THE MASTER

~ for the,
";==--

PLAN

Civic

Pta~
.
.

Commission

~vember 16, 1945. .. 1: RSO~EL.

C.hairman: Ira P. Macnab,
Mf:) l".A.Lane,
Miss K.\v. Skinner,
E. r. cr-a&'6, "b.A, ~v.l)rC.F.Cuttan.

"a=====---

M.t.l.e., l'{ova.5cotia 1>oard of Cornmi~~ionet:>or l?ublit Utilities. -Pre.sident, J{a1ifax. Welfare :f>ureau.
tst President, tUax..BU5. Ptof.womens Club, ,

-e>arrister. l)J),Ph.l)., Pari&>. "Pt'le5t'. At1an .M.])~le, Preside.nt Cou5in~limited.

W. Stantey Lee, ASsociate Ma.~ "fdit~, J{alifax.J1.erald. l'dce Sup~'y llr:P:W:P.".. B for1<5., Jittttor, 1<ationa1 ~ea Products

1.1.. e.,

l"rani \V.J>~te,
A.J. Mur'p~,
1..r..5naW,

Ltd.

Jack. :r>.Mi1.ter-, Inspector, ioya1

:en of Canada) Sec.retary

Xatifax. 'iolar-y Club.

Dele.Sale, j{ahfal.Trades, labour Council.

'President, J1a1l.fa~'1'ra4eS

lmmed.Past. Ptes.,}(at.CCl. yttt.C.A.)

Geo.A.5mith,

'Presidenl, Lt 5baw

Umitect

La~

council.

Il.e.c.utiVe .secretar~: Georl,e T. 'Bates, lU)P. L.5, 'Ptannin$ Con5ultant. 1'echnicat Consuttant: Jiarold la\Yson, fR.A..l.C., Arcbitec.t, Montreal, 'P.Q..

MASTER

:PLAN

REPORT

LITTER Used ZonelTA13LlllOF13uildings TERMS REFERENCE 22 INTRODUCTION ZON DiG West28Ann National Penal DEVlilLOPMINT THI STBEETS OONTENTS and Page 61 64 Traffic 66 North FROM Charitable. Halifax 13usineeaControl North-West Land Residential 61 TIW'F Industrial29 Trend. 31 36 53 RailwayANDNew Zone. Improvement Ferry FairviewAdministration Proposed ANDZones Aerial Entranceand Design Defence Arm Bridge21Entrance Dartmouth Development for Community Centres HousingOFWaterfrontBlighted Areas Zoning OFTerminalandIC Street 33 25 PopulationTraffic Entrance Section Redevelopment of of Improved CulturalTransportation Public PlansCRAIBMAN 74 63 56 12 H08pital~ConditioneNorthern Slope Institutions CIVIO PLANNING COMMISSION Bridges Purposes Recommendation (A)

4 6 11 12 22 ~ 16 2S 26 238 - 40 - 37 7 5 13 3 29 17 2l 25 23 24 41' - 10 43 27
OA

42 12 44 41 46 38 14

4 1

Recommendation V I.

Page

sac IAL PLANNING

(A) (B) Education Health and Social Welfare

VII. VIno IX.

15 71 19 83

C IV IC BEAUT IF ICAT ION INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

EXECUTION OF THE MASTER PUN

(A) (B)

Town Planning Committee Leg 18la tio n Metropolitan

Board

and Advisory

50 - 52
and County Planning

85
86 89 93

(0 )
X. XI.

AOKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF BRIEFS APPENDICES

(A)
(B)

(0)
(D)

Report on Social Welfare Services Council Social "Agencies Report. Library Plan for Halifax (Bateson) School Board Post War Planning Committee Report

95 99 119

121

LIST OF PLATES AND

ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate

No.

1. Typical Section of Viaduct Showing Grade

Separation 2. Dartmouth Bridge From North Street

15

24
26

3.

Sketch showing a method of Eliminating the Traffic Bottleneck at Fairview as prepared Engineer by Alan X. Hay, Consulting

4. Shopping Centre 5. Locations 6. Proposal

Slope of Study Areas for Redevelopment of the Northern

39

47
57

7.

Cornm1lnityShopping Centre Northern Slope Neighbourhood Unit Development Project of the North

60

s. Proposal for the development West Section

62

9.
10.

Birds Eye View of the NOl"ch West Arm showing Propo sed Bridge and Aquatic Gardens at Armd.ale" Population Population Density Distribution - Tax Free Property

70
137

11.
12.

138
139

The "Black Plague"

All Categories
13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
The Metropolitan Prevailing Levels Area of Housing - Existing Areas Con~itions and Proposed

140 141 142 143 144

Transportation Major

Routes

Nonresidential

Land Use Map - Existing The Malter Plan

18.

56.
V ZON ING AND DlilVELOPMlIlNT.

(R) Redevelopment

of Northern

Slope.

(23) Your Commission recommends that the northern slope of the city be redeveloped in accordance with an overnall plan for this section.

(24) Your Commission recommends the maintenance of existing zoning regulations in the area bounded by Russell Streeto Robie Street, Leeds Street and the Harbour" known as the -devastated Area- and at present administered by the Halifax Relief Commission.

In keeping improved northern presented tours and values

with

its policy

of preserving

values

as well as creating that the the sketch on existing

wherever

possible.

your Commission

suggests with

slope of the city be redeveloped herewith. (See Plate No.

in accordance

6).

This design

is based

con~

and the streets

are laid down

so that grades

will be easy and natural approximately services

related

to the existing

street framework.

It will provide

700 fifty foot building and recreation. The abattoir V

.0

lots with the necessary

epace for public

removal of the city prison and Africville (See Section

(See recommendation IV
<>

No.

