E-News August 2024

News

Alderney Drive Plan
If you missed the open houses in mid-July, HRM has launched a planning process to look at the future design of Alderney Drive. Alderney Drive is part of HRM’s proposed rapid transit route that will run from Bridge Terminal on out Portland Street to the Portland Hills Terminal. It is a key corridor in our transportation system. The municipality is seeking to add transit priority to Alderney Drive and connect the Wyse Road bike lane to the Harbour Trail.

HRM is looking at a couple of different scenarios to achieve the municipality’s transportation objectives. HRM is considering adding bus only lanes on each side of the street for most, or possibly, all of Alderney Drive (up by the Common it gets a bit trickier to manage). There is more variation in how cycling infrastructure could be handled though. The main difference in options is whether cyclists and pedestrians share space in a multi-use trail or whether pedestrians and cyclists are separated from each other with dedicated cycling lanes. Complete details on the project, design boards showing the three options that HRM is considering, and a survey is available online here.

Sawmill River Tender
Halifax Water has awarded the tender for the next phase of the Sawmill River project. Dexter, who also carried out the work in Phase 1, was the winning contractor. Halifax Water and Dexter are still working out when work will begin, but it could start this year at the lower end of the River in Martin’s Park. There was also good news on the Sawmill River from the Province. The Provincial government has committed a sizeable $14.1 million to this project. My sincere thanks to the government for their generous support.

When it’s done, the Sawmill project will provide environmental benefits by restoring fish access to the lakes, encourage redevelopment of vacant industrial lands in Dartmouth Cove, provide new park space, and connect the Banook and Harbour Trails together. It will be the most transformational investment in Downtown Dartmouth since Alderney Gate was built in the 1990s and now it’s actually happening! I’m very excited to see the years of work and planning that Halifax Water and HRM have undertaken turn into actual construction.

If you missed it previously, check out the youtube video preview of what the next phase of the project will look like here.

Encampment Update
As I explained in my Council update and special e-news send out, Council approved redesignating the Geary Street Green Space in early July as an encampment. This wasn’t something I wanted to do, but given the choice of leaving the growing encampment in Northbrook Park as is, or give up Starr Park, reopening Geary Street was the least awful outcome. Geary is the only park space in District 5 that really has no ongoing use. It doesn’t have a trail, a playground, or heritage interpretation, it has more separation from neighbours, and it has good street access. Reopening Geary Street is still a terrible option, and there will be some impacts, but it’s better than letting the encampment in Northbrook Park continue as is or designating Starr Park.

On Monday this week, HRM officially actioned Council’s direction and opened the Geary Street Green Space and Cogswell Park as additional designated encampment sites. Opening those locations creates enough additional space that HRM can now close the Northbrook Park encampment. Notices were issued on Monday to everyone sheltering in Northbrook Park, advising them that they need to relocate by August 12. HRM and service providers will engage with everyone sheltering in Northbrook to identify what options might be the best fit for them. Likely many of them will end up at Geary Street.

Based on past experience, it will take some time for the process of closing the Northbrook Park encampment to play out. Once the last residents have left Northbrook Park, HRM will assess what repairs are needed.

Northbrook Park Plan
Still with Northbrook, HRM has awarded the tender for work in the last phase of the park plan. Over the last few years, HRM has replaced the playground at Northbrook, repaved the pathway, and added additional trees and lighting. The last phase of the implementing the park plan will probably be the most noticeable change to the status-quo. The path that currently ends abruptly at the tennis courts will be extended across the old playing field to Richmond Street and, in the other direction, up to Victoria Road. The existing park entrances onto Eastbrook and Westbrook will also be improved. The result is Northbrook will no longer be a hidden gem, it’ll have clearly marked access out into the wider community.

It’s been a long road to complete the park plan, and it’s been a tough month and half around Northbrook as the encampment has created a host of problems for neighbours and effectively barred many folks, including the local daycare, from accessing the park. I’m looking forward to having the park not only restored to park use, but also improved as HRM completes the final phase of the park plan.

