E-News December 2024

News

Lake Major Water Restrictions
Despite some recent rain, it has been a fairly dry year, particularly the fall. We’ve had well below average rainfall through October and November and HRM has actually been below average for every month since April. The result is that lake water levels are way down, creating the need for water conservation in Dartmouth.

Dartmouth’s water supply comes from Lake Major and the Lake Major plant is more vulnerable to water level fluctuations than Halifax’s Pockwock. When the dam at Lake Major was replaced a few years ago, the lake level was raised by several inches and Halifax Water gained the ability, subject to the terms of their Provincial permit, to control the amount of water that flows out of the Lake. Both of those changes have boosted the water supply, but the intake for the Lake Major water treatment plant is in much shallower water than is the case at Pockwock, which makes Dartmouth more vulnerable to prolonged droughts.

Given current lake levels, Halifax Water is asking people to voluntarily reduce water usage by flushing only when necessary, shortening showers, and making sure to only run full loads of laundry or dishes. Halifax Water has also started implementing mandatory restrictions for certain activities including: outside watering (not that this is a big gardening season), home car washing, bulk water fill ups, and backyard ice surfaces.

As I write this on Sunday, the current 14 day forecast isn’t encouraging, with little in the way of substantial rainfall predicated for the next two weeks (Thursday Dec 5 is about it). Hopefully that will change, but in case it doesn’t, I would urge everyone to take this seriously and do what you can now to reduce water usage.

Fluoride
Still with the water supply, I was quite surprised last week to find out from CBC reporting that, due to equipment issues at the Lake Major Plant, Halifax Water hasn’t been adding fluoride to the Dartmouth water supply since April 2020! The system has been down for four years and the public was never told.

The addition of fluoride to municipal water supplies attracts some attention from folks who distrust government, but it is widely recognized as a significant public health achievement, particularly for folks who can’t access dental care regularly. Calgary stopped adding fluoride to their water supply and a University of Calgary study attributes that decision to a divergence in cavity rates for children between Calgary and Edmonton. Fluoride isn’t a nice to have, it’s an important public health measure that matters most for the folks in our society who are the most vulnerable.

It’s extremely disappointing that Halifax Water’s equipment hasn’t been operating in Dartmouth for four years now and that the Utility didn’t alert the public. We should all know what’s in the water so that we can make informed decisions about our health. This is a complete miss by Halifax Water regardless of whether you’re for or against fluoridation. I expressed my concerns to Halifax Water management last week and the Utility has issued a news release acknowledging the communications failure and is promising to do better going forward. You can read the release here.

Unfortunately, as part of the news release, Halifax Water has indicated that due to space constraints at the Lake Major plant, it will not be easy to restore fluoride to the Dartmouth water supply. Halifax Water is planning for extensive upgrades at Lake Major, but they are a ways off which means the return of fluoridation in Dartmouth could be 5-7 years away. Given that the fluoride system has been shut down for four years already, an up to 12 year absence of fluoridation is a long time! That’ll be most of their childhood for some kids. I don’t find this timeline at all acceptable, but at this stage I don’t know if there is anything that can be done about it. I will be following up on this issue. I’m sorry that this has happened.

Lancaster/Woodland Development
Over the last few weeks I have received several emails from folks wondering what is going on at the corner of Lancaster and Woodland. The large lot on the west side of the intersection has been completely clear-cut, which has generated questions as to what new development is coming. I can’t say for sure right now as I have had no contact with the owners in years and no permits have been applied for. The property’s zoning, however, does have some significant as-of-right development rights.

You might recall that a townhouse development for seniors was originally proposed for this property. The property’s ownership changed hands just before the Centre Plan was finished though. The new owners scrapped the townhouse project and requested zoning that would allow for large multi-unit buildings. Their request came late in the Centre Plan process and I wasn’t comfortable making an 11th hour change, especially given that the site had only just been rezoned for townhouses.

