April 14, 2004
By Alex J.Walling

Maybe we’ve become too spoiled, too smug or too complacent. Over the past 25 years we’ve seen Halifax grow from a place that most of Canada didn’t know existed to one of the most sought places to live in our country.

We’ve seen this city become known across this country as more than a neighborhood of Postcard Pretty Peggy’s Cove as for years that is the impression that ‘the east’ conveyed.

Thanks to social and sporting events Halifax became a player on both the national and international scene.

The first of what I call the major exposure of Halifax, over a continued amount of time, took place in 1990 when for ten days we hosted the World Figure Skating championship.

It’s one thing to get a few moments in a single event be it a parade, Mardi Gras or sporting match. It’s another to get days and days of free world wide advertising from many networks who are beaming back the sights and sounds of Halifax to an audience on many continents.

That is what the figure skating run of the early 90’s did.

Then we really hit the big time with the G7 in 1995 as the world leaders and their media contingents (i.e. Wolf Blitzer, CNN and the big USA network boys) hit town and did their reports and in some cases their major newscasts from the banks and shores of the area. The images of the event, the ocean front, the quaint villages and lifestyles were shown for millions to see but the big winner was the City of Halifax and its downtown.

Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton walking through our streets (the last friendly summit) did wonders for this city.

Over the last decade and a half we’ve held big events from the first two (and very successful) Moosehead Grand Prix races that again garnered tons of exposure to many other gatherings that have set the eyes of the camera on Downtown Halifax. Can you say ‘Tall Ships” of a few years ago where the National News was hosted by Peter Mansbridge from the Waterfront? And this may occur again this summer.

The World Juniors and the recently held World Women’s just added to the prestige that Halifax gathered.

Halifax is one of the few cities, and I’m referring to the downtown area, that is vibrant in this country. Many downtowns are ghost towns (Regina comes to mind) or certainly are not what one would describe as alive.

We are and should be thankful (look at downtown Dartmouth, not exactly brimming with activity.)

Halifax started that downtown growth in the early 70’s when the most vilified premier, Gerald Regan, invested in the waterfront, Scotia Square and by the end of the decade had invested in the Metro Centre being placed at the current location and not in Burnside or some God forsaken place.

Our down town is growing but yet it seems we have to fight for this growth. There are those who, regardless of proposals, don’t want to see business and prosperity continue or are against it, why?

I refer to the recent proposal of developer Ralph Medjuk who wants to spend some 75-million dollars of change to build a complex on Lower Water Street next to the current Bishop’s Landing. And, this complex, God forbid, dares to have a Tower as part of the plans.

Thank God that open line radio shows are, as a rule, not reflective of public opinion. I say that gingerly because a decent acquaintance of mine, Rick (Hotline) Howe does a good job with the program on 920 CJCH.

But, and this has been mentioned before, while Howe is good and getting better as a ‘defecation disturber’ he is a conduit for the nattering nabobs of negativism (thank you Spiro Agnew for that saying) that permeate his hotline airwaves.

Most of the callers who ‘don’t want a tower’ or ‘don’t want to see anything down there (waterfront) have probably not been downtown in years.

If you want to hear the constant chattering and complaining of a good idea then tune in as ‘It’s time to knock development and prosperity time on the program’.

So many cities would love to be alive. So many would like to have developers even consider spending one single million dollars on a downtown project and would be thankful.

But here in Halifax we’ve become the fat cats of the east.

“We don’t need a tower like Toronto,” one guy tells the hotline host who agrees!

He not only agrees but almost spurs the debate in that direction.

Excuse Mr. Hotline Howe, I thought you were a moderator. If that has changed then perhaps you can offer equal time to the other group who wants progress and increased business and a Tower downtown. Howe seems to be hell-bent against business, big business and anyone not for the NDP.

Howe and his coterie of cacophonic callers want to ‘preserve our historical look’. Boy that sounds good but what does it mean?

The last time I heard a great and meaningless phrase was when CHCN the Cole Harbour radio station signed on air three years this June 21st to ‘bridge the gaps and strengthen the community”.

What did that mean and more importantly how does one implement that on radio?

No one knew what it meant and the station folded more than year ago.

There is a collection of callers on this show who will knock just about everything and that is all I hear.

I’m sure it’s time for one of those not so accurate polls that are conducted and believe me they are not accurate 19/20 times.

Let’s see, the last one had the Nova Scotia Party winning the election. Sure they will.

Did the party win even a seat?

Did they even get 1% of the vote?

But if you believe the Hotline it is gospel and the Nova Scotia Party was preparing to take over. And that’s the problem with this kind of topic on this kind of program as most business people cannot listen to a radio talk show as they are too busy either doing business or being in business so one gets a disproportionate amount of the negative reaction on such issues.

