Temporary housing for homeless people at Shannon Park? Ottawa says it will pitch in
CBC
Ottawa is calling for a 34-hectare parcel of federal land sitting vacant in Dartmouth, N.S., to be used for temporary modular housing as the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to rise.
The Halifax Regional Municipality approved a permanent housing development last year in Shannon Park, but construction has yet to begin on that project. Ottawa says the property could serve a different purpose in the meantime.
The land, at the foot of the MacKay Bridge in Dartmouth, used to be home to a military community that was demolished in 2017. It has gone largely unused since then.
This week's federal budget earmarked $4 million over two years for four modular housing projects, including one at Shannon Park. The others are in Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal. It's not clear how that money would be divided between the sites or what exactly it would pay for.
The federal government deferred to Canada Lands Company on questions about the project. The Crown corporation is in charge of Shannon Park and is meant to support modular housing at the site.
A spokesperson for Canada Lands said Shannon Park would be made available "at nominal cost" to either the city, the province, both, or another housing provider. It would be up to the provider to build and manage the temporary housing.
"We've been in discussions with HRM and the province for some time about implementing a temporary housing program at Shannon Park before we begin our full development of the site," said Manon Lapensee.
Full development of the site is projected to begin at the end of 2025 or the start of 2026, Lapensee said, adding it will happen in phases, allowing for temporary modular housing to stay in place for two years.
She said Canada Lands is waiting to hear whether either level of government is interested in taking up the offer.
The province seemed to have been caught off guard by Tuesday's budget announcement.
"Honestly we've not received any information or documentation on that," said Housing Minister John Lohr.
Lohr told reporters that although it was a surprise, he's pleased the federal government is looking at land it could contribute for housing.
Last year, the provincial government bought 200 modular housing units from an American company called Pallet, and many of those units have yet to be installed for want of a suitable site and service providers to manage them.
Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire said Shannon Park is on his radar as a possible location for Pallet homes, but so are many other locations.
Premier Doug Ford says his government plans to give Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport special designation that would allow the province to bypass municipal and provincial laws as it pushes to expand the runway downtown.
Jenelle Hughes says she worries every time her two older children take their car to get to Fanshawe College in London, Ont., from their home in Dutton.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.
While spring technically started late last week, Newfoundland and Labrador isn't free from winter weather just yet.
The Sudbury School Bus Consortium is suspending all school buses in Greater Sudbury as the community continues to clean up following a major storm.
Two large corporate landlords owning a combined 9,008 rental units in Halifax are reporting smaller annual increases in their average rents for 2025 than the previous year.
The Holt government has reached a deal with Ottawa on compensation for tens of millions of dollars in lost sales tax revenue from the Christmas season in 2024.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.