Windsor Exchange Development Info and Engagement sessions
The Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project involves the redesign of the intersection of Bedford Highway, Windsor Street and Lady Hammond Road, this project will also allow for the expansion of Active Transportation connections and transit priority measures through the Windsor Street Exchange
The design process is underway and is expected to take up to two years. Construction is expected to take two to three years, and is scheduled to begin in 2025. Further status updates will be provided throughout the design process.
There are many ways to participate and gather further information in this project, they are listed below:
Online survey
The online survey will be open until Friday, May 7th. You can also place a pin with your comments on a map of the Windsor Street Exchange.
Virtual Open Houses
A general open house will take place Thursday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will begin with a presentation, to be followed by a question and answer period with municipal staff and the project consultants. Click here to download instructions on how to join the meeting.
Property owners and businesses Open House
We are asking Property owners and businesses to register to attend a virtual public meeting for adjacent property owners and businesses about the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Project and receive future updates on the project and its potential impact to your property and/or business. The virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 28th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Online Forum
ASK questions through the forum on this page.
Crisis Shelters
The last number of weeks there has been much dialog regarding the ‘crisis shelters’ that are located in parks around the municipality.
Halifax Regional Municipality has taken an empathy-based human rights approach to homeless encampments that recognizes the human dignity of people experiencing homelessness. The municipality will not force the eviction of residents from homeless encampments unless and until their need for adequate housing is met. Our Street Navigators who are part of a partnership program between HRM and the urban core business improvement districts, have been supporting the individuals who are placed in these shelters to connect them with the services they need.
The installation of structures, including temporary shelters, on municipal property is not permitted without approval, and HRM hasn’t permitted the installation of these shelters and we hope to work with Halifax Mutual Aid to identify alternative options for those experiencing homelessness.
For more information on the municipality’s approach to homelessness and homeless encampments please visit our website: https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/regional-community-planning/public-safety#encampments
MLA Lisa Roberts Blog highlighted very well how and why housing and homelessness are provincial responsibilities.
Africville Visioning Process and Infill Project
On April 6th I put forward a Motion that was supported unanimously by Council to start the process of completing an Africville Visioning Process. This Motion and future process was developed in partnership with the various organizations and community members who advocate for Africville and the descendants. As this collaborative process moves forward, we will be able to provide further information to community members. There are also two pieces of information that are important to highlight:
Potential land exchange between Halifax Port Authority and the Africville Heritage Trust. You can find the Joint Statement by the Africville Heritage Trust, the Halifax Port Authority and the Halifax Regional Municipality here, and further details about the potential land exchange here.
Africville Active Transportation Project which will develop a planning study to determine the best connections for walking and cycling between the Africville National Historic Site and the rest of the Halifax peninsula. Find more information here.
List of events and notices – here’s what is included:
Update:
- COVID-19 Related information
- Facility bookings & rentals
- HRCE school bookings
- Response to COVID-19: Halifax Mobility Response – Streets and Spaces
- Spring Registration For Recreation Programming
- Public Hearing Case 20871: Almon and St Albans (Mid-town North)
Items of Interest:
- RoadWorks Map (Sidewalk/street Closures & Disruptions)
- Road Construction – Bayers Road
- Sign up for hfxALERT
- Road Safety Dashboard
- Centennial Pool Repairs
- Halifax Water Board Reports
- North End Business Association
- Quinpool Road Business Association
Contact me:
Phone: 902-579-6975
Email: Lindell.Smith@halifax.ca
Website: www.LindellSmithHfx.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindellSmithHFX/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindellSmithHFX
311 – HRM’s Call Centre
HRM’s call centre is open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5:30pm weekends to respond to routine inquiries and complaints from HRM residents. Please use this service since it helps HRM keep track of issues that are of concern for residents (missed solid waste pickup, sidewalks not cleared, transit info or complaints, etc.) For more information please visit http://www.halifax.ca/311/
Please send your feedback on issues before Community Council and Regional Council – and on any municipal issue. If you would like to send your comments to all Regional Councillors please email the Clerk’s Office (clerks@halifax.ca) so that your comments are shared and are part of the public record.
If you would like to send events or information to be possibly included in my e-newsletter, please email with the subject line “E-Newsletter”
Update:
Covid-19 Related Information
Facility bookings & rentals
All recreation centres, gymnasiums, fitness centres and pools are closed as of Friday, April 23rd until at least May 20th. As a result, all indoor recreation programming and services in these facilities are also cancelled. Additionally, municipally-run spring programming is cancelled for the remainder of the season. Once public health restrictions are changed, Parks & Recreation plans to provide alternative recreation delivery options for the spring.
Please contact your local recreation centre and partner facilities for more information on impacts to spring programming and memberships.
Staff will be contacting participants and members to discuss the next steps. For questions or comments please email myrec@halifax.ca.
