Kathryn Morse Councillor District 10 Halifax-Bedford Basin West

Spring Cleaning and Week in Review One of the surprises as a new councillor is how long it can take to get things done. The long term councillors assure me this is normal. They have projects they've been working on for 5 to 10 years or more. So that's why it was very satisfying this week to get some things done for District 10, even though they were small things. In this photo, notice the granite barriers placed strategically along the path to Tremont Park. No more midnig...ht drivers on the ball field! Some large trees near Fairview Heights School that had fallen halfway down during Dorian were cut down. And garbage containers were installed at six bus stops along Dutch Village Road and added to a regular daily maintenance schedule. Many thanks to residents for bringing these spring cleaning requests to me and to HRM staff for doing the cutting and installing. As Councillor Mason likes to say, "It takes teamwork to make the dream work!" This was a meeting-heavy week with Halifax and West Community Council, the Special Events Advisory Committee, Regional Council and an all- day budget meeting for Parks and Recreation. A few quick facts: HRM has 921 parks, maintains 6 million metres of grass, and offered 4000 recreation programs during the pandemic. Looking ahead, Parks and Rec will be working on its youth engagement plan, its playing field strategy, a plan for Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes, and special events to help with the post-Covid tourism recovery. Enjoy the holiday weekend! [email protected]

A New Recreation Centre and Week in Review The new St. Andrews Community Centre (3380 Barnstead Lane) is open and it’s beautiful! The centre has a large gym, a toddler/children’s gym, a dance space, meeting rooms, an arts and crafts room and a community kitchen. Because of Covid-19, St. Andrews opened so quietly many people haven’t seen it yet. The recreation centre is tucked away at the lower end of Bayers Road, a 5-10 minute walk from Dutch Village Road in Fairview. St... Andrews Community Centre will be offering pickleball, yoga, fitness, quilting and other programs starting in April. For details call 902-490-4693. The tour of St Andrews was a highlight this week not only because it's such a well designed building but also because it was the only time I left my home office this week! Thanks to the online magic of Teams and Zoom, I met with: Halifax Regional Police about community policing; with HRM planners about the suburban plan; and with the United Way about the pandemic support provided to 36,700 people in HRM through the Atlantic Compassion Fund: https://www.unitedwayhalifax.ca/atlantic-compassion-fund/. Along with phone meetings with residents, I prepped for next week's council meeting, including Case 23245, a proposed six-story apartment project at Titus and Main Avenue that's in the early stages. You can reach me at [email protected]

Week in Review: Fighting fires and climate change A budget session with HRM’s Fire Chief Ken Stuebing was one of the highlights this week. Chief Stuebing presented the map below which shows where the fire service has been able to meet response time standards (blue dots) and where it hasn’t (red dots). The response time information will be used to adjust staffing levels and determine best locations for new fire stations. Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency (HRFE) is expandin...g its role: a 20-member team with HRFE is one of only six in Canada certified to do urban rescues involving collapsed buildings. HRFE is also helping out with Covid-19 testing and using drones to detect wild fires. Another highlight was a presentation by HRM staff about the potential of green hydrogen as part of the municipality's climate adaptation plan: https://www.halifax.ca//standing-/210304esscsp111pres.pdf Hydrogen fuel is made from water and can be used for both heating and transportation. Hydrogen fuel is non-polluting and could be created in Nova Scotia using wind power, making it clean and green. (The downside is cost. For example right now hydrogen buses are four times as expensive as diesel.) I thought hydrogen was the energy source we might be using in the 2040's but it's probably not that far in the future: https://www.cbc.ca//canada-national-hydrogen-strategy-1.57 I'd like to say a special thanks to the resident who emailed me about cars driving on Tremont Park field. Luckily the field was frozen so no harm done, but HRM Parks and Rec staff are making sure that can't happen again. Contact me at [email protected]

