N.S. premier calls some of new Halifax encampment sites ‘completely nuts’
Global News
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said Halifax council's decision to designate an area of Point Pleasant Park to serve as a homeless encampment was what shocked him most.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he nearly “fell off his chair” after learning that Halifax’s council was planning to establish designated homeless encampments in historic parks such as the Halifax Common and Point Pleasant Park.
During a media availability following a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Houston said his provincial government had previously proposed about 40 possible encampment sites to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).
“I thought it was completely nuts, some of the sites they have been putting forward,” he said to reporters.
“The designation of some of these sites is just really hard to get the head around — how the HRM council could think these would be appropriate sites and the impact they would have on communities.”
The nine new locations, presented by city staff to Halifax councillors on Tuesday, include seven on the Halifax peninsula, including Bayers Road Windsor Street Park, BiHi Park, Chain Lake Park, Cogswell Park, Glebe Street Park, Halifax Common berm and Point Pleasant Park.
In Dartmouth, Bissett Road Park and the Geary Street green space were selected as designated sites.
All locations were said to be chosen for their proximity to public transit and other services, and for their distance from schools, parks, gardens, or culturally sensitive areas.
Out of the location recommendations approved by Halifax, the Nova Scotia premier said the decision to designate an area of Point Pleasant Park to serve as a homeless encampment was what shocked him most.