When you think of Halifax, some things can immediately come to mind about the city: a vibrant bar scene, a congested seafront and a popular landscape for artists.
However, rapid growth and development resulted in high housing costs and a decreasing number of artistic sites, which has caused some to worry that the artistic community is exploded from the market.
“I think Halifax must examine another overview of Halifax’s design,” said Lil Macpherson, entrepreneur, former town hall candidate and environmental defender.
Macpherson, who is co -owner of wooden monkey restaurants in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth, says he is concerned about the cultural identity of Halifax – in particular when it comes to preserving heritage buildings.
“We really have to design a habitable and friendly and beautiful city and have a lot of taste because we cannot just build non-purpose buildings,” she said.
Its restaurants are filled with art – murals on the walls of local artists prints for sale. It also makes an effort to offer a scene for local live performances.
She hopes that all Halifax experience changes echo this kind of support for the arts.
“Either our young people will say:” What did you think? ” Or “Thank you, you thought”, she said.
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The mayor of Halifax, Andy Fillmore, who worked as a planner of the city, agrees that it is essential to protect the built heritage of Halifax and to give space so that the arts flourish.
“All this is important for me as mayor and important for our communities. As we grow, I will look to make sure that these things will be suitable,” he said.
But for some artists, growth and change have already made it difficult to stay in urban areas.
Audrey Eastwood, acting executive director of the Stop Theater bus theater cooperative, has first hand.
“I know artists who spend 60 to 70% of their income on the rent. They occupy several jobs to be able to do so, ”said Eastwood.
“The level of professional exhaustion, the rebellious of that – how can we continue to do this?”
Audrey Eastwood, acting executive director of The Bus Stop Theater, says that artists find it difficult to stay in the city.
Skye Bryden-Blue / Global News
The bus stop is a multi-purpose performance place on Gottingen Street, in the north of the city, and has been active since 2003. Eastwood says that the cooperative must divert around 150 days of rental per year because they do not have space to meet demand.
“There were about 10 other art spaces of similar size (available) in Halifax. All left,” she said.
“Either the owner no longer wanted to rent or increase the rent too high for these spaces to continue to exist where they were, or they were in places sold and which are now high -level developments.”
Although she says that artists like she want to stay in the city, it becomes too difficult. Eastwood herself moved outside the limits of Halifax after faced with arrow rental prices.
“Funding is difficult to obtain for the arts. There are no more sites to do. What is the draw in Halifax at that time if you cannot afford your rent? ” She said.
This is part 3 of our three -part series by examining development in Halifax and if we assess too many people. To see why some people disagree with all high -level projects, Read our first story here. The second episode, where we hear a developer, Can be found here.
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