General Updates and News

[spaustin]

Pity that it took media scrutiny to get a promise for something basic like a coat of paint for on such an important landmark. I had family visiting last month and of course we took them out there and I actually noticed that it was looking pretty shabby. Hopefully it won't take them all summer to get around to it!

[Jonovision]

First off. Does anyone else think this thread should be a sticky?

This article from the Dartmouth Community section of the Herald today.

Making world-class course better
Work on Banook includes starting system, lighting, special events plaza and trail
By HEATHER AMOS
Mon. Jun 15 - 4:46 AM


Lake Banook’s facelift is well underway in preparation for the world canoe championships in two months.

With paddlers from 80 countries coming to Dartmouth, Lake Banook is being transformed into a world-class racing venue.

"It always has been the focus for the community of Dartmouth, so it just needs to reflect its importance as an athletic venue and as public open space," said Peter Bigelow, manager of real property planning with Halifax Regional Municipality.

Between Aug. 12 and 16, the International Canoe Federation’s 2009 canoe sprint world championships will draw 100,000 spectators to watch canoe and kayak athletes. It will also be broadcast nationally and internationally.

"People, not only in Canada but all around the world, are going to see Halifax-Dartmouth . . . so we want to show it in its best light," said Frank Garner, the general manager of Canoe ’09, the world championships.

To accommodate the competition, the venue had to be spruced up and the course had to be refurbished. It was originally constructed for the 1969 Canada Summer Games.

A new electronic starting system is going in and work has been completed on cement abutments.

Halifax Regional Municipality is also completing a trail system around Banook Lake, upgrading a judge’s tower, a special events plaza, lighting and parking lots and refurbishing some parkland in the area.

Aliant has contributed a training centre and is setting up a fund for athletes.

Garner said most of the changes have to be finished in time for a test event on June 27 and 28 when a Canadian junior team is picked to send to the world junior championships.

"The city’s been wonderful to work with; they’ve been very good because they see the advantage of developing this side of the harbour," said Garner.

The idea behind making the improvements is that it will leave a legacy for park users.

"The transformation I am looking forward to is when everybody lands there at that free event with world-class athletes and says, ‘Hey, you know what, we live in a pretty nice place,’ " said Bigelow. Canoe ’09 will be free to spectators.

( [email protected])



I walked around the lake last week. They are certainly doing a lot of work. The best part for me has been the new trail section that they have added on top of the new water pipe they put in last year. It is such a nice little walk and the area is really nicely landscaped. Can't wait till the rest of the upgrades our complete. If I get a chance perhaps next month I'll go around and take some pics of the lake and the area.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

....BREAKING NEWS!!!!

For me anyway...if it has already been disscussed.....my apologies .....gonna be awesome for south end...........gonna be sweet for the south end of Barrington.....been rumored for years, and finally the wheels are in motion....

The Sir John Thompson building at 1256 Barrington...(at the corner of Harvey and Barrington) has been sold, given or transfered?....to the Canada Lands Company From Public works

Canada Lands will then sell it for redevelopment or new usage......there' a meeting happing in late June concerning the imminent sale....the parking lot behind the building has zoning that will only permit houses, but if a couple row's of townhouses go in there, and then a spanking new 6 story, condo , with well thought out commercial on ground....and it's floor it's going to be wicked for Barrington South



If it does contain commercial, and that commercial is occupied by restaurant's and café like The W suites, it going to be an interesting little area, with the combination of these two new commercial spaces across from each other, it will give the south end a little more of a main street....and hey, at least this part of Barrington is doin good....gonna be great for the HH....all those new residents living across the street are all potential customers...anyways...I'm stoked.....been dreaming about this since 2003

News out in allnovascotia stating CLC (canada Lands) is discussing the redevelopment of this thompson building as affordable housing.

[BravoZulu]

Originally Posted by sdm

News out in allnovascotia stating CLC (canada Lands) is discussing the redevelopment of this thompson building as affordable housing.

I'm not sure I understand this.

With regards to the whole "affordable housing" how can they jutify that in a location such as the downtown core? I bought a place downtown, I paid and arm and a leg for it, but that was my choice and now I really don't need a car. I don't get why there should be a form of subsidized housing in the downtown. What would be the problem with setting it up off the peninsula provided there was adequate transit. Anyway if I'm way off base here please correct me, maybe I'm missing the point.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

I'm not sure I understand this.

With regards to the whole "affordable housing" how can they jutify that in a location such as the downtown core? I bought a place downtown, I paid and arm and a leg for it, but that was my choice and now I really don't need a car. I don't get why there should be a form of subsidized housing in the downtown. What would be the problem with setting it up off the peninsula provided there was adequate transit. Anyway if I'm way off base here please correct me, maybe I'm missing the point.

No, I totally agree. Downtown should be a place for people priveliged enough to be able to live there. I think convienience and surroundings should come at a price. Sorry if I sound like kind of an ass, but its just what I believe.

[Barrington south]

........THIS MEANS WAR......beteen left-winger Tim Bousque fighting "gentrification" of the North end, and Left-winger Dawn Sloan and others fighting for the ghetto-fication of the South End iit blows my F*ck*** mind!!....what do they want....a little Detroit by the sea?......and yes damed straight...this is a Rant!!

[spaustin]

You can't have it both ways. On one hand we decry previous eras disasterous public housing projects such as Uniacke Square and Mulgrave Park while on the other there seems to be a want to keep the South End and Downtown as some exclusive bastion for the upper crust. Public housing works best when it's integrated into neighbourhoods and not marginalized into ghettos where no one else wants to be. Using the Thompson Building for public housing will not be the end of Barrington Street. There is no reason why ground level retail with affordable housing on top can't work on the site.

I lived in the Kensington area of Calgary years ago (kind of a Spring Garden meets Agricola kind of place) and the multi-storey concrete block next to my apartment building was the woman's shelter. It was ugly as hell since it was built in the 1970s, but it had no negative impact on the neighbourhood. The same will be true in the South End if that's what the Thompson Building becomes.

Anyway, I guess all I'm saying is the Thompson Building or its site could become many things, and if there happens to be some element of affordable housing the sky isn't going to fall in on the South End.

[Barrington south]

"some elements of affordable housing"
is indeed much more palatable and the wisest way to integrate community's ...what I'm concerned about is the entire projest......incuding a very large 6 story tower....the existing tower stretches a good ways up Harvey street... being a uniake square in the south end....infact, although it goes against my nature as a capitalist, I wouldn't mind, say 15-30% affaordable...however, if this turns into a hopefully miss guided-all affordable development, it will do nothing but harm all the good work that has gone into the south-end of Barrington........you can spin anyway you like....but this scenario would not benefit the existing community in any manner

and please do not make the assumption no-one in their right mind would make it an exclusively affordable housing project.......


since when have bleeding heart bureaucrats proven themselves to be master urban planners?

[JET]

Gald to see that you've recognized that it's a rant.

High density low income housing in uniacke square makes no sense. However, such housing does make sense on South Barrington because it craetes a mix. There is a low income apt building on queen and south, and it fits well there because of the mix. Ghettos are not good for anyone. Sharing a nice neighborhood is good for everyone. JET

[Takeo]

I don't understand why an affordable housing development would harm South Barrington.

[Barrington south]

the degeneration of a main street is not good for everyone...

your counter logic is evedent...



perhaps you would feel differently, if you had millions of dollars invested 30 feet away ...like I said, some affordable housing, fine,the hole thing..... now that would just be plain stupid....it would be very large and on a prime piece of land....go walk around the property...it's quiet deep...if there where some gottagen terrace type townhouses out back of a nice condo with retail in the front...that's good...not what I had hoped....but still good.

perhaps you should use your "creates a Mix" beliefs for the development itself and not just the neighborhood as a whole.. or do your "create a mix belief" come to a screeching halt when it stops benefiting the poor...how convinient..would you prefer a Ghetto development to one that integrates communities.?...like a ghetto oasis ?...Jet or Zet or what ever the hell your random ass name is..man, did you you should have worked on the dawn Sloan campain....BARRINGTON SOUTH

