Recently the Cities plan to add a bus lane on Robie street has come under fire from groups like Friends of the Commons. The groups assert that the money being spent is wasteful, destroys affordable housing, removes heritage, and just generally will ruin the city. The friends of the commons social media posts against the bus lane generate comments like this:
The assertion being made is that the properties being acquired by the city for the bus lane, will then be sold off at a discount to developers. (this is bunk, as the HRM Charter precludes below market sales). He believes that he subsides Robie Street with his property taxes, and suggests we follow the money.
A quick google resulted in me finding the posters address. This led me to his street, which consists of 7 properties. Those 7 properties in 2024 generated a total of $26,681.90 in tax revenue for the city. This works out to be $3800/property, but as you can see there is alot of variation in taxes paid on the street.
In 2005, HRM had a report produced that estimated servicing costs based on certain development types. For our purposes I split the difference between the Rural Commuter “B” and “H” patterns, for a servicing cost of $4000/lot in 2005 dollars. Using the Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator, the 2024 servicing cost is $6013/property.
So our commenters street consumes $42,091 in city services, but only paid for $26,681 of that, leaving a shortfall of $15,410 to be made up by other parts of the city.
Using the same report, and Urban Pattern “G”, the 2024 servicing cost is $2173 on Robie Street. the 10 properties Between Columbus and Merkel generated $47,059 in tax revenue, but only consumed $21,730 in city services, resulting in a surplus of $25,329, more then enough to cover the shortfall from our commenters street, and still leaving $9919 left over for something else. I should also note that these 10 properties account for 19 units of housing.
So contrary to the commenters belief that he was subsiding Robie street, he was a net burden on HRMs finances to the tune of $2201 in 2024. That is money came from the urban core of the city.
The Properties being acquired on Robie street collectively paid about $166,000 in tax in 2024. As these properties get redeveloped into more dense projects, tax revenue for the city will also increase. for comparison, The Residential building on the Corner of Robie and Cunard paid $150,000 in property taxes in 2024.
Canada needs more housing. One of the Items frequently cited in preventing housing from being built is a building code requirement that multi unit buildings over 2 stories have 2 sets of egress stairs. Urbanists claim this is an unnecessary requirement. The IAFF says single egress stairs (SES) “Put simply, lives will be endangered.” As an architectural historian, and a firefighter, I think I’m uniquely qualified to weigh in on this topic.
Please note that the thoughts and opinions here are my own, and do not reflect positions of anyone else, unless otherwise noted.
The General Argument for allowing single stair buildings generally covers these points:
Single stair buildings reduce construction costs
They allow for more ideal unit layouts, suitable for smaller lots
they are common in Europe
Seattle and NYC allow them
Fire safety can be achieved with mandatory sprinklers and pressurized stairwells.
Missing Middle Housing – bigger then Single Family, smaller then high-rise.
The argument is that the 2 egress stair requirement prevents the construction of missing middle housing. Missing middle housing refers to a range of medium density housing types, like duplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings, that fit within existing single-family neighbourhoods. The dual egress stair requirement specifically effects stacked townhouses and small apartment buildings, where a multi-unit building with a single stair could be built in a standard single family home lot; The use of a single stair enables larger units to be built with better layouts. Missing middle structures are typically 3 stories, with midrise being in the 4-6 story range.
The 2 stair requirement typically results in a built form with a double loaded hallway. that is there are units on both sides of the hall, and with the exception of the corner units, only offers windows on one end. this can lead to units that lack natural light, and poor natural ventilation. They result in larger buildings, which would not fit on single lot.
How we got here
In April 2022, Conrad Speckert of LGA Architectural Partners (based in Toronto, and maintainers of the Singlestair.ca and https://secondegress.ca/ sites) and David Hine of David Hine Engineering Inc. submitted the code change requests to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes to modify Part 3 – Single Egress for Multi-unit Residential Buildings up to 6 Storeys and Part 9 – Single egress for Multi-unit Residential Buildings up to 3 Storeys. the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes was established by the National Research Council to produce model building codes. Anyone can submit a proposed code change via a webform, The commission then evaluates the proposed changes for possible inclusion. It should be noted that this is the accepted and appropriate path for a code change to initiated.
In Nova Scotia, the Building Code Act regulations adopt the National Building Code of Canada 2020 with a errata and changes made prior to April 1 2023. Changes to that code can be made my the province, through regulations.
