The balance of power between the Province of Nova Scotia and HRM has seen a dramatic shift over the past decade. Where municipal planning was once treated as a largely local affair guided by broad provincial statements of interest, the housing crisis has transformed provincial oversight into a tool of direct land-use intervention.
A major staff report presented to Halifax Regional Council outlines crucial investments for Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE). The request seeks $1,006,600 in net-new operating funding for the upcoming 2027/28 fiscal year.
While Regional Council has directed municipal departments to keep expenditure levels flat, Regional Council agreed to receive the presentation and review this report (here) in advance, while moving the financial ask to the budget debate.
On Friday, September 25th, Regional Council received a notification that the demolition application for the Forum was being paused. Municipal staff recently received an updated cost estimate for the Halifax Forum project. While the estimate still requires third-party validation, staff's review indicates that projected costs are now higher than the funding currently approved by Regional Council. As a result, staff are pausing the heritage demolition application process while they assess the updated cost information and prepare options for Council's consideration.
On September 15th, Regional Council received a Halifax Wanderers $100M Dual-Venue Proposal for Wanderers Grounds and Maybank.
Since Halifax Wanderers FC kicked off in the Canadian Premier League in 2019, fans have filled the stands at the historic Wanderers Grounds in downtown Halifax. Yet, the matchday reality has long featured makeshift infrastructure: portable toilets, no running water, aluminum bench seating, and retrofitted shipping containers serving as dressing rooms.
When Nova Scotia introduced the Capped Assessment Program (CAP) in 2005, its primary goal was straightforward: protect residential property owners from sudden, unpredictable spikes in property taxes driven by rapidly rising real estate assessments.