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  #61  
Old Posted Mar 28, 2010, 10:21 PM
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Bing's 'Birds-Eye' view of Georges Island is pretty good!!

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.asp...98&lvl=1&sty=o
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  #62  
Old Posted Mar 28, 2010, 11:38 PM
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I really hope it stays the way it is.
Amen to that. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get out to the island for the last couple of years. I should get out there a few times this summer. So peaceful and beautiful.
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  #63  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2010, 2:38 AM
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I've always been fascinated by George's Island.

I lived in Halifax for nine years and usually get back there 3-4 times a year since. The waterfront is always my favourite place to hang out, regardless of season (well, except for maybe February ).

To my mind, restoring George's Island and providing a shuttle there during the tourist season would be the most important missing link in a downtown Halifax tourism strategy.

- You could tie it into tourism promotion for The Citadel (perhaps with a discounted ticket to visit both attractions).
- Lots of tourists would like to visit the island just for the ferry ride.
- The view from the island is every bit as spectacular as the one from The Citadel.
- It would be popular both for locals and for tourists.
- It really is Halifax's version of Alcatraz (even though it is a fort and not an infamous prison).
- Most cities would die to have something like this on their waterfront.


I agree that access to the island should be by some other means than by the harbour ferries. A seperate shuttle of some form would be best. Since it is a federal park, a private service contracted by the government would seem best.
Halifax has a real Alcatraz. Melville Island where the Armdale Yacht Club now stands was home to a military prison and prisoner of war camp.

http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/co...er=VIEW-3395.1
http://www.armdaleyachtclub.ns.ca/history.htm
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  #64  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2010, 3:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Empire View Post
Halifax has a real Alcatraz. Melville Island where the Armdale Yacht Club now stands was home to a military prison and prisoner of war camp.

http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/co...er=VIEW-3395.1
http://www.armdaleyachtclub.ns.ca/history.htm
Do any of the historic buildings still stand. I read through the second link but I am not sure if anything still stands.
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  #65  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2010, 4:55 AM
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These two islands haven't been very popular tourist sites since they haven't been promoted as such. Devil's Island is another possible excursion site. With all the planned residential construction in Dartmouth such as King's Wharf, McNab's Island and Devil's Island will likely become more popular in the near future.
If you're interested in Devils Island, it can be yours for $2 million. The whole thing is up for sale right now, minus the small portion that is a DFO lighthouse.
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...ertyId=9152102
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  #66  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2010, 8:35 AM
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Originally Posted by spaustin View Post
If you're interested in Devils Island, it can be yours for $2 million. The whole thing is up for sale right now, minus the small portion that is a DFO lighthouse.
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...ertyId=9152102
Interesting. However, I think that I will pass. I can see why provincial parks are usually government run enterprises - since they usually don't make money.
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  #67  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2010, 3:59 PM
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Do any of the historic buildings still stand. I read through the second link but I am not sure if anything still stands.
There is at least one of the smaller stone buildings standing and being used by the Yach Club as a maintenance building. It has been altered over time but is a good reminder of what was there. It's a very unique setting and it's too bad the Yacht Club building couldn't be brought up to scratch.
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  #68  
Old Posted May 8, 2010, 7:19 PM
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Does anyone know if work has started on preparing George's Island to open to the public. Wikipedia has a page on George's Island. It is interesting to note that Boston also has a George's Island that is already open to the public (it looks somewhat similar to Halifax's George's Island). The HRM should be encouraging Parks Canada to open George's Island as soon as possible (in my opinion).

Halifax's George's Island - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges...Nova_Scotia%29

Boston's George's Island - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges...ssachusetts%29
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  #69  
Old Posted May 8, 2010, 9:58 PM
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I have yet to see any crews over on the island yet.
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  #70  
Old Posted Dec 29, 2010, 11:52 PM
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Does anyone have an update on the George's Island opening. I thought that it was scheduled to open in 2012. Was any work done there during the summer?
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  #71  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2012, 11:00 PM
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There was a story that mentioned the possible opening of Georges Island sometime in the future (as previously promised by the Federal government). Here is a link to the full Chronicle Herald story - http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...-rules-prevail

Quote:
Concert on Georges Island OK but rules prevail
June 7, 2012 - 4:12am By PAT LEE Staff Reporter
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Whenever you take care and control of a rented property you need to return it in the condition in which you received it.”

Although the public cannot normally visit the island, Parks Canada is considering hosting a public event the day after the concert.

Water, sewage and electrical upgrades have been undertaken on the island, which Ottawa has promised to open to the public on a regular basis sometime in the future.


Georges is home to Fort Charlotte, an unmanned radar station, lighthouse and a series of tunnels.

Murphy’s Sailing Tours Ltd. has won the contract to ferry people to and from the island during the concert.

The tall ships will be in Halifax from July 19-23 and tour the rest of the province from July 25-29.
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  #72  
Old Posted Jul 21, 2012, 2:43 AM
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Will anyone be going to George's Island on the weekend for the tour on Sunday or concert on the 21st (Saturday)?

It would be great to see some pictures of the updated facilities. Hopefully George's Island will be opened permanently in the near future. It would be a great tourist attraction.


Quote:
Tall Ships: Fab fare, much more
July 19, 2012 - 4:17am By BILL SPURR Features Writer
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On Sunday, guided tours of Georges Island begin at 9 a.m., departing from South Battery pier. That evening, Parks Canada will host a sunset ceremony at Citadel Hill at 8 p.m.
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(full story ans source: http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslif...fare-much-more)
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  #73  
Old Posted Jul 21, 2012, 3:01 AM
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Parks Canada has been saying it's going to open George's Island to the public ever since I was in high school.

