, owned by Shannex, in Clayton Park for 18 months. […]
The Centre Plan is a colossal waste of time, money, public attention, newsprint, and reporter energy
Morning File, Wednesday, September 18, 2019
News 1. Centre Plan A public hearing on the Centre Plan was held at City Hall yesterday, and lasted well into the night. Council will debate the various issues and presumably vote to enact the package later today. I’ve never seen such a colossal waste of time, money, public attention, newsprint, and reporter energy devoted […]
The Assoun wrongful conviction: the McNeil connection
Morning File, Monday, July 8, 2019
News 1. Northern Pulp Mill’s missing environmental data “If Premier Stephen McNeil is wavering on the Northern Pulp / Paper Excellence file, entertaining notions on amending the Boat Harbour Act so that effluent from the Pictou County pulp mill can continue to flow into the lagoon after January 31, 2020, he would do well to […]
Ignorance is bliss, and other news of the day
Morning File, Thursday, July 4, 2019
News 1. Ignorance is bliss: city councillors still not briefed on potential malfeasance by Halifax police “We’re witnessing an astonishing display of cowardice from our elected officials,” writes Tim this morning, after looking for answers on why a city lawyer intervened to prevent the release of court documents that could shed light on what went […]
A mega development on Lake Banook shows that the Centre Plan is a cruel joke
Morning File, Wednesday, April 10, 2019
News 1. Mercury, Canso Chemicals, Northern Pulp Mill Facilities associated with Northern Pulp Mill’s proposed effluent pipe are immediately adjacent to a mercury-contaminated toxic waste site left over from the Canso Chemicals operation. Joan Baxter explains: The Canso Chemicals plant opened in 1970, and for the next 22 years used large amounts of mercury to […]
Too many walls and not enough bridges
Morning File, Tuesday, October 9, 2018
News 1. Chris Mosher I reported over the weekend: After he was charged with sexual assault and then for repeatedly violating the conditions of his release, Halifax cop Chris Mosher was fired last year by the Halifax police department. But Mosher has successfully appealed his firing, and has received a cash payout from the city […]
The contradiction of being Councillor Cleary
Shawn Cleary is the chief flag-waver for the city's most unpopular high-rise proposal — and its developer. But he refuses to accept campaign donations from developers, and is promoting municipal campaign finance reform. He dismisses the significance of the fact the developer's chief lobbyist is a good friend, yet he is spearheading a proposal for a municipal lobbyist registry. Only in Halifax you say...
“We don’t build buildings because of public opinion. We build them for good planning… And so I think this is a good thing for us… In terms of the design, I think we’ve mitigated most of the concerns…” —Councillor Shawn Cleary June 19, 2018 Shawn Cleary’s suitcase of sophistry requires a little unpacking. Councillor Cleary […]
Densely calculated density
In return for "public benefits" — affordable housing units, public art, and the like — the city trades "density bonuses" that allow developers to build higher and bigger than planning rules would otherwise allow. But a study shows that on just six big developments downtown, the city lost a potential $8 million in public benefits because it low-balled calculations.
If public meetings to discuss the municipality’s Centre Plan were episodes of Sesame Street, they would be “brought to you by the number 15.” The Centre Plan would chart development for the next 15 years. But that same number keeps getting raised in pointed questions from citizens who want to know why there’s a 15-year...
The Centre Plan, affordable housing, and the Willow Tree
Affordable housing, anyone? After nearly two years of promising to do something about it, the City’s draft Centre Plan being discussed at a series of public meetings and online could actually deliver some of the 5,000 units promised by 2021. That is, if — and it’s a big IF — HRM regional council approves and...
City council, the developer, and the deal that isn’t quite
APL promises 10 affordable housing units in exchange for being allowed to add five storeys to its Willow Tree project. Who benefits? Hint: not the city...
Halifax City Council can be — even at its best of times — confusing, contradictory, confounding. Last week, council was not, even by its own modest standards, at its best. Councillors were considering again/still/always a proposal from APL, an Armoyan development company, to erect a commercial-residential tower at the corner of Robie Street and Quinpool...