General Updates and News

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Yes, of lesser means.

Most of the overhauls are being done by people with money, many of them not from NS originally, but from Ontario. You have to have money to act like you don't have money.

It makes it harder for normal folks from here to purchase on the peninsula. This can have an effect to improve areas like Fairview, but it also pushes workers off the peninsula.

I'm not against gentrification per se, but they people screaming about it are largely in the demographic causing it. Real poor people have little to no voice.

I'm not sure about the Ontario thing. Certainly, Halifax is a national city, with its share of people from the across the country. But I would wager the vast majority of people living downtown, including the northend, are Nova Scotians. Sure there are some hipsters from Toronto, but they're not going to single handedly transform the housing market.

What will transform it is urban renewal. Gentrification is real and unfortunate but it's an inevitable part of downtown renewal. If downtown is made nicer, more livable, if neighborhoods are more walkable, and safe, then naturally, downtown housing is going to be more desirable. Greater demand means higher prices, higher property values. Not everyone will be able to afford it.

We should certainly take steps to mitigate the impact of gentrification through affordable housing and other means; but to stop it, means to neglect the downtown core for another generation.

Let the hipsters cry.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

I'm not sure about the Ontario thing. Certainly, Halifax is a national city, with its share of people from the across the country. But I would wager the vast majority of people living downtown, including the northend, are Nova Scotians. Sure there are some hipsters from Toronto, but they're not going to single handedly transform the housing market.

Indeed. And I mean, so what if it IS a bunch of people from elsewhere? Aren't we having a big crisis with persistently negative interprovincial migration numbers? Fixing that isn't just about keeping people here, but encouraging others to come. If some people from Ontario or BC or wherever are buying houses in Halifax, well, so? I've literally never heard anyone in any other city complaining that out-of-provincers are pushing the locals out.*

*Caveat: I am a dirty Ontario hipster now residing in the North End, so may have felt slightly wounded by Worldly's post.

[Ziobrop]

I too am an ex-ontarian, and despite the general unshavenness, I lack the wardrobe and irony to be considered a hipster.

Halifax is probably one of the best cities in canada, and just small enough to be cozy.

[someone123]

I would guess that a very significant percentage of people living in the central parts of Halifax were not born in NS. I'm not sure what the numbers are like today, but Dalhousie was mostly out of province students at one point.

In my experience, the most "local" parts of town are working class suburban areas like Spryfield or Sackville. Incidentally, sometimes visitors who spend a couple of days in downtown Halifax come away thinking NS is a lot more similar to Ontario than it really is; I think this is because they spent 90% of their time literally surrounded by Ontarian "expats" and tourists.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Indeed. And I mean, so what if it IS a bunch of people from elsewhere? Aren't we having a big crisis with persistently negative interprovincial migration numbers? Fixing that isn't just about keeping people here, but encouraging others to come. If some people from Ontario or BC or wherever are buying houses in Halifax, well, so? I've literally never heard anyone in any other city complaining that out-of-provincers are pushing the locals out.*

*Caveat: I am a dirty Ontario hipster now residing in the North End, so may have felt slightly wounded by Worldly's post.

I'm not against it! I'm just saying, its completely different than it was... for the good, except property values have been pushed up.

Its not bad per se, its just most people don't have much to little of money who are displaced and there hasn't been development to catch up.

[worldlyhaligonian]

For example, there is so much money in Ontario by comparison that people just buy houses for their kids out here!

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by someone123

I would guess that a very significant percentage of people living in the central parts of Halifax were not born in NS. I'm not sure what the numbers are like today, but Dalhousie was mostly out of province students at one point.

In my experience, the most "local" parts of town are working class suburban areas like Spryfield or Sackville. Incidentally, sometimes visitors who spend a couple of days in downtown Halifax come away thinking NS is a lot more similar to Ontario than it really is; I think this is because they spent 90% of their time literally surrounded by Ontarian "expats" and tourists.

Yes, local in the sense these people have been there for awhile and are blue collar, although a large percentage of people who moved from other areas in NS and the maritimes are in places like Sackville.

I would say the north end used to be quite "local" and now is the place for people to buy that come to Halifax with the financial capacity or means to do so.

[coolmillion]

Does anyone remember the discussion a few years ago about implementing pay parking along Ahern (and maybe other streets around there)? I thought it was approved by Council but still no action. It's pretty crazy that it has taken this long. I calculated the potential revenue (based on 7.50 a day) and it amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Instead it is basically a free parking lot for hospital workers who start early in the morning. If you walk along Ahern around 6:30 you will see people sitting in their cars. They arrive early to secure a spot and then hang out until they have to go into work. Considering how central this location is it is inexcusable to not have pay parking there. Without it it's basically for commuters lucky enough/clever enough to secure space and there is very little turnover for the Oval or Commons user who would pay for one or two hours. Even free parking with a one or two hour limit would be better.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Indeed. And I mean, so what if it IS a bunch of people from elsewhere? Aren't we having a big crisis with persistently negative interprovincial migration numbers? Fixing that isn't just about keeping people here, but encouraging others to come. If some people from Ontario or BC or wherever are buying houses in Halifax, well, so? I've literally never heard anyone in any other city complaining that out-of-provincers are pushing the locals out.*

*Caveat: I am a dirty Ontario hipster now residing in the North End, so may have felt slightly wounded by Worldly's post.

