**** Info via Canada Lands Company
Temporary Housing at Shannon Park (Pallet Housing)
Last week the federal government tabled Budget 2024, which included a provision for temporary housing on federal lands.
Canada Lands Company has made available four parcels of land across Canada for temporary housing to help address the housing crisis.
Shannon Park was identified as a potential site for temporary housing and has been working with the Province and HRM since September 2023 exploring the possibility. The plan is for Canada Lands to set aside about 1 to 2 hectares of the site for this use, not the entire 34-hectare site. If the plan moves ahead, the temporary homes would be on the site for a couple of years while development is underway on other development blocks.
Any temporary housing situated at Shannon Park would be fully programmed, meaning that the eventual provider would have to provide for social services as appropriate, safety and cleanliness of the site.
Final decisions about the use of Shannon Park as a temporary site for Pallet housing will be up to the Province and HRM.
Canada 150 Trail and Lookout Reopening
With spring finally here, we’re excited to announce that starting on Wednesday May 1st, the Canada 150 Trail and Lookout will reopen for the season daily between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
We know that many of you enjoy this amenity, and clean-up is underway. The Canada 150 Trail and Lookout was developed to provide community access to Shannon Park and the scenic views of the Halifax Harbour while the planning and redevelopment of Shannon Park continues.
Please keep the trail clean and free of litter out of respect for others using the trail. We look forward to seeing you!
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Members
To support the development of Shannon Park, we’re creating a Shannon Park Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. This volunteer advisory committee will work with Canada Lands Company to engage with organizations that build and manage affordable housing.
We’re looking for participants who can assist us in identifying successful models and/or coordinating partnerships to enable the development of a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing units at Shannon Park. If you are interested in participating or learning more, please contact us at shannon@clc-sic.ca. A call for committee members will be released the first week of May.
Subdivision and Urban Design Guidelines
Since the approval of the development agreement in February 2023, work has been underway on a subdivision application. The subdivision application has been submitted to HRM for review. Subdivision approval is required any time the boundaries of a parcel of land are altered, which is needed in this case to create new lots.
Work is underway on the urban design guidelines to shape the look and feel of the community and set clear expectations for the public and all city builders.
Workshops are also taking place with the Millbrook First Nation, HRM, housing developers, non-profits, community groups and stakeholders.
Open House this Fall
It’s been a while since Canada Lands has had an open house with the community. We will be going out to the community this fall to provide an update on the project and seek the community’s feedback on some of the finer details of the plan. Stay tuned for more.
