[Bedford_DJ]

Neighbourhoods:

Bedford Commons (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=151777)
Bedford North
U/C

The Ravines (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=151405)
Bedford South
207 acres
U/C

The Parks of Bedford West (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=151470)
Bedford West
U/C

Hemlock Ravines (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=151405)
Halifax Mainland
U/C

Rockcliffe Village (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=156459)
Spryfield
Approved

Twin Brooks
Upper Sackville
Proposed

Building Developments:

Sackville:
Unknown Building (4 storeys) - Old Sackville Rd - U/C

Dartmouth:
Portland Hills - Dartmouth East - Phase 5 & 6 U/C
Russell Lake West (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=151286) - Mount Hope Avenue - U/C
Trinity Harbourview - Dartmouth North - U/C

Eastern Shore:

[Bedford_DJ]

New subdivision gets public input
Halifax News Net


MIDDLE SACKVILLE
By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News
A public hearing will be held next week about the proposed residential development slated for part of the former Sackville Golf Course land at 1409 Sackville Dr.
The proposed Twin Brooks Development site is adjacent to the Millwood subdivision. The residential development would include 36 single-unit dwellings, 106 semi-detached dwellings and 52 townhouse dwellings.
“When we went through the public hearing for Sunset Ridge, which was a substantially bigger development, there was very little turnout for or against it,” said Coun. Brad Johns. “I’m not anticipating any real outcry with this development.”
One possible concern local residents may have regards shortcutting from the proposed development via Millwood.
“But all these houses exit onto Sackville Drive, none onto Millwood,” Johns said. “The river separates them. It’s important to note that, because a lot of people may think a cut-through is involved.”
Residents in and around the proposed subdivision may also have concerns about an increase in traffic that already clogs Sackville Drive, especially during rush hour. Johns said he doesn’t anticipate that will be a critical issue because the Twin Brooks development is expected to coincide with the opening of the new Margeson Drive interchange with Highway 101.
Middle Sackville is identified as a growth area through the regional plan, and Johns said this development addresses in part a need for mixed housing in his district.
“Someone buying their first house can’t afford a $300,000 or $400,000 home. But it may be easier to get a semi or townhouse with the opportunity to move up once you’ve got some equity,” he said. “On the flip side, someone who’s in a home but getting up in age might be looking for choices. They might welcome a smaller home without as much upkeep.”
The Feb. 26 public hearing about Twin Brooks will be held during North West Community Council’s monthly meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at Millwood High School.

[Bedford_DJ]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2996633313_8df8b7af3e_b.jpg
Credit: Photo taken by me

This development has turned into a four storey building that looks like its going to be rental residential.

I'll see if I can get an updated picture relatively soon. :)

[Spitfire75]

That's the building in Sackville? It looks nice so far (edit: I saw it a couple days ago), but I wouldn't want to live so close to the highway!

[Bedford_DJ]

Commercial construction booming in Lower Sackville
Cobequid Road, Sackville Drive main 'pocket' of building activity
By PAT LEE Staff Reporter
Mon. Mar 9 - 11:53 AM

LOWER SACKVILLE — The economy might be in the doldrums these days, but you’d never know it by the construction activity on Sackville Drive or nearby Cobequid Road.

Both areas are buzzing with new commercial and government developments.

"That little pocket of Sackville is crazy right now," said Realtor John Ghosn, who is looking for tenants for a new commercial building on the corner of Pinehill and Sackville drives.

Ghosn, whose building is on the site of a former Century 21 office, said despite the downturn in the economy, there is still a market for commercial space.

"There’s always a demand for commercial development, and it’s no secret that there’s a lot of traffic along Sackville Drive," he said. "And they’re getting good rents out there, so from a developer’s perspective, it works and it works well."

He said tenants along that stretch of Sackville Drive tend to offer professional services like dentistry or physiotherapy, and he is looking for businesses that fit the location.

Coun. Bob Harvey agrees that the area has a lot to offer.

"Clearly, that corridor along Sackville Drive and on Cobequid Road (is) attractive for a number of types of businesses," he said. "These are bright spots and show confidence in the business sector."

Harvey said once one new building goes up, it seems to attract other new projects, which is the case on both Sackville Drive and Cobequid Road.

The new construction on Sackville Drive is clustered around the Pinehill Drive area. The building Ghosn is leasing is going up on that corner, and a recently completed commercial building is ready for tenants just a few doors down.

The new Access Nova Scotia centre is under construction just down the road, next to Terri’s Place Lounge.

And there’s also a new apartment complex being built at the bottom of Old Sackville Road.

Over on Cobequid Road, a new Subway restaurant just opened next to its old location on the corner of Glendale Avenue. The former Subway shop will become a gas bar and convenience store.

The councillor said the site of a former Needs store at the corner of Glendale and Cobequid Road has also been purchased, but the new owners have yet to reveal their plans.

Just up from that, on Cobequid Road, a new two-storey commercial building is going up that Harvey said will house office suites. He said the project is incorporating many green practices into its design.

"I think it will become a bit of a trendsetter," he said.

Across the street, the land has also been cleared for a new extended care facility, which is to be open by 2010.

Harvey said the big unanswered question on Sackville Drive continues to be Sobey’s plans for the long-empty Wal-Mart site anchoring one end of Downsview Mall.

The councillor said the projects along Sackville Drive are being built under Halifax Regional Municipality’s secondary planning strategy, which requires more attention to the design of the building as well as enhanced landscaping.

"They tend to be a more attractive type of building than we’ve had in the past," he said.

[Bedford_DJ]

All I can say is this article has nailed the problem on the head. Before I read this article I had even emailed Outhit complaining about the narrow bridge and the lack of a sidewalk nearby :);

Moirs Mill Bridge work to improve pedestrian safety

Halifax News Net


BEDFORD
By Aly Thomson - Special to The Weekly News
Pedestrians may soon feel safer crossing the Moirs Mill Bridge.
A tender has been issued by HRM to widen the Bedford bridge to make way for a bike lane and sidewalk.
The bridge has an eight-metre span and is 17 metres wide. The project will accommodate 1.5 metres of bike lane and another two metres for a sidewalk on the east side of the bridge.
The Bedford Highway crosses Moirs Mill Brook before the Moirs Mill Road intersection. The preliminary plans will mean the construction of a sidewalk and bike lanes from Moirs Mill Road to Convoy Run.
Late spring
Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit said council must look at the budget before any plans are approved. If everything goes accordingly, the proposal could be approved in late spring. He had no estimation of how long the project will take.
Outhit says David Miller and a group of Bedford residents have been working to advance this project for more than a decade. When Outhit was elected in May, he said Miller approached him and asked him to personally go down to the bridge.
“Sure enough, there were people walking on the side of the Bedford Highway,” said Outhit.
“Some were even pushing baby carriages and their bikes against oncoming traffic. It was terribly unsafe. So I met with my staff and we decided something had to be done.”
Outhit says the project was based upon wanting people to bike on the Bedford Highway and ensuring the safety of the walking residents of Bedford.
He said construction will congest the Bedford Highway, but with a higher cause in mind.
“I think we can sacrifice a little congestion for the safety of the residents of Bedford,” says Outhit.
The project is still in the proposal stage. If a contract is awarded, there are crucial objectives and path plans outlined by HRM that must be completed before construction. A detailed design and typographic survey must be completed — and this is only the beginning. Outhit says he hopes construction will begin this summer, but if there are setbacks, the project will commence next summer.
The project will also allow for the construction of new railings on both sides of the bridge.

[Bedford_DJ]

That's the building in Sackville? It looks nice so far (edit: I saw it a couple days ago), but I wouldn't want to live so close to the highway!

Here are some updated pictures I took today;

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3376611320_989a2f8d41_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3375795383_8d2073e4ff_b.jpg

[Bedford_DJ]

Sprucing up the Spry
Library will close for a month to make way for makeover/3
Halifax News Net
By Jon Tattrie – The Weekly News

The Captain William Spry Centre Library is closing for a month for extensive renovations, meaning holds will be frozen and clients will have to use the Keshen Goodman or Spring Garden branches for most of April.
Francisca Goldsmith, director of branch services, says the entire centre is getting a facelift and the library decided it would be a good time to do major work. The branch will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, and re-open on Tuesday, April 21.
“We’re going to undertake things that can’t actually happen while people are in the building. The public has been very kind and supportive; we’ve actually managed to take out an old washroom and put in a new washroom while we were open,” Goldsmith said, adding the next phase of plans requires a people-free library.
The work will include new lighting on both floors, painting, new carpeting, new comfy chairs and new shelving.
The collections are going to be rearranged so that kids, teens, adults and seniors can enjoy their library without getting on each other’s nerves. The first floor is shifting its emphasis to a children’s area and a multi-media section. The foyer entrance to the library will be turned into a solarium containing large-print books and seating aimed at older adults. Adult fiction will also be on the first floor. Goldsmith hopes those changes will make life easier for people with mobility issues. The second floor will house the teen area and adult non-fiction — at opposite ends of the floor.
“The adult end will be a designated quiet area. What we’re hoping to do is achieve separation of groups who socialize differently,” Goldsmith explained.
There will be more computers in the first floor, and the rest will be targeted at age groups: you’ll need a child’s card to access computers in the children’s section, a teen’s card for the teen section and an adult card for the adult section.
“Beyond that, there will be a much reconfigured check-out desk. It will have a much smaller presence — it won’t be quite so much of a ship in a storm,” Goldsmith said.
Regular patrons will have noticed changes to the desk are mostly completed, but the finishing touches during the closure will create more floor space.
A self-service check-out is coming online for people who want privacy about what materials they’re borrowing.
Patrons should change holds before March 21 if they want to see the item before late April. Before March 21, clients can go online or call the library to have the holds brought into a different branch. After March 21, the items will be held in “deep freeze” in the bowels of the system, but will be on the holding shelf when Captain Spry re-opens.
During the closure, the exterior book return will be accessible and cleared daily.
Library users are asked to call 490-5744 or visit Halifaxpubliclibraries.ca before their next visit to Captain William Spry to confirm renovations are complete.