I hate with a passion the "come from away" line. Not sure why Nova Scotians seem to like throwing that one around. It's stupid, ignorant, and not consistent with the openness that Nova Scotians always love patting ourselves on the backs for being known for.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

I hate with a passion the "come from away" line. Not sure why Nova Scotians seem to like throwing that one around. It's stupid, ignorant, and not consistent with the openness that Nova Scotians always love patting ourselves on the backs for being known for.

Yeah. To be fair, I haven't encountered any of that--lots of openness instead. But I imagine the CFA suspiciousness might be more pronounced in small towns, etc.

[JET]

Originally Posted by mcmcclassic

This is the area I believe the new building will take up. If so, and based on Wilkins likely planning on something 5+ stories, this could be significant for the area.

Maybe one day the Irishtown development will come to fruitition too.

I walked by yesterday at 5 pm, the building on the corner of Queen and Victoria is gone, and the brick apartment building on Queen was half gone, I think one of Keith's CATs was at work but I could not tell if it was a D6, 7, or 8.

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

I hate with a passion the "come from away" line. Not sure why Nova Scotians seem to like throwing that one around. It's stupid, ignorant, and not consistent with the openness that Nova Scotians always love patting ourselves on the backs for being known for.

"Come from away" is more myth than fact, in my view. I grew up in Nova Scotia, returning after several years "away". I've lived and worked in small towns in the Valley, South Shore and northern NS, as well as in Halifax. I can say in honesty that I have never heard anyone use the term "come from away", except perhaps in irony.

That's not to say there's not parochialism: there's plenty of that and it's certainly not confined to this province. But as for Nova Scotians who like "throwing around" the CFA term, I've yet to meet any of them.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

"Come from away" is more myth than fact, in my view. I grew up in Nova Scotia, returning after several years "away". I've lived and worked in small towns in the Valley, South Shore and northern NS, as well as in Halifax. I can say in honesty that I have never heard anyone use the term "come from away", except perhaps in irony.

That's not to say there's not parochialism: there's plenty of that and it's certainly not confined to this province. But as for Nova Scotians who like "throwing around" the CFA term, I've yet to meet any of them.

I agree with this. Have yet to witness the use of this term, and I've lived in NS all my life.

[OldDartmouthMark]

"Hipsters"? Who are these evil "hipsters" to which you all are referring? Why must we pigeonhole people into dorky categories such as this?

Regarding the concept of gentrification in the downtown/north end, what does this mean, really? A couple of generations ago, the Gottingen Street area was one of the main shopping districts of the city - the place to go downtown. As city growth/change happened back 40 - 50 years ago, it went into decline as it was neglected for various reasons (such as the growth of suburban malls, building of the Cogswell interchange, etc.). Now as we start to see Halifax evolve this area is seeing a rebirth.

Truthfully, from somebody who has lived in the Halifax area a long time, it's nice to see this neighborhood turn around and see some growth and new life. From my youth I remember this place as being a neighbourhood that you just didn't walk through - whether real or imaginary, that was it's reputation. These days, I don't hear any threats of tearing down Uniacke Square, so I don't see people of lower income being completely forced out of the neighborhood. Therefore, what can it hurt if there is some new healthy growth in the area?

It almost seems as though there is an expectation that once a neighbourhood hits a low point, it should remain that way until the end of time to avoid "gentrification". Cities change, neighborhoods change, people will live where they can afford to live. I think it's the natural ebb and flow of city neighborhoods.

With the idea developing now to provide the opportunities for people of all income ranges to live in the same neighborhood, I think there are a lot of positive effects that can come from this revitalization. Wielding terms like gentrification seems like trying to somehow put a negative slant to the situation - evil, rich "hipsters" swooping in and taking the land from poor downtrodden folk - rather than see it as it really is. The neighbourhood is evolving and will continue to do so just as it does in many cities all over the country. Overall, I don't see it as a bad thing.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I agree with this. Have yet to witness the use of this term, and I've lived in NS all my life.

I've encountered it plenty, but ALWAYS in the context of Nova Scotians warning me about how small-minded and closed Nova Scotia society is, or reading editorials in the Chronicle Herald about how NS must get over its anti-CFA thinking.

But I've never actually encountered that kind of thinking. I sometimes feel like (some)Nova Scotians have a very distorted view of the province—that it is profoundly racist, or super hostile to outsiders, or struck with the direst poverty this side of Greece. I wonder where all this self-negativity comes from.

In any case, yeah, anti-CFA attitudes have not been even the slightest hindrance to my integration into the province/city.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I've encountered it plenty, but ALWAYS in the context of Nova Scotians warning me about how small-minded and closed Nova Scotia society is, or reading editorials in the Chronicle Herald about how NS must get over its anti-CFA thinking.

But I've never actually encountered that kind of thinking. I sometimes feel like (some)Nova Scotians have a very distorted view of the province—that it is profoundly racist, or super hostile to outsiders, or struck with the direst poverty this side of Greece. I wonder where all this self-negativity comes from.

In any case, yeah, anti-CFA attitudes have not been even the slightest hindrance to my integration into the province/city.

There does seem to be a contingent of self-effacing bluenosers for sure, but I don't really run into this on a daily basis. If you read the comments section on the Herald, a person would be led to believe that it comprises 99% of our population - but this, I believe is the vocal minority - the "lunatic fringe" if you will - and certainly not a fair representation of our population.

I am very happy that you've had a positive experience moving here from Toronto and I truly hope that your stay in Halifax will be all you want it to be.

I see so much potential for this place moving into the future, it's just going to keep getting better.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

There does seem to be a contingent of self-effacing bluenosers for sure, but I don't really run into this on a daily basis. If you read the comments section on the Herald, a person would be led to believe that it comprises 99% of our population - but this, I believe is the vocal minority - the "lunatic fringe" if you will - and certainly not a fair representation of our population.

Oh yeah, that's a nutso crew.

I did encounter some of the woe-is-us, we're-so-backwards attitude among some NS expats in Ontario and Alberta, though. Most of them seemed to want to move back home eventually anyway though, so I guess it couldn't have been that bad for them!

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

"Come from away" is more myth than fact, in my view. I grew up in Nova Scotia, returning after several years "away". I've lived and worked in small towns in the Valley, South Shore and northern NS, as well as in Halifax. I can say in honesty that I have never heard anyone use the term "come from away", except perhaps in irony.

That's not to say there's not parochialism: there's plenty of that and it's certainly not confined to this province. But as for Nova Scotians who like "throwing around" the CFA term, I've yet to meet any of them.

Never heard the term? I'm not sure where you guys have been been. I grew up in NS and then also lived away for years. And I've heard it being used by Nova Scotians plenty first hand and heard plenty second hand stories as well.

Hell, here's a damn story using the term in its headline at the Cape Breton Post:

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local...gan-invested-into-Order-of-Nova-Scotia/1

Here's Jordi Morgan showing some obvious suspicion of a "Come From Away", Laurel Broten:

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1217199-please-don-t-import-ontario-style-liberalism

It's used all over the Maritimes. Here's a bit of the background:

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=bb7dcc05-9117-4203-885f-7af42fc35be4

It's not hard to find its use. Just go read the comments to a story like this in the CH; the very FIRST comment speaks about "loathing" certain CFAs (the Toronto variety, it seems). There are other people in the comments who admit to using the term, or viewing others in this way, and others who relate stories and experiences being so labeled.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/117...ty-masks-coolness-toward-come-from-aways

I've also heard it being used by people not from Nova Scotia, but living here now, to make sense of how they do feel, at times, treated differently because they are not from here.

Let's be honest. There's a reason why the Ivany Report and politicians and other community leaders say that Nova Scotians need to be a lot better at welcoming migrants and new Canadians. It's because poll after poll demonstrates attitudes among Nova Scotians that they're simply not open and welcoming to immigrants, migrants, and new comers and think attracting more new Canadians is a bad idea; even though we're bleeding thousands of people to the West every year, in a way that's not sustainable.

The term is real. It's used. It has a history here. It is part of the "vernacular", as the History professor says in the CH story. So, let's not pretend.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I agree with this. Have yet to witness the use of this term, and I've lived in NS all my life.

I don't agree with this. See my post above.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I've encountered it plenty, but ALWAYS in the context of Nova Scotians warning me about how small-minded and closed Nova Scotia society is, or reading editorials in the Chronicle Herald about how NS must get over its anti-CFA thinking.

But I've never actually encountered that kind of thinking. I sometimes feel like (some)Nova Scotians have a very distorted view of the province—that it is profoundly racist, or super hostile to outsiders, or struck with the direst poverty this side of Greece. I wonder where all this self-negativity comes from.

In any case, yeah, anti-CFA attitudes have not been even the slightest hindrance to my integration into the province/city.

I'm happy you've not experienced this Drybrain, but I have immigrant friends-- people not from ROC, but far off countries-- who *have* struggled with local racism, hostility, everything.

And I think pointing out this reality, doesn't make me a "self-effacing bluenose". In fact, this sounds like it's a convenient way to attack the messenger rather than address the message.

There are similar problems elsewhere; Nova Scotia is not wholly special in this sense. But with our demographic challenges and de-population, it's one that had to be acknowledged and addressed, not wished away.