General Updates and News

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ScovaNotian

56% of first year students are either from out of province or international ( http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/10/31/18-500-and-counting.html ). Science has a much larger share of out of province students than Engineering.

Thanks for that!

[NS82]

Any idea what's going in where the old blockbuster strip mall was on the corner of Queen / Green St.?

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Hali87

I think this is a big part of it. Employers here seem to be looking for experience, though I'm not sure how common that is elsewhere. I would guess that it's quite competitive for entry-level jobs given the high number of graduates being churned out each year. There are lots of students from Ontario, but I think the majority of university/NSCC students are from NS, though I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

That is my impression as well. There are great universities all over the country, so I don't think there is a great need for students to travel to NS to attend university when they have good choices closer to home.

I believe there are quite a few students from other countries attending NS universities, but have no stats to back it up.

Regarding the situation of unemployed graduates, there was a show aired on the CBC recently which covered this phenomenon, but they were focusing a lot on students from the west. I believe this is country-wide, though, in that companies don't want to invest in training entry-level employees only to have their investment move off to another company once this experience is attained. This has to end somewhere, though, as obviously it will become an extremely dysfunctional system if graduates are not able to gain actual workplace experience... it's easy to see where it will end.

I think both of you are onto it.

Drybrain is quite right that things here are certainly not as bad as people let on; median income is among the highest among urban centers in Canada. Also, we have some of the lowest unemployment rates among bigger cities nationally.

That said, Nova Scotia, and Halifax most acutely, does a HORRIBLE job at hiring and thus retaining in province young, highly skilled and educated graduates, but who have little experience.

This little statistic cited by the Mayor recently, says it all:

“In Halifax, 97 per cent of our labour force growth between 2006 and 2012 was in people over the age of 45,” he said. “These are critical times for attracting and retaining young people.”

Source: http://www.ns.dailybusinessbuzz.ca/Provi...tanding-ovation-for-anniversary-speech/1

97% of the labour force growth were people over 45?!!? NINETY SEVEN PERCENT. I mean, that is just absolutely fucking ridiculous.

Particularly when we just check ol' StatsCan and learn that people between the ages of 18 and 44 make up FORTY PERCENT of Halifax's total population: 119775 of 298,000.

Source: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recens...egins&SearchPR=12&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

So the fact that 40% of the city's population (ppl aged 18-44) is only benefiting from *3%* of the new labour growth over the last 6 years is just scandalous.

I mean, that actually looks like some serious systemic age discrimination going on.

The numbers are so telling, that both the public AND private sector are a problem. Why? I don't know.

Boomers working in both government and in business are too fucking lazy to try to hire and train new graduates?

At any rate, the Mayor clearly gets it. But does our new Premier? The Provincial Government should lead the way, and really pressure the public service to really ramp up hiring young people. No more of this bullshit "5-10 years of experience" for basic entry level public service jobs. Once the public sector makes improvements, then perhaps businesses will follow suit.

Halifax needs some fricken affirmative action for young people. I'm serious.

Enforced quotas. Hiring more young people and radically increasing immigration (ie attracting new Canadians) are the way for this city to prosper going forward.

Seriously though, 40% of the population getting 3% of the new jobs! WTF?!

</rant>

[ns_kid]

Halifax council on Tuesday will consider a proposal to peddle naming rights for the Metro Centre, for an estimated half million dollars a year. The rationale is that it will help pay for a needed $6 million upgrade to the 35-year old arena, including $1 million for washroom improvements, $1.2 million to replace the ice slab, $2 million for a new clock, and $2.3 million to replace the seating.

There's no doubt the washrooms in this building are a disgrace and the seating is worn out, though I have a fear that there will be an inevitable attempt to cram in more seats by reducing their size. The unfortunate reality is that the Metro Centre has significant deficiencies that $6 million will not fix. The pitch of the stadium risers is more modest than in comparable newer buildings, making for poor sightlines, and the mezzanine and concession areas are far too narrow. Then there was the cynical decision to install skyboxes to cater to corporate clients, in the process destroying views from the higher cheap seats.

As for the naming rights themselves, I can't say I'm a big fan of slapping sometimes awkward corporate names on publicly owned buildings. Like the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, which must be where old groceries go to die, or the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, which sounds like a great place to have your oil changed. Of course, the name is prone to change every few years, as in Ottawa where the orginally-named Palladium is now on its third corporate identity. The report to council seems to assume a beer or liquor company is the most likely candidate. Anheuser-Busch InBev Labatt's Alexander Keith Arena anyone? But I guess I'm resigned to the need for more private sector money to keep these buildings going. That's almost certainly the only way the city will build a new football/track stadium.

The council report follows:

http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/131112ca1112.pdf

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

I can't say I'm a big fan of slapping sometimes awkward corporate names on publicly owned buildings. (...) The report to council seems to assume a beer or liquor company is the most likely candidate.

Halifax Metro Centre, re-imagined:

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Halifax Metro Centre, re-imagined:

Excerpted from the latest draft of the Regional Plan?

[Haligonian88]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Halifax Metro Centre, re-imagined:

Think of the children!!! Seeing that name on the building will turn them all into alcoholics!

[MeEtc]

Can't find a thread for this project quite yet, but Southport Halifax (1057 Barrington) had its sales office open last night. The existing warehouse at 1065 Barrington has been renovated for the office and a model suite. The bottom 3 floors will be managed by Killam for rentals, and the top 3 are run by Urban Capital and presently being pitched for sale as condos. Ground floor retail, separate entrance for rental and condo spaces, 1 level of underground parking, shared access gym, rooftop terrace. There's a model of the building on display at the sales office, didn't get a chance to take any photos when I was there. Was told that construction is estimated to begin about this time next year.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by MeEtc

Can't find a thread for this project quite yet, but Southport Halifax (1057 Barrington) had its sales office open last night. The existing warehouse at 1065 Barrington has been renovated for the office and a model suite. The bottom 3 floors will be managed by Killam for rentals, and the top 3 are run by Urban Capital and presently being pitched for sale as condos. Ground floor retail, separate entrance for rental and condo spaces, 1 level of underground parking, shared access gym, rooftop terrace. There's a model of the building on display at the sales office, didn't get a chance to take any photos when I was there. Was told that construction is estimated to begin about this time next year.

There doesn't appear to be a thread for the Southport yet. The floorplans (http://southporthalifax.com/Floorplans.php) show that most are small to medium size; hopefully the rents and condo prices will be reasonable.

[MeEtc]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

There doesn't appear to be a thread for the Southport yet. The floorplans (http://southporthalifax.com/Floorplans.php) show that most are small to medium size; hopefully the rents and condo prices will be reasonable.

The condos at least are very expensive, smallest is starting around $240k right now. A parking space is separate.

[gohaligo]

Southport had a sales event today. It was kinda Torontoesque style in, form and hype. It seems like half of the units available as condos sold or are committed for. It shows that condos will sell in Halifax if marketed properly.

[coolmillion]

Two small updates:

The Robie Food site at the corner of Robie and Young has a new building under construction. It looks to have the same footprint as the former restaurant. Maybe retail? Still in the early stages so hard to tell what's taking shape.

A bunch of houses on Robie and North, neighbours of the veterinarian, have for sale signs. Might be a long way off, but redevelopment is likely on the horizon.

[scooby074]

I thought Robie Food was going to be developed into some sort of "Money Mart" or similar?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by gohaligo

Southport had a sales event today. It was kinda Torontoesque style in, form and hype. It seems like half of the units available as condos sold or are committed for. It shows that condos will sell in Halifax if marketed properly.

Reminds me of the time-honoured tradition in Halifax of trying to sell something half-baked, failing, and then blaming the failure on the city instead of taking responsibility for having created something inappropriate for the market.

[gohaligo]

Originally Posted by someone123

Reminds me of the time-honoured tradition in Halifax of trying to sell something half-baked, failing, and then blaming the failure on the city instead of taking responsibility for having created something inappropriate for the market.

QLofts seems to be in that situation now. After weeks (months actually) of marketing, they seem to have had very little traction on the sales side.

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by scooby074

I thought Robie Food was going to be developed into some sort of "Money Mart" or similar?

Yup

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by gohaligo

QLofts seems to be in that situation now. After weeks (months actually) of marketing, they seem to have had very little traction on the sales side.

The QLofts units seem strangely designed, the renderings of the exterior look unattractive, and they are quite pricey. I don't want to spend $450K to live in what looks like a hallway.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by gohaligo

Southport had a sales event today. It was kinda Torontoesque style in, form and hype. It seems like half of the units available as condos sold or are committed for. It shows that condos will sell in Halifax if marketed properly.

According to a story in the allnovascotia.com, 80% of the condo units in the Southport have been pre-sold (1/2 of the units are condo units). Prices range from $204,000 for 500 square feet to $399,000 for 700 square feet.

I think this building has units in a price range that are affordable to many, and the building is in a good location.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

According to a story in the allnovascotia.com, 80% of the condo units in the Southport have been pre-sold (1/2 of the units are condo units). Prices range from $204,000 for 500 square feet to $399,000 for 700 square feet.

I think this building has units in a price range that are affordable to many, and the building is in a good location.

I think this is great, and welcome much more of it!

Of course I support high-end developments with condos ranging around and over a million dollars. If the market can support it, then build. But: most of the market isn't within this spectrum of wealth.

Instead of middle-class earners and lower-income people supporting the expansion of the suburbs because residential is far too costly on much of the peninsula (especially the downtown), I hope to see more residential projects geared toward this more affordable price range so we can diversify the level of income earners on the peninsula, where there exist jobs of various salaries and wages.

How influenced by foreign investment is Halifax?
I often wonder the impact investors from outside of Canada are having on the real estate markets in Canada's largest cities. I haven't often considered the effect on small cities.

[JET]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

According to a story in the allnovascotia.com, 80% of the condo units in the Southport have been pre-sold (1/2 of the units are condo units). Prices range from $204,000 for 500 square feet to $399,000 for 700 square feet.

I think this building has units in a price range that are affordable to many, and the building is in a good location.

"in a price range that are affordable to many"

my wife and I have been working for 30 years, and have fairly good jobs; we could not afford one of the lower priced units. It's all perspective, I guess