Albro Lake Playground
Wondering what the construction work is by Albro Lake Beach? HRM is adding a new playground to the park. Most of the Parks and Rec capital budget when it comes to playgrounds is dedicated to replacing old ones. It’s not often that the department adds a new playground in an existing neighbourhood. We’re very lucky to be getting a playground at Albro Lake!

The new playground originated from a resident request to me. I passed along the request to Parks and Rec so that staff could assess, and they found that there was actually a service gap in playground access in Dartmouth North. I was delighted that staff agreed to add a playground to Albro Lake and that the project was included in the 2024 budget. The new playground should be finished in just a few weeks.

Albro Lake is really becoming a hub in Dartmouth North with the supervised beach, public washrooms, picnic shelter and now a playground. It’s great to see this wonderful park space becoming even better.

Eels in Lake Banook and Lake Micmac
You might recall that in August last year, there was a lot of concern regarding the sudden deaths of a number of eels in Lake Banook, and Lake Micmac. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is responsible for fish, and following the fish kill, DFO collected water samples and several of the eel corpses to try and determine what happened. The corpses and water samples were sent to DFO’s lab in Charlottetown for analysis. A response back from DFO was very slow in arriving, but thanks to the intervention of our MP Darren Fisher, we finally have an answer.

DFO’s analysis found nothing unusual in the water samples and there were no obvious signs as to the cause of death on the eels. Other water samples collected in the lakes around the same time, however, revealed very low oxygen levels. Banook and Micmac are eutrophic lakes, meaning they’re nutrient rich. When lakes have a lot of decaying organic matter on the bottom (plants, algae, leaf litter, etc) the decomposition process can significantly reduce oxygen levels, particularly in the hot dry summer months. DFO believes the eels died due to oxygen depleted water.

DFO would like to advise that if you’re out and about and observe a fish kill, it can be reported to the National Environmental Emergency Center (NEEC) at 1-800-565-1633.

Water on the Dartmouth Common
I have had a few people inquire about the water outlet on the Dartmouth Common being shutoff. The water outlet is located near the Park Avenue Community Oven and has required work this year. Halifax Water needs to install a back flow preventer, meter and a hotbox before they will agree to turn the faucet on. It will likely be a few more weeks before that works is completed. Staff are doing their best to mitigate the impact by keeping a rain barrel near the pizza oven full so that there is water available for the garden beds. The water in the rain barrel, however, is unfortunately not drinkable because of fertilizer residue left in the tanks that HRM’s horticultural staff use to fill the barrel. Halifax Water will hopefully have the work completed soon.

Sullivan’s Pond Fountain
You may have noticed that the fountain at Sullivan’s Pond has been shut down for a few days now. Unfortunately, this time the fountain’s old equipment has failed completely. It’s not a fix, it’s a replace sort of moment. HRM has ordered a new motor and a new pump, but supply chain limitations mean that it’ll be a few weeks before the equipment arrives here in HRM. Based on the expected delivery date, HRM is hoping to have the fountain back up and running by Labour Day.

Radon Testing
HRM’s Environment Standing Commitee had a presentation yesterday from Lung Nova Scotia on the dangers of radon gas. Radon is an odourless gas that originates from uranium breaking down in the ground. It leaches from the ground into buildings. Prolonged exposure at high-levels can cause lung cancer. Health Canada believes radon exposure is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

In buildings with high levels of radon (Health Canada guideline is 200 Bq/m3), radon risk can be addressed by venting basement spaces to the outdoors. The key is for people to know there is a problem in the first place. Every building should be tested for radon, whether it’s located in a high, medium, or low risk area. The presentation was a good prompt for me to add a reminder to my newsletter that radon test kits are available for loan from the library at no cost. If you haven’t tested for radon before, you can sign out a kit at the Alderney branch here

Anti-Black Racism Grants
HRM has established a new grant program to help address anti-Black racism through grassroots projects and initiatives. Anti-Black racism is a form of discrimination rooted in the unique history of Black people, a history that is informed by the legacies of enslavement and colonization, which still impacts people to this day. HRM is looking for projects that address one or more of the following negative impacts of anti-Black racism:

• Racial segregation
• Historic omission
• Lack of recognition
• Systemic expropriation
• Negative portrayal in the media and literature

Applications will be accepted from September 1 to October 31. For more information, including eligibility, visit HRM’s website here.