[Bedford_DJ]

I thought I'd post this here.

Town Hall Meeting
Councillor Tim Outhit, District 21, Bedford, will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting, jointly, with the Bedford Community Council Association, on Thursday, April 2, at the Basinview Community School. The Councillor is inviting all residents of Bedford to attend. HRM staff will be in attendance to answer questions and there will be updates on Waterfront Development, new rink, fast ferry, Old Fire Hall, policing issues, as well as, a Pace Car presentation.

I am going to try my best to attend the meeting. :)

[Keith P.]

If anyone goes, take on this absurdity about the pace car program. Those pious idiots deserve to get run over by a monster truck or something. ;)

[Bedford_DJ]

I attended the Town Hall meeting tonight at Basinview and while there isn't really any news to report apparently after the new library is built downtown the next community on the list is Bedford.

Restaurant eats its neighbour

Smitty’s Restaurant on the Bedford Highway has been replaced by the Sunnyside Too Restaurant. Operated by its neighbour, the Sunnyside Restaurant, The Too shares its kitchen with the Sunnyside but has a slightly larger menu. The Too also has a seniors’ menu featuring lighter portions and prices.

A few kilometres to the south on the Bedford Highway, kids were bummed out this morning when they learned about the sudden closure of their favourite hangout, Dairy Queen. The news was mourned by south-end kids on their Facebook pages.

[hfx_chris]

I attended the Town Hall meeting tonight at Basinview and while there isn't really any news to report apparently after the new library is built downtown the next community on the list is Bedford.
Next community on the list for what?

Smitty’s Restaurant on the Bedford Highway has been replaced by the Sunnyside Too Restaurant. Operated by its neighbour, the Sunnyside Restaurant, The Too shares its kitchen with the Sunnyside but has a slightly larger menu. The Too also has a seniors’ menu featuring lighter portions and prices.
Mmm, I love going for breakfast at Sunnyside... cheaper than Smitty's and just as good ;)

[Spitfire75]

I'd rather see more local restaurants than chain stores any day.

[Bedford_DJ]

Next community on the list for what?

The next community on the list for a new library. :)

[hfx_chris]

The next community on the list for a new library. :)

I thought Woodlawn was next?

[Commoner]

Here are some updated pictures I took today;

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3376611320_989a2f8d41_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3375795383_8d2073e4ff_b.jpg

Oh dear, it's these types of contruction that many of us hope will never happen again, yet they continue to be built. Awful.

[Bedford_DJ]

I thought Woodlawn was next?

Not according to Outhit.

Oh dear, it's these types of contruction that many of us hope will never happen again, yet they continue to be built. Awful.

Well there's an upside to this one ... there's no parking lot out front. :)

[hfx_chris]

Outhit may be wrong, apparently they're about to announce the new location of Woodlawn this Monday (April 6)

Besides, what's wrong with Bedford's library?

[edmontonenthusiast]

With all these suburban neighbourhoods it seems Halifax is really suburbanizing, but I still hope it'll keep it's old charm.

[Bedford_DJ]

Developer, city back in court over road

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE Staff Reporter
Sun. Apr 5 - 11:08 AM


Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly (STAFF / File)





Mayor Peter Kelly will be among those who will testify when an enduring legal battle between a metro developer and Halifax city hall resumes this week in a Halifax courtroom.

The case, dating back more than three years, involves a dispute over undeveloped land around Paper Mill Lake in Bedford. The proponent, Olympic International Realty Ltd., wants to build a residential development.

But Olympic has been unable to proceed because a 1995 development agreement says a collector road must be built to alleviate expected traffic congestion.

Ali Roshani, the principal behind Olympic Realty, has not been able to convince a neighbouring developer, United Gulf Developments Ltd., to co-operate on the road construction.

A vocal city hall critic, Mr. Roshani has worked as a taxi driver in metro and is a regular on local radio phone-in shows.

The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia hearing begins Monday.

According to a court brief provided to The Chronicle Herald recently by Mr. Roshani’s lawyer, "the collector road issue has stymied further development of this extremely valuable and attractive property."

The document, filed on behalf of Olympic Realty, raises the question of whether the municipality has "acted in bad faith at any stage of the development process."

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly said Saturday he’s due to testify Wednesday. "We’re into litigation and we’re defending the development agreement," he said.

In 2006, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge dismissed allegations of bias levelled by Mr. Roshani against a former regional councillor for Bedford whom Mr. Roshani claimed unfairly opposed his construction plans.

Former councillor Len Goucher, now a provincial cabinet minister, was exonerated in court.

In other municipal business, about 70 people attended a public meeting Saturday in Dartmouth on the future of the Dartmouth Common. The city is seeking input on how to upgrade the park.

Coun. Jim Smith (Albro Lake-Harbourview) said a variety of comments and suggestions were made, including those from residents "who don’t want any of the Commons used for anything but open space."

[Bedford_DJ]

Outhit may be wrong, apparently they're about to announce the new location of Woodlawn this Monday (April 6)

Besides, what's wrong with Bedford's library?

He might not of counted Woodlawn since the announcement is so soon.

I researched it and the Bedford expansion is slated to cost $8 Million. I imagine it has to do with the age and small size of the library compared to its service area. According to the Infastucture Wish-List the library could be ready to go within a year.

Also up for expansions is Middle Musquodoboit ($2.1 Million), Keeshman ($1.6 Million), and Woodlawn ($1.1 Million),

[hfx_chris]

Hah, didn't take long to decide KG needs to be expanded.. Seriously, nice building, but way too small for the service area.

[Bedford_DJ]

Notice of Public Workshops:
Bedford Waterfront & Birch Cove Urban Design Studies

(Thursday, April 9, 2009) - Halifax Regional Municipality and Waterfront Development Corporation Limited have engaged consultants to conduct urban design studies for two areas bordering the shoreline of Bedford Basin.

The Bedford Waterfront study area encompasses lands in the vicinity of the intersection of Hammonds Plains Road and the Bedford Highway and the Birch Cove Study area encompasses lands in the vicinity of the Kearney Lake Road/Bedford Highway.

Interested persons are invited to meet with the consultants and share their views on the future of these important areas at the following workshops:

Bedford Waterfront Urban Design Study Workshop
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Basinview Community School (cafeteria)
273 Basinview Drive, Bedford

Birch Cove Urban Design Study Workshop
Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Ecole Beaubassin (cafeteria)
55 Larry Uteck Blvd., Halifax



To learn more visit www.halifax.ca/regionalplanning or contact Paul Morgan at 490-4482 or morganp@halifax.ca

[Bedford_DJ]

Glendale Avenue to get traffic lights at hazardous intersection
Halifax News Net


By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News
Employees working in the Sackville Business Park will be happy to learn HRM and the province plan to cost-share a project that will see traffic lights installed at an intersection they’ve long described as hazardous.
In the March 20 issue of The Weekly News, employees and local politicians expressed concerns about the increasing amount and speed of traffic on Glendale Avenue. They said it was difficult for anyone to safely leave the business park and believed it was only a matter of time before a serious accident or fatality occurred.
Although Sackville Estates Business Park employees started actively lobbying the provincial government to install a set of lights in 2007, their efforts hadn’t yet borne fruit.
Last week, Lower Sackville Coun. Bob Harvey received a surprise phone call informing him that HRM had claimed responsibility for 25 per cent of the intersection and that the municipality and the province would be cost-sharing a project to install lights there in the near future.
“To my very great surprise, HRM is cost-sharing. It’s because we have a slight involvement on the Temple Terrace side of the intersection and that never came into the equation before,” Harvey said. “This is something council only just learned about. It’s very positive ... now that the decision has been made to do this, we can go ahead and make that intersection a lot safer.”
Paul Beaton, owner of Beaton’s Towing in the business park, gratefully welcomed the news.
‘Good news’
“This is good news, and hopefully it won’t get sidelined and we get something there within a short period of time,” Beaton said. “Everybody that uses that intersection will be pleased to see that set of lights there.”
A spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal confirmed late last week that the department is planning on installing a set of lights at the Glendale Estates intersection as part of a cost-sharing project with HRM.
“They’re expecting the design and planning stage to be complete in the spring with the intent to start construction in the summer,” Lindsay Mills said.
Local MLA David Wilson learned from a local transportation department supervisor that employees were expected to start preliminary onsite inspection work last week. Wilson said Sackville Business Park representatives he spoke with last Friday were elated the project appeared to be going ahead.
“I’m glad to see it because that area is getting more traffic use, especially with the potential for the bypass road going there. That will really increase the number of vehicles,” Wilson said. “Safety is and should be the No. 1 priority.”

