Nova ScotiaThe Nova Scotia government has brought in sweeping development changes for Halifax, but opposition parties say the move takes away Halifax Regional Municipality’s power to make its own planning decisions.Opposition leaders say move takes planning power from municipalityHaley Ryan · CBC News · Posted: Oct 04, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 4The provincial government has brought in sweeping development changes for Halifax, but opposition parties say the move takes away the municipality’s power to make its own planning decisions. (Robert Guertin/CBC)The Nova Scotia government has brought in sweeping development changes for Halifax, saying they are needed to make sure housing projects continue.But opposition parties say the move takes away Halifax Regional Municipality’s power to make its own planning decisions, and only prioritizes what developers want.On Friday, Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr announced he had designated the entire Halifax municipality as an interim planning area, allowing the province to bring in certain planning requirements and housing changes immediately.The changes are mostly minimum planning rules the province told Halifax to create last year, including removing bedroom-mix requirements in new buildings, and allowing new models like shipping containers in all residential areas.Halifax built those requirements into the larger regional plan to guide growth in the city, but the province rejected the entire plan in August. Lohr said at the time certain environmental rules in the plan would stall development.Lohr said Friday he knows that rejection has delayed various housing projects.”There were important things in that [regional plan] and we need those things to go forward,” Lohr told reporters at Province House.”Housing is still a very big issue in our province … so creating this interim planning area is to see projects, and growth and development, still continue.”The province also moved ahead the planning process for nine new suburban growth sites, where major development is expected. Most of those sites, like Mill Cove in Bedford or on Lacewood Drive and Dunbrack Street, were already part of Halifax’s long-term suburban planning process.A staff report will come before Halifax regional council on Tuesday that lays out a new period of public consultation for the regional plan, lasting through Oct. 24. An amended regional plan is expected to come back to council in December. (Robert Short/CBC)But NDP Leader Claudia Chender said this was a “top-down” move from a provincial government that has stepped into Halifax planning jurisdiction multiple times. She also said the announcement does not come with infrastructure plans to support the new development, like improved transit, wastewater or schools.”You can’t trash a regional plan for a municipality of half a million people and then expect things to continue … that’s not how things work,” Chender said.”Why would anyone run for council? Think about all the work that goes into these plans, work that doesn’t just take into account the needs of developers and their bottom line.”With this move, interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said, it appears the provincial government “gave themselves special mayor powers” that were considered for Halifax.”This has been a conversation that has been an ongoing, really, conflict with council … we have seen it multiple times, the relationship deteriorating,” Mombourquette said.But Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore said Friday this was a “very welcome move” to bring in rules that will keep projects moving along. When asked about the opposition’s concerns that developers are driving the province’s changes and the move takes away Halifax’s planning powers, Fillmore said that was a “very cynical view” driven by politics on the final day of the fall legislative session.”Most residents don’t care whether it’s the municipal government or the provincial government that’s helping to get their home built,” Fillmore told reporters outside city hall.The mayor said Friday’s announcement was “not a surprise” because provincial and municipal planning staff had been working closely together for weeks following the rejection of the regional plan.When asked if this would be a surprise for his council colleagues, Fillmore said, “It’s possible, I don’t know.”CBC confirmed with multiple councillors that they only learned about the changes Friday.A staff report will come before regional council Tuesday that lays out a new period of public consultation for the regional plan, lasting through Oct. 24.An amended regional plan is expected to come back to council in December.ABOUT THE AUTHORHaley Ryan is the municipal affairs reporter for CBC covering mainland Nova Scotia. Got a story idea? Send an email to haley.ryan@cbc.ca, or reach out on Twitter @hkryan17.
N.S. brings in Halifax development changes it originally told city to pass
