Final person sleeping rough at Halifax’s Grand Parade encampment leaves

For the first time since last summer, Grand Parade in Halifax is tent-free.

The final one was removed Wednesday, although the grass areas are fenced off and remain off-limits until remediation is finished. The space is scheduled to reopen in early summer.

Fencing at Halifax's Grand Parade is pictured on March 14, 2024. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic)

“We are certainly happy to see the city's timeline,” says Issmat Al-Akhali, the founder of the Friends of Downtown Halifax, a group advocating on issues that affect downtown Halifax.

Victoria Park is also closed except for its pathways. Remediation of this site is expected to take several months, starting with soil testing to identify contaminants. Like Grand Parade, a reopening is scheduled for early summer.

“Which would mean that the season would be accessible to events and people who are trying to enjoy these spaces for their intended use,” Al-Akhali says.

Halifax is now left with four designated encampment sites, one of which is across the street from Victoria Park. The stated limit in the space is six tents and nine are currently set up.

“The city really needs to get a handle on University Avenue. They’re currently allowing people to tent there, there are no portable washrooms on site, so I just see University Avenue by September, they’ll be well into Dalhousie university,” says Sue Uteck, executive director of the Spring Garden Road Business Association.

There is scepticism about the early summer reopening, considering Meagher Park in the west end has been closed since August 2022.

“The merchants are fatigued. Nobody speaks about this issue for fear of retaliation. They don’t want their windows smashed, they don’t want angry customers in their store, so we’re just really relying heavily on the municipality,” Uteck says.

“We’ve noticed since the encampments had established in downtown Halifax this last summer, the rise and crime, the rise and petty theft, the rise and vandalism and vagrancy, and these are just the issues that the businesses experienced,” Al-Akhali says.

As of March 13, city staff estimate there are 44 people staying in the four designated locations. 

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