E-News June 2026

Big Albro Naturalization
There have been some big changes at Big Albro Beach! The naturalization project that HRM has been planning since last year has launched! HRM staff and volunteers, including some kids from Cole Harbour High, got together to plant the shoreline. The idea here is to restore some of what would have existed naturally. Grass shorelines are terrible for water quality as everything on the surface washes into the lake. Natural shorelines are more complex and are better able to slow and filter runoff. One of the big water quality issues at Big Albro is waterfowl. Geese are kind of like us in that they like big open lawns that run right down to the water. We’ve basically been offering them the perfect habitat, which draws them to the beach area, where their waste drives up bacteria counts and makes the park unpleasant to be in. Removing grassy areas along the shoreline that really don’t serve a purpose makes the area less appealing. My thanks to everyone who pitched into help improve Big Albro Beach! If you’re there this summer, please try and respect the plantings. They’re there for a reason!

Little Albro Yellow Floating Heart
This week, HRM applied another round of the herbicide Procella in Little Albro Lake. The issue in Little Albro Lake is an invasive species, Yellow Floating Heart. Yellow Floating Heart is a pretty ornamental plant native to Europe and Asia. Although its bright yellow flowers are pretty, in our waterways, Yellow Floating Heart can quickly become an overgrown mess that crowds out native species and harms water quality. Its seeds are designed to attach to wildlife, meaning that, although it has been contained to Little Albro Lake, there are no guarantees that it will remain there long-term if we do nothing! Addressing the problem is an issue that I have championed since being elected for the first time in 2016 and I’m delighted at the steady progress that has been made!

HRM first tried manual control methods, including underwater barrier fabric. While partially successful, the approach proved labour intensive, damaged bottom habitat, and wasn’t practical for treating the entire lake. Following that pilot, staff determined Procella was the most effective long-term solution. In 2024, HRM applied Procella in Little Albro Lake and the effect has been dramatic. The Yellow Floating Heart was decimated! Several residents reported to me that what little survived didn’t even flower in 2025.

It would have been nice had we gotten all the Yellow Floating Heart in one go, but that was probably not a realistic expectation. In 2025, HRM did do some manual removal of what survived along the shoreline, but it wasn’t possible to get back into the Lake with Procella due to permit lead-times (HRM needs approval of the Provincial Department of Environment) and the availability of Provincial and Municipal staff to actually apply Procella. Those logistical challenges have been resolved and, on Monday, Procella was once again applied to Little Albro. Given how effective the first round of Procella was on Yellow Floating Heart, HRM staff are optimistic that this second treatment will take care of the remaining plants. Any subsequent removal or regrowth from built up seeds should be something that we can address by hand.

HRM is required to block fish passage from Big Albro in advance (netting has been installed) and aerate Little Albro Lake. Aeration equipment is located in the public access space on Limardo Drive. Procella breaks down quickly in the environment and Health Canada deems water treated with it safe within 24 hours. As a completely precautionary measure, HRM is recommending that people avoid contact with Little Albro Lake for seven days.

I’m so grateful for all the work that staff in HRM’s Environment and Climate Change group have done to make this project a reality! Yellow Floating Heart was a threat to lakes across Dartmouth. Tackling it while the infestation was still manageable gives us the best chance of preventing it from spreading elsewhere.

Crathorne Park Closure
You might be familiar with the small section of greenspace at the end of Jamieson Street adjacent to the Department of National Defence property. The park consists of a mowed grass area, and a small thicket of trees and was accessible from the end of Jamieson Street and through a narrow trail from Windmill Road next to the pawnshop. This tiny neighbourhood park has been closed. The reason? Turns out that HRM doesn’t actually own it!

The closure of Crathorne Park has been carried out by DND. DND owns the Park’s primary Jamieson Street access and the maintained mowed area. Virtually everything that you might think of as Crathorne Park is actually DND’s property. Halifax Water has rights for the pumping station and associated pipes through an agreement, but HRM has no agreement for the general public to use the park space. All HRM owns is a small leftover thicket of trees and the narrow trail access from Windmill Road.

