For Immediate Release

January 12, 2012

Imagine Bloomfield Urges HRM to Follow Community Based Process

The recent controversy surrounding the Halifax Regional Municipality’s abandonment of fair process concerning the St. Pat’s Alexandra School site highlights the need for the various North End communities to learn from experience and work together to ensure that community consultation continues to build the community we all believe will make Halifax the best city it can be.

Halifax’s North End is poised for unprecedented growth. The need for appropriate planning and consideration of community needs has never been greater.

In 2004, HRM began a review of the repurposed Bloomfield School, which housed 54 tenants, many of which provided front line services for HRM residents.

“At that time, the purpose of the review, from the community and tenant’s perspective was to close the centre and put the property up for sale, ” says Susanna Fuller, Co-Chair of Imagine Bloomfield and neighbourhood resident. “Tenants and community members got together to come up with an alternative plan.”

Schools are often the basis of community, and indeed the place where children first learn about creating community and a sense of belonging, outside the environment created by immediate family.

“HRM clearly made a mistake in not following a community based process in the sale of St. Pat’s School,” says Ron Skibbens of Imagine Bloomfield and neighbourhood resident. “We hoped that all the work we have put in to come up with an alternative to a ‘traditional’ sale for development would have created a precedent that HRM could follow in dealing with similar situations.

“To do anything less than meaningfully consult the community about the future of St. Pat’s Alexandra School greatly undermines the essential work and capacity these organizations offer the North End, “ says Fuller.

After eight years of community advocacy and HRM processes, the Bloomfield School site is scheduled to go to RFP by the end of April.