WEEK IN REVIEW Here’s an update on a dog incident that many residents have been concerned about. Just before Christmas, HRM by-law enforcement staff began investigating a case of three dogs in the Glenforest Drive area allegedly running loose and attacking two people. This week 24 charges were laid against the dog owners: 9 charges of owning a dog running at large, 12 charges of owning an animal that attacks a person and 3 charges of owning an unlicensed dog. This goes t...o court on March 9 for plea. In a separate process, all three dogs were deemed dangerous under By-law A-700. My work in the district this week involved meeting with Keshen Goodman Library staff to learn about the new addition; meeting HRM traffic safety planners and the Rockingham School principal on Tremont Drive; meeting with staff about snow clearing and park projects; speaking with residents about a new community garden project; and catching up on calls and emails. And of course the vote on 210 Willett, which I covered in my previous post. Other highlights were the Regional Council meeting on Tuesday (we discussed a new housing proposal for Burnside, HRM’s street navigator program for the homeless, and funding for accessible taxis) and the HRM budget meeting on Wednesday where councillors talked about funding for traffic calming, one of the key concerns I heard on doorsteps last summer (https://www.cbc.ca//halifax-council-traffic-calming-budget) Thanks everyone for your comments on Facebook. I generally won’t be responding to online comments but I read them all and appreciate them. If you would like a response to your issue or concern, please contact me at [email protected] .

HRM council unanimously approved the 210 Willett development last night. I voted yes because HRM has a severe housing shortage, especially rental housing. HRM has been growing by about 10,000 new residents a year and construction of new housing has not been keeping pace. As a result rent and housing prices keep climbing. Increasing the supply of housing is part of the solution and 210 Willett will increase supply by about 540 apartments. Although not low-budget, 210 Will...ett won’t be high-end either. It’s aimed at young professionals and seniors, who will be attracted by having a grocery store, drug store, bank, library, rec centre, park and many other amenities within walking distance. The new buildings will also be located on one of HRM’s four planned Bus Rapid Transit routes. I also voted yes on this because I believe it’s the type of housing we need now. Modern cities are developing new housing in walkable neighbourhoods on public transit routes because it's more environmentally and economically sustainable. It’s better than sprawl. Denser suburbs will help create more viable and vibrant communities and that's why HRM's planners strongly recommended this go forward. The developer responded to the community and reworked the original design, changing it from three towers to two, to address shadow and wind concerns. Although I was elected late in the process, and my options were limited, I worked to get further changes to the buildings: increased parking, a better mix of apartment sizes and a wider buffer at the back. Once built, I think 210 Willett will reinvigorate Clayton Park. District 10 is on the evolving edge of our growing city. Unfortunately there will be some growing pains and I recognize there are some downsides for nearby residents. A new development on this site was inevitable. I believe this building was the best that could be achieved under the circumstances. https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track

For Valentine’s Day, here’s to two people who put the heart in District 10: Michelle and Stuart Poteri. Michelle and Stuart met while rollerskating at Fairview’s Centennial Arena in 1980. They were married in 1983 and had their wedding reception at the arena, where Stuart’s dad worked for many years. Since 2011 Stuart and Michelle have been running the rink as a team. The past year has been tough with all the ups and downs of Covid. From what I’ve seen, Michelle and Stu...art are at the rink eight days a week, with many days starting at 5am! You could say running the rink is a real labour of love for this couple, one that benefits the whole community. The aftermath of Sunday night’s blizzard kept me extra busy this week. The high winds, plus the volume and speed of the snowfall, meant crews had difficulty meeting snow clearing standards. I received many calls and emails, mainly about problems with sidewalks, which I raised with snow operations staff. HRM’s plow operators work as efficiently as they can to give priority for emergency vehicles, buses, and pedestrian areas around schools. If you see vehicles parked on major streets and bus routes after snowstorms call 311 or email [email protected]. This week Mayor Savage gave his State of the Municipality Address, council voted in favour of an innovative shelter project on College Street to be developed by the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, and the Finance and Audit committee received a concerning report from HRM's Auditor General about the way Halifax Regional Police handle IT security and sensitive information: https://www.cbc.ca//halifax-regional-police-information-te Otherwise this week I met (online) with residents and some of my fellow councillors, with the YWCA about affordable housing, and with music director Nathan Beeler about Halifax Regional Arts (formerly Halifax All-City Music), one of Canada’s best school-based music programs which is supported by HRM council. You can reach me at [email protected] or 902-497-7278.