I was expecting that there would be a future site-specific request to rezone this property, but the request instead got picked up in the changes in Housing Accelerator process this past year (I wrote about all the District 5 Housing Accelerator zoning changes, including this property, here). As part of many changes designed to increase the supply of housing, Council approved a mix of new zoning on this property at a public hearing in the spring. The site now has three zones: Established Residential Three (ER-3), Higher Order Residential One (HR-1), and Higher Order Residential Two (HR-2).

The ER-3 zone permits townhouses/small multi-unit buildings and has a height limit of 11 metres. It borders almost all the existing homes on Sea King, Beldina, Elmore, and Brannon and is meant to create a transition into the existing neighbourhood from the larger scale multi-unit buildings permitted in the HR-1 and HR-2 zones. The HR-1 zone at Lancaster and Woodland allows for up to seven storeys while the HR-2 zone right at the corner allows up to nine storeys. So the likely outcome under the existing zoning is a future development that will have shorter buildings around the edge with the greatest density situated along Lancaster Drive. What is allowed along Lancaster is similar in scale to what has been developed across the street next to the Life Branch Church.

You might be wondering, if there is no development permit, why was the property clear-cut? Why are developers allowed to remove all existing vegetation? HRM lacks the authority to control what happens to trees on private property. This is true of a single tree in a homeowner’s backyard as well as multiple trees on undeveloped sites like this one. The municipality doesn’t have control of privately-owned trees. HRM does try to incentivize the preservation of existing vegetation by allowing it to count towards landscaping requirements, but it’s not something that the municipality can mandate. As a result, sometimes developers go out of their way to preserve as much of what’s on a site as they can, while at other times, they start by moonscaping their property. This would be an example of the latter. HRM does have landscaping requirements that will apply to whatever gets built at Lancaster and Woodland, but it’s legally permissible to clear-cut and reinstate.

For now, we will all have to wait for an actual permit to be submitted to know for sure what the property owners at Lancaster and Woodland have in mind.

Horizon Court Development
Still with development speculation, I have also been getting a lot of questions from folks wondering what’s happening with Can-Euro’s site at Micmac Boulevard and Horizon Court. There was an existing development agreement for that property that allowed for a 27 storey tower. There is quite a saga behind that development, which included an appeal of Council’s original approval by neighbouring Dexel, the death of Can-Euro’s founder, and then COVID. The result is that Can-Euro has been very delayed in getting this project started. The delay has been so long that the actual underlying planning rules changed when the Centre Plan came in.

When the Centre Plan came in, HRM had to figure out what to do with all the various developments that had been approved, but not built. Development agreements aren’t intended to last forever. They have deadlines precisely so that when circumstances or plans change, everyone will eventually be required to transition to the new rules. The transition period in the Centre Plan allows Council to extend commencement and completion dates in existing development agreements by up to two years for each development once. So existing development agreements are very much running out of time to get started.

Unfortunately, for Can-Euro, time ran out. Council approved extending Can-Euro’s timelines in 2022 and the new deadline to commence construction (install footings and a foundation) was July 18, 2024. Can-Euro secured a lot grading permit in May in advance of the deadline to start site prep, but Can-Euro didn’t meet that July 18 deadline for foundations and footings. When Can-Euro applied for a building permit after the July deadline, their application was rejected by HRM because the agreement had expired.

Refusing to allow a development that was so close to getting started may seem odd, but HRM was pretty boxed in here. Staff and Council weren’t able to extend the existing development agreement because the Centre Plan’s provisions explicitly don’t allow for that to happen. Can-Euro challenged HRM’s refusal to issue a permit, appealing to the Utility and Review Board, but it’s my understanding that the legal action has since concluded and that HRM’s refusal to issue a building permit due to the agreement being expired stands.

So we’re in an unfortunate situation of a hole was dug and now the site is in limbo. Can-Euro does have options, but none of them are quick. They could apply for a new site-specific planning amendment to effectively bring the old development agreement back to life, which would require public engagement and a public hearing at Council, or they could redesign their project to fit the Centre Plan. The current zoning for the property allows for 14 storeys, which is quite a bit less than the 27 that the development agreement envisioned, which means a pretty major redesign. Right now, the ball is very much in Can-Euro’s court.

