The time is now…..
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Build it Right – Protest March
Mainland Common
The sun was out, just, it could have been warmer but that didn’t stop a group of +/- 50 concerned citizens from gathering in front of the ‘Indoor Soccer Field’ and armed with Build it Right signs marching down Thomas Radell Drive to the planned site of the yet to be announced Recreation Center.
You’d think that the potential of a new multi million dollar ‘Field House’ for the upcoming Canada Winter Games would be welcomed with open arms and be enthusiastically supported by the community that will benefit from this legacy.
Unfortunately that’s not the case…..
To Quote the HRM website description of this situation:
Planning for a new community recreation center on the Mainland Common in the Clayton Park West area of HRM has been underway since 1985, when a Mainland Common Study, anticipating the need for community recreation and open space in the rapidly expanding community.
In 1992, the Mainland Common Master Plan for the City of Halifax outlined a vision for the Mainland Common as a central location for sport, recreational, cultural, and nature appreciation activities for the City. In 1998, Burke/Oliver Consultants Ltd. completed a Recreation Needs Assessment and Sitting Study for HRM, which concluded that the Mainland Common is the optimal location for certain high-cost facilities that; by their nature, must serve the region.
Further, the 2004 Indoor Recreation Facilities Master Plan recommended a multi-purpose regional facility to be built in this area of the Municipality providing a mix of high caliber sport training and public uses, in an effort to achieve maximum usage.
This previous planning work, and the associated public consultations on the Mainland Common, provides a good foundation for the current plans around a multi purpose field house. Read More….
The frustration that has faced the Build it Right committee was evident in the speeches delivered …. Everyone involved in this issue has consistently encountered issues that are centered on control, transparency & attitude.
Senior staff and all the elected municipal representatives have shunned any involvement from Build-it-Right or any other community based organizations. The HRM version of ‘public consultations’ on this matter is nothing short of laughable. Its over 2 ½ years since the last Public Meeting on this issue and since this past Christmas there has been little or no communication as to the plans for the sight, the stage of negotiations or even a time line as to when we will be informed as to what will be built.
Ever since the Commonwealth Games disaster and the sudden arrival of ‘disgruntled business interests’ such as Citizens For Halifax it appears that the orders from the Mayor’s office are to shut down any conversation with the community, don’t make any verbal commitments that might be overturned… basically a gag order has been placed on staff and counselors to control the spin. After all this is an election year….. tick tock the clock is ticking…. October is coming soon….
I’ve included [Link]the Build-it-Right document The Time Is Now for your consideration and I encourage you to contact any/ all of the following and express your concerns with the unacceptable handling of this project and make it clear that if they don’t communicate with the community that your voice will be heard on the ballot in October.
Halifax Regional Municipality
1841 Argyle St. Halifax, Nova Scotia
P.O. Box 1749 Halifax, B3J 3A5
Fax: 490-4012
- Mayor Peter Kelley kellyp@halifax.ca (902) 490-4010
- Counselors
Mary Wile wilema@halifax.ca (902)476-2048
Debbie Hum humd@halifax.ca (902)476-7212
Russell Walker walkerr@halifax.ca (902)497-7215
Province Of Nova Scotia
Office of Health Promotion & Protection
Minister Berry Barnet barnetbe@gov.ns.ca
(902)424-5627
