N.S. housing minister agrees to small changes to proposed law on development in Halifax
CBC
Nova Scotia's Housing Minister John Lohr has proposed minor changes to a controversial bill he introduced two weeks ago.
Once passed, the amendments to the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter and the Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act will give the province greater power over development in the capital city.
Municipal councillors denounced the proposed law known as Bill 329 as an "autocratic intrusion into municipal affairs."
Although the amendments proposed on Friday do not change the thrust of the bill, one of the changes could mean a lot to three businesses that suffered damages in last spring's wildfire.
The owners of Moulding Warehouse, Giant Steps Children's Centre and Forestkids Early Learning in the Tantallon area have been lobbying the city for a property tax break because their businesses were either heavily damaged or destroyed by the fires.
"We lost everything," said Donna Buckland, the owner of the Giant Steps. "We lost a spot for 68 children."
"Every child in that area has some kind of memory of being in the building."
About two weeks ago, HRM staff recommended against tax concessions for the three businesses because the city's charter did not allow for it.
Friday's amendment, agreed to by all three parties in the House, clarifies the charter to give the municipality the green light to offer a tax break to businesses that have suffered major fire damage.
Lohr said the amendment gets rid of contradictory sections in the bill and added "greater certainty" surrounding commercial property tax breaks.
"We all care about those businesses that have been impacted and if there's something that we can do, then we want to do that to help them."
The Liberal MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville, Ben Jessome, proposed the change.
"I think it's wonderful," Jessome told reporters after his amendment passed. "Even a little bit helps with respect to their pocketbooks and trying to rebuild."
Buckland said she was excited to hear the House had cleared the way for a possible tax break.