Youth Worx Cafe
The Zatzman Sportsplex once again has a cafe offering food service. Parks and Rec has completed the expansion of HRM’s Youth Worx program to the Sportsplex. Youth Worx is a 24 week youth employment program. The program is available to youth between the ages of 16 and 24, who are not in school, and who are facing employment barriers. Participants receive coaching, a stipend, and a chance to build skills. Youth Worx operates the cafe at Sackville Sports Stadium and green bin repairs at HRM’s depot and now the cafe at the Sportsplex.

I’m hopeful that Youth Worx will be a good fit for the Sportsplex. Commercial businesses have struggled to make the Sportsplex cafe space work, but the goal of Youth Worx is different. It’s not about turning a profit, it’s about providing opportunity to youth in our community who are finding it difficult to get started in the work world. It’s really a social enterprise. It feels like a perfect opportunity to provide food service at the Sportsplex, where it otherwise wouldn’t exist, while also providing some employment opportunities to youth in our community who are facing challenges.

So next time you’re at the Sportsplex and are feeling peckish, check out the Cafe. They’re open 8:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Birchwood Terrace Sidewalk
HRM is planning for a major paving project on Birchwood Terrace in Crichton Park. As part of that project, the municipality is looking at possibly incorporating building a sidewalk on Birchwood into the work. Crichton Park has sidewalks on some streets, but not all of them. Right now, there are sidewalks on Lyngby Avenue and stretching up towards Birchwood on Lawnsdale as far as Louise. There is nothing north of Louise though until you hit Woodland Avenue, a gap that is most evident on Birchwood Terrace.

Birchwood Terrace is one of the main entry points into Crichton Park from the north. HRCE’s school district boundaries mean that kids do attend Crichton Park Elementary from the Little Albro and Chappell/Symonds/Russell/Moira area, which means there are potentially kids trying to come and go from school along this relatively busy road with no sidewalk space for them. HRM has assessed the need for a sidewalk on Birchwood and it ranks as high given the school district boundaries and given that it’s a clear gap in the sidewalk network (Woodland Avenue to Lawnsdale). On the anecdotal side, a sidewalk on Birchwood Terrace has been one of the more frequent sidewalk asks that I have heard in District 5 over the last eight years and something that has come up every time I have door knocked in Crichton Park over the years.

I have met with staff to discuss the upcoming Birchwood Terrace paving project and what the art of the possible might be around a sidewalk and there are, unfortunately, some design challenges in trying to fit a sidewalk into the area in terms of street widths, impacts on adjacent homeowners’ yards, and Nova Scotia Power poles. It’s not an easy spot to retrofit and whatever design solutions HRM comes up with will involve trade-offs. The working plan is to defer the planned Birchwood project to the 2026/2027 fiscal year so that HRM can hold public consultation to engage the neighbourhood on the pros and cons of a sidewalk project. This will likely take place in the spring. So stay tuned if you live in the Crichton Park/Dartmouth North area for opportunities to learn more about this project and to offer feedback.

Sullivan’s Pond Pathway Change
Last week I had a flurry of questions as to why HRM Parks removed an asphalt path at Sullivan’s Pond and sodded over the ground where it used to be. The path in question ran from just past the bandstand up to Hawthorne Street. It paralleled the wider multi-use path that meets Hawthorne Street at the crosswalk that goes over to Henry Findlay Park. This change caught me by surprise, but I did have a chance to discuss the issue with Parks last week. The side path’s asphalt was in need of repair, which prompted a rethink of this whole little section of Sullivan’s Pond because of some particular challenges around the side path’s width and keeping it clear in the winter.

First off, the grade coming off Hawthorne on the side path was particularly steep and has made it very challenging for staff to clear it safely and effectively in the winter. More than once, snow clearing equipment has slipped off of it and I’m sure that occasionally residents have lost their footing here as well. I know some people avoided this section in the winter already because it could be dodgy given the grade. Staff had thought about making the path no winter maintenance, but that would probably not work well given the popularity of Sullivan’s Pond.