HRCE school bookings
The municipality coordinates facility bookings for all Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) schools for community and extracurricular school use. Rentals at all HRCE sites will be cancelled from Friday, April 23rd until at least Thursday, May 20th.
There are many resources available to residents stay updated with the constantly changing information and measures taking place to control the spread of Covid-19 and to help residents stay informed and safe. I will list some below:
- Covid-19 Alert app: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert.html
- Covid-19 self-assessment https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/
- COVID-19 testing and online booking, https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/symptoms-and-testing/
- Government of Canada https://canada.ca/coronavirus
- Province of Nova Scotia https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/
- Halifax Regional Municipality https://halifax.ca/coronavirus
Response to COVID-19: Halifax Mobility Response – Streets and Spaces
The first phase of the Halifax Mobility Response plan began earlier this week with the widening of sidewalks in high traffic areas, traffic signal modification and the implementation of temporary loading spaces for businesses in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth. Learn more about these changes, here.
HRM Meetings/Updates
Spring Registration For Recreation Programming
The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents that summer recreation programs have once again been planned in accordance with public health guidelines. Currently, Public Health is allowing for multiple cohorts of 15 children in day camps, and camp activities can be provided in both an indoor and outdoor setting while maintaining physical distancing protocols. Both full-day and half-day camps are planned to be offered for this summer. If there are changes to COVID-19 guidelines, staff will work with Public Health to assess and adjust programs as needed to balance the safety of all participants and staff.
Registration is currently scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. each of the following days for all ages:
Day camps and dryland programs
- Wednesday, May 5 – July programs
- Wednesday, June 2 – August programs
Indoor/outdoor pool and beach programs
- Thursday, June 3 – July programs
- Wednesday, July 14 – August programs
Detailed information on registration and programs http://halifax.ca/myREC
Public Hearings
6.1.1 Case 20871: Development Agreement for Lands located at Almon and St Albans (Mid-town North)
April 27th 6:00 p.m Halifax and West Community Council (Virtual meeting)
Agenda
Items of Interest:
RoadWorks Map (Sidewalk/street Closures & Disruptions)
View the RoadWorks map to see current and upcoming sidewalk and street closures.
Road Construction – Bayers Road
Location: Bayers Road between Vaughan and Connaught avenues
Date: Monday, April 26th until late July
Time: Crews will be on site weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Work details: This work is required as part of phase 1 of the Bayers Road Transit Priority Corridor project, which involves the widening of this section of Bayers Road, to add dedicated bus lanes in both directions. Once complete, the dedicated bus lanes will allow residents to travel more conveniently and efficiently through this corridor.
Centennial Pool Repairs
We have been receiving an increased number of inquiries about the continued closure of Centennial Pool and the repair work HRM is undertaking there.
Work by municipal staff is continuing on Centennial Pool to determine the source of a leak that has closed the pool until further notice. The scheduled work was completed in December 2020, however, equipment issues and a leak were detected while testing the new filtration system, causing further delays to the reopening of the pool.
It is the full intention of the municipality and the Centennial Pool Association to have the pool reopen as soon as possible. Until the leak is fixed, Centennial Pool is unable to reopen. Staff will continue to work quickly and thoroughly to have the pool operating again for all swimmers and teams.
For further information, please call 311 or visit https://www.centennialpool.ca/
Sign up for hfxALERT
hfxALERT is our mass notification system for the municipality, keeping residents informed about emergencies and operations updates. Sign up here
Road Safety Dashboard
s with updates regarding the actions outlined in the Strategic Road Safety Framework. Track the progress the municipality is making as we work together to accomplish our Toward Zero goal.
https://www.halifax.ca/transportation/streets-sidewalks/road-safety/road-safety-dashboard
Halifax Water Board Reports
Please find below the link that will take you to the location where all of the Halifax Water Board meeting reports are posted (with the exception of In-Camera reports
https://www.halifax.ca/home-property/halifax-water/about-your-water/board-commissioners
North End Business Association
For an update on what is happening with businesses in the north end please visit the North End Business Association http://gonorthhalifax.ca/ and sign up for their monthly email.
Quinpool Road Business Association
For an update on what is happening with businesses on Quinpool Road please visit their website: www.quinpoolroad.ca/
My other Committee and Board commitments:
Regional Council
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/regional-council
Regional Centre Community Council
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/community-councils/regional-centre-community-council
Halifax and West Community Council
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/community-councils/halifax-west-community-council
Community Planning & Economic Development
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/standing-committees/community-planning-economic-development-standing-committee
Halifax Peninsula Planning Advisory Committee https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/h/halifax-peninsula-planning-advisory-committee
Community Design Advisory Committee
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/a-c/community-design-advisory-committee
Board of Police Commissioners
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/a-c/board-police-commissioners
Halifax Forum
http://www.halifaxforum.ca/
(CACE) The Council on African Canadian Education
http://www.cace.ns.ca/