BC rapidly instituted a code change through regulation that took effect in August 2024 permitting single exit stair apartment buildings up to six stories as long as the following are met: occupancy load per floor limited to 24, travel distance to exit is limited, smoke management is included, sprinkler systems are installed, and increased fire inspections. The BC changes certainly sparked debate in Canada. The position of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs is that any changes to the NBC should go through the normal code adoption process, and that process should not be circumvented via alternate means to enable SES buildings. BC implemented the change very quickly, and both the BC Fire Chiefs, and firefighters association were concerned about safety. the Greater Vancouver fire chiefs indicated that they would be pressed to meet the response standards of NFPA 1710 to a six story SES building, among other concerns.
In a 2026 report to Halifax Council, it was pointed out that single stair buildings could be built now with approval of building officials through the NBC’s alternative compliance method, which allows builders to meet the goals of the building code through other methods. Approved single stair buildings in other provinces have been enabled this way, typically by shorting exit distances, including sprinklers where they would otherwise not be required, and increasing fire separation standards, beyond what would normally be required for a building that size. Several provinces have single stair buildings in excess of the NBC 2 floor height as a result of the alternative compliance mechanism in the NBC. Some examples of approved projects can be found at https://singlestair.ca/Pilot-Projects. Project pages there show plans and how alternative compliance was achieved.
The downside to alternative compliance is that it becomes regulatory red tape. there is not a rule, and the design becomes a negotiation with building officials. It enables missing middle housing, but not rapidly. This is why a change to the building code is the preferred solution.
The Seattle Special
The City of Seattle introduced what has become known as the Seattle special, a six story SES building in 1978. The goal was to encourage multi unit infill on smaller lots. It has been very successful, and the same rules were adopted by Honolulu in 2012. While the Seattle special is a compelling success story, isn’t even recommend to other cities by Seattle. The chief fire prevention officer, fire marshal, and building department have all spoken caution about the style being exported to other cities, and maintain that the only reason for their success with that style is because of their well funded fire service. The Seattle Fire department has ~900 operations members, in 33 stations, serving a population of 755,000. the department has a Budget (2025) of $327million USD
Firefighting and Life Safety Impacts
To understand why single egress stairs in large buildings are a bad idea, we need to understand how fire response occurs, as well as how a fire spreads.
When a fire starts, at some point the fire is detected, and someone is notified. from there the fire department is alerted, dispatched, and travel to the scene. In best case scenarios, this can take 5-6 minutes for the first due unit to arrive. The NFPA 1710 standard specifies the ideal response time and number of firefighters required to deal with an incident. Many departments fall short of this standard. With the increased use of synthetics in our houses, Fires can grow rapidly and explosively in minutes.
In the above video, the synthetic fire room flashed over in less time then the typical response time for a first arriving unit. Once that unit arrives, additional time is needed to reach the unit, setup equipment and begin to fight the fire.
The best data suggests that ~12% of fires occur in multi-residential buildings. This amounts to about 2400 fires per year across the country. 96% of these fires resulted in injury or death to occupants. In just over half of unintentional residential fire deaths (~179/year), the individual was age 70 and up. In 14% of unintentional residential fire deaths, there were mobility-related issues or cognitive impairments. these were people who needed to be found promptly and rescued by the fire department.
Modern multi-unit buildings are designed to contain a fire to a unit. This is why unit and stairwell doors have auto-closers on them, However there is no guarantee that these will work. People prop open doors, and auto-closers fail, or get disabled because they can be inconvenient. If a fire starts in a unit, and the door is left open, The hallway fills with smoke. If their is open access to stairwell, the stair becomes a chimney, rendering it impossible to use for residents above the fire floor. This also complicates firefighting efforts, as crews now need to climb a stairwell in an IDLH (Immediately dangerous to life and health) environment before they even get to the fire floor.
Firefighters stage in stairwells – they get clogged with hose and other equipment. this means it becomes harder for residents to egress.
A benefit cited by single stair proponents is improved ventilation in units. Given the above situation combined with increased airflow can lead to a wind driven fire. This turns a normal fire into a blast furnace, with much more rapid fire spread, and much higher heat, into the hallway and stairwell. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we should have poorly ventilated apartments for fire safety, but pointing out how the bad situation above can be made worse.
SES proponents argue these concerns can be addressed with sprinklers and pressurized stairwells. Both of these rely on mechanical systems, and both can fail. Pressurizing stairwells requires fans, and sprinklers rely on fire pumps, both those rely on electricity, the supply of which cannot be guaranteed in a fire. There have been numerous examples where sprinklers have failed to control a fire, or even activate when needed. problems with smoke alarms were reported in almost 9% of fires, while in 7.3%, automatic extinguishing equipment did not work because the fire was too small or other reasons. The 2022 Winters Hotel fire in Vancouver, B.C., where two people perished in a building equipped with a sprinkler and fire alarm system, shows that fire protection systems are not the sole enablers of safety
reliance on mechanical solutions required stepped up inspection regimes from cities.
