Halifax District 13 News
Deputy Mayor Pam Lovelace
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 SUPPORT FOR HEATING COSTS
HARP Fund
Help with home heating costs is available for Nova Scotians living on low incomes who pay for their own heat. Applications for the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) are open until March 31, 2022. The program provides a rebate of up to $200.
To qualify for the program, your household income must be $29,000 or less if you live alone or $44,000 or less if you live with kids, dependents, or other adults. Applications are available at http://www.novascotia.ca/heatinghelp and through Access Nova Scotia, Community Services and MLA offices.
The HEAT Fund for low-income Nova Scotians can also help you with emergency home heating assistance.
The 2022 application period opens on January 15: https://salvationarmy.ca/maritime/home/programs/heat/
RCMP RELEASE DECEMBER DISTRICT 13 ROAD STATS
COVID SUPPORT
Individuals, families and businesses continue to experience many challenges relating to COVID-19. Help is available for many types of situations, and ranges from financial to social support:
Stay safe, stay well,
Pam
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On January 16, Nova Scotia reported 68 people in hospital due to COVID-19.
On January 15, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 3,711 tests. An additional 696 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
Read more: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220116001
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
All meetings will be held virtually.
North West Community Council
6:00 pm Monday, January 17 - Agenda
Committee of the Whole (COW) - Agenda
10:00 am Friday, January 21
Committee of the Whole
Halifax Regional Council - Agenda TBA
9:00 am Tuesday, January 25
Budget Committee - Agenda TBA
9:30 am Friday, January 28
There are many ways for you to share your views with Regional Council.
Learn how here. Interested in a topic or issue?
Get in touch, pam.lovelace@halifax.ca or 902-225-4624.
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ACTIVE PLANNING APPLICATIONS IN D-13
Case 22097 - #94 & #96 Pockwock Road, Hammonds Plains
Case 22547 - Winslow Drive, Upper Tantallon
* Case 22732 - #5 and #7 Kingswood Drive, Hammonds Plains
( I requested to defer this case pending more details on how Kingswood Drive could be used as the main road into and out of this property.)
Case 23213 - Beaver Bank, Hammonds Plains, and Upper Sackville Plan Area
Case 23271 - Lot A1 and Lot 2, Hammonds Plains Road
Case 23720 - Hammonds Plains Road and Crestfield Drive
Case 23834 - 5 Bridle Path, Hammonds Plains
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DEFUNDING POLICE REPORT
Many thanks to everyone involved in contributing to “Defunding Police: Defining the way forward for HRM”.
The HRM Board of Police Commissioners will discuss the report at Monday’s meeting starting at 12:30pm. Watch is live here: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/january-17-2022-board-police-commissioners
Please read the report: https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/220117bopc1021.pdf (19MB)
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January 15th was the 230th Anniversary of Black Loyalist Exodus: 15 Ships to Sierra Leone, that saw 1196 people of African descent return to Africa.
I was honoured to read this Proclamation at Council on Tuesday, January 11 to proclaim January 15 the Day of Black Loyalist Exodus: 15 ships to Sierra Leone. Mayor Savage has written to the Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Yvonne Denise Aki-Sawyerr, to consider a joint recognition of this monumental event.
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DARTMOUTH MODULARS OPEN
Municipal staff continue to have contact and meet regularly with the province and community-based service providers to advance our collective efforts to help address homelessness. While the province is responsible to lead addressing homelessness across Nova Scotia, the Halifax Regional Municipality is committed to applying resources to support these efforts. The municipality is also working to address regulatory and service barriers for people experiencing housing insecurity such as removing fees, tax relief and donations of municipal land for affordable housing projects and installing public washrooms.
The municipality is also working to address regulatory and service barriers for people experiencing housing insecurity such as removing fees, tax relief and donations of municipal land for affordable housing projects and installing public washrooms.
Summary of recent efforts:
- As of mid-Jan. 2022, most of the emergency modular accommodation units in Dartmouth (Alderney Drive) are complete. The province’s service provider, Out of the Cold, has access to the site to coordinate next steps with placement of individuals and provide wrap-around services. View photos and more details here: https://bit.ly/3K8aSXJ. Work currently continues at the Halifax site (Centennial Pool parking lot area).
- On Jan. 11, 2022, Regional Council approved an additional $1.2 million dollars in spending to purchase and install modular units at the Halifax and Dartmouth sites as part of the ongoing effort to address suitable temporary housing to accommodate needs of unhoused residents.
- During severe weather events - which have already occurred in 2022 - the municipality supports the province by providing municipal buildings for temporary emergency shelters to occupants of homeless encampments.
- On Nov. 9. 2021, Regional Council approved allocating $3.2 million dollars towards the purchase, installation and maintenance of modular units, at two sites, to accommodate unhoused individuals in our region (see the report here). installation and maintenance of modular units, at two sites, to accommodate unhoused individuals in our region (see the report here).
- During Sept. 2021, the municipality took immediate action to secure alternative, safe, temporary accommodations for unhoused individuals staying at Meagher Park and transitioned Gray Arena to a temporary emergency shelter with Out of the Cold as the service provider and funding from the province for wrap-around services.
- Beginning Sept. 2021, Assistant Chief of Emergency Management, Erica Fleck, was assigned to a three-month role to lead the emergency response to homelessness for the municipality. In addition, a full-time Housing and Homelessness Coordinator was hired on a 12-month term. This position conducts outreach and street navigation with a focus on HRM encampments to support and assist in the transition of those experiencing homelessness, in coordination with community service providers.
- During the Aug. 31, 2021 Regional Council meeting, $500,000 was approved by Regional Council for emergency accommodations (see report here).
- In 2021, the municipality had been allocated more than $20 million through the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative program which will result in 137 units of new permanent, affordable housing. Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, the municipality continues to work with both levels of government to provide accommodations for up to 70 additional individuals in early 2022.
Learn more about the municipality’s role, and current efforts to help address homelessness: https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/regional-community-planning/helping-address-homelessness/
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SALARIES OF ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
Is Halifax over governed?
I've been asked why Halifax Councillors receive a higher salary than MLAs. Below is my response to All Nova Scotia published today, January 17, 2022: Paul Bacon’s article “Premier addresses salary review optics” (Jan 14, 2022) is timely.
Atlantic Canada’s largest municipality, which has the land mass of Prince Edward Island and half the population of Nova Scotia, is governed by 16 councillors and over twenty MLAs. Each municipal District is serviced by .5 FTE and no community office, whereas MLAs have community offices and full-time staff. In District 13, Hammonds Plains-St. Margarets, I represent over 20,000 electors within 671 sq.km., compared to many MLAs in HRM who represent less than half that number of electors and less than 5.0 % the area of my municipal constituency.
The mandatory municipal boundary review currently underway may reveal that municipal district sizes should be reduced to align more with MLAs and, subsequently, add more councillors to HRM Council. Or perhaps, the boundary review will recommend council size should again be decreased as it was during the last review in 2012, further increasing the workload of municipal representatives.
Pam Lovelace, Deputy Mayor, Halifax
Councillor, Hammonds Plains - St. Margarets
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ILLEGAL DUMPING & ANTI-LITTER CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
The Halifax Regional Municipality has launched an illegal dumping and anti-litter campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of disposal options, explore social and environmental impacts and help residents understand the consequences of illegal dumping. The campaign’s call to action is “Be responsible for your waste”.
The campaign, in alignment with the municipality’s commitment to reduce illegal dumping and litter, encourages residents to report illegal dumping. Municipal staff are enforcing enhanced measures related to illegal dumping and litter. Penalties range from $500-$10,000 for illegal dumping, and $200-$10,000 for litter violations. Common examples of illegal dumping and litter include: furniture, appliances, used tires, and general waste.
The municipality has a number of resources available to help residents determine what goes where through its website and the Halifax Recycles app. The municipality also offers free presentations and workshops to schools, universities, businesses and community groups, and hosts a household special waste depot to accept chemical waste generated in your home.
For more information visit https://buff.ly/3vMLgsU.
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ICE SAFETY
Citizens are currently advised to stay off lakes and ponds as there is thin ice and open water in many areas throughout the municipality.
The municipality’s ice thickness testing program has not begun for the 2021/22 winter season as it is not yet safe for staff to be on the ice. Each year the municipality provides weekly reports on ice thickness testing undertaken on more than 70 lakes throughout the region. This testing will resume when conditions allow.
When testing resumes, the guide can be found at https://www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/programs-activities/skating/ice-thickness. The guide lists the body of water, the specific location that was checked, the ice thickness at that location and the date it was checked.
The Canadian Red Cross recommends that ice be at least 15 centimeters thick for individual skating, and at least 20 centimeters thick for group skating. Extreme caution is advised in areas where streams flow into and out of lakes. It is also important to note that ice conditions may vary over the entire surface of lakes and are subject to change with weather conditions.
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1970’s in Hammonds Plains - The Decade of Growth & Reshaping
Hammonds Plains Historical Society is holding its next virtual presentation using Zoom on Monday, January 31st at 7pm. The presentation will be entitled ‘1970’s in Hammonds Plains - The Decade of Growth & Reshaping’. Tune in and hear about the 1970’s in Hammonds Plains - highlighted by residential growth, the Pockwock Water System coming on board and the introduction of top flight auto racing at Atlantic Speedway. Check out website at hammondsplainshistoricalsociety.ca for the link to connect to the presentation. Join in and relive the vigour of the 1970’s.
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Stay up to date by signing up for hfxALERT: http://halifax.ca/hfxalert
hfxALERT will send urgent and non-urgent notifications from Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Fire & Emergency’s Emergency Management Division, as well as municipal winter parking ban notices.
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NEVER MISS ANOTHER GARBAGE DAY!
DOWNLOAD THE APP
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CONTACT US
311 – HRM’s Call Centre
HRM’s call centre is open 7 days a week, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to respond to routine inquiries and complaints from HRM residents.
For more information please visit http://www.halifax.ca/311/
RCMP Non-Emergency Line
Call police dispatch at 902-490-5020. In an emergency, call 911.
Public Works Operations Centre
The provincial Operations Contact Centre is open 24/7 and can be reached 1-844-696-7737 or by email tir-occ@novascotia.ca.
Call Pam's HRM office
Call Pam's office for assistance with your municipal issues. Please have your 311 reference number ready. You can reach Council Coordinator Quentin Hill during the business day. His phone number is 902-490-1463 or email quentin.hill@halifax.ca
Regional Council Reports and Agendas
If you want to read reports coming to Regional Council (posted mid-day Friday prior to the Tuesday meeting) or to check the agenda
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/regional-council
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