Big buildings continue to alter Halifax skyline

When Halifax resident Lorraine Sloopek moved to the city in 1977, there was not much of a downtown skyline.

“There were a few buildings,” said Sloopek, who added that she is not against development and growth but she’s also not a fan of the downtown core being clogged with high-rises. “I have studied the history of architecture in Halifax and I have seen the old drawings and pictures. I like those better.”

Paul MacKinnon from the Downtown Halifax Business Commission said new buildings are popping up everywhere and are dramatically altering the look of the Halifax skyline.

“We are seeing this evolution of going from a midsize Canadian city to a large Canadian city,” said MacKinnon, who added Halifax now has the fastest growing downtown in the country. “There are always changes that come with that. Some positive, some negative, but overall growth is a good problem.”

Environmental consultant Peggy Cameron supports the notion of development in downtown Halifax, but she also cautioned some of the new massive structures are bad for the environment and are contributing to the climate crisis.

“There is a much greater carbon footprint to build a building over six stories," said Cameron. "It’s not because they are well built for operational purposes. It’s because structurally they require more intensive materials.”

Bigger, more expensive buildings inflate the cost and the timeframe for construction, according to Cameron.

“Our solutions would be to focus on smaller infill buildings, four to six stories," said Cameron. "And with carbon neutral materials that would fit into many places that would be already available in the region without demolitions.”

MacKinnon agreed that Halifax will need to be selective about the style and size of new buildings.

“The downtown plan is meant to do that," said MacKinnon. "We need to protect heritage and allow development where is appropriate.”

Judging from the number of cranes currently hovering over the city, it appears even more growth, development and high rises are on the horizon for downtown Halifax.