In mid-May, DND notified HRM that the federal government was going to resecure their property. DND has referenced enhancing the security of their property as their rationale. Crathorne Park has had several people sheltering in it over the last couple of years and that probably brought this property situation to DND’s attention, but I don’t know how that might have influenced DND’s decision. With Canada investing more in defence, DND is also in growth mode right now and so I can also see why they might want to reclaim their land for future potential use.

Given the federal government’s closure of its lands, HRM has closed off what’s left of the municipality’s property. What’s left of Crathorne Park isn’t a viable parkspace as it’s inaccessible and completely undeveloped. Best practices around security also strongly suggest that having a single isolated, narrow access point (the trail to Windmill Road) would not be appropriate. There isn’t enough left to work with so HRM has fenced off the trail from Windmill Road. Staff will assess what the potential future use of this property might be given that it’s a fraction of what we thought we owned and not a very useful fraction! For area residents, Victoria Park between Pelzant and Dawson Streets would be the nearest alternative greenspace.

Shirleys Splash Pad
Shirley’s Splash Pad on the Dartmouth Common opened for the season mid-June. Last year wasn’t all smooth sailing at the Pad unfortunately, as drug paraphernalia was found around the Pad on more than one occasion. This is, sadly, an increasingly common occurrence in public spaces throughout HRM. Central Dartmouth has been particularly impacted as the number of folks in need has gone up and the privately-owned affordable housing has largely disappeared from neighbourhoods like Dartmouth North. HRM’s options to deal with the root causes of these issues are limited as the municipality doesn’t control social programs for stuff like mental health and addiction, build housing, or operate shelters. Much of what HRM can do is in the space of first response and dealing with symptoms stemming from the underlying failures in our social safety net. We work with the Province and non-profits, but these issues can’t be solved by the municipality alone.

All that said, our park spaces have to be safe for everyone. A lot of community effort was put into creating Shirley’s Splash Pad and it provides essential recreation. It is especially important given that not everyone in the surrounding neighbourhood has the means to get to a beach or a lake. It’s important that the space is safe for everyone. In the lead-up to the start of this season, I met with Parks to go over the plan for how to try and avoid a repeat of the problems that were experienced last year. This is what HRM is doing this year:

• The site is being regularly swept
• Lights are being installed (have seen some site prep underway this week)
• Parks removed the bushes and trimmed the lower branches on a few trees to remove secluded areas and improve sightlines
• The port-a-pottie is being located across the street by the parking lot instead of right next to the Pad
• Security is being provided during the morning and evening when the Pad isn’t yet busy with families
• Police have a pro-active in the area, meaning that an officer is expected to swing by during their patrol shift in gaps between calls or when they’re completing paperwork

I know that none of these measures change the underlying problem. Really they just move people around. The issues around poverty, housing, mental health, and addiction remain. These are band aid measures, not solutions. Still, sometimes you need a band aid. This space needs to be available for everyone.

It’s early in the season and I have had the chance to talk to the security guard directly during her shift. So far, so good. I’m hopeful that will continue. If you visit the Pad and experience problems, please call 311 and let me know.

Canoe 2026
It’s going to be a busy few weeks on Lake Banook! Athletes from around the world are once again coming to Dartmouth to compete on Lake Banook. The 2026 ICF Masters Canoe Sprint World Championships and the ICF Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships are running from June 25 to July 5. These sort of events puts Dartmouth on the world stage and are a big part of the reason why Banook has all the investments in public space around the Lake. The downside is it does mean some short-term disruptions though. There are road and park closures as part of these events. Here’s what to expect:

• Banook Avenue and Boathouse Lane will be closed from 6:00 AM on Monday, June 22 to 12:00 AM on Monday, July 6. Local access will be maintained.
• Nowlan Street will be closed from 8:00 AM on Monday, June 22 to 11:00 PM. on Monday, July 6. Local access will be maintained
• Prince Albert Road will be closed between Sinclair Street and Hawthorne Street from 11:00 AM on Tuesday, June 30 to 6:00 AM on Monday, July 6. Local access to Prince Albert Road, Bolton Terrace and Nowlan Street will be maintained
• Rixdale Drive will be closed from 11:00 AM on Tuesday, June 30 to 6:00 AM on Monday, July 6. Local access will be maintained
• The multi-use path adjacent to Prince Albert Road will remain open during event hours but will be closed overnight
• No parking on Hawthorne Street, between Crichton Avenue and Prince Albert Road, from Wednesday, June 24 to Monday, July 6
• No parking on Elliot Street, from Prince Albert Road to Erskine Street, from 8:00 AM on Thursday, June 25 to 8:00 AM. on Tuesday, July 7
• Henry Findlay Park will be closed from Monday, June 22 to Friday, July 10
• Lions Beach Park will be closed from Monday, June 22 to Monday, July 6
• Kiwanis Grahams Grove Park will have limited access from Wednesday, June 24 to Monday, July 6. Parking At Grahams Grove will be limited from Monday, June 22 to Monday, July 6.
• Birch Cove Park and beach will be closed from Wednesday, June 24 to Monday, July 6. Parking at Birch Cove will be limited from Monday, June 22 to Monday, July 6

If you have questions about specific municipal service impacts, you can contact 311 and visit canoehalifax.com

Henry Findlay Park
Besides being closed for Canoe 2026, there is other stuff on the go at Henry Findlay Park. As part of the Lake Banook Coordination Plan, a compromise was struck around Henry Findlay. The space will be used to host events, like Canoe 2026, but the playground will remain in place. Past ideas of relocating the playground were considered during the planning process, but were ultimately rejected. Instead, when there are events on Banook that need more space, Hawthorne Street will be temporarily closed to accommodate. Canoe 2026 isn’t quite at that scale, but it’s an option that is available for larger events.

So if the playground is going to stay at Henry Findlay, where did the tot structure go? I did have a few people reach out to me asking about the tot structure and what has happened is Canoe 2026 and HRM’s normal playground work have aligned this summer. As part of HRM’s 2026-2027 budget, the playground, including the tot structure, is being replaced. The new playground will have all the same elements, but will be on a tighter more efficient footprint so that the playground and events can better share the space. That more efficient layout isn’t in place yet, so to accommodate Canoe 2026, the tot structure had to make an early exit. This won’t be necessary in future when the new playground is complete. The downside this year is there will be a gap between the tot structures removal and the installation of the new playground. It would have been nice to minimize that, but with HRM’s budget only approved in April and Canoe 2026 arriving just 2.5 months later, there wasn’t time to get the new playground built before Canoe 2026. Here’s a rendering of what the new playground will include

I want to extend a thank you on this project to Canoe 22! As part of the legacy of Canoe-22, the organizing committee dedicated $50,000 towards a playground at Henry Findlay. There was recognition that the event was disruptive and so the committee wanted to make a gift back to the community as a whole. Paired with HRM’s normal budget, the result is a playground that is more elaborate than what HRM would build as a normal municipal project. A lasting legacy. Thanks Canoe 22!

Supervised Beaches Open
HRM’s supervised beaches and the Bedford and Cole Harbour outdoor pools are opening for the season on Wednesday! The Common Pool and HRM’s splash pads started operating on June 15, and will have extended hours starting today. With the start of the summer beach season, HRM’s water testing program is also getting underway. Tests are taken daily at from July 1 till August 31. For a full listing of HRM’s supervised beaches and whether there are any water quality advisories in place, visit HRM’s website.

One other note about beaches. Lion’s Beach isn’t a supervised beach, but I’m aware of how popular it is. In the Banook Coordinator Plan, the need for a washroom around Lion’s Beach is identified, but there isn’t any immediate funding available to actually build a washroom. In lieu of a permanent facility, Parks and Rec has agreed to add a port-a-pottie to Lion’s Beach this year.

Solid Waste
Green Cart Collection
The weekly summer schedule for green cart collection begins on Monday, June 29. Weekly collection will run all summer and will end on the first full week of October. Weekly collection helps reduce odours, limit wildlife attraction, and provides more frequent service when there is typically more organic waste. Please make sure your green bin is curbside by 7:00 AM to guarantee pickup.

