Restoration at Halifax’s Grand Parade nears completion

The revitalization of Halifax’s Grand Parade is nearing its final stages as one of the last piece of heavy machinery is removed from the site.

After almost five months of intensive restoration work, the fence that surrounded the green space is now the only remaining barrier between the public and the park.

“We’ve just laid new sod and that sod needs to knit and bond with the ground,” said Max Chauvin, Halifax’s director of housing and homelessness.

The fences are expected to come down within the month of June. Up until February, encampments occupied the area. Some of the people living there had their tents set up for over a year. Since de-designating the encampment, the city has now listed both Grand Parade and Victoria Park as prohibited areas for encampments.

“Staff will go through each of those sites every morning and if somebody has a tent set up, they’ll be asked to leave. They’ll be given a notice that gives them 24-hours to remove their belongings,” said Chauvin. “Once that notice is issued, staff will let outreach workers know, and the outreach workers will touch base with the folks and help them move.”

However, some in the community are not happy to hear it.

“Just blocking every place they can sit and enjoy and exist is not solving any issues. Just putting them out of sight, out of mind is not the solution. We need to actually have housing,” Sofia Malburg.

While the restoration process at Grand Parade is moving quickly, work at Victoria Park is just starting.

A photo of Victoria Park in Halifax taken on June 10, 2024. (Hafsa Arif/CTV Atlantic)

“We’re starting that work and then we will lay the sod and then after that once it’s knitted or once it’s anchored, we’ll then look at whether we’re ready to take the fence down,” said Chauvin.

While passing the fence at Victoria Park, Carroll Lavigne, a visitor in the city said she was surprised to see it.

“I’ll be good when the fence is down because it’s kind of an eye-sore,” she said.

However, she does not understand why it’s taking so long, especially at Victoria Park, where the grass appears to look grown and lush.

“I don’t really think it needs to have sod on it. It looks fine to me. Maybe some seed if they have bare spots but other than that it looks great,” she adds.

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