E-News August 2018

News:

Lake Banook Blue Green Algae: This summer has brought a fresh challenge for Lake Banook: blue green algae. Blue green algae is a naturally occurring algae. It usually isn’t a problem, but with enough nutrients and heat it can form dense blooms. Given the aquatic weed growth in Banook and the prevalence of e-coli in recent summers, there seems to be a good supply of nutrients in the lakes. Throw in the warmest summer on record and the result this year has been good conditions for blue green algae.

Unfortunately, when blue green algae gets stressed, it can produce toxins that are harmful to people and animals. Symptoms can include itchy skin, watery eyes, headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Young children are at greater risk, but for most people it’s a nuisance. For pets though, it can be deadly. It’s important to not let your dog drink or play in water where algae is present.

HRM collected samples when blooms were first spotted on Lake Banook and they have been sent off for testing. Results were expected last week, but, unfortunately, there have been delays in the laboratory in Alberta. Test results are just a snapshot in time though. HRM’s advice is that no one should swim in any waterway when algae blooms are present. Unfortunately, consultants working on HRM’s Pollution Control Study spotted additional blooms on the lake on Wednesday last week so HRM’s advisory will remain in place.

Since the algae issue arose, the question has been put to me a few times about why the paddling clubs are still active on the lake? First, HRM doesn’t have the ability to close lakes. HRM simply issues advisories so that all lake users can make their own decisions about the risk involved. Second, while it may appear to be business as usual, I know the paddling clubs have taken this very seriously. Swimming lessons have been cancelled, they’ve closed their beaches, and restrictions have been put in place on what boats the young kids can go out in (young kids being more likely to tip). Everything that I have seen from the clubs has demonstrated a reasoned approach to the risk. Ending paddling on Banook completely would be overkill.

Losing half the swimming season on Lake Banook for the second year in a row is really disheartening. I know it has a big impact on a lot of people, my own family included. HRM currently has a Pollution Control Study underway to look at Lake Banook and Lake Mic Mac. Results are due back this year, which should give us a better idea of what’s going on in the lakes and, importantly, what we can do about it.

Transit Tickets: If you were on social media at all over the last few weeks, you probably caught the news that Halifax Transit is retiring our tiny old pink tickets and replacing them with a larger “bill sized” version. The tickets are being replaced as part of a phased modernization of the fare collection system. It’s the last big piece of Transit’s technology upgrades. So far, most of the tech work has been behind the scenes including routing and scheduling software and the installation of automated vehicle locators on the buses. The farebox is the last big piece of the technology upgrade and it’s probably the most challenging because it has a significant impact on the day-to-day experience for riders.

Halifax Transit’s original plan was to install new fareboxes and introduce smart payment options, like cards or phones, at the same time. Do it all at once. After discussing the approach with vendors, however, it became clear that the complexity involved of doing everything at once simply wasn’t doable. Transit has been forced to break the work into two phases. Upgrading the farebox is a necessary first step to getting to smart payment options like reloadable cards, credit cards, or phone payment.

While the new machines have the capability to incorporate smart payment, they’re not designed for special sized paper tickets. They’re designed to accept cash for fare payment, which means feeding them paper that’s not bill sized increases the chances of errors and jams. The larger format tickets won’t be a problem in the long-run because, once smart payment options are available, ticket use will dramatically decline. Unfortunately, the result is an awkward in between period where smart payment isn’t available and many people are still reliant on tickets. So that’s the explanation for the admittedly silly size. It’s a temporary nuisance. The new tickets are due to arrive in late 2018 or early 2019 with the new fareboxes to follow shortly after.

Bowles Arena Sale: The sale of the Bowles Arena has been completed and the sale price is now publicly available. The rink was sold for $1,395,000 to the adjacent property owner, Atlantic Varsity. You may recall from my past Council Updates that the Bowles was subject to a right-of-first refusal in favour of the adjacent property owner. The right gave the owner the chance to purchase the rink at market value before it could be offered to anyone else. The adjacent owner exercised their right and the $1,395,000 purchase price was established as market value by hiring an independent third-party appraiser.

The good news from the sale is that, as reported by CBC, the private school intends to use the rink as part of their athletic programs. The school will make unused rink time available for community rentals and they intend to develop the vacant lot next door to create a complete campus with indoor field space for baseball and soccer. I know the outcome is disappointing for the Dartmouth Curling Club who had hoped to make the Bowles their new home, but, that possibility was never really in the cards because of the 2012 right-of-first refusal. The failure on HRM’s part was not advising the Club of the right-of-first refusal sooner. Given that the Bowles was never going to be available for community groups to purchase, I’m pleased that the sale to the adjacent owner has resulted in an outcome that keeps the rink in active use. A far better end than having the facility demolished and the site redeveloped for industrial use.

Dartmouth on TV: You may run into film crews in Downtown Dartmouth this week. Filming for the new CBC legal drama, Diggstown, will be taking place on Portland Street, Shore Road, and Alderney. Diggstown follows Marcie Diggs who gives up corporate law to return home and become a legal aid lawyer. The neat part about the show is that Dartmouth isn’t standing in for some other place, the show is actually set here. Dartmouth being Dartmouth. For more information about Diggstown, you can read CBC’s short preview here.

Hal-Con Art Opportunity: Hal-con is pleased to be hosting its first Fantasy Art Exhibition Series this Fall. Art will be on display at the Central Library (Sept 24-Oct 7), Hal-Con (Oct 26-28), and in Dartmouth at the Dart Gallery (Nov 1-15). Anyone can submit a work in one of the three themes: (1) what inspires you (2) community portraits, (3) dreams. The deadline for submissions is August 31. For more details, checkout Hal-Con’s site here.

Public Consultation:

Prince Albert Road/Glenwood Development
September 6, 6:00 pm
Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club
The September meeting of Harbour East – Marine Drive Community Council will be held at the Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club instead of its usual space in Alderney Gate in order to accommodate a public hearing for the revised development proposal at the corner of Prince Albert Road and Glenwood Avenue. This proposal has a lengthy backstory. It started as a 15 storey building that was rejected by Council back in 2012. It was then redesigned as a 10 storey building, that then became 9, and is now down to 8 (7 plus penthouse). I wrote about it when it came to Council back in December and about the rezoning and rejection of the the 9 storey version. You can read those blog entries here and here. Anyone who wishes to address Council about this development can do so on September 6th. You can read the staff report here.