Senior’s Property Tax Rebate
The Province’s Tax Rebate program for senior’s is taking applications from now until December 31. The rebate is designed to help low-income seniors who own their own home. Rebates are 50% of last year’s bill up to a maximum of $800. For more information and to apply, visit the Provincial website here.

Re-Elect Sam Austin Campaign
With the municipal election just a few months away, I’m turning my mind to organizing my re-election campaign. Stay tuned for the launch of the campaign portion of my website. As before, I will have a separate e-mail list for my campaign so that folks can opt out if they don’t want to get political content. I will keep this newsletter list generally Council business oriented. There will be a race in District 5 (I won’t be acclaimed) so if you would like to support my campaign in anyway please reach out. You can help by dropping leaflets, coming door knocking with me, hosting a lawn sign, making a donation to my campaign (it costs about $10,000 to run a campaign). It has been an honour being your Councillor and I hope to continue working on your behalf in 2024-2028.

Public Consultation

Little Albro Lake
Thursday, August 8, 6:30 PM
Limardo Drive Park (25 Limardo Drive)
HRM is very close to deploying a herbicide in Little Albro Lake to deal with the Yellow Floating Heart that has completely taken over the lake. Yellow Floating Heart is an invasive species that doesn’t belong here. It outcompetes native plants and forms a thick lily pad like mat that blocks people from swimming and boating. If Yellow Floating Heart were to spread from Little Albro to Dartmouth’s other lakes, the environmental and recreational impacts would be huge. It’s a threat that we need to deal with while the plant is still contained in Little Albro Lake.

Dealing with the Yellow Floating Heart problem has been something I have championed in my time on Council. HRM tested out smothering the plant with benthic mats in 2021, but the mats were labour intensive to manage and had environmental impacts on the animal life that lives in the bottom of the lake. HRM concluded that the newly approved herbicide, Procella, would be the best way to eradicate Yellow Floating Heart. HRM is currently in the final stages of securing the required Provincial permits to deploy Procella. If all goes according to plan and the Province approves the project, the herbicide could be deployed this September/October.

In preparation for treating Little Albro Lake, HRM will be hosting a nature walk/information session where municipal staff will be available to discuss Yellow Floating Heart with residents. The session will start at Limardo Drive Park (25 Limardo Drive) at 6:30 on August 8 and will conclude at the picnic shelter at Albro Lake Beach. For more information, check out the Yellow Floating Heart page on HRM’s website here.

I’m so pleased that a real solution to dealing with Yellow Floating Heart, a problem that was once dismissed as unsolvable, is now just weeks away from being addressed.

Travel Survey
July 22 – August 12
HRM is asking residents to provide feedback on how they travel throughout the region in the latest Traveller Opinion Survey. The survey is used to measure people’ perception of the existing transportation network (walking/ rolling, bicycling, transit and driving). It helps the municipality learn more about how and why residents travel, as well as understand what motivates people to use more sustainable options. HRM is expecting this survey to be an important one as it’s the first one that the municipality has undertaken since 2019. The 2024 survey will capture some of the lasting impacts that COVID has had on travel patterns throughout HRM. To take the 2024 Traveller Opinion Survey, visit HRM’s website here.  

Council Update

To keep you informed about what is going on at Council, I’m writing a regular blog after Council meetings. Each of my entries is about what I saw as noteworthy from a District 5 perspective and my views on the issues. We might not always agree, but I think it’s important to provide a record of how I voted and why.