The second issue is the pathway was narrower than HRM would build a path today and it was right up against a mature tree (just past the garbage can on the right in the first photo). The tree meant it wouldn’t be easy to change the path’s dimensions and the tree further complicated winter snow clearing since it was difficult for staff to avoid it. Shifting the pathway away from the tree would potentially impact the tree’s trunk and root system, and would still leave the grade issue at the Hawthorne entrance. Given the difficulty with snow clearing, the steep grade, the location of that one mature tree, and that there is another walkway right next to this one, staff concluded that the best course of action was to remove the pathway.

I did ask staff about the gap in the guardrail along Hawthorne Street. As long as there is an opening in the guardrail, many folks will continue to use the old route and the grass will no doubt get a muddy rut worn into it in short order. On Friday, staff extended the guardrail across the pathway’s old opening to properly close this entrance, which should direct most people to the main Hawthorne entrance a few metres away. Going forward, staff envision this section of Sullivan’s Pond becoming more of a picnic area. There are already two picnic tables here under the trees and this change potentially gives more space to expand on those activities.

I know that not everyone likes the pathway rerouting, but staff’s points about the challenges of keeping the secondary path clear in winter, the position of the mature trees, and that the extra distance to travel to the main Hawthorne Street entrance is really slight (about 20 metres) are fair points. HRM has no plans to reinstate the secondary pathway.

Sullivan’s Pond Geese
Still with Sullivan’s Pond (it’s been a busy month there!), I have received a few emails over October and November concerning a rumour that’s going around that HRM is planning to get rid of the geese. As of today, the geese have gone to Hope for Wildlife for the Winter, but they will be back in the spring. Parks and Rec understands the attachment that folks have to them, and that they’re Dartmouth icons. I get it too. They were on all my campaign signs, and on every one of my brochures! No one wants to get rid of them and the suggestion that they’re being phased out is simply not true.

So what is the plan? The flock has shrunk over time and currently consists of five geese. Parks’ intent is to maintain the numbers at around six. The geese are much easier to manage as a flock of six than they were back when there were a dozen of them. I don’t think they’re any less iconic or any less Downtown Dartmouth’s mascots as six rather than twelve. The numbers might go a bit higher or a bit lower depending on where in the life cycle the flock is, but keeping numbers to about six is HRM’s plan.

Right now the flock consists of five geese. We lost one goose to old age this year. From talking to Parks, the intent for succession planning is to get 2-4 geese next year to add to the flock. The best time to make introductions would be when they’re in the more controlled environment at Hope for Wildlife over the Winter. So, what that would look like, if all goes well, is new geese arrive at the Pond in Spring 2026. I hope this puts rumours that the geese are being removed to rest.

Cyclical Tree Pruning
Starting this December and running until March, HRM will be conducting regular tree pruning in several areas in HRM. This is part of HRM’s urban forestry plan, which commits HRM to proactively visit each street tree every seven years. This year’s work in District 5 includes Brightwood and part of Dartmouth North. Please note that there might be street and sidewalk disruptions on days that crews are working.

Volunteer Awards
Do you know an outstanding community volunteer? Feel that it would be worth recognizing them for all their good work? HRM is accepting nominations for the municipality’s 2025 Volunteer Awards. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, January 8 so there is lots of time to nominate someone. I would encourage everyone who thinks of someone to nominate them. There are three categories, adult, youth and group. The Volunteer Awards are a lovely event that provides recognition and a thank you to the many folks that make HRM a better place to live. For more information, to check out past winners, and to nominate someone awesome, visit HRM’s website here.

Firefighter Recruitment
Ever thought about becoming a firefighter? HRM is hiring. Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) is accepting applications for career firefighters from January 2 to January 16. Candidates will face rigorous evaluations designed to ensure they are physically and mentally prepared to tackle the challenges of this rewarding but demanding profession. The recruitment process is multi-phased and will include an application, aptitude testing, physical abilities testing, a background screening, and panel interview.