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Town hall meeting draws crowd
Halifax News Net
By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News

More than 150 people crammed into the Basinview Drive Community School cafeteria on April 2 for a town hall meeting hosted by Coun. Tim Outhit and the Bedford Community Council Association.
The agenda included presentations from the Waterfront Development Corporation, Ekistics, local police, and representatives of HRM’s transportation and community development departments.
During the public question and answer portion of the three-hour meeting, the areas of concern and interest to those in attendance included the Bedford waterfront, the possibility of a Bedford high-speed ferry, the proposed four pad ice surface destined for the Hammonds Plains Road and the Rocky Lake Common rink site.
Volunteers with the Rocky Lake Development Association were frustrated in January when HRM selected a site on the Hammonds Plains Road for their new quad-pad arena, instead of the Rocky Lake site.
Following a well-received presentation about the multi-ice surface facility by HRM community developer Betty Lou Killen, Rocky Lake Development Association chairman Barry Mason asked if HRM could divulge what they intended to spend to acquire land for the project. Mason and another speaker also wondered if the project could go forward without financial contributions from the provincial and federal governments.
Killen said that until plans are brought to regional council for final approval, information regarding land acquisition costs couldn’t be publicly shared. Cathy O’Toole, HRM’s director of finance, said construction of the Hammonds Plains arena facility wasn’t dependent on federal or provincial assistance. She added that council had a number of choices when considering how to fund the project, and would find the most cost-effective way.
“I want to assure the group our procurement people went through a very long process ... the bid chosen was the most cost-effective, competitive bid regardless if Rocky Lake hadn’t been disqualified,” said Outhit.
“I have seen all the reports. Unfortunately it was not a decision to go with the Rocky Lake land, but I hope the Rocky Lake land will be used for other much-needed facilities and I hope the province gets behind Rocky Lake.”
The Bedford quad arena facility is badly needed to help address HRM’s ice surface shortage. It’s expected to be ready for use by the fall of 2010.
Other residents at last week’s meeting had questions about the infilling of Bedford Basin, while others expressed concerns that a comprehensive vision for the Bedford waterfront needed to be implemented soon. Many stated that as one of the community’s greatest assets, the waterfront wasn’t being used to its fullest potential.
Representatives with the Waterfront Development Corporation expressed their desire to work with Bedford waterfront visioning committee members, and pointed to plans underway for vegetation, look-off areas and other beautifying initiatives slated for the area.
A public workshop is being held April 15 at 7 p.m. at Basinview Community School cafeteria to look at the Western Shore of Bedford Basin Land-Use Planning Study.
Residents are encouraged to attend and share their ideas by going to www.halifax.ca/regionalplanning/Western ShoreBedfordBasin.html for more information.
During last week’s meeting, Outhit outlined his focus areas for 2009-10. Issues on his agenda include: paving and repair projects; the Lions pool; Admiral Cove Park clean-up, tick awareness and control; the tennis court by the Teachery and ideal uses for the Teachery; access to the old fire hall; dirt jump/skateboard parks; more lighting at Range Park; playground improvements; a new Bedford library; reduced tax rate for condo owners; and more homeowners associations and neighbourhood watch groups.
He also expressed his wish to have permanent washrooms onsite at DeWolf Park within the next two years.

[Bedford_DJ]

Hammond Centre one step closer to putting sign along wooded area
Halifax News Net
By Yvette d’Entremont — The Weekly News

There was some concern about plans to install a 4.5-metre-high ground sign at 950 Hammonds Plains Rd., but very little opposition in the end.
The Hammond Centre is located at the corner of Hammonds Plains Road and the Bedford Highway. Homburg Canada Inc. wants the North West Community Council to amend its existing development agreement to allow a second ground sign for the property along the Hammonds Plains Road side.
While North West Community Council agreed to allow the second ground sign, there’s an appeal period that must pass before the non-substantive amendment can officially be approved.
The second and substantive part of the amendment required a public hearing, which was held during community council’s monthly meeting on April 23.
That portion of the amendment deals with an intrusion into the wooded area along the Hammonds Plains Road side of the property to place the sign.
Lower Sackville Coun. and NWCC chairman Bob Harvey said the only tree that would be permitted for removal was a fallen tree at the site.
A decision on the matter was deferred until next month’s community council meeting, at which time the appeal period on the non-substantive portion of the amendment will have passed.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

[Bedford_DJ]

Application by the W.M. Fares Group to permit by development agreement a shopping centre at 2810 Prospect Road (PID #40471286), Whites Lake, in the Planning District 4 (Prospect) Plan Area.

Case 01077 Details (http://halifax.ca/planning/Case01077Details.html)

Its an old case (from 2007) so this one is going straight to a Public Hearing on May 25 @ Western Regional Council.

[Bedford_DJ]

Some more suburban proposals;

May 20, 2009 Public information meeting

Captain William Spry Centre - 7:00 p.m.

Case 01130 - Application by Olympia Developments Inc to amend the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy to allow townhouse style residential buildings by development agreement within the Mainland South Area Plan, and to enter into a development agreement for a 15 unit townhouse style development at 21 and 23Mayor Avenue, Halifax (PID's 40281800, 00312884, 00312918, 00312694, and 00312702). More information... (http://halifax.ca/planning/documents/Case01130FactSheetPIM.pdf)

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May 25, 2009 Western Region Community Council - 7:00 p.m.

Public Hearings:

Case 01178 - Development Agreement, Glen Baker Drive, Herring Cove. Staff Report (http://halifax.ca/commcoun/wrcc/documents/Case01178Item12.2.pdf)

[Bedford_DJ]

Bedford ‘eyesore’ for sale
Local groups eye old fire station for much-needed meeting space

Halifax News Net


BEDFORD
BY Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News
Last week’s decision by Halifax Regional Council to issue an Expression of Interest for the purchase and redevelopment of Bedford’s old fire hall is seen as a step in the right direction by Brent Newsome.
Like many local groups and organizations, Bedford’s Scouting program is suffering from a long standing lack of available community meeting space. A volunteer with Bedford’s Scouting movement, Newsome said although the group is experiencing a significant increase in its membership, there isn’t enough meeting space available to accommodate all the children who want to participate.
The group is sponsored by Bedford United Church, but there isn’t any available space left there. The nearby Anglican Church has provided free access to its church hall, but the local Catholic church is booked up, the LeBrun Centre is busy every night, and they can’t get into local schools because they’re also full.
That means the Bedford Beaver Colony now has a waiting list.
“We’re experiencing an explosion in the numbers of young people wanting to participate in our activities, and this is great. We’d like to see it keep growing,” Newsome said. “But these programs are only successful if the youth are doing things, and you can only do things if you have enough space.”
Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit said the Expression of Interest request for the purchase and redevelopment of the former Bedford fire hall at 1247 Bedford Hwy. was issued to non-profit organizations. If the facility is sold to such a group below market value, the purchaser would have to bring it up to building code standards and allow community access.
“They’d have to let the Scouts have a meeting there, seniors to play cards there, and open it for community meetings and such. But this is is a short-term measure, what I’d call a stop gap,” Outhit said. “It’s not my vision of a community centre for the future, but it gets this eyesore cleaned up, gives a non-profit group a place and gives the community much needed community space.”
Outhit said a number of local groups ranging from cadets to judo clubs and seniors are desperate for meeting space in Bedford. He believes any future community centre should tie in with other upcoming projects, including the four-pad arena planned for the Hammonds Plains Road. That building is expected to have some upstairs meeting space and kitchen facilities.
Although he agrees that HRM shouldn’t relinquish the fire hall to developers, Newsome said the municipality should be responsible for bringing the building up to code, finding community organizations interested in operating out of the fire hall, and then leasing directly to those groups.
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

BEDFORD FIRE HALL SURVEY RESULTS

A telephone survey conducted by HRM last fall indicated 88 per cent of respondents believe the former Bedford fire hall could benefit the community for a variety of activities.
Activities for youths, seniors, all-ages, children and preschoolers received the highest average ratings in the survey, with 71 to 83 per cent rating those activities as good, or very good activities for the facility. Arts activities and meeting space were rated as good or very good activities by 68 per cent of respondents.
Maintain ownership
A total of 82 per cent favoured HRM maintaining ownership of the building and partnering with non-profit organizations for future use. Only 15 per cent favoured selling it for redevelopment. In addition, 42 per cent of those who favoured HRM ownership/partnership with a non-profit organization supported an area tax rate to defray property maintenance costs.
“The willingness of an area rate surprised me, and I think there’d be more support for it if it was for something more long term and sustainable,” said Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit. “Bedford is going to grow by 10,000 people and the fire hall is not going to do it.”
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

[Bedford_DJ]

Grocery turns to turbines
After green bags, Superstore trying some wind power
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Fri. May 15 - 5:49 AM

Scotia WindFields Inc. has erected a windmill on the property of the At­lantic Superstore in Porters Lake. The turbine is expected to account for about 25 per cent of the grocery store’s energy use and is supposed to generate only 40 decibels of noise. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)




The Atlantic Superstore is already keen on reusable bags. The blades of a wind turbine hovering above the grocery chain’s Porters Lake store on Thursday highlighted a new initiative focusing on renewable energy.

"All the permits are in place. It’s a renewable energy project that involved wind testing over the past year so most people in the area knew it was being installed," said Dan Roscoe, chief operating officer with Scotian WindFields Inc.

Halifax Regional Municipality, like many municipalities across Nova Scotia, lacks land-use bylaws specifically governing the placement of wind turbines and it took more than a year to obtain clearance for this project.

Similar wind turbines may appear at other Superstore locations in the province, but executives at Loblaw Companies Ltd. want to see how the public reacts to this project and to consider the economics before proceeding with others.

"Obviously, this is technology outside our level of expertise in the grocery industry. It’s an exciting renewable energy project and we hope it is received positively," said Mark Schembri, vice-president of store maintenance, from corporate headquarters in Ontario.

The grocery chain started charging a nickel for plastic bags in April in another move promoted as an effort to help the environment.

Scotian WindFields is the same Halifax company involved with the Digby Neck wind farm project that will see 20 huge turbines erected this summer if the proposal gets final clearance from regulators.

There will not be any wind farms appearing in the immediate future at Porters Lake, and the turbines planned for Digby Neck will dwarf the single unit feeding electricity into the Superstore.

"The Porters Lake installation is a wonderful demonstration project of the capabilities of these relatively small and quiet turbines that are ideal for commercial and institutional use in appropriate locations," said Mr. Roscoe.

The 100-kilowatt turbine erected this week on a 36-metre tower is capable of providing electricity for 25 average homes.