A single stairwell constitutes a single point of failure. If that stairwell becomes unavailable, the workload for firefighters increases – they must find alternate means to access the fire, as well as alternate means to evacuate residents. Research of Canadian apartment building fires showed 9% originated in the means of egress hallways and stairwells and that smoke affected primary access routes in more than 42% of the fires. SES Proponents typically down play the risk, citing examples from buildings that exist, which have multiple sets of stairs.
Prompt response from the fire department, with sufficient aerial apparatus on scene is really the only way to mitigate risks from a single egress point. This means cites need to increase staffing and buy more equipment. But even this might not be enough, as the lots best suited for missing middle densification are also the most access constrained, in many cases only one side of the building can be properly accessed.
Canadians tend to build with wood. The NBC currently allows Lightweight timber frame construction up to 6 stories. There are many examples of these buildings in Halifax. Lightweight construction can burn. The Hanwell Drive fire in Middle Sackville is a good example. The fire separations enabled everyone to get out, however the sprinklered building lost much of its roof and top floor in the fire. This building has 2 stairwells, one of them remains intact.
Constructing SES buildings out of non combustible construction could be one way to reduce the risk. NYC allows SES buildings of up to 6 stories. Each story is limited to 2000sqft, and the building must be of non combustible concrete or steel construction. The structure of concrete buildings wont burn, which greatly reduces the risk of structural failure in fire. The downside is that it requires specialized skill to construct and is more expensive, negating some of the benefits of SES construction. Many other jurisdictions which allow much larger SES buildings primarily build with non-combustible construction.
The Grenfell tower fire in London, England was certainly made worse by the existence of only one stairwell. it became clogged with firefighting equipment, and also became a chimney. Grenfell tower was a 24 story building of non-combustible construction, though it lacked sprinklers, adaquite fire alarms, and was wrapped in a flammable foam cladding. That fire serves as a reminder that safety is achieved through multiple complementary approaches, and simply doing away with a requirement for a second egress stair is not a viable solution.
Micro Mobility
A recent trend in residential fires is with micromobility devices – e-bikes and e-scooters. Their use has them typically stored in the entry areas of buildings and units. When a Lithium ion battery fails, it releases toxic gasses and jets of flame. There have been several fire deaths reported in various cities when a mobility device caught fire and impeded escape. There have been mobility device fires in units in Halifax. A single egress point compromised by a mobility device can be a serious danger and hazard to residents.
Conclusions
There probably is room to relax the Canadian national building codes 2 story rule. The International building code, used in much of the US allows for single egress stairs in building up to 3 stories, with 4 units per floor. Even the IAFF and IAFC, who strongly oppose increasing the permitted building height state that it unsafe in buildings over 3 stories. The National Fire Protection Association Life safety code, NFPA 101, allows for 4 stories. Both codes require alternate measures, including limited length of exits, and inclusion of sprinklers.
Given the positions of the IAFF, IAFC, and NFPA, changing the NBC to allow 3 stories SES should be fairly uncontroversial. Adoption of the 4 story NFPA guidance should be considered more carefully
The NFPA publishes consensus standards. they form committees made up of experts on all sides, and the stuff they all agree upon makes it into the standard. Its not a perfect system, but its a credible process that generates sound recommendations. In the Fall of 2024, the NFPA held a SES Symposium, which resulted in a report, attached below.
Code changes for larger buildings should go through the normal code adoption process, to ensure the science behind it is sound. The leap from 3/4 stories to adoption of the Seattle Special requires more consideration, and larger investment in the fire department. Once buildings get above 6 stories, you are no longer dealing with missing middle housing, and the justifications for SES become suspect, and were beyond the scope of the 2022 Code Change request.
This report was produced by Len Garis, retired Surrey BC Fire Chief , and professor with the University of the Fraser Valley to look at what data can tell us. it is the source for many of the statistics in this post.
In the debate around housing policy, we constantly hear that we need to build up, as thats the only solution to getting the number of units Halifax needs. This is bad thinking for a number of reasons ill get to later, but its also historically wrong.
Halifax Peninsula’s population grew to a high of 93,301 in 1956, and has yet to regain that population, despite years of flat out building. The peninsula was more densely populated in the 1950’s then it is now, and there were no highrises then.