Hazardous Waste
Have some old batteries, empty propane cylinders, or paint kicking around the house that you want to get rid of but don’t want to drive to Bayers Lake? Good news, HRM’s Mobile Special Waste Depots are up and running and there will be one close at hand to District 5 on Saturday, July 4. On July 4, bring your hazardous waste to the NSCC Campus at 21 Woodlawn Road between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM for free disposal. For a complete list of hazardous materials that you can drop off or for other mobile depot locations, check out the HRM website here.

Citizenship and Volunteer Awards
It’s award season at City Hall. Over the last few weeks, HRM’s Citizenship and Volunteer Awards have both been handed out. I want to take a minute to acknowledge everyone who was honoured who works to make Dartmouth a better place

Citizenship Awards
The Citizenship Awards are awarded to Grade 9 Students who both excel academically and demonstrate a commitment to the broader community. The winners this year are:

• Lily Larivee of John Martin Junior High
• Youngjae Talbot of Bicentennial School
• Ruqayyah Mohammad of Ellenvale Junior High
• Evelyn Best of Dartmouth High

Congratulations and good luck in High School to all four of these young leaders!

Volunteer Awards
HRM’s Volunteer Awards are awarded to folks throughout HRM who volunteer their time in the community. Each award recipients is nominated by residents. Here are the winners from District 5!

• Salama Mwamba – Youth Salama is a dynamic youth leader who balances school, work and home responsibilities while consistently volunteering evenings and weekends with the YMCA, FFANE and Catapult Leadership Society. She organizes workshops, supports women’s rights advocacy, contributes to community communications and helps lead cultural initiatives. Through her leadership, Salama creates welcoming spaces that boost engagement, empower young women and inspire her peers to step up and give back.
• Xuanrui Ye – Xuanrui is a solutions-driven Youth volunteer who looks for practical ways to improve everyday life in Halifax. After noticing an inefficiency on a Halifax Transit route at the Bridge Terminal, he proposed relocating the stop to reduce looping, cutting fuel use, shortening travel time for passengers and giving drivers a wider buffer. He also volunteers in municipal outreach, helping coordinate volunteers and encourage community participation.
• Hugh Parslow – Hugh has volunteered as a coach with United DFC for more than 15 years, generously giving 8 to 10 hours each week. Even while competing at an elite level and attending nursing school, he shows up prepared and committed. Through a calm, player-first approach, Hugh creates safe, inclusive team environments that build confidence and teamwork, strengthening positive culture and long-term retention across programs.
• Md Golam Kibria Talukder – Golam is a diligent community builder who supports newcomers day and night, meeting people at the airport and helping with housing and job searches. He also provides practical guidance, food support and transportation. Through leadership with BDCANS and initiatives like “Breaking the Fast with the Community” and the Guy Jacobs Community Garden, he brings people of different backgrounds together and reduces barriers. Golam’s service strengthens inclusion, safety and social connection across the Halifax region.
• North Grove – The North Grove received one of the group awards this year! North Grove volunteers are the driving force behind Dartmouth North’s Community Food Centre. With more than 170 active volunteers, they power the Good Food Market, community meals, playgroups, parenting programs, tax clinics and the community farm that supports neighbours through both daily needs and long-term belonging. In 2024/25, their collective effort helped serve 30,000+ meals, respond to rising food insecurity and welcome new families with a clear message: you belong here. Over the past 11 years, volunteers have helped grow 26,000+ pounds of fresh produce, deliver food to housebound neighbours and co-create programs that reduce isolation and strengthen community connection.

My thanks and congratulations to all! Special shout-out to Tony Mancini who graciously filled in for me this year at the podium while I was out-of-town for a kid’s sport competition. Thanks Tony!

Public Consultation

Open Hour
My next batch of Open Hours! The idea of Open Hour is I plop myself down on at a local coffee shop and anyone who wants 5-10 minutes of my time is welcome to pop by, no appointment necessary. It’s a way of making myself available to constituents who mightn’t want to schedule a formal meeting. Here’s what I have for Open Hour over the next few weeks:

• Friday, July 3, 10:00 – 11:00, Cafe Good Luck
• Friday, July 17, 10:00 – 11:00, Cottage Cafe
• Friday, July 31, 10:00 – 11:00, Marco Polo

My job is such that sometimes, stuff that I can’t control comes up, so please check my bluesky or facebook page the day of to make sure Open Hour is indeed a go!

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, June 23
Council requests more information on the proposed conversion of the ball diamonds on the Dartmouth Common into a cricket pitch, plus we approve the sale of some surplus municipal land for affordable housing in Dartmouth North. Read it here

Council Update, June 22
A bombshell Audit and Finance Committee meeting as the Auditor General presents his audit into spending in the Mayor’s Office. Read it here

Council Update, June 16
Council debates the future of the Memorial Library and one-time approval for the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission to serve alcohol at a summer concert at Sullivan’s Pond. Read it here

Council Update, May 26
My unsuccessful attempt to make fares free on the Alderney Ferry until 15 minute service could be restored, and development charges in Dartmouth Cove. Read it here

Events

Amateur Radio Field Day
June 27-28 (daylight hours)
Dartmouth High Parking Lot
Curious about amateur radio? The Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club and the Halifax Amateur Radio Club are pleased to announce their joint participation in Amateur Radio Field Day 2026. Field Day is held annually across North America, and is the largest on-the-air amateur radio event. The event combines public outreach, emergency communications training, and friendly competition. During the event, amateur (or “ham”) radio operators set up temporary stations to demonstrate their ability to communicate under simulated emergency conditions, without reliance on modern infrastructure such as cellular networks or the internet. Pop by Dartmouth High this weekend to check them out!

Dartmouth Sunshine Series
It’s another summer of music in Downtown Dartmouth. This year’s series has events at both Sullivan’s Pond and Ferry Terminal Park starting this weekend, on Sunday June 28. This series of free, family friendly community concerts and events will highlight a diverse mix of sounds, including urban, gospel, classic rock, folk, acoustic and more. Children and youth entertainment events include Mother Goose, Dartmouth Open Street, Natal Day Family Day and multicultural celebrations. All events are free to attend and no tickets are required. New this year, there are some weekday evenings in early July too so be sure to check out the Sunshine Series on HRM’s website to make sure you don’t miss anything!

KANA’TA Canada Day, July 1
KANA’TA: Canada Day honours Mi’kmaw traditions and celebrates pan-Indigenous communities through ceremony, culture, music and storytelling. First introduced in 2022, KANA’TA DAY was developed in collaboration with our Indigenous leaders, Elders, artists and local community members. Events taking place throughout the municipality include the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Canada Day Parade, a Mawio’mi featuring cultural celebrations and traditional dance at the Emera Oval, the Halifax Common Family Day, the 10th Annual Canada Day Drumming Celebration, Desi Summer Music Fest and the Ansma Canada Day Concert. All programming and the ferry will be free on July 1. Visit the KANA’TA Canada Day website for more information.

Halifax Pride, July 16 – 26
Halifax’s Pride festival is just a few weeks away. The biggest parade of the year is the Pride Parade which will take place on Saturday, July 18 starting at noon. A lot of the Pride events are on the Halifax side, but there is some Dartmouth stuff too including:

• Drawing workshop at the MacPhee Centre on Sunday July 19
• A gender change ID clinic at Alderney Library on Monday, July 20
• Dog walk at Shubie Park on Saturday, July 25
• Family picnic at the Community Oven on Sunday, July 26

For complete details of everything going on, visit Pride’s website here.

Dartmouth North Community Clean-Up
Wednesday, July 22, 9:00 AM – Noon
The North Grove, 6 Primrose Street
HRM’s Solid Waste team is planning a drop-in litter cleanup event in Dartmouth North. Stop by anytime during the event to talk about litter and waste management and grab some free supplies to pick-up litter outside. For more information, check out the Solid Waste portion of HRM’s website.