General Updates and News

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

Just use the button at the bottom of the person's post that says "Quote"

...ahhh thank you so much for the help hfx_chris!!

[Takeo]

Back to the sign. It's tacky because it has a little tower in it. Get rid of that and just make a really nice sign (instead of sign + dollhouse) and you could have a winner. This is what I fondly refer to as the "Wiener Mobile" school of design. When you try to evoke something by being so literal... it never works. It reminds me of those embarrassing bridge models at the airport luggage area. So tacky.

[kph06]

Dal seems to have a tendency lately to put up signs so they successfully obscure views at intersections. They put a sign up at the corner of Coburg and Oxford creating a bit of guess work when turning right onto northbound oxford. I suspect this one will do the same, at least the circus tent they have over it now does.

I was out on Bluewater Road the other day which runs between Kearny Lake and Hammonds Plains and noticed Ellis Don has a construction site out there with a tower crane up. It is about a 3 story building with a funny wood, multicolored facade. It's an interesting looking building, anyone know what it is? I'll try to remember to grab a photo next time I'm out there.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by kph06

I was out on Bluewater Road the other day which runs between Kearny Lake and Hammonds Plains and noticed Ellis Don has a construction site out there with a tower crane up. It is about a 3 story building with a funny wood, multicolored facade. It's an interesting looking building, anyone know what it is? I'll try to remember to grab a photo next time I'm out there.

I've been up there recently but i didn't notice a crane. Is it nearer to Kearney Lake or the HP?

[sdm]

Originally Posted by kph06

I was out on Bluewater Road the other day which runs between Kearny Lake and Hammonds Plains and noticed Ellis Don has a construction site out there with a tower crane up. It is about a 3 story building with a funny wood, multicolored facade. It's an interesting looking building, anyone know what it is? I'll try to remember to grab a photo next time I'm out there.

Thats Northwoods new facility

[Dmajackson]

Council greenlights $1m for Prospect rec centre

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
Wed. Dec 17 - 5:20 AM
A new community recreation centre for Prospect is one step closer to reality after council approved an extra $1 million in funding Tuesday.

The financial boost was necessary, councillors heard, because of the increased cost of site development at the Western Common and general inflation in the construction industry since the original estimate was done in 2005.

But Coun. Dawn Sloane (Halifax Downtown) objected to taking the $1 million away from its original purpose, restoring the stonework at city hall.

"I’m concerned about this," she said. "You have a building here that needs repair.

"We yell and scream at other people about not doing their best when it comes to heritage, yet we’re watching this place deteriorate around us."

Phil Townsend, the city’s manager of capital projects, said the city hall stonework restoration project is behind schedule due to worker shortages so all the money couldn’t be spent on time.

"This will result in no net loss of time or funding," he said of moving the money to another purpose.

The restoration was always thought to be a four-year project anyway, Mr. Townsend said.

"A side a year," he said.

The $8.5-million Prospect centre — with a full-size gym, kitchen and rooms for fitness, arts and cultural activities and meetings — is good news for the community, said Coun. Reg Rankin (Timberlea-Prospect).

Those thoughts were echoed by Coun. Debbie Hum (Rockingham-Wentworth), whose own district will have a sod-turning today for the Mainland Common Recreation Centre.

"I think we’ve got to focus here that another community is going to have a recreation centre and that is critical for infrastructure needs," she said. "I just wanted to applaud them."

[worldlyhaligonian]

For once Dawn Sloane might be right. How many people even live out in Prospect? We should prioritize spending from the core outward.

Downtown is dying...

[someone123]

Yes, every little fishing village needs its own $8.5 M community centre. Heaven forbid that they should have to drive 15 minutes to Spryfield or Clayton Park or whatever.

It is very unfair how council allocates resources and horrible from an economic perspective. There's a natural tradeoff between living in the city and the country: you get more space but less convenience. Right now people in places like Prospect expect property owners on the peninsula to pay so that they can have it both ways.

[Dmajackson]

How many people live in Prospect anyways?

I've been down there it is a tiny little community. To me only communities either bigger than 10'000 or very remote should even be considered for a recreation centre. Prospect is defenitely neither of these. Prospect has a school which i imagine has an indoor basketball court and a soccer/football field which should suit the needs of the area. As for meeting space they could use one of the multiple churchs in the village.

