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Utility and review board says it can’t waive Halifax Water fees for affordable housing

October 30, 2020 By Zane Woodford 4 Comments

Nova Scotia’s Utility and Review Board says it has no authority to waive Halifax Water’s fees for non-profits building affordable housing, and those fees are likely going up. In a decision released Thursday, the UARB approved Halifax Water’s request to increase its regional development charge, or RDC. The RDC is meant to pay for direct […]

Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News Tagged With: Affirmative Ventures, affordable housing, Dalhousie Legal Aid, Halifax Water fees, Housing Trust of Nova Scotia, James Campbell, Ken Greer, non-profit housing, Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB), Ross Cantwell

Halifax council approves grant program for non-profit housing in regional centre

September 30, 2020 By Zane Woodford Leave a Comment

Halifax will provide grants to non-profit organizations building or renovating affordable housing using a new program approved by regional council on Wednesday. When council passed the first half of the Centre Plan — the land-use bylaw governing peninsular Halifax and Dartmouth within Highway 111 — last year, it agreed to a density bonusing policy where […]

Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News Tagged With: affordable housing, Ben Sivak, density bonusing, Jill MacLellan, non-profit housing, Ross Cantwell, Willow Tree development

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.

April 11, 2018 By Jennifer Henderson

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...

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Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News, Subscribers only Tagged With: affordable housing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Carl Purvis, Centre Plan, Graham Reid, Housing NS, Housing Trust of Nova Scotia, Jacob Ritchie, Metro Community Housing, Ross Cantwell, Steve Parcell, TEAL study

Dawn Sloane says her parking spot is worth $25,000: Morning File, Friday, November 10, 2017

November 10, 2017 By Tim Bousquet 26 Comments

News 1. Constructive dismissal The trial of Calvin Clarke’s suit against the Halifax Herald Ltd. continued in Supreme Court yesterday, with testimony from Nancy Cook, who holds the ridiculous title of “chief people officer” at Saltwire, the Herald’s parent company, followed by Alex Liot, the VP of Sales. Clarke is claiming “constructive dismissal,” which basically means […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alex Liot, Amazon bid, Calvin Clarke vs Halifax Herald, Chris Enns, Colin Bryson, Cory Funk, Creighton Gerrish Development Association (CGDA), Darrell Cooke, Dawn Sloane parking spot, Grant Wanzel, Greater Halifax Partnership, Julia-Simone Rutgers, Justice Suzanne Hood, Nancy Cook, Ross Cantwell, SaltWire

Groups may have to compromise on housing plans for St. Pat’s-Alexandra site

July 4, 2014 By Tim Bousquet

North end residents dreamed big about the future of St. Pat’s-Alexandra at a meeting last night, but heard they may have to compromise on their housing goals. About 70 people attended the consultation at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library to yet again speak their minds on the future of the former school site. It...

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Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News, Subscribers only Tagged With: Hope Blooms, Jennifer Watts, JONO Developments, Margaret Casey, Maureen MacDonald, Rhonda Britton, Ross Cantwell, St. Pat's-Alexandra, Waye Mason

The Tideline, with Tara Thorne

Phyllis Rising — Rebecca Falvey (left) and Meg Hubley. Photo submitted

Episode #19 of The Tideline, with Tara Thorne is published.

Meg Hubley and Rebecca Falvey met as theatre kids at Neptune and have been friends ever since. As Phyllis Rising — that’s right, Mary Tyler Moore hive — they’re making films, plays, and are in production on The Crevice, a three-part sitcom streaming live from the Bus Stop in March. They stop by to talk with Tara about its development, their shared love of classic SNL and 90s sitcoms, and the power of close friendship. Plus: A new song from a new band.

This episode is available today only for premium subscribers; to become a premium subscriber, click here, and join the select group of arts and entertainment supporters for just $5/month. Everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow to listen to it.

Please subscribe to The Tideline.

Uncover: Dead Wrong

In 1995, Brenda Way was brutally murdered behind a Dartmouth apartment building. In 1999, Glen Assoun was found guilty of the murder. He served 17 years in prison, but steadfastly maintained his innocence. In 2019, Glen Assoun was fully exonerated.

Halifax Examiner founder and investigative journalist Tim Bousquet has followed the story of Glen Assoun's wrongful conviction for over five years. Now, Bousquet tells that story as host of Season 7 of the CBC podcast series Uncover: Dead Wrong.

Click here to go to listen to the podcast, or search for CBC Uncover on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast aggregator.

About the Halifax Examiner

Examiner folk The Halifax Examiner was founded by investigative reporter Tim Bousquet, and now includes a growing collection of writers, contributors, and staff. Left to right: Joan Baxter, Stephen Kimber, Linda Pannozzo, Erica Butler, Jennifer Henderson, Iris the Amazing, Tim Bousquet, Evelyn C. White, El Jones, Philip Moscovitch More about the Examiner.

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Recent posts

  • Six cases of COVID-19 announced in Nova Scotia on Saturday, March 6 March 6, 2021
  • The vaccine landscape has shifted dramatically in Nova Scotia; two new cases of COVID-19 found in Halifax area March 5, 2021
  • Halifax staff channels Alice’s Restaurant to propose crackdown on illegal dumping March 5, 2021
  • How a Halifax native is restoring looted art to Afghanistan March 5, 2021
  • Sacrificing wild Atlantic salmon for gold March 4, 2021

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