This will provide the Superstore with about one quarter of its required electrical power during a 20-year deal between the owners of the grocery chain and the Nova Scotia wind turbine company.

By comparison, each of the 20 units to be erected on 80-metre towers at Digby Neck is rated at 1.5 megawatts. Each will be capable of generating electricity for 500 average homes.

"Each of the turbines planned for Digby Neck will be more than twice as big and about 15 times more powerful than the unit at Porter’s Lake," said Mr. Roscoe.

Scotian WindFields puts the value of the Porters Lake turbine at about $500,000.

[DigitalNinja]

Neato. I'd like to see a few more of those around, It would really make it seem like Halifax is a green place. Also in Sackville. There are 2 small subdivisions gone up off of Old Sackville Road down by Lucasville road. 1 is about half filled with houses, I'll take some tomorrow, the other, on the other side of the old sackville road has just gotten the pavement in and looks like they could start this summer.

One is for about 60-70 houses, the other looks to be 100+

[Bedford_DJ]

Neato. I'd like to see a few more of those around, It would really make it seem like Halifax is a green place. Also in Sackville. There are 2 small subdivisions gone up off of Old Sackville Road down by Lucasville road. 1 is about half filled with houses, I'll take some tomorrow, the other, on the other side of the old sackville road has just gotten the pavement in and looks like they could start this summer.

One is for about 60-70 houses, the other looks to be 100+

I think one of those would be the Twins Brooks subdivision on the former Sackville Golf Course (see the first page of this thread).

Just a shot in the dark here but the other could be the new road for the new 101 interchange (Maroon Drive).

[DigitalNinja]

Nope, haha I know where those are I live in the nabourhood. One is across from the enternce to millwood drive where there used to be a field on Sackville Drive, like I said this one is about 60-70 houses and there are about 35 build so far. The other one is behind it, next to the cemetary on old sackville road. Which has the pavement lain down. I'll try to find a link on them. Or take some pictures tomorrow.

[Bedford_DJ]

Nope, haha I know where those are I live in the nabourhood. One is across from the enternce to millwood drive where there used to be a field on Sackville Drive, like I said this one is about 60-70 houses and there are about 35 build so far. The other one is behind it, next to the cemetary on old sackville road. Which has the pavement lain down. I'll try to find a link on them. Or take some pictures tomorrow.

Lol I was way off the mark then ...

I don't know what the names are but according to a Windows Live image there is one for the extension of Baker Drive and Windwood Drive.

The other one doesn't have any names up yet.

[DigitalNinja]

Yeah I live on Windwood haha. So thats how I know about that one. I'll run over and take some pics tomorrow.

[Bedford_DJ]

Burnside News Tidbits:

• Perched atop the highest point in Burnside at Wright Avenue and Burnside Drive, a new commercial development is in the works. “It won’t be a building with a sea of parking around it,” says Colin Whitcomb of The Hardman Group Limited. “This is intended to be an integrated development in a cluster format designed to benefit the employees.” Whitcomb says site work and construction could begin later this year.

All I can say is I pray for the safety of peope who dare cross Burnside Drive which happens to be a very busy highway.

========================================================================================================================

And pending approval tomorrow night at Regional Council the bicycle/pedestrian pedway over the Circ next to Burnside Drive should finally see construction this year. The funding will be split evenly between HRM and the Province.

11.1.1 Cost Sharing Agreement - Burnside Pedestrian Overpass (200 Kb) (http://halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/090602ca1111.pdf)

========================================================================================================================

Also tomorrow night council will be debating the Bayer's Lake/Ragged Lake Business Park Plan. Within the documents are several references to three seperate major developments; north-west corner of Bayer's Lake (behind Kent), Govenor's Lake, and north of Bayer's Lake adjacent to Hwy 102.

11.3.1 Business Parks Development Functional Plan, Bayers Lake / Ragged Lake (4.6 Mb) (http://halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/090602ca1131.pdf)

[Jstaleness]

I didn't get to see the council meeting tonight. I'm assuming the Circ/Burnside Pedway was approved?

[Bedford_DJ]

I didn't get to see the council meeting tonight. I'm assuming the Circ/Burnside Pedway was approved?

I don't know for sure either but I'd say its a safe bet to say it was approved.

Oh and the Canadian Tire Gas Station in Bedford (next to Sun Tower) has been shut down and looks like it will be demolished soon. I'm just praying something replaces it unlike the Old Shell Station across the street which is now a parking lot for Timmy's :koko:

[Jstaleness]

They did use high quality gravel to fill it though!!

[planarchy]

I don' t think this has been posted anywhere yet..

Notice of Public Presentation

The Municipality and Waterfront Development Corporation, a provincial crown corporation with a mandate to champion provincial interests for lands around Halifax Harbour and the Bedford Basin, have engaged a consultant to prepare a design study for the Bedford Waterfront. A workshop was held in April to gather ideas followed by a survey.

The consultant has now prepared three alternative design proposals for review. Interested persons are invited to attend a presentation of these designs and share their views on the merits of each.
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Location:

Basinview Community School (Cafeteria), 273 Basinview Drive, Bedford

A presentation of the final masterplan is scheduled for October 2009.

Ekistics of Dartmouth have the commission for both the study and final masterplan.

http://www.halifax.ca/visionhrm/bedfordwaterfront/

[Bedford_DJ]

Proposed Development Agreement for Castle Hill in Middle/Upper Sackville.

June 15, 2009 Public information meeting

Sackville Heights Community Centre (gymnasium)

45 Connolly Road, Sackville - 7:00 p.m.

Case 01275 (http://www.halifax.ca/planning/documents/Case01275FactSheetPIM.pdf) - Application by W. M. Fares Group, on behalf of Castle Hill Capital Inc., to amend the existing development agreement for Crossfield Subdivision to permit an increase in the number of proposed dwellings from 44 to 73 and alter the architectural design for the development.

EDIT: This is now on my Windows Live Map for anybody interested (see the Compilation Thread for a link).

[Bedford_DJ]

Western Region Community Council June 22, 2009:

8.1.1 Case 01178: Development Agreement - Glen Baker Drive, Herring Cove (http://www.halifax.ca/Commcoun/wrcc/documents/Case01178Item8.1.1.pdf)

[Bedford_DJ]

Maple company started as hobby, became a way of life

Halifax News Net


By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News
With six years of storefront operation behind them, Acadian Maple Products in Upper Tantallon moves next month to a new, much larger space to keep up with an ever-increasing demand for its products.
But the business won’t be moving too far. Located just metres behind its current building on Peggy’s Cove Road, the new 6,000-square-foot facility will be seven times larger. In addition to providing more retail, storage and packaging space, it will easily handle large bus and school tours interested in agri-tourism.
“One of the reasons for the expansion was because we’re on the busiest tourist road in Nova Scotia, we were getting many requests for bus tours, and this building was too small to handle it,” said Acadian Maple Products owner Brian Allaway.
“We also have a packaging facility in the Wentworth Valley and decided to build a new building to include the packaging line and distribution.We’re trying to look 10 years down the road.”
The new facility is being constructed in a way that ensures it will heat and cool more efficiently. It includes a much larger retail shop, a tank room for the maple syrup, large storage areas, office space, and a shipping and receiving area.
It was also designed to accommodate bus tours and anyone interested in learning more about the maple industry. Large windows allow visitors a glimpse into the inner workings of the facility.
“People can come in and see what’s happening in our boiling room. That day we could be boiling, making fudge, making maple butter, or any number of things that we do,” Allaway said.
“Not just bus tours, but school groups, family reunions, any large group that would like a tour of the facility and a presentation on the maple industry. We finally have a place we can do that.”
What started as a hobby for Allaway 27 years ago has become a way of life. His family had a few maple trees in the backyard, made a little too much maple syrup for its own consumption, and began selling some of the surplus to a local store owner.
“He asked for more. We started making more. Then we had to start purchasing to keep up with the demand,” he recalled.
The family eventually built its own sugar camp in the Wentworth Valley, and quickly discovered their biggest challenge was that they never seemed to have enough maple syrup.
“We decided to put our energy into marketing. Now we’re federally licensed as a maple producer, we can buy from any farmer and sell around the world,” Allaway said, noting some producers now sell their entire crop to Acadian Maple Products, ensuring a steady supply for the company.
When his son William graduated from university, he put his energies into expanding the family business. They purchased the Peggy’s Cove Road property six years ago, and business has grown dramatically ever since.
Acadian Maple’s product line ranges from syrups to fresh fudge, juices, jams and preserves, dips and spices, maple sugar and butter, and even maple wine. The company exports maple syrup and products around the world, including Ireland, Switzerland, Spain and Mexico.
Acadian Maple Products will move all of its operations from the Wentworth Valley to the new Upper Tantallon facility and will be hiring more people locally.
The building that currently houses Acadian Maple Products will be moved.
“Someone will be taking it. We didn’t want to tear it down unless we had to, as a last resort,” Allaway said.
The new facility is expected to open its doors the first week of August.
For more information about Acadian Maple Products, visit the company’s web site, www.acadianmaple.com.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

[Bedford_DJ]

Sackville update. Photo by me yesterday;

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3706913105_66c7099f1e_b.jpg

[Bedford_DJ]

Some Construction updates from Sackville;

New Ultramar at the corner of Glendale and Cobequid. The Subway was recently moved to the adjacent building:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/3721261256_de1a402c24_b.jpg

Not sure if this is demolition or addition but the Petro-Can strip mall at the corner of Glendale and Beaverbank:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3720449537_df75d2e844_b.jpg

The Service Nova Scotia building on Sackville Drive is almost complete, theres about six small strip malls going up, the new MacDonalds looks tacky, and the gas station at Sackville Cross Rd stoplight was demolished.