IMO ideally there would be rec centres in;

-Bedford
-Sackville
-At least two for Dartmouth
-Three on peninsular Halifax
-Mainland Common
-Preston area (Dartmouth suburbs)
-Eastern Shore
-Western Shore

And thats it. No multi-million dollar rec centres for small villages.

[Takeo]

The funny thing is, everyone from the outskirts rails on about how council only cares about downtown and only spends money on downtown. Right.

[worldlyhaligonian]

That is a good list, but I think it could be consolidated further. Some of those areas are too close together to warrant their own facilities. Furthermore, they will cannibalize their own ability to provide programs.

We should be taking the money for several projects and be putting it towards landmark, high quality facilities. These facilities should be strategically located in the areas with the highest populations.

The people who choose to live in the city are really getting screwed, I wonder what the peninsula would look like if HRM had never happened.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by someone123

There's a natural tradeoff between living in the city and the country: you get more space but less convenience. Right now people in places like Prospect expect property owners on the peninsula to pay so that they can have it both ways.

Also, they likely pay next to nothing in terms of property taxes. They want to have their cake and eat it too.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

IMO ideally there would be rec centres in;

-Bedford
-Sackville
-At least two for Dartmouth
-Three on peninsular Halifax
-Mainland Common
-Preston area (Dartmouth suburbs)
-Eastern Shore
-Western Shore

You're suggesting a single community centre for the entire eastern shore, a region approximately 100km long?

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

You're suggesting a single community centre for the entire eastern shore, a region approximately 100km long?

Well I didnt't really think of that. The only problem is the further out you go the more sparsely populated it is. Maybe one in Ecum Secum and one in Mosquodoboit?

I even have a name for it; "THE ECUM SECUM RECUM"

[Barrington south]

Some breaking news in the restaurant/bar world, which may in turn affect the Marquee and the possible condo development on that property. Argyle Cobbler Limited, the holding company for the Economy Shoe Shop, the marquee, and The seahorse tavern has filed for creditor protection under the bankruptcy and insolvency act. Argyle Cobbler is owned by Victor Syperek (who's daughter I'm friends with).The listed debts total $555,107 on 89 accounts. Something you won't find in the press, he's morgadged his house to try and continue running his operation's, but it seems he is on the brink of collapse

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Well I didnt't really think of that. The only problem is the further out you go the more sparsely populated it is. Maybe one in Ecum Secum and one in Mosquodoboit?

I even have a name for it; "THE ECUM SECUM RECUM"

I read that last part the wrong way..

Anyway, I don't see anything wrong with community centres, I think they play in important role in the wellbeing and morale of a community. They provide a place for community groups to meet, youths to enjoy sport, etc. The community centre here in Lake Echo hosts the Lake Echo Lion Club, Lake Echo Seniors Club, has a youth centre where they do programs for young people, has a C@P site for public internet access, an RCMP office, a food bank and a large gym rented out to community groups. I think it's an asset, myself.

[someone123]

The question isn't whether or not community centres are good, it's whether or not these places are able to legitimately support them both in terms of users and in terms of taxes paid to the HRM.

Places like Musquodoboit and Prospect would not have the services they do if they were in unincorporated rural NS. I suspect part of the reason for including the Eastern Shore in the HRM was to get the city to subsidize them.

It doesn't really upset me that much (to subsidize genuine rural areas somewhat) but when we have every rural or suburban councillor greedily trying to get as much for their district as possible and then trying to torpedo anything for the downtown there is a problem.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by someone123

Places like Musquodoboit and Prospect would not have the services they do if they were in unincorporated rural NS. I suspect part of the reason for including the Eastern Shore in the HRM was to get the city to subsidize them.

I can't speak for Prospect, but Musquodoboit Harbour did just fine for its self long before amalgamation.

[Dmajackson]

I noticed today the HDBC is finally taking down the old Robie Street overpass coming inbound from the MacKay. The guardrails are already taken down.

[hfx_chris]

I still remember driving over that, it was scary as hell because it was so narrow.. but fun, somehow.