For the first time since the summer, the Grand Parade in Halifax will be tentless.
The last one was removed on Wednesday, the grassy areas are fenced off and remain off-limits until remediation work is completed. The area is expected to reopen in early summer.
Fencing at the Halifax Grand Parade is displayed on March 14, 2024 (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic).
“We’re pleased to see the city’s calendar,” says Issmat Al-Akhali, founder of Friends of Downtown Halifax, an organization that advocates for issues plaguing downtown Halifax.
Victoria Park is also closed, except for its trails. Its rehabilitation is expected to take several months, starting with soil testing to identify contaminants. Like Grand Parade, a reopening is planned for early summer.
“This would mean that the season would be available for occasions and others looking to take advantage of those spaces for their intended use,” Al-Akali says.
Halifax now has four designated campgrounds, one of which is opposite Victoria Park. The limit stated in the is six tents and nine have been installed recently.
“The city really wants to be careful on University Avenue. Lately they’re allowing other people to camp there, there’s no portable toilets on site, so I only see University Avenue until September, they’ll be fine in Dalhousie. University,” said Sue Uteck, executive director of the Spring Garden Road Business Association.
There is skepticism about reopening in early summer, given that Meagher Park in the west has been closed since August 2022.
“Merchants are tired. No one talks about it for fear of reprisals. They don’t need to have their windows broken, they don’t need consumers in their stores, that’s why we rely heavily on the municipality,” says Uteck.
“We’ve seen since the status quo of encampments in downtown Halifax last summer, the rise in crime, the rise in petty theft, the rise in vandalism and vagrancy, and those are just the issues that businesses have faced. Al-Akali said.
As of March 13, the city estimates an additional 44 people are staying at the four designated locations.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of CTV News journalists. We would possibly earn a commission when you use our links to make purchases. Read about us.