[DigitalNinja]

How many towns are there across Canada, with 35,000 people or more who go there and not 1 walmart, or place where you can buy mens jeans?

[worldlyhaligonian]

How many towns are there across Canada, with 35,000 people or more who go there and not 1 walmart, or place where you can buy mens jeans?

Are you implying you can only purchase womens jeans?

[Bedford_DJ]

Why don't you just go to Bedford's Wal-Mart? We never wanted one anyways.

[DigitalNinja]

Are you implying you can only purchase womens jeans?

Yes. :P

And to get to the bedford walmart, takes me 30 minutes by bus, I need to take 2 to get here, and I'm in millwood area.

[Bedford_DJ]

Yes. :P

And to get to the bedford walmart, takes me 30 minutes by bus, I need to take 2 to get here, and I'm in millwood area.

Same here.

I live in Eaglewood and to get there by bus i have to walk to the bus stop (5 mins) take the 66 to Cobequid (10 minutes) then take the 88 to Wal-Mart.

[hfx_chris]

Same deal with Dartmouth, the Wal-Mart used to be very convenient at Penhorn with a major bus terminal, DC still is a pain in the ass to get to by bus.

[DigitalNinja]

Sucks.

[Barrington south]

Yah, Digital, that must suck having to were chick jeans around!!!....:haha:
are they low rise jeans?!!!....:haha:

[Barrington south]

Sucks.

Dig...you need to get your ass a-smokin' hot-shugah' mama....to cart your ass around!!!.....i would apply...but ya' know..I got mah, bean's and bacon, so I'm in'eligble...:haha:

[DigitalNinja]

Lmao. Yeah, a hot 35 year old or so with no kids would be good.

[Bedford_DJ]

Case 01282 (http://www.halifax.ca/planning/Case01282Details.html)

A propsed change to an previously approved building for Wyatt Road out here in Bedford in Mill Cove.

EDIT: Just a note I can't say for sure if its this lot or its neighbour but there has been a lot of excavation work occuring in the area.

[Bedford_DJ]

Out here in Bedford I can say that lately its been a dead zone for construction considering how many people live here.

The bicycle lanes and repaving on the Bedford Highway are still underway, the Ravines is very slowly coming along, Southgate Village still has the sign up but no construction has commenced yet, Dockside sales are going along very slowly, and the only other thing happening is the demolition of the former Canadian Tire gas bar in Sunnyside.

[Bedford_DJ]

Field of dreams
Halifax and Dartmouth have Commons. Now Beaver Bank wants one
Halifax News Net

By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News
Bonnie Ryan is seeking some common ground in Beaver Bank to accompany a much-anticipated bike park.
The community volunteer is chairwoman of the Beaver Bank Commons Development Association, a group that formed last November.
“The reason we formed was that at the (annual) town hall meeting, it was brought up that kids would like to have a bike park,” Ryan said.
“We formed this association to work on it, and we’re happy to say the bike park is in the works now.”
The bike park will be put on a six-acre parcel of underused land near the Beaver Bank ball fields. Ryan said the bike park initiative was kick-started by former councillor Krista Snow, who provided $3,000 in city funds to pay for dirt.
Current Coun. Barry Dalrymple has since given another $5,000 that will ensure the project is completed. Ryan said her group has recently worked on the project with HRM bike park consultant Adam Shore.
She hopes the bike park will be completed before school starts in September.
“Adam Shore had a meeting with the kids on July 15, and now he’ll go back to HRM designers, say what they want here, and then the project will sit in the queue,” Ryan said.
“Now we have the skateboard park, then a bike park, and we’d really like to do a walking trail all along the perimeter of the field so you can go there with your dog, your two-year-old and your eight-year-old, and everyone will have something to do.”
With an onsite playground, the skateboard park and the bike park, Ryan said a designated recreation area near the Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre would benefit families throughout the community. Her group would like the Beaver Bank ball fields land to be officially renamed the Beaver Bank Commons.
In addition to a walking trail along the perimeter of the bike park, future plans include the installation of picnic tables near the playground, a seasonal ice cream stand to serve those using the Commons, and the resolution of flooding problems on the ball fields.
Ryan said one of the many advantages of the location is that it is fairly open and visible from the road.
“It’s flat land, there’s not a lot to it, and there are trees there for kids to get to the shade so they’re not exposed to sun all the time,” she said.
“We’re trying to have as many uses as we can, because the more it’s used, the more money HRM will put in. It will be great. The numbers in Beaver Bank are going up, up and up, and we need these sorts of things for our community.”

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

[Barrington south]

.

[Bedford_DJ]

Good news for the Lower Sackville/Bedford are since even though HRM has mentioned a desperate need for community space in Bedford they haven't bothered with a plan yet. Also the road to get to this is having stoplights installed right now (intersection with Glendale Ave);

New church bucks trend
While other places of worship struggle, Sackville Baptists open state-of-the-art facility
Halifax News Net
SACKVILLE
By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News

Last Sunday marked a milestone for a local church bucking a trend by steadily increasing its population at a time when many churches are struggling to stay afloat.
StoneRidge Fellowship (formerly Temple Baptist Church) officially opened the doors to its new, state-of-the-art facility on Sept. 13. Located on Temple Terrace just off Glendale Avenue, the 35,000 sq. ft. nondescript white building could easily be mistaken for a school or a medical clinic from the outside.
For more than six years, the congregation has been actively raising funds for construction of the new building to house its ever-increasing population. The church purchased 54 acres on Temple Terrace and has so far developed 13 acres.
After selling its former church site at 1000 Sackville Dr. to a carpentry trade school, church members spent the last eight months packing the Bedford Place Mall for Sunday worship services.
Late last week the Temple Terrace site was a beehive of activity as dozens of workers in hard hats completed the finishing touches to ensure the new building could open in time for a ribbon cutting and the first Sunday service at the new building. A grand opening is planned for Oct. 25.
“Our growth is an anomaly, but I think there are two basic things that cause growth. The message has not changed, the message of Christ, his death, and his resurrection,” explained Lead Pastor Les Somers. “We don’t dabble with that, water it down or change it. But we have actively taken steps to allow the message of Christ to be relevant today.”
One of the ways to ensure the church remains relevant, Somers said, is to embrace and make use of high tech, modern media options to reach out and help spread the message of Jesus Christ. The new facility includes two rooms devoted to wires, sound boards, blinking lights and other technological wonders that ensure the church’s sound and video systems operate optimally.
StoneRidge broadcasts a recorded version of its Sunday services via the Internet each week. It also streams a Sunday service live to its satellite site in Hubbards. Somers said the goal is to expand and offer four additional satellite sites in HRM.
“We have not stagnated. We’re not in the 1900s or the 1960s, we are in the 21st century and we have kept up with that,” Somers said. “The other, second important aspect of the growth of this church is the people are passionate about what they believe and they show it in the community. They’re not just going to church on Sunday; it’s a lifestyle, not just an add on.”
The opening of the new, 35,000 sq. ft. building marks the completion of the first phase of StoneRidge’s growth. The two-storey facility is bright and open, with many large windows and a vast parking lot to accommodate the hundreds of worshippers who’ll attend the two morning services.
The new building includes offices, a boardroom, a hospitality area with kitchen facilities, a first-aid room, a library resource centre and two small auditoriums that seat 100 and 150 people. Phase one also includes a large (temporary) worship space capable of holding more than 500 people. When phase two is completed, that worship space will be devoted to the church’s youth programs.
The foundation is already set for the second phase, which includes a 1,500 seat adjoining auditorium that will eventually serve as the church’s primary meeting space and will have a footprint of 35,000 square feet.
When constructed, that auditorium will be larger than the Rebecca Cohn in Halifax. When not in use by the church, it will be available to the larger community, something Somers believes will help address a lack of performance space in northwest HRM. All the space in the new facility can be rented by the community when the space is not being used by StoneRidge.
The passion with which StoneRidge embraces its young children and youth is evident in the building’s design. Bright rooms downstairs will hold cribs for infants, a preschool, and Sunday programs for elementary school- aged children. All children will be registered electronically for safety purposes.
“We’re very passionate about children and about teenagers. Any church that does not address the family, the issue of raising children with moral training and spiritual upbringing, that church will not survive,” Somers said. “They are the church of the future and the church of now, so we never forget the church is never one generation away from death.”
More information about StoneRidge Fellowship can be found online at stoneridgefellowship.com.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

[sdm]

Burnside business campus unveiled
Dartmouth project to include six three-storey buildings
By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter
Fri. Sep 18 - 4:46 AM


An artist’s rendition of the Wright & Burnside Business Campus site in Dartmouth, which is expected to take five to seven years to complete.





The site of a former municipal water tower in Burnside is being transformed into the region’s first planned business campus.

"This is the first true business campus east of Montreal and we have a truly great setting here for tenants," said Bill Hardman, president of The Hardman Group, in describing the Wright & Burnside Business Campus his Halifax-based firm is developing.

The $50-million to $70-million project, which is expected to begin construction next year, is being built on a 6.4-hectare hill at the corner of Wright Avenue and Burnside Drive, overlooking the Bedford Basin.

Mr. Hardman said the campus will include six three-storey office buildings with 400,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of commercial space, surrounded by a courtyard the size of two football fields. It will also feature 500 above-ground parking spaces and 400 underground spaces.

"It’s not a building that is sitting in a parking lot with just asphalt around it," he said of the campus concept, which will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or equivalent standards.

"It needs to have the right environment."

Mr. Hardman said the project, which he estimated would take five to seven years to complete, will appeal to tenants who want larger floor spaces, lots of parking and access to amenities and transit.

"I think they will be from the insurance field to the financial field," he said. "We’re looking for tenants who are anywhere from 5,000 square feet up to 90,000 square feet."

