Our tenth council meeting of 2026 was held on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
The full meeting agenda, reports and video recording are linked below, as well as the draft Minutes.
Halifax Regional Council – May 26, 2026
May 26, 2026 Regional Council Draft Minutes
Items most relevant to District 7 are highlighted below. Our agenda was light, with scheduled items at 1 pm (12.1 Heritage Hearing), 3 pm (17.3 Intergovernmental Relations) & 6 pm (1.1 Citizenship Awards)
1.1 SPECIAL PRESENTATION – CITIZENSHIP AWARDS – 6:00 P.M.
Mayor Fillmore, Deputy Mayor Cuttell and Councillors presented the awards to the grade 9 students. District Councillors present according to where students live, not where they go to school (I presented to Ira & Srinath). I’ll share photos when I receive them from staff. Congratulations to all the award recipients, especially those who live and go to school in D7:
Sacred Heart School of Halifax – Barat Academy – Ira Patil
Halifax Grammar School – Srinath Chelamkuri
Armbrae Academy – Zoe Grant
Gorsebrook Junior High – Deloth Muwagamage
Sacred Heart School of Halifax – Fountain Academy – Luka Jolin
École Mer et Monde – Yasser Toumir
13.1.1 Fly-past Request – SailGP Broadcast Operations
(Staff) “Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council grant permission for helicopter fly-pasts, as low as 500 feet by a contracted commercial charter company for broadcast coverage operations as part of the SailGP event on June 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2026 at various times as outlined in the request dated May 19, 2026.”
This motion passed on the consent agenda. (Sail GP is confirmed in Halifax for 2027 now too.)
15.1.2 Property Matter May 2025 – Amalfi Way Park
(Staff) “Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. Categorize the Subject Land as ‘Intergovernmental Transfer’, as per Administrative Order 50, for a conveyance to the Province of Nova Scotia for the development of a childcare facility; and
2. Authorize and delegate the Chief Administrative Officer to negotiate, approve, and execute an agreement of purchase and sale and any other agreements, including easement agreements, for the conveyance of the subject Land at market value, as required for ‘Intergovernmental Transfer’, as per Administrative Order 50, to the Province of Nova Scotia on terms satisfactory to the Chief Administrative Officer; and
3. Direct the Mayor and Municipal Clerk to execute on behalf of the Municipality, a Warranty Deed to the Purchaser (or its assignee), and to execute any other associated documents required to affect the conveyance of the Subject Land.”
This item is deflating, as the province is purchasing greenspace from HRM to use for the construction of a daycare. We are short on greenspace, and I wish that the province would plan their need for the services they offer well in advance of the need, rather than requesting to buy municipal property. We don’t have much of a choice, being a “creature of the province”. There will be recreation benefits to the community coming from the buildout of the P-8 school and daycare, but I would always prefer to see us build up than out and encourage public & active transportation and play over driving. (My kids went to daycare in the basement of an urban JK-8 school; why not integrate the daycare into the school build?) Councillor Steele has traffic concerns about the plan for the area, which if not addressed by land use planning will have to be mitigated down the line.
This motion passed 11 – 3. I voted Yes as we need to “pick our battles”.
15.1.7 First Reading Proposed By-law U-120, an amendment to By-law U-100, Respecting User Charges – Ice Rental Rates Increase
(Staff/Budget Committee) “Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council give First Reading to By-law U-120, amending By-law U-100, the User Charges By-law as set out in Attachment A to the staff report dated May 19, 2026.”
Council agreed to increase ice rental rates 11% as part of our budget deliberations this year. This motion passed 13 – 1. I voted Yes.
15.3.1 Marketing Levy Special Event Reserve Grants 2026 Report
(Special Events Advisory Committee (SEAC)/Staff) “Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. Approve the total funding in the amount of $691,250 from the 2026/2027 Community and Events Reserve, Q621, summarized in the report dated May 13, 2026;
2. Pending the approval of the 2027/2028 budget, approve $400,000 from the Community and Events Reserve, Q621, for Halifax Pride Society to host Canada Pride 2027; and
3. Request a supplementary staff report to review and approve additional funding for the 2026 Lacrosse Canada Minor Box Nationals, in light of the inclusion of six additional teams.”
Special Events are funded by a hotel room levy and distributed according to staff and SEAC recommendations. This motion passed on the consent agenda.
18.1 Councillor Austin – Fare Waiver Alderney Ferry
“Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council waive Section 17 of Administrative Order One, requiring a staff report from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and direct the CAO to waive fare collection on the Alderney Ferry as soon as possible and to continue to waive fares for as long as the service remains operating at 30 minute frequency or until Council provides additional direction on resuming fare collection on June 23.”
Is much as I’d like to see a free, 15-minute ferry service between our two downtowns, this motion was going to cost HRM about $200k. I didn’t feel it was fair to make transit free for some riders while other are still paying for late, overcrowded busses in other areas. Also, how long could we afford to keep the service free if our supply chain issues continue on for months again?
Luckily our ferry service ended up returning on Friday! We’re back to 15-minute service again.
This motion failed 3 – 11. I voted No.