Council Update, July 9
Council’s awful choices around designating encampments and what that means for closing down the Northbrook Park encampment and the Geary Street Green Space, plus HRM’s upcoming micromobility pilot program and the solid waste review. Read about it here.

Events

Emancipation Day Social with Senator Wanda Bernard
Saturday, August 3, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Christ Church Hall, 6 Dundas Street
The Dartmouth Heritage Museum Society will be hosting a free Emancipation Day Social at Christ Church Hall. This event will include an address from Senator Wanda Bernard, pop-up exhibits from the museum’s collection on Black History in Dartmouth, live music, and strawberry themed treats and drink.

Dartmouth Concert Series
August 3, 4, and 10
Ferry Terminal Park
There are two more weekends of shows at Ferry Terminal Park in Downtown Dartmouth:

• August 3, Crescendo
• August 4, Natal Day
• August 10, Dartmouth Undersea Adventure with Sponge Bob Squarepants
• August 10, Hopscotch

For more information, check out the festival series page on HRM’s website here.

Natal Day Weekend Fireworks
Saturday, August 3, 10:00 pm
Monday, August 5, 10:00 pm
Harbour and Lake Banook
This is the big weekend for fireworks in HRM. There will be a fireworks show over the Harbour on Saturday night and a show over Lake Banook on Monday night. Expect Birch Cove Park to be closed in advance of the Monday night show for setup.

Dartmouth Concert Band
Sunday, August 4, 2:00 pm
Sullivan’s Pond
The Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission will be providing a free concert at Sullivan’s Pond this weekend. The Dartmouth Concert Band consists of professional and amateur musicians from all backgrounds, who enjoy sharing their joy for the finest in concert, classical, symphonic, show tunes, swing, marches, and contemporary music. Spread out on the grass with friends and family, or show off your swing dancing with a partner.

Halifax Harbour Bridges MacPass Mile
Sunday, August 4, 8:30 – 11:30 am
Macdonald Bridge
There is still time to register for the family-friendly Bridge Miles race across the Macdonald Bridge. Whether you’re a serious runner looking to sprint the distance or a novice who wants to test yourself on a short course, you are welcome at the MACPASS Mile. The race is part of the Run Nova Scotia Race Series. Registration is $10 for adults and free for children and youths. All proceeds will be donated to the Africville Heritage Trust. To register, check out the website here. Please note the bridge will be closed on Sunday for this event.

Halifax Harbour Bridge Walk
Sunday, August 4, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Macdonald Bridge
The Macdonald Bridge will be closed on Monday, August 4 for the annual Bridge Walk. Come stretch your legs and enjoy this once a year opportunity to experience the Macdonald Bridge car free. There will be entertainment, free treats, and the ever popular, “ask a bridge engineer” booth.

Natal Day Parade
Monday, August 5, 10:00 am – Noon
Halifax and Dartmouth
The Natal Day Parade will take place on Monday. The Parade will start on Novalea Drive in Halifax and head south on Gottingen, cross the Macdonald Bridge, and then make its way down to Ochterloney to end at Sullivan’s Pond.

Dartmouth Caribbean Carnival
Monday, August 5, noon – 7:00 pm
Sullivan’s Pond
This Natal Day, immerse yourself in the rhythm with the Halifax/Dartmouth Caribbean Carnival! Experience the vibrant culture, music, delicious food, and captivating art that define this one-of-a-kind festival. Bring your family and friends for a day filled with joy and celebration!