My answer is simple. If you don’t like the downtown development then either don’t come or stick to an area you like but don’t try to tell people when and how to invest their time and money and that is what too many are doing.

Downtown development means jobs and since when are we against that? Or would this group rather go picketing at province house, moaning, bitching and complaining about their wages.

As a former open line host I really believe that such programs are useful, ‘most of the time’ and in some certain circumstances they really can be helpful and Howe has done a terrific job especially when he brings in guests to info, educate and once in a while entertain.

But, (as “I hear what you are saying, but”) when he has these ‘open shows’ it is simply an opportunity to moan, groan bitch and blast, criticize and complain. These days big business is the one on the receiving end and I don’t think that is fair.

Tune in this week and this is what you will get.

Don’t want expansion downtown.

Don’t want a toll highway even though it won’t cost the taxpayer a cent and if you don’t want to use it then don’t.

Don’t want Sunday shopping (always an old favourite)

Don’t want this and don’t want that.

Instead of complaining about the waterfront development why not give some input.

“I don’t think it should be built,” is not input but a sad if not sickly and sordid, shameful commentary from an adult.

“I think the downtown is fine as it is,” is as juvenile of a statement that can be made by people who rarely, other than the Saturday morning market, ever show up in this location.

And to those who think every building should look like the Farmer’s Market (Keith Brewery) someone has to tell them to wake up and those designs are not feasible in 2004.

If you want that kind of design then find a ‘time capsule’ and set it for the 1800’s. Next you’ll be asking for a horse and buggy.

Yes, Keith Brewery does look great but it is the only one of its kind. The Morse Tea Bag building is not practical and looks terrible as it is falling and decapitating in front of us. Thank god the other buildings which were outdated got replaced by some banks and Founders Square.

I suppose that wasn’t a good move.

They weren’t historical they were eyesores.

First of all the waterfront Medjuk development has very little room it is not an ‘urban sprawl’. Medjuk should be commended for having all he has on what amounts to a large parking lot.

I keep hearing ‘we want green space’. My answer is take a drive and a few miles out of Halifax is all the green space you want. Or sit in your backyard but don’t prevent business from progressing.

If you haven’t notice people want to live in downtown Halifax be it Bishop’s Landing, or one of many apartments/condos built in the area over the past five years.

Superstore invested millions for their place near the rail station. Sobey’s expanded up the street. People want to move to downtown Halifax and should be railed by the ‘purist’ amongst us, politically correct or not.

As for the Tower, the main complaint is ‘It looks like the one in Toronto!”

Duh!

If they were built in the last fifty years then they all look like Toronto. Toronto, Calgary, Niagara Falls look alike because it is the best way to build it. When you don’t have much land that is the accepted design for a tower structure.

What do you want a replica of the Eiffel Tower?

What a great idea a Tower overlooking the Ocean? We again forget that most people are not near the ocean or water.

Ever spend any time on the Prairies? The small Sackville River is considered big compared to the ‘waterways of the west’. I spent a year in Saskatchewan and never saw water. So a Tower overlooking an island and the gateway to Europe would be great.

Make it as high as one can, and put in a revolving restaurant and it will be not only the tourist attraction but a year round drawing card. Is there anything wrong with that?

All it will do is employ 30-50 people and maybe more? Many 100.

Some are mad that Bishops Landing happened, again why? I have a very small business in that area and we employ many students and it adds to the Waterfront.

We already have one of the longest boardwalks in this country what is wrong is trying to improve it. What is wrong with having the best waterfront in this country?

The more there is to do downtown the better it is for all.

What would you prefer? A run down, dilapidated, former shell of itself place with rustic buildings that were falling apart? Or a downtown that is thriving like Halifax? That is what is happening in many American cities such as Pittsburgh or to the many who travel to Maine you can see those ‘dingy, no one comes downtown anymore looks’ in so many places.

Yes some of those places (Portland, ME) looks as time has stopped in the 50’s. It has, and their civic officials would love to have a Ralph Medjuk to bring it back.

As for the ‘look’ of any proposal one will never get a consensus. At no time would the ‘circle of doom and gloom’ of the hotline show ever agree. Someone will always complain. To them I say take a chill pill, watch your soap operas, and phone the ‘Hotline’.

For just once I would like Howe to have a show on ‘how to better Halifax’ instead of complaining about it?

Would there be any positive callers?

Would it be too taxing on those who live to nag and complain?

Build it Ralph Medjuk and build it high. Have lofty goals and don’t let the naysayers stop the progress.