General Updates and News

[musicman]

Was one of the first 10 or 15 guests to check in.. Still some work to be done on the indoor pool and such but they did an amazing job. It is new and different but they did an amazing job.

[halifaxboyns]

Costs soar as construction boom continues in Halifax
Prices for materials and labour in Halifax have gone through the roof as the region experiences a construction boom not seen in years.

According to Statistics Canada figures released Tuesday, the non-residential building construction price index in Halifax had the highest jump in Canada from the second to third quarter.

The index, which measures selling prices for materials, labour and equipment and provincial sales tax in the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors, is at 144.4 (not seasonally adjusted) in Halifax, a 0.7 per cent increase from the previous quarter. The next highest increase was experienced in Edmonton, which saw a 0.3 per cent jump between quarters.

Overall, construction prices in Halifax went up 2.3 per cent from the same period last year, placing the city in the middle of the seven metropolitan areas that Statistics Canada surveyed.

At 3.6 per cent, Edmonton once again had the largest increase in prices year-to-date.

The rest of the herald story is here.

[fenwick16]

(source and full story - http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/major-changes-coming-to-halifax-hospitals-1.1038624 )

Major changes coming to Halifax hospitals

CTV Atlantic
Published Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 7:02PM AST
Last Updated Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 7:09PM AST

CTV News has learned exclusive details about the plans for major changes in Halifax-area hospitals.

New operating theatres and about 200 more beds are planned for the Dartmouth General Hospital, while an expansion will also take place at the Halifax Infirmary to help replace beds and operating rooms at the Victoria General site.

A Halifax company has been awarded a $1-million contract to prepare the preliminary designs and cost estimates. The Capital District Health Authority was given approval by the province to award the contract last week.

The approval comes 11 months after former Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald announced the Victoria General site of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre would have to come down and be replaced.

Shauna McMahon, the director of infrastructure at the Capital District Health Authority, gave a general description of the bed tower the health authority wants designed above the emergency department at the Halifax Infirmary.

“That bed tower would see 150 beds and there would be 16 operating rooms,” says McMahon.

The proposed tower is five storeys with a mechanical floor – one for operating rooms and three for patients.
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With files from CTV Atlantic's Rick Grant

It will be interesting to see what occurs over the next few months.

[Pete Crawford]

Why haven't more people voted for Halifax on the nicest city in thread on the Canada wall by now? I know there's more than nine of us!

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Pete Crawford

Why haven't more people voted for Halifax on the nicest city in thread on the Canada wall by now? I know there's more than nine of us!

Although much of my ego resides in Halifax, I had to be honest with my vote. I voted for Quebec City.

[fenwick16]

If the thread was for favourite city then Halifax would get my vote. But as far as most beautiful city then I would pick Vancouver. Halifax would be in my top two most beautiful (however, I have only seen the outskirts of Quebec City, I have only seen Calgary from 30,000 feet up in an airplane and I haven't seen Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Regina or Victoria, so my vote would be biased).

Halifax has a lot of beauty for sure - the Citadel, downtown core, Dalhousie University, the harbour, Point Pleasant Park, Public Gardens, the whole south-end, the bridges, the Northwest Arm - and many other points that I am missing. It will be even more beautiful once the Nova Centre, Canada Bank tower, TD expansion, etc, etc proceed. And a 600 foot Seattle Space Needle-type observation tower in the downtown core would top it off. Plus a couple 30 storey office towers downtown or 40 storey residential towers would make the city stand out more.

[Hali87]

I couldn't decide, so I voted for Oshawa. For me it was a tough call between Vancouver, Victoria, or Ottawa, and I think that's only because I haven't been to Quebec City. Halifax being a close second of course.

[Pete Crawford]

Harper would call this an Atlantic Canadian culture of defeat

I think Halifax's skyline from the Dartmouth waterfront is unbeatable.. and I've lived in Ottawa/Toronto for the last five years.