HRFE is hosting several community information sessions to help potential candidates learn more about the firefighting recruitment process. The information sessions will run from December 10, 2024 to January 15, 2025. To find a session near you, visit HRM’s website here.

Boards and Committee Recruitment
HRM is seeking applications for volunteers to serve on a number of municipal boards, committees and commissions. Municipal boards, committees, and commissions provide recommendations to Regional Council, Community Councils, Standing Committees and municipal staff and are an important part of HRM’s decision-making process. There are 39 volunteer positions available on the following bodies:

• Accessibility Advisory Committee
• Active Transportation Advisory Committee
• Audit Committee
• African Descent Advisory Committee
• Board of Police Commissioners
• Grants Committee
• Heritage Advisory Committee
• Point Pleasant Park Advisory Committee
• Special Events Advisory Committee
• Women & Gender Equity Advisory Committee
• Youth Advisory Committee

For more information and to apply visit halifax.ca/serve. Applications will be accepted until Monday, December 16 at 11:59 PM.

Public Consultation

Banook Coordination Plan
Public engagement for the Lake Banook Coordination Plan has begun. Staff have identified priorities for all of the park spaces that surround Lake Banook and are suggesting a number of changes.

When Council was setting direction for this planning work, there was some concern about the potential removal of the playground at Henry Findlay Park to free up space for an athletes’ village. I’m not surprised that that proposal didn’t go anywhere! The draft direction from Parks is that there is enough space for the playground to coexist alongside the occasional major events by better utilizing the space around the playground and through temporary closures on Hawthorne Street. I know that will be a relief to many who expressed concern that the playground might be removed.

You can view panels on what the draft plan suggests for each park space and answer a survey on HRM’s website here. I would encourage everyone to take part in the survey. Lake Banook is such a crucial space for life in Dartmouth. It’s important to get it right.

Cart-Based Waste Pick-Up
Now – December 20
HRM has launched a survey to get feedback on potentially moving to a cart-based collection system for garbage. This survey is coming out of a motion I made to look at cart-based collection back in 2019. In their response, staff agreed that cart-based collection was worth further study and recommended that that work get incorporated into the Solid Waste Strategy Review, which brings us up to today. Please
HRM isn’t looking at carts for recycling at this time as responsibility for recycling is potentially going to change significantly in the years ahead as Nova Scotia adopts extended producer responsibility.

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, November 12 and 19
The new Council is sworn in and committees are assigned. Plus a park plan is in the works for the North Woodside Community Centre, my motion on affordable housing tax relief, and results from two years of HRM’s LakeWatchers program. Read about it here.

Events

Christkindl Market
Friday, December 6 – Sunday, December 8
Alderney Landing
Celebrate the holiday season at Alderney Landing’s Christkindl market, a traditional German holiday market. Explore unique goods from local vendors in a festive atmosphere filled with holiday cheer. Enjoy free carousel rides, photos with Santa, and lively performances all weekend, including mainstage entertainment and the Singing Christmas Tree.

Christmas Magic
Saturday, December 7, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
St. Jame’s United Church
183 Portland Street
St. Jam’es Church will be having a holiday market on Saturday, including a silent auction, bake sale, new-to-you, coffee, tea and cookies. Admissions is by donation, with proceeds going to support the Downtown Dartmouth Street Navigator Program.

Dartmouth Tree Lighting
Saturday, December 7, 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Sullivan’s Pond
Dartmouth’s tree will light up on December 7 at Sullivan’s Pond. Santa will be on hand with candy canes, hot chocolate, and glow sticks. The African Nova Scotian Music Association will be providing the tunes, featuring Linda Carvery, Eriana Willis and Conquerors for Christ. The evening will be capped off with fireworks over the Pond.

Carols and Candy Canes
Saturday, December 14, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Downtown Dartmouth
There will be an extra festive touch in Downtown Dartmouth on Saturday, December 14. East Coast Carollers will be out in Downtown Dartmouth spreading holiday cheer and word is that Santa himself will be on hand.

Please let us know if you’d like to add to the festivities, and we can help promote and further encourage folks to join us in some holiday shopping fun!