Are you wondering what your councillor does all day? This time of year, your councillor is up to her eyeballs in budget briefings and budget homework (lots of reading, the finance professionals do the actual accounting!). HRM has a $1 billion budget, of which 88% is fixed costs and 12% is discretionary. It’s mostly that 12% that council will be debating for the next few months. Anyone wishing to speak to council about budget priorities can register with the Clerk’s Office... for upcoming sessions: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/budget-finances/budget Responding to residents' inquiries and concerns is a big part of my day as well. This past week I've been in touch with residents about snow clearing, water meters, 210 Willett, access to the turning area on Saskatoon Drive, and lots of road safety and parking issues. The best way to reach me is [email protected]. Otherwise every week there are plenty of meetings to attend and prepare for. The Environment and Sustainability Standing Committee met last week. We heard a request for an independent ecological study of Sandy Lake (off Hammonds Plains Rd, it provides habitat for more than a dozen species at risk and nearly 100 species of birds) and got a progress report on HRM’s groundbreaking climate plan. There was also a briefing for councillors about the next 5-year update of HRM's Regional Plan (to be finalized in 2022). The next plan will have more emphasis on growing suburban areas like District 10. Some of the core principles from the Centre Plan (Halifax Peninsula and Downtown Dartmouth) may be carried over to the suburbs. Expect to see increased focus on mixed use neighbourhoods (live, work and play close to home) and greater housing density on transit routes and near transit hubs (like Lacewood Terminal). Just a reminder that HRM’s Community Grants Program is accepting applications until March 31 in a variety of categories. Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for project grants of up to $5000 and capital grants of up to $25,000. For more details:https://www.halifax.ca//Community%20Grants%20Program%20202

This week a few homemade temporary shelters have been installed around HRM, built for the homeless by caring people frustrated by inaction. Halifax council, with the help of the federal government funding, is working on some longer term solutions, but HRM's powers are limited. To a large extent the legal responsibility to address housing rests with the province, as Councillor Waye Mason clearly explains here: https://globalnews.ca//hrm-councillor-calls-for-collabor/

Since joining council I’ve become an even bigger fan of Halifax Public Libraries. Through briefings we’ve learned how HPL is constantly expanding the idea of what a library is and does. Case in point is Dartmouth North's Outdoor Library (105 Highfield Park Dr) the first of its kind in the province. A covered deck with outdoor seating, a playground and free wifi, it's a welcoming spot for the whole neighbourhood. Renovations are underway so the outdoor library will be con...nected to the indoor library through sliding patio doors. Thanks to Asa Kachan and Janice Fiander of HPL for the tour, and thanks to councillor Tony Mancini for arranging it (and taking the photo). Otherwise this week, as usual, many meetings: the Centennial Arena board, Audit and Finance Committee, Community Design Advisory Committee, Halifax West Community Council (a green light for Adsum’s affordable housing project in Timberlea) and ongoing budget meetings. In between I connected with residents on a variety of projects including an outdoor rink, a new neighbourhood watch, and a possible daycare expansion. Looking ahead, next Tuesday (Jan 26) council votes on 210 Willett and on the possible disposal of HRM land for a proposed new school near Park West School: https://www.halifax.ca//january-26-2021-halifax-regional-c FYI-HRM's Community Grants Program is accepting applications: https://www.halifax.ca//community-non-pr/community-grants PS Know any job hunters? StatsCan is hiring for the 2021 Census: https://census.gc.ca/jobs-emplois-eng.htm