Halifax initiates long-term plan for Wanderers Block

The Wanderers Block situated in the heart of Halifax is perhaps the busiest or most used section of the Halifax Common.

It’s home to the Halifax Lancers riding school, the Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club, the Wanderers Grounds sports field which is home to the HFX Football Club, and the city’s parks depot and horticultural facility, which supports the Public Gardens and maintenance of the athletic turf.

All four tenants have expressed a desire to grow and expand their operations, but spatial constraints have set limitations on expansion to the area that is bordered by Bell Road, Summer Street, and Sackville Street.

“There’s not necessarily room for everything, so we are working through that piece,” said Nalini Naidoo, the director of strategic planning and design for HRM Parks and Recreation.

Halifax council voted in favour of directing staff to complete a foundational report that will look at the future of the Wanderers Block and what opportunities for future growth include.

The Public Gardens Foundation is looking to have its aging greenhouses rebuilt and a public observatory constructed to allow the public inside to learn about horticulture and participate in public programming.

“Most worldly gardens like the Public Gardens have an observatory beside it,” said Robert Pace, chair of the Public Gardens Foundation. “This gives you fully operational greenhouses that are open to the public throughout the entire year and is an opportunity for the community to get involved.”

The Halifax Lancers want to expand their horse riding school and equine therapy services and have been advocating for a long-term growth plan for the area since 2017, they believe there’s space and a solution for all tenants.

“All of our programs are beyond high demand and at full capacity,” said Claire Halstead with the Halifax Lancers.

At last count, they have more than 1,000 people on their program waitlist, so there are opportunities to expand, and they want to remain downtown.

“We’re always focused on working with the other groups on the Wanderers Grounds,” said Halstead. “We feel it’s important to be good neighbours and be cooperative, that way we will be able to collectively serve the population better.”

The oldest tenant on the block is the Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club, which have been operating at the site since 1887. They are the second oldest lawn bowling club in Canada, and according to the staff report, have been seeing a resurgence in the sport.

A big question remains, can a new permanent stadium be built on the Wanderers Grounds?

The Halifax Wanderers, a professional soccer team who formed in 2018, are the main tenant at the Wanderers Grounds, and they have already presented a stadium plan to the city.

“We did that in September and that kind of showed how everything would fit on the block and we had support from our neighbours,” said Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin.

As the Wanderers gear up for its sixth season, Martin says the team needs a permanent stadium and they are willing to partner financially in constructing the facility.

"This was supposed to be a three-year pilot project," said Martin, referring to the current stadium set-up which is described by the city and club as pop-up stadium with temporary seating.

The Wanderers have extended their agreement with HRM to lease the site for its upcoming season but the club says they need to come up with a more long-term stadium solution.

“For us, it’s becoming even more difficult to keep operating in this kind of temporary venue and unfortunately we are at a point where we need to come up with a solution,” said Martin.

City staff say they are hopeful they can return to council in the summer and present their blueprint for Wanderers Block, which would lay out options for a stadium on the site, but won't include any financial breakdowns or contributions.

Councillor Tony Mancini believes the Wanderers Grounds is the right place for a permanent stadium and encourages the city to look closely at the Wanderers plan.

“We can’t get ahead of ourselves, there is a price tag associated with that,” said Mancini, who raises several questions about funding options.

“And where does that money come from and is there other levels of governments and is the private sector involved?"

Mancini says all of that will be examined, but a design plan needs to come first “before we go down that path.”

Martin and the Wanderers stadium design plan estimates a stadium with all utility services upgraded and installed would cost nearly $40 million to complete.

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