Thanks to the way the census is conducted, we can see the change in population for a geographic area. in the Census data.
The Peninsula’s population grew to a high of 93,301 in 1956, when the Dominion Public Building was the tallest in Halifax, and decreased thereafter, reaching a low of 59,943 in 1996, and roughly equal to the population in 1931. In 2016, the population was 63,210 people. By 2021, the population increased to 72,169 people–an increase of 14.1% from 2016.
So Why the dramatic collapse between 1961 and 1981? The National Housing Act of 1954 enabled federal money via CMHC properties to redevelop properties for their highest and best use, including commercial uses. This was a big difference over previous versions of the act, which only allowed clearance of slum housing to make way for new housing.
It was in partnership with CHMC, that the city undertook Stephenson’s 1957 redevelopment study for Halifax. The partnership was further enhanced by the fact the city’s Development Officer, Robert B. Grant, was a former CMHC official.
In the 1957 Report, Stephenson uses a number of metrics to argue an area is a slum and suggest its redevelopment. His report Identifies several areas with a combined population of 6480 people to be cleared, and proposes new developments to accommodate only 5600. of course, all those people will need to be displaced to enable clearance. as projects were proposed, additional lands were cleared for them, displacing even more people.
Stevenson proposed several developments on unused land, What is now Romans Ave/Chisholm; The Rockhead prison lands, around Leads st; Mulgrave park; and Uniack Square. None of these when completed housed the proposed number of residents.
Council minutes from the 1960’s are full of approvals for property expropriations. The population drop between 1956 and 1966 can be entirely attributed to slum clearance, and residents moving to the more suburban parts of the city – Clayton park and Rockingham areas saw significant growth in the early 1960’s, my house for example was built in 1964. In 1969, the City of Halifax annexed Spryfield, as well as Armdale, Clayton Park, Fairview, and Rockingham, expanding off the Peninsula, and giving it its first true suburbs.
Areas that were cleared now house the Metro Centre complex, Centennial Pool, Police Station, Scotia Square and Brunswick place, The Ocean Towers, The Cogswell lands, Uniack square. the vacant land Between Barrington street and the dockyard, South of North Street.
The First proper tall building in Halifax, the 15 story Tupper building that houses the medical school at Dalhousie opened in 1967, Taking the height crown from The Dominion Public Building. Park Vic at 21 stories, opened in 1969.
This site attempts to explain why Halifax is the way it is. As you read through the Modernizing Halifax section, you should be able to see the results of decisions made in the cites best interest 50 years ago. While we dont address it directly here, similar thinking was happening in Dartmouth.
All this to say, we can build a more dense city without every new build needing to be a tower. Housing options are important, and we need more housing of all types of units. Smaller buildings let different developers get into the game, and that leads to more units faster.
Halifax is in the midst of a housing crisis. Rents are rising and people are living in tents in parks.
Halifax for the last several years has been undergoing a bit of a building boom. But its also experienced massive population growth over the same period. Since 2015, Nova Scotia has seen strong In migration from other parts of Canada.
We have also had strong population growth from Immigration, and have also gotten younger as a province, But housing starts have basically remained flat. Neil Lovitt, VP Planning & Economic Intelligence at Turner Drake & Partners, tweeted the graph below which nicely illustrates the issue. Neil figures we have a deficit of close to 30000 units.
People camping in parks is generally a bad option overall, but when its the best option they have, and the city seems to be able to take any meaningful action to deal with the problem, other than turning to the cops on them to remove them we have a right to be upset.
People have been claiming that the camps have been scenes of assault, drug use, public urination,the camps are littered with garbage, and that the shelters are unsafe since one suffered a fire.
Proper houses catch fire too.. Crimes also take place in proper houses, they house residents that make the neighbours cranky, and some proper houses are even unsightly and filled with garbage.
all the “complaints” people have about those in temporary shelters apply equally to all forms of shelter in this city.
if conditions are bad in the camps, understand its because the city chose not to provide the services to those citizens that it provides to folks who own or rent homes. if garbage collection stopped, your neighbourhood would be gross too. just go google photos of the last Toronto garbage strike. a dumpster and a portapotty would cost the city almost nothing, and would go along way to make the lives of residents better.
The strange thing, is the city has a proud history of Camping on the Commons, and Erecting Emergency Shelters on public lands.
Just over 100 years ago the north end was flattened instantly by an explosion, and most of the community was instantly killed or rendered homeless. The survivors were forced to seek shelter in public buildings, moved in with family and friends, