The debate on whether or not the roses on Dunbrack Street in Halifax should stay intact is still ongoing. However, amidst varying opinions concerning the rose-filled street divider, one of the men who planted the roses is surprised by the city’s plan to remove them.
Marven Armstrong, a 74-year-old semi-retired farmer, who now lives in Kings County, N.S., was disappointed when he heard of the city’s plan to remove the plants. Working as a landscaper 42 years ago, Armstrong remembers the hard work that went into planting the roses.
“Back in 1977, the project called for the planting of 35-thousand rose bushes,” he says.
Armstrong recalls the city planner, who headed the project in the 70s, as someone who knew exactly what he wanted.
“He got his inspiration from the Autobahn highways in Germany, where they use Rugosa roses to line the boulevards on the Autobahn,” says Armstrong.
Despite efforts of individuals in the past, city bureaucrats announced their plans to remove the roses – citing complaints of poor visibility concerning sight-lines and litter collecting in the bushes. However, a petition was circulated by residents who wanted to save the roses, which resulted in the city compromising and agreeing to only remove portions of the plants that pose a safety risk.
”It was a forward thing to do at the time,” says Mark Lummis, who started the petition to save the roses. “And it's a backward thing to take them out.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Bruce Frisko.