Mr. Hardman said the recession here hasn’t hit the regional commercial real estate market to the same extent it has elsewhere in Canada.

"You have pretty much market-driven products in the office sector and that’s what this will be," he said. "We’re not going to start the first building without knowing that we have it reasonably pre-leased."

Bob Mussett, senior vice-president with CB Richard Ellis Inc., which is leading the project’s leasing campaign, said Atlantic Canada’s entire economy has weathered the recession better than other parts of the country.

"The overall economy in Atlantic Canada, when you compare it to other regions in the country, has done remarkably well for the last year, not that it hasn’t been affected," he said. "But when you look at job losses and the impact on commercial real estate, it hasn’t been affected to the degree it has in other regions."

Mr. Mussett agreed with Mr. Hardman that a lack of over-building has helped the local commercial real estate market through the recession.

"In most instances, the market is quite balanced and that’s a great way to finish a recession and go, hopefully, into the next upswing," he said.

Commercial real estate sales are down nationally due to factors like credit shortages, but Mr. Mussett said leasing is a regional issue.

"You can’t draw the same picture across the country," he said, noting that Calgary’s commercial real estate vacancy rate has jumped from half of one per cent to 12 per cent.

"Here the leasing has held up reasonably well."

Mr. Mussett said the commercial vacancy rate in downtown Halifax, including sub-lease space, is 6.5 per cent, while the overall commercial vacancy rate in HRM is about four per cent.

"That’s a pretty good figure," he said, adding that the business campus should attract a lot of attention.

"There’s great benefits both for the employee and the employer: ease of access, free parking, the environment, the ability to access walking trails and shopping and other services," he said. "It’s really got all of those things wrapped into one."

( berskine@herald.ca)

[Spitfire75]

Here's the site plan. (http://www.hardmangroup.ca/development/images/W&B-SiteElevations.pdf) Looks pretty nice.

[sdm]

Here's the site plan. (http://www.hardmangroup.ca/development/images/W&B-SiteElevations.pdf) Looks pretty nice.

It does, but pretty lofty idea.

[beyeas]

They've actually begun all the land clearing and site prep for this project.

It actually looks like an interesting development... the thing that just depresses me though is that every time I see a project like this going forward in the suburbs, I know that it decreases the chances of a large scale office tower development downtown. Not all of the businesses that will go here would want to be downtown anyway, but regardless, it will increase the amount of Class A office space, leading to less upward pressure on rents, and make it harder to build a class A office tower in the CBD. /sigh/

[Jonovision]

Here are the site plans and renderings from the website.

http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/2389/2245050240096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2245050240096709958nJqBUM)

http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/45162/2562100020096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2562100020096709958kPoGWC)

http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/42060/2495748790096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2495748790096709958SVTcKe)

http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/42140/2313882490096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2313882490096709958tWRXsB)

It does looks quite nice, but I have to agree with you beyas. It is sad to see more office park development instead of downtown office towers.

[Bedford_DJ]

Looks good. I actually heard of this project a while ago but its the first I've seen plans for it.

A positive way of looking at this is it's really just infill since its completely surrounded by developed land. And at least it's not asphalt like the rest of Burnside.

Hopefully the RCMP HQ go ahead soon too just up the street. :tup:

[someone123]

Unfortunately the deck is stacked against downtown office development. Burnside is subsidized and the approval process there is much easier.

It is true that there seems to be a lot of "suburban infill" in the city, with old gaps being filled in. That is certainly better than what was happening 20 years ago, although each individual development is still totally auto-centric. In practice almost nobody will be walking or biking to work at this business campus. Some might take the bus, but it will be slow and inconvenient.

[Bedford_DJ]

3 potential sites picked for Bedford’s new high school
By PAT LEE Staff Reporter
Thu. Sep 24 - 4:46 AM

The Halifax regional school board has chosen three possible sites for a new high school in Bedford, and the province will now make the final selection.

The three sites are near each other in Bedford West.

The site selection committee’s first choice is one off Innovation Drive near the offices of Research in Motion. Its second pick is closer to nearby Gary Martin Drive, close to the municipality’s future fourplex ice facility off Hammonds Plains Road. The third option is city-owned land at Jack Lake, bounded by Hammonds Plains Road and Highway 102.

The school board approved the selections at its monthly meeting Wednesday night. The new high school is to open in 2013.

Some of the advantages the selection committee identified for its first choice — named the Bedford West Knowledge Campus — were the site’s accessibility to transit, with two signalled intersections, and its proximity to the new rink, the new Bedford West subdivision and Research in Motion.

Board member David Finlayson, who attended one of the site selection meetings, said the three proposed sites are large and would accommodate just about anything the new school would need.

"You can pretty much build whatever you want to," he said.

One noted deficiency for all the sites was a lack of sidewalks for students coming from the Bedford side of Highway 102.

"The biggest concern that everybody around the table had was the transportation of students to and from the school," Mr. Finlayson said. "That is going to need to be addressed with HRM."

Charles Clattenburg, the school board’s director of operations services, said all three options are centrally located in the high school’s catchment area.

In the board’s Imagine Our Schools process, which looked at the long-term needs of schools, Bedford was identified as being among the fastest-growing areas of Halifax Regional Municipality and in need of more schools for the future, while enrolment in many other districts is shrinking.

( plee@herald.ca )

[worldlyhaligonian]

Long delayed pedway finally under construction print this article
BURNSIDE
KEN PARTRIDGE
The Burnside News

Members of the Great Burnside Business Association were gratified to see all their lobbying efforts finally bear fruit in August as construction got underway on the pedway between Burnside and Highfield Park.
The pedway, which will be located beside the existing bridge over Highway 111, has long been sought as a safe alternative for the many pedestrians that currently risk life and limb by running across the busy highway.
“This is a very important project that will help prevent serious safety situations for many of our pedestrian workers,” says Nancy Sweeney, chair of the GBBA.
Pedestrian traffic surveys show that for every one person who runs across the highway, 10 others were trying to cross at the overpass, even without the benefit of sidewalks. The new pedway will now make that crossing much safer and easier.
However, it’s unlikely to totally eliminate pedestrians running across the highway. Many of those that engage in this risky activity are looking for a quick visit to the Tim Hortons location in Highfield Park and are unlikely to walk the few extra yards out of the way to cross via the pedway.
Although the GBBA is happy to see the pedway finally underway, it continues to focus on other access issues that plague the Park. Number one on this list is bus services. Many businesses in the Park point to insufficient bus service as their number one recruiting challenge when trying to attract new employees.
Even land developers and property managers are concerned about the lack of bus service, identifying it as one of their biggest challenges in competing with other areas of HRM to attract tenants.
-30-

[hfx_chris]

So, why exactly are they building the pedway in the wrong location?

[Spitfire75]

Where else should it go?

[Keith P.]

Where else should it go?

For the years and years this has been discussed, the talk was that it would go west of the existing overpass, closer to the Tim Hortons in Highfield. Apparently the Tim's is one of the main attractions for people willing to risk their lives crossing the highway. It would also make for a seemingly shorter walk for people heading from Highfield to Burnside.

[sdm]

For the years and years this has been discussed, the talk was that it would go west of the existing overpass, closer to the Tim Hortons in Highfield. Apparently the Tim's is one of the main attractions for people willing to risk their lives crossing the highway. It would also make for a seemingly shorter walk for people heading from Highfield to Burnside.

I believe the selected location to be more ideal, as the other location dump persons into the burnside section of the park that is mostly metro transit garage and heavy industrial. For safety i believe that location to be less then attractive.

[Bedford_DJ]

I took some photos today on the waterfront;

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/4019700987_86278f4e79_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2716/4019703275_3a09e5a415_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/4020467226_3b31c3f7b8_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/4020470212_284b238b46_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/4019711997_1b57d2c079_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2707/4020475520_59133bd660_b.jpg

And my personal favourite. Bedford's two cranes. (more than Dartmouth) :P

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2491/4019715945_5763d57b04_b.jpg

[kph06]

Any idea how far they plan on going with the infilling of the basin? It seems like they've picked up the pace in the last month or so. Its creating a site with great potential, but it seems like its been years in the process.

[Bedford_DJ]

Any idea how far they plan on going with the infilling of the basin? It seems like they've picked up the pace in the last month or so. Its creating a site with great potential, but it seems like its been years in the process.

I believe back in the spring they said there was about ten more acres to fill in so it must be almost done by now.

Its possible the pace has been picking up either because the official plan is supposed to be approved this Fall or because of all the recent construction projects providing more slate for the area.

[Bedford_DJ]

A new proposed wilderness area was announced for the Chebucto Peninsula just metres away from Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes;

Five Bridge Lakes Candidate Wilderness Area (http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/protectedareas/wa_fivebridgelakes.asp)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And apparently United Gulf is still trying to get their lands up by Exit 3 on the Bi-Hi (Hammonds Plains) developed;

11.1.4 Case 01311 - Papermill Lake Commercial

Comprehensive Development District (CCDD) Municipal

Planning Strategy Amendment, Bedford (590 Kb)

(http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/091020ca1114.pdf)

[Spitfire75]

Wow the Bedford waterfront is looking good!

[Bedford_DJ]

Eastport fully leases first multi-tenant LEED warehouse
BURNSIDE
KEN PARTRIDGE
The Burnside News

Eastport Properties has fully leased what it believes to be the first multiple tenant LEED level warehouse in Canada.

The building, located at 122 Dorey Ave., incorporates a number of different features to help it achieve LEED (Leadership in Environmental Engineering and Design) qualification.

The roof is insulated to R-40 levels, while the walls are R-27; central skylights are paired with Solara windows along the top of the front and back walls to provide enough ambient light inside to work, even without lights; and the lighting system includes motion sensor that will turn them off in unoccupied areas. Other LEED features include bike racks, shower facilities, the use of local construction materials, nearby transit service, minimal use of asphalt and recycling of construction waste.

The floor of the new warehouse also contains several unique features. In addition to an in-floor radiant heating system, the concrete slab is also insulated so the heat only goes up into the floor and not down into the ground. The heating system is further broken down into 500 square foot zones, allowing tenants to selective heat all or only part of their space as required.

There will be three tenants in the new building, starting with Parts for Trucks, which has taken space to act as its new central regional depot. Inventory will be shipped to the Dorey Avenue location for eventual distribution to the company’s various locations around Atlantic Canada.

Joining Parts for Trucks at the site will be GlassCell, a Quebec-based insulation company, and ATS.

ATS is actually transferring from across the street, where it is currently located in 109 Dorey Ave. – phase one of Eastport’s three-phase project. Now that phase two, 122 Dorey, is fully leased, the company is ready to start work on phase three, which will be 130 John Savage Dr. Each stage is slightly larger, with 109 Dorey coming in at 50,000 square feet, 122 Dorey at 63,000 and 130 John Savage planned for 90,000.

[Bedford_DJ]

The new apartment buildung going up behind Cobequid Terminal;

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2506/4037504583_900b7b3284_b.jpg

[Bedford_DJ]

Infilled eyesore getting facelift
Halifax News Net
BEDFORD
By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News

Anyone passing by the Bedford Highway near the Moirs Pond/Sobeys Plaza area recently will notice the infill area is looking a bit greener and more “finished.”
The bleak landscape had been described in the past as a “moonscape” by some residents, but the Waterfront Development Corporation is working hard to change that.
Eric Burchell, the corporation’s director of planning and development, said this is the next phase of the expansion of the Bedford Harbourwalk. The boardwalk is being built from the terminus at Waterfront Drive to the South Jetty.
Easy access
“It will have look-offs, benches, standard trail amenities, and it will be paved,” Burchell said, noting the walkway will allow the public to more easily access the popular recreational walking area during the winter months.
The activity taking place for the next two or three weeks involves visually improving the surrounding environment.
Burchell said the project is running on schedule.
“We can’t have lawns that need to be mowed, so we decided to go with hydro seeding with a wildflower component,” Burchell said. “It will grow up as a natural grassland with wildflowers in it. It’s a low maintenance option, but one that’s nice for people to look at rather than the rock.”
The wildflowers are expected to be in bloom by the spring.
“It’s like when you’re renovating a home, things look worse before they get better, and most people are telling me it’s nice to see something happening,” said Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit. “It’s been a bit of an eyesore, but people are excited about what’s happening and where it’s going. It’s a big improvement, no question.”
Three options
Bedford’s Waterfront Visioning Implementation Committee unveiled a consultant’s design study of the Bedford waterfront on June 10. Cost-shared by HRM and the Waterfront Development Corporation, it included a design brief with three alternative design options that were presented to the public at that June meeting.
Outhit said the next step in Bedford’s waterfront implementation involves a public hearing to be held some time next month. At that meeting, residents will be presented with a “hybrid” of those three plans, based in part on public feedback.
The ultimate goal is the establishment of a master plan for Bedford’s waterfront.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca

[worldlyhaligonian]

The clayton park / bayers lake development(s) looks pretty cool on bing bird's eye view.

[Bedford_DJ]

So Armour Group has bought out the former Blue Cross Building at 33 Spectacle Lake Drive in the City of Lakes. The Blue Cross has moved to Park Place IV.

It looks like they are going to upgrade it to LEED standards and it will become part of the Park Place group on the other side of Commodore Drive.

I believe it was mentioned in another thread a potential tenant of this building might be HRSB.

Park Place Lakeside (http://www.armourgroup.com/building_detail.php?building_id=23)

[Bedford_DJ]

Bedford Basin walkway to open


Sat. Nov 14 - 4:46 AM
A new paved walkway along picturesque Bedford Basin officially opens this morning.

The 800-metre trail in Mill Cove will provide walkers and runners with a natural green corridor linking existing and future developments along the waterfront, a Waterfront Development Corp. release states.

"This curved walkway, which will have benches to allow people to enjoy the beautiful view of the Bedford Basin, has turned a well-used temporary trail into a permanent addition," said local MLA Mat Whynott.

The Waterfront Development Corp. reinvested about $500,000 from an infill project to finish the trail, the release states.

The opening ceremony, with local dignitaries including Mayor Peter Kelly, will be held near the south jetty at the end of Waterfront Drive at 10 a.m.

[kph06]

I wasn't sure where the most appropriate spot for this would be, maybe its own thread as it appears this will most likely go ahead.

Soure: The Chronicle Herald (http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1153137.html)

Developer undeterred, will build 3rd tower

By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor
Tue. Nov 17 - 4:46 AM

The province’s top court has denied a Dartmouth developer’s attempt to force one of the country’s largest insurers to loan it millions of dollars last year at what was then a pretty low interest rate.

In May 2008, Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. discussed the idea of providing Can-Euro Investments with $12.5 million in mortgage financing at 4.08 per cent interest. Can-Euro wanted the money to build a third apartment tower to accompany its two others on Horizon Court in Dartmouth.

But the deadline for the deal passed before both parties hammered out the details.

"Unsuccessful attempts were made to close in the days following," said a decision released Monday from the Nova Scotia Appeal Court.

"Industrial Alliance then refused to close at the interest rate fixed for the original disbursement date, and Can-Euro refused to close at a higher rate."

Can-Euro sued, trying to get a judge to force Industrial Alliance to lend it the money at 4.08 per cent interest or return its $125,000 deposit.

Justice Duncan Beveridge turned down that request this past February.

"According to the chambers judge, Industrial Alliance communicated to Can-Euro an informal waiver of the contractual mechanism setting the interest rate and, when it refused to advance funds of the fixed interest rate, did not breach its contractual obligations to Can-Euro," said the Appeal Court decision from the three-judge panel.

"He found that Industrial Alliance lived up to the only promise or assurance it made to Can-Euro, namely to extend the May 19, 2008, closing date to May 23, 2008."

Justice Beveridge "also found that there was no evidence that Industrial Alliance had, in any way, acted in bad faith," said the Appeal Court decision.

The Appeal Court judges ordered Can-Euro Investments to pay $3,500 in costs.

Company president Otto Gaspar said he is not frustrated by the ruling.

"Based on the evidence that we presented, the decision is not even wrong," Mr. Gaspar said Monday in an interview.

"If anybody made a mistake here, I think we made a mistake. We did not present all the evidence we could have presented."

Mr. Gaspar said he didn’t sue over the money.

"It’s a question of justice and that’s it."

Can-Euro still plans to build a third tower on Horizon Court near Lake Micmac.

"I got a better deal from another lender," Mr. Gaspar said. "I will use that money to build this tower as soon as I get the permit."

But he noted his plans for a third 19-storey tower have been held up for the past year by the Environment Department.

"We have wetland issue there. I never knew that I had a wetland on my land."

Mr. Gaspar is hoping for a final decision on the project this week from the Environment Department before taking his plans to city hall.

"It takes at least four or five months to get it approved."

[Jonovision]

I hope this third tower is nicer then the last one.

[Bedford_DJ]

According to a source thers is a new multi-storey condo building on John Gorham Lane underway here in Bedford. Does anyone know any details about this?

EDIT: After a hell of a lot of digging and visting the site it is apparently another Bedford norm ... A set of 8 townhouses in a 3-storey building.

[Bedford_DJ]

Ground-breaking takes place for new long-term care facility
Halifax News Net


UPPER HAMMONDS PLAINS – NDP MLA Mat Whynott participated in a ground-breaking ceremony Monday at the site of a new long-term care facility in Upper Hammonds Plains.
When completed, the Whitehills Long-Term Care Centre will be home for 58 Nova Scotians.
“This facility will be an important part of the community here in Upper Hammonds Plains,” said Whynott. “It will mean more people can remain in their own community, close to family, friends and neighbours. This is another example of how our government is making life better for today’s families.”
Building long-term care beds is part of the Department of Health’s Continuing Care Strategy, a 10-year $262-million initiative.

[Wishblade]

Ground-breaking takes place for new long-term care facility
Halifax News Net


UPPER HAMMONDS PLAINS – NDP MLA Mat Whynott participated in a ground-breaking ceremony Monday at the site of a new long-term care facility in Upper Hammonds Plains.
When completed, the Whitehills Long-Term Care Centre will be home for 58 Nova Scotians.
“This facility will be an important part of the community here in Upper Hammonds Plains,” said Whynott. “It will mean more people can remain in their own community, close to family, friends and neighbours. This is another example of how our government is making life better for today’s families.”
Building long-term care beds is part of the Department of Health’s Continuing Care Strategy, a 10-year $262-million initiative.

Jeesh, how many of these things are they going to build? the population is aging too fast...

[Phalanx]

New $2.5 billion residential and commercial development beside Bayer's Lake? Not sure if this has been posted anywhere else yet.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/11/27/ns-susies-quarry-development.html

[Wishblade]

New $2.5 billion residential and commercial development beside Bayer's Lake? Not sure if this has been posted anywhere else yet.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/11/27/ns-susies-quarry-development.html

Wow, 2.5 billion. Quite a large project. Still years away, and personally I don't really think its needed right now with Bedford south and west growing at the pace they currently are. But eventually this will be prime for development.

[sdm]

New $2.5 billion residential and commercial development beside Bayer's Lake? Not sure if this has been posted anywhere else yet.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/11/27/ns-susies-quarry-development.html

this has been in the works for sometime actually. Its agressive considering all the other developments (ravines, bedford west).

[fenwick16]

That would be about 10,000 homes at $250,000 each. That is a big development. It would be a community of about 30,000 people.

[sdm]

report is here

http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/rpcsc/documents/Item5.2.2Project01341.pdf

[Bedford_DJ]

I'd rather see it left as it is. From what I gather the lakes are one-of-a-kind and its the only true wilderness area left in the area.

Besides as the article said there is plenty of land to be developed and this doesn't have to happen for many years.

[Phalanx]

It's not going to be all residential. The article also mentioned commercial space. It's supposed to to go from high density on the Bayers Lake side of the developent to medium/low density on the wilderness side so it offers a step-down.transition.

[Bedford_DJ]

Here are the site plans and renderings from the website.

http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/2389/2245050240096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2245050240096709958nJqBUM)

http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/45162/2562100020096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2562100020096709958kPoGWC)

http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/42060/2495748790096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2495748790096709958SVTcKe)

http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/42140/2313882490096709958S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2313882490096709958tWRXsB)

It does looks quite nice, but I have to agree with you beyas. It is sad to see more office park development instead of downtown office towers.

All that from this piece of land (photo by me);

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/4141854580_78615fb6f7_b.jpg

[fenwick16]

The Wright & Burnside Commercial Park is an appealing commercial development with the trees and green space.

[sdm]

The Wright & Burnside Commercial Park is an appealing commercial development with the trees and green space.

I doubt it will built as same as the renderings. I can see less buildings. Still a good development.

[Bedford_DJ]

A new subdivision proposed for Eastern Passage south of Shearwater and backing onto the rail-to-trail (Salt Marsh Trail).

Case 01331 (http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/091208ca1113.pdf)

[macgregor]

This was on another thread, but an interesting article about the Bedford infill:

Depends on the material, most shale (what they are breaking here) is pyritic slate and can only be taken to certain sites. This most commonly goes to the Bedford Basin infilling as the salt water neutralizes the acids. The rest is used as fill in subdivisions or other projects; usually the contractor has a site nearby where the excess will go before they bid the job. When the water main was renewed on King St. this summer all the fill went to King's Warf. If there is no need in the area it will usually be trucked back to the contractors shop and used eventually. In this case, All-terrain is the contractor, and their parent company is Earthco (could be Earthworks) and they sell fill among other things. They currently have a site on Glendale they are selling fill from.

September 15, 2009
Filling in Our Harbour: Infill Developments Allowed to Trump Public Good in Halifax Harbour
by Sadie Beaton

(1) "No person shall carry on any work or undertaking that results in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat." - Section 35, Fisheries Act.

Day and night, tonne after tonne, slate, gravel, and other construction debris is dumped straight into the Halifax Harbor. Slowly, but surely, dump trucks from HRM and across the Maritimes are “infilling” parts of the Bedford Basin, creating new parcels of land for private development where critical fish habitat once existed.
Call it jurisdictional confusion, regulatory inertia, or the beauty of the free market. Call it what you want, but without a master plan for Halifax Harbour, integrated with the provincial coastal development policy and climate change action plan, there is nothing to stop developers from making a killing on infilling projects that threaten water quality, destroy fish habitat, and increase our vulnerability to climate change.

There is a clear view of our shrinking Harbour from the Sobeys parking lot on the Bedford Highway. At this site, currently owned and under development by the Halifax Waterfront Development Corporation Limited (WDCL), one dump truck after another can be seen winding its way through thirty-odd acres of human-made land to deposit a load of construction and acidic rock in the Basin and Harbour.

WDCL and the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) are in the final stages of planning for a large mixed-residential development with a marina, upscale shops, and a fabulous Harbour view at this site, once infilling is complete. This development will be built on what used to be original Harbour bottom and pristine fish habitat.

That solitary pine tree poking out from the vast moonscape of slate? It used to be part of a small island called Crosbsy’s, once favoured by kayakers and birds alike.

Infilling is one of the more visible ways that fish habitat can be altered or destroyed, by burying bottom habitat, removing the fertile intertidal and shallow sub-tidal zones where many fish feed and spawn, and eliminating water column habitat. More indirectly, the resulting silt can also settle at a distance from the original infill, smothering organisms that depend on bottom habitat. Infilling can also alter the tide flows and currents that are a vital part of the fish habitat.

Though this habitat destruction is happening right under our noses, regulatory bodies have been able to look the other way. “Harmful alternation, disruption or destruction of fish habitat”, or HADD, is a concept at the heart of the Fisheries Act, one of Canada’s oldest pieces of legislation. However, because Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has failed to declare a HADD, there has been no Environmental Assessment triggered. There has been no opportunity for public input or involvement, and no compensation has been paid to restore critical fish habitat elsewhere in the Harbour or in adjacent watersheds.

Aha, you might think, this is because Halifax Harbour isn’t fish habitat. Wrong. You wouldn’t know it from the way we treat it, but Halifax Harbour is still a functioning, living ecosystem. Despite the incredible human-made changes, this productive (though polluted) coastal estuary provides valuable marine habitat and supports important fisheries resources. Indeed, lobsters are fished extensively, especially around McNabs Island, but also in the Northwest Arm and Bedford Basin. Sea Run Brook trout, Atlantic salmon, Gaspereau, whales, seals, and American eels still navigate through the harbor as well, often traveling into the various streams and lakes that feed the estuary.

UNDERWATER REAL ESTATE
Though the Canadian legal system considers the ocean as a common good- belonging to the people of Canada- to be looked after by the federal government, some developers have found a loophole. Back before Confederation, some “water lots” along Halifax Harbour were granted to private landowners. Water lots are legally defined as parcels of land on the seabed of the harbour, attached to the land parcel and extending outward from the shoreline underwater. Often written right into the property deeds, these sections of ocean floor escape federal jurisdiction and simply become private property. This loophole releases owners from the regular obligation to protect and respect fish habitat including paying compensation for a HADD infraction.

Those concerned with this infilling loophole argue that these water lots were intended for wharfs or docks for local fishermen that would extend out into the water as temporary constructions. In recent times, various property owners however, (including the WDCL) have flouted the original conventional definition by adding retaining walls, permanent walkways and even buildings that extend to the end of their water lot. Indeed, these structures, cannot be easily dismantled later, and may cause permanent changes to the shoreline and intertidal zone.

With the creation of over 30 acres of new infilled lands that will eventually be expanded to 50 acres in total, (about the size of 5 George’s Islands), it is too late to reverse the extensive habitat loss that has already occurred. However, it is never too late for DFO to declare a HADD. Indeed, as groups like the Sackville Rivers Association (SRA) have described, it is only fair that WDCL own up to the environmental impact of the project and pay due compensation for the immense loss of habitat that the project has already caused. After all, the WDCL receives huge sums from the tipping fees companies pay to dispose acidic slate and other construction rock on the site – and will receive more selling the infilled land once the development is completed.

As SRA president Walter N. Regan notes, ”When a private developer damages a public asset, it is only fair that the public be compensated by putting money into restoring damaged or destroyed fish habitat. Though restoration projects cannot bring back lost marine habitat, they can deter future habitat loss by making the proponent pay the true cost of habitat destruction.”

HABITAT RESTORATION
Just beyond the Bedford Sobeys parking lot sits a small tidal pond known as Moir’s Pond, named after the wooden candy box factory that once sat where the grocery store does today. Surrounded by layers of industrial and commercial development, the pond also sits abreast of the ever-expanding moonscape of infill.

Moir’s Pond is connected to a narrow stream, (Nile Mile River)- which connects to Paper Mill Lake, part of the Kearney Lake system which in turn runs out of the recently protected Blue Mountain/Birch Lakes Cove Wilderness area. Incredibly, significant numbers of Atlantic salmon, Sea Run Speckled trout, Gaspereau and American eels travel up through the pond looking to get upstream for spawning.

Question- What did the Atlantic salmon say to his buddies after hitting a 15 foot tall concrete wall? Answer- Dam.

Despite significant odds, the hardiest of these migrating fish survive swimming to Greenland and back, Harbour pollution and shoreline alterations, only to be thwarted upstream. Three hydroelectric dams along the Kearney Lake system- built before fish ladders were mandated – stop salmon, trout gasperaux and eels fromcompleting their life cycles.

As Walter N. Regan of the SRA has suggested, creating fish ladders for the three dams would be a relatively low cost and effective use of habitat restoration money. Regan notes, “If we accept that we are going to be doing some development, like an infill along the shore, then there are ways to do it that are respectful to the fisheries that exist, or could exist in the Harbour and adjacent watersheds.”

One cost-effective habitat restoration project could be the construction of fish ways to allow fish passage over nearby dams. For example, the three Kearney Lake System dams, (Papermill, Kearney and Suzie’s Lake) which are the closest to the WDCL infill site. These grandfathered dams block over 16 lakes and 3 million square meters of lake habitat alone, habitat worth over $66,000,000 to the various communities in the area, and which is, of course, priceless to wildlife.

HALIFAX HARBOUR IS ALIVE
Ecology Action Centre (EAC) Coastal Coordinator Jennifer Graham is also concerned about the precedent this project may set. While many departments, corporate bodies and community groups have interest or responsibilities, Halifax Harbour lacks an overall plan that recognizes and respects it as a functioning ecosystem. As she asks, “The bigger question is, where is it going to stop? Will developers be allowed to cover the harbour in parking lots and condominiums? This harbour is a living system and we should be planning for a mixed-use ecologically productive harbor that we can all enjoy now and into the future.”

A master plan for the harbour, integrated with provincial coastal and climate change policies won’t solve the pre-confederation water lot loophole, but it would make it easier to for the government to prioritize restoration and prevent further habitat degradation from infilling projects. As Regan concludes, “It may be too late to stop this development project, but we can ensure that this doesn’t happen this way again, without an environmental assessment, without HADD compensation, and without adequate public input.”

http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/blog/sadie/1902