[Barrington south]

ooohh and don't accuse me of Ninbyism...I wouldn't want high density low income housing built next to anyone.......

have you not learned the lessons of history ZET ?

high-density social housing is not the most successful model

if you wish to integrate community's...

diversify, dude

[BravoZulu]

Regardless of whether you agree with afordable housing or not. I don't get the argument for affordable housing in the most expensive rental market in HRM. There is affordable housing ie cheaper rent available almost everwhere else, north end, dartmouth, clayton park, spryfield, fairview (not a dig against any of these places just the fact they have cheaper rents).

http://www.halifax.ca/qol/documents/HousingFactSheet2RentsandVacancies.pdf

I do not see the justification in making arguably the most desireable location to live in the city "affordable"

Example - I would love to live in a house on Young avenue, but I can't afford that so I bought elsewhere in the south end where I can afford it. If you can't afford to rent in the most expensive market why should you be subsidized so you can. Rent somewhere else that is cheaper.

[someone123]

I'm not sure I even like the idea of affordable units for anybody but those with serious problems who cannot take care of themselves (e.g. the mentally ill). For the rest it is better to have credits that allow for a more market-driven approach with more choice and fairness between those who do and do not receive subsidies. It's not very fair for some people to be spending $600 a month on a bad market-rate apartment in Spryfield while somebody else gets a nicer South End apartment for the same price because they qualified or got lucky or whatever.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

Regardless of whether you agree with afordable housing or not. I don't get the argument for affordable housing in the most expensive rental market in HRM. There is affordable housing ie cheaper rent available almost everwhere else, north end, dartmouth, clayton park, spryfield, fairview (not a dig against any of these places just the fact they have cheaper rents).

http://www.halifax.ca/qol/documents/HousingFactSheet2RentsandVacancies.pdf

I do not see the justification in making arguably the most desireable location to live in the city "affordable"

Example - I would love to live in a house on Young avenue, but I can't afford that so I bought elsewhere in the south end where I can afford it. If you can't afford to rent in the most expensive market why should you be subsidized so you can. Rent somewhere else that is cheaper.

well said....would you consider running against sloan next election
?.....

[BravoZulu]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

well said....would you consider running against sloan next election
?.....

Believe me if I was able to I would in a heartbeat

[Keith P.]

I'm sure the welfare tenants will spend their cheques at Bear Restaurant, Morris East and the good Thai restaurants in that neighborhood...

This is a dumb idea.

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I'm sure the welfare tenants will spend their cheques at Bear Restaurant, Morris East and the good Thai restaurants in that neighborhood...

This is a dumb idea.

It's not public housing they are proposing... it's affordable housing. Anyway, I agree with someone123... it's better to create housing that is as mixed as possible (i.e. with vouchers for market housing) than to create "warehouses"... like uniacke square or giant concrete apartment blocks. That's been proven time and again. But I still think some are overreacting to say this one affordable building is going to cause "harm". It's a little alarmist and, I think, unfounded.

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

I do not see the justification in making arguably the most desireable location to live in the city "affordable"

South End... most desirable? Hmm. Lived there for 6 years. Not a fan

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Takeo

It's not public housing they are proposing... it's affordable housing. Anyway, I agree with someone123... it's better to create housing that is as mixed as possible (i.e. with vouchers for market housing) than to create "warehouses"... like uniacke square or giant concrete apartment blocks. That's been proven time and again. But I still think some are overreacting to say this one affordable building is going to cause "harm". It's a little alarmist and, I think, unfounded.

uHHH if you had invested millions ,
and you where not alarmed by the prospect of a massive wellfare wareouse 30 feet away,
then you need to get your head examined bro..

.read my other reply`s...
some affordable...
fine....
if they must....

.but I don`t think that`s what being proposed.....
they are talking about retro fiting the exsisting structure....
(the politicly correct term affordable was thrown out there by Hacks in the Media....)
into what very well could be social housing .

your lack of perspective is disturbing bro....

can you not see the `harm` uniake square has done......

yah.....uniake square hasn`t done any harm to the Gottegan resturant<pub scene....It`s thriving....



Ohhh and the wheels are in motion....this will be fought to the bitter end