[ILoveHalifax]

Yes, Loud and clear, HALIFAX. I have lived in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, and travelled to most other cities in Canada and the USA.
No city in Canada has the view of the city that we get as we drive into Halifax, or travel about across the bridges. Vancouver has a mountain but it is hard to see the mountain at the same time you see the city and the water. There really are not a lot of beautiful spots in Vancouver with city and parks and water and accessible waterfront. Quebec City is very charming in old town, but the river does not make up for our harbor and our views.
I used to travel all over the USA for business and most everywhere I went I'd say to myself, this in no way compares to Halifax.
Favorite? HALIFAX, and that has another whole set of reasons.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Pete Crawford

Harper would call this an Atlantic Canadian culture of defeat

I think Halifax's skyline from the Dartmouth waterfront is unbeatable.. and I've lived in Ottawa/Toronto for the last five years.

Harper's Atlantic Canadian comments aren't related to this subjective question about municipal beauty.

Nor are Harper's comments related to reality.

[Pete Crawford]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

:

Nor are Harper's comments related to reality.

Let's be honest now, he had a point.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Pete Crawford

Let's be honest now, he had a point.

Absolutely, one sees it every day in these parts.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Yes, Loud and clear, HALIFAX. I have lived in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, and travelled to most other cities in Canada and the USA.
No city in Canada has the view of the city that we get as we drive into Halifax, or travel about across the bridges. Vancouver has a mountain but it is hard to see the mountain at the same time you see the city and the water. There really are not a lot of beautiful spots in Vancouver with city and parks and water and accessible waterfront. Quebec City is very charming in old town, but the river does not make up for our harbor and our views.
I used to travel all over the USA for business and most everywhere I went I'd say to myself, this in no way compares to Halifax.
Favorite? HALIFAX, and that has another whole set of reasons.

Given your user name, I would have been shocked otherwise...

But I do agree with you that the views of our downtown are incredible from the bridges: Our gentle appalachian landscape; our massive natural harbour; our bonsai skyline.

I'm glad that Halifax isn't just another typical city.

[Dmajackson]

For me it was between Halifax, Quebec City and Ottawa so I went for Quebec City because I don't like to vote for my hometown in these polls.

The only problem with my thinking is a lot of people from Calgary think their city should win every poll so they are now beating us even though the city is just a typical inland city along a standard river. The only advantage Calgary has over Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Regina is its mountain view and that can't be seen from ground level in most of the city.

[halifaxboyns]

Something of interest for everyone...nothing Halifax related.
Great story on CBC about some of the 'ghost' cities in China. Unbelievable...they built whole cities that could hold thousands (maybe even millions) of people and no one lives there. What a waste of $ and materials...makes you wonder whether the costs of materials going up really has a purpose?

CBC story on ghost cities

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Something of interest for everyone...nothing Halifax related.
Great story on CBC about some of the 'ghost' cities in China. Unbelievable...they built whole cities that could hold thousands (maybe even millions) of people and no one lives there. What a waste of $ and materials...makes you wonder whether the costs of materials going up really has a purpose?

CBC story on ghost cities

There is something wrong with your link. Is this the story - http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/11/13/f-arsenault-ordos-china.html

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

There is something wrong with your link. Is this the story - http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/11/13/f-arsenault-ordos-china.html

Weird how it didn't work - but thanks for posting the correct link!
Really amazing story.

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Something of interest for everyone...nothing Halifax related.
Great story on CBC about some of the 'ghost' cities in China. Unbelievable...they built whole cities that could hold thousands (maybe even millions) of people and no one lives there. What a waste of $ and materials...makes you wonder whether the costs of materials going up really has a purpose?

CBC story on ghost cities

Last fall I was on the train from Beijing to Tianjin and was in awe of these fields of twenty 30-story buildings just sitting in the middle of no where. Absolutely bizarre. Nothing like creating a false manufacturing economy to justify the ruling party's ability to keep everyone working!

[Dmajackson]

New $18-million facility will replace two aging Dartmouth schools
November 22, 2012 - 4:15am BY CLARE MELLOR STAFF REPORTER

Dartmouth is getting a new Primary-Grade 9 school.

The province announced Wednesday that a modern, $18-million facility will be built to replace two existing schools in the southern part of the community that are almost 60 years old.

“The new school will replace Southdale-North Woodside (School) and Prince Arthur Junior High and bring the students together under one roof,” Labour and Advanced Education Minister Marilyn More said.

...

([email protected])

Read More: thechronicleherald.ca

Should be good for the area. Hopefully a good use is found for the existing schools but considering their proximity to each other and both being surrounded by detached housing I'm not expecting much for the site.

[Empire]

Halifax November sunset:

All photos by Empire - pls excuse the blur