38),

the old also Section The zoning

Bo

Proposal

Fourteen: section.

G) will make this area a most desirable

residential

by<~law should be drafted conform with the plano

80 that all future development

in this area will

It is suggested located carefully in the area planned

that a community

ehopping

centre

be strategically

shown (See Plate No.

6). The shopping centre should be

concurrently

in advance

to the end that it can develop

57.

~cDrOR.D
eA51N

CON\MUN'l'l
5WOpPING PL,,'T8'
C.NTIt.i-

Sn

SKB\~H
5HOWIMG' PROPOSAL, fOR.

R~DEV&LOPM&NT'OF-' THE-

~ORr~.ERN
~ R~SIDI:'NTIAL IIIiI.OO

IfIiii PARK'

SLOPE:Cf;NT"'"

SHOPPING

59.
with the residential area, at the same time providing A proposed deeign adequate f$Qillt1Qi No. 7.

required

of such a centre.

18 shown on ~late Robie Street, guiding

In the area bounded and the Harbourf development fairly

by Ruslell comprehensive

Street,

Leede Street and controlli~

re,ulat1onl

were put into effect about in the Ixploeion

25 year. ago. This 18 the eection

under the

that was devastated direction Commission

of 1917, and redeveloped

of a very eminept contemplates

town planner,

the late Thomas Adame. re,ulations

Your

no changee

1n the zoning

and augge.t

that these be maintained

for the area.

60.

CO~y
NORTI-tk-RN

Sl-lOtpI'MG
CE:N'Ti2..."E:'
fLOPE- - ~E:IGI-lf:)ORI .. OD W
Q

UNIT I_
.seA.L.

DE:-VE-LOPM~NT

. NQ . '"J'E-E:6. r-."'T. l.o .1.0 ~o PLATE:-

PQ..OJI;oCT.

PLATE-

530
V ZONING Am> DEVlilLOPMJlNT. of ~lighted Areas.

(G) Redevelopment

(22) Your Commission recommends that the Civic Authorities directly. or through a legally constituted boAr of citizens chosen for their ability and experience 0 undertake with the least possible delay 8l~ clearance and adequate houling programs.

Areas reduce amount other

of blight

and decay drag down adjacent tax ..aying p services ability which

neighbourhood

values,

rentalso

destroy

and require

a disproportionate so much better in

of those community wayso

could be employed

In this senle slums are a drain on the resources to the welfare of the entire cityo are structurally of buildings

ot

the commun1t;

and are detrimental

The slum 1s an area where buildings tation is insufficient

poor, where

sani-

and where overcrowding create conditions

on land as well physic~

as people ally,

into buildinge

that affect

the occupants

mentally

and morally

to the detriment $ucb conditione fire, police,

not only of tne slum dwellers, are both curable and preventable services

but of the city as

wholeo

The cost of providing in such areas is always

medical,

social and other

higher

than for other

.ectionso

On the other hand, low. The entire co. employ Us

the tax revenues unity

from tbese areas are disproportionately the maintenance to improve

thus subsidizes

of .lUlls when :Ltmight the welfare

r..

sourc more conatructlvely

of its citizenso

54.
We already Halifax After well know enough about the blighted that considerable districts and slums of

to realize

slum clearance

will be required. dwellings, value, area. as be

that,

re-housing

in the form of modern of houses which have

multi-family some salvage These

as rehabilitation

should

undertaken

systematically

over a period

of yearl.

should not parks

only be replanned and playgrounds, ance with

for housing, schools, Plan.

but for through services

and local

traffic,

community

and utilitiea,

all in accord-

the Master

It i8 obvious can be undertaken elsewhere icient

that no large-scale without providing

slum clearance, temporary Future

nor rehabilitation accommodation reveal if a sufffor this

or permanent events will

for the dispossessed of Wartime

people.

number

Housing

Limited

units will be available to develop other

purpose.

If they are not,

it may be necessary

suitable All pre-

accommodations cautions from

in the early

stages of the redevelopment changes of this nature

program.

must be taken during

to keep

slum conditions

spreading. The greater part of the area between be considered location suitable the Citadel and North Street

cannot because

reasonably

for individual

home ownership, developed,

of its central provide

and high potential

value. Fully within

it would distance

thousands

of low rental apartments of emplofment.

a reasonable

of the major centres

550 The blighted slum blocks, district in the south endo apart from two very bad decay, but definitely and zoned so a8

is in a less advanced

state of physical studied,

on the downgrade. to arrest lends

It should be carefully and conserve

replanned

this decay

the values which house

are there. This area With a view to keepbounds, suitable commend of

itself logically

to apartment

development. its present

lng the adjoining ercial buildings Street

industrial

area within

should be planned

on lnglis Street between

and the southern

Barrington

to serve as a barrier areao

this proposed

redevelopment

area and the industrial There dents

is also a small area in the city known musto as soon as reasQnably housiI1& elsewhere. V " Ho)

as Africville. possibleo

The resi-

of this district minimum

be provided IV ,-,, ProD B

with decent

standard

(See Section

posal Fourteen,

also Section

The National butions ations towards engaging

lIousiI1&Acto

191~4o provides for direct federal contri"

long term loans to limited dividend corpor~

slum clearance;

in the construction

of low rental housing; companieso

and financial aid is contin-

assistance

to individuals

and private

Such federal

gent upon community

planning

and zoning in the areas affectedo of the housing spirited dividend required will call for maximum provincial and

The scope and character cooperative effort by public federal governments, limited

citizens, companies

municipal, and otherso

The City Council

should give leadership

in inaugurating

slum clearance

and re,housing program

that at least one project

may be launched

as 800n as possible.