Tunes by the Tracks
Fridays, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Alderney Gate Library
The Library and Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission are hosting concerts in the lobby of Alderney Gate every Friday at lunch over the summer. Upcoming concerts include

• August 9, Ivan Giles
  Ivan Giles is a singer/songwriter/musician who grew up on the south coast of Newfoundland. Inheriting an Irish/folk sound at this early age and with his love of country and rock music following behind, he has put all four together to provide a variety of songs that are sure to entertain.
• August 16, Mike a Vik
  Mike à Vik is a singer-songwriter from Clare, Nova Scotia. Mike’s music is heavily influenced by his Acadian heritage, but he also brings in elements of stoner rock and blues.
• August 23, Moonii
  Moonii, and has previously released four albums under the name Elsa Jayne. Moonii music encapsulates all the facets of Elsa’s musical imagination. Her songs range from gritty rock ditties to dreamy folk ballads.
• August 30: Sly-Fi
  Sly-Fi is a Halifax-based collective that melds elements of jazz, funk, and instrumental hip-hop. The result is something that is both familiar and fresh, like old jazz records sampled and rearranged in high fidelity.

Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival
August 11, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Alderney Landing
This free, all-ages event celebrates comics and cartooning! Find cartoonists, illustrators, animators, writers and vendors of comics all in the Alderney Landing Marketplace! For more information check out Alderney’s website here.

Movie Monday: Jumanji
August 12, 2:00 – 4:15 pm
Alderney Gate Library
Come to the Library for a free screening of the kids movie Jumanji. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Rock the Harbour:
August 16 – 18
Alderney Landing
Nova Scotia’s Classic Rock Festival returns to Alderney Landing this August! This year’s three day set features Glass Tiger, Aldo Nova, Doug and the Slugs, 54-40, Chilliwack, Haywire, Titan, Nazareth, Headpins, Barney Bentall and The Legendary Hearts, and Razorboy. Find tickets at rocktheharbour.ca

Clam Harbour Sandcastle Competition
August 18
Clam Harbour Beach
The most unique day at the beach you’ll find in Nova Scotia. The 44th annual Clam Harbour Sandcastle Competition will take place on Sunday, August 18. Come check out the art that is possible with just a bit of sand. For more information, visit the festival page here.

Next Ride
August 22, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Alderney Landing
HRM has partnered with Next Ride and the Clean Foundation to offer a number of free electric vehicle (EV) test drive events to residents across the municipality, including in Downtown Dartmouth. Registration will open approximately two weeks before the event date. Residents are encouraged register online in advance to guarantee a test drive. Limited walk-in spots will also be available. To schedule a test drive, visit Next Ride’s website here. 

Movie Monday: Kung Fu Panda 4
August 19, 2:00 – 3:15 pm
Alderney Gate Library
Come to the Library for a free screening of the kids movie King Fu Panda 4. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Discovery Centre Summer Tour
August 21, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Alderney Gate Library
Visit the Library to join the Discovery Centre’s GenAction Team to learn more about the importance of ecosystems, the species that live in them, and how it all connects to climate action. Be ready to use a microscope, take water samples, play fun games, and do some simple crafts.

Woodside Picnic
Thursday, August 22, 12:00 – 2:00 PM
Rain date, Friday August, 23
Come join folks from the Common Roots Urban Farm for a lunchtime picnic at the Farm in North Woodside! There will be live music, fun for the kids, snacks, sweets, and beverages, and of course the Farm’s weekly market. Bring your own lunch. Find the Farm behind the Hugh Bell Service Centre at Nova Scotia Hospital Site.

Disney Sing-Along with Nick Pettipas
Thursday, August 22, 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Alderney Gate Library
Join us for a magical afternoon of Disney tunes with music educator Nick Pettipas! Get ready to sing along to your favourite songs from classic Disney movies. Whether you’re a die-hard Disney fan or just love a good sing-along, this event is perfect for all to enjoy.

Mother Goose Festival
Saturday, August 24, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ferry Terminal Park
The annual Kiwanis Mother Goose Festival is going to be a bit later this year due the rainy weekend back at the start of July. This family focussed event include bouncy castles, puppet shows from the Maritime Marionettes, meeting farm animals, digging for treasure, and more. Everyone is invited to come meet Mother Goose characters throughout the Ferry Terminal Park and take part in a variety of fun for the whole family.