I'll believe it when I see it. Meanwhile, I hope the concert goers get the pants scared off them by snakes.
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  #74  
Old Posted Jul 21, 2012, 6:37 PM
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Apparently there is a smoking ban at the concert there due to concerns about grass fires given the dry conditions. Of course the potheads that ruin every concert for everyone else are ignoring it.
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  #75  
Old Posted Jul 21, 2012, 7:25 PM
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Parks Canada has been saying it's going to open George's Island to the public ever since I was in high school.
It's too bad. I guess there's no real pressure to get it done -- it's been "any year now" for at least 10 years or so. If George's were opened up it would be a great tourist attraction, with excellent views of the city and harbour.

I would say that Halifax's public spaces are in general poorly maintained and managed. George's reminds me of McNab's, Point Pleasant Park, the Commons, and the Grand Parade. They are mostly neglected (often under the guise of "preservation"), except for when we see some ad hoc, typically uninspired addition (see the cinder block washroom huts on the North Common for an example). In particular there was a great opportunity for Point Pleasant after Juan and 9 years later it seems to have been almost entirely wasted.

A big part of the problem is that regional council doesn't invest in the core much, but another part of the problem is the "Friends of X" type of attitude that everything is best left the way it is. I'm pretty sure that there are people who would lobby to save an enormous sheep grazing ground in the middle of the city if that's what the Commons were still used for. The fact that such a site would be of no use to 99.9% of the city's inhabitants would not seriously enter into consideration.

Last edited by someone123; Jul 21, 2012 at 7:35 PM.
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  #76  
Old Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:16 PM
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I seem to recall that there were several ambitious plans to re-do various things in Point Pleasant that were unveiled a couple of years after Juan. I also seem to recall that the (wait for it) Friends of Point Pleasant Park fiercely opposed them. I do not believe anything at all has been done.
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  #77  
Old Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:37 PM
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I seem to recall that there were several ambitious plans to re-do various things in Point Pleasant that were unveiled a couple of years after Juan. I also seem to recall that the (wait for it) Friends of Point Pleasant Park fiercely opposed them. I do not believe anything at all has been done.
There was actually an international design competition and there were multiple proposals created by firms specializing in revitalizing outdoor public space like Point Pleasant. Predictably, a conservative plan was chosen and then watered down (the Friends know better than to follow the advice of professional landscape architects and the like). Supposedly the park was to "naturally regenerate" itself, i.e. remain as a Nagasaki-style moonscape for a decade or more. I tend to think that one of the unspoken features of the "plan" was that it would not attract people and traffic from other parts of the city -- Point Pleasant, as ugly as most of it was, could at least still mostly remain a playground for South Enders.

There was a nice plan for the North Common too but not much seems to have been done about that and the oval was not part of it. There was yet another nice plan for the Grade Parade but the best features have not been implemented. The recent addition of the arch again was not planned for and goes against the earlier goal of having an open event space.

On top of this there are all the DOA streetscape plans.

The one bright spot I think is the Public Gardens and, before that, the Victoria Park (Robbie Burns) square. That square is much nicer than what was there before.

Maybe the public space in front of the library will also be decent. Or maybe the "Friends of the Library Shrubs and Grass Berm" will make sure that the new $60M building remains hidden behind some bushes, recycling bins, and a gravel path.
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  #78  
Old Posted Jul 22, 2012, 3:07 AM
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I was on the island today. It was an awesome time! I posted some pics in the Halifax skyline thread. They should be doing these concerts at least once a year and I hope this one proved that it can be done.

As far as the condition of the island, well it has not changed much since I went a few years ago when it first opened for the public for those few days. In fact it was even less maintained, but I still have hopes that they will invest and make it into a great new space for Halifax.
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  #79  
Old Posted Jul 22, 2012, 3:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Jonovision View Post
I was on the island today. It was an awesome time! I posted some pics in the Halifax skyline thread. They should be doing these concerts at least once a year and I hope this one proved that it can be done.

As far as the condition of the island, well it has not changed much since I went a few years ago when it first opened for the public for those few days. In fact it was even less maintained, but I still have hopes that they will invest and make it into a great new space for Halifax.
This quote was in one story (http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...-rules-prevail) - "Water, sewage and electrical upgrades have been undertaken on the island, which Ottawa has promised to open to the public on a regular basis sometime in the future.".

Is this correct, that permanent washroom facilities had been set up? That would be a big step towards opening the island on a permanent basis.

EDITED: I found the answer in this photo (below) by Bencaplan at https://twitter.com/bencaplanmusic/s...53505308856320. Apparently it was port-o-potties instead of permanent washroom facilities.

(source: https://twitter.com/bencaplanmusic/s...53505308856320 )

Last edited by fenwick16; Jul 22, 2012 at 1:13 PM.
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  #80  
Old Posted Jul 23, 2012, 2:50 AM
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I talked to a couple of the Tall Ships Volunteers yesterday.

I cant believe the BS about the concert. Everybody had to be off by dusk..nice. What an awesome spot it would have been to watch the fireworks.

They had far too few portapotties. I guess people were waiting over an hour for a toilet... And dont even think about pissing in the bushes.. If you even stepped off the path, security was there "Dont even think about it".

The volunteers I spoke to said that "they'll never open the Island. They are too concerned about the ecosystem". So concerned they open it up to 3000 concert goers?

Opening the Island could have been so good, yet it ended up a clusterfuck IMHO.

I really wanted to tour the tunnels today, because its a relatively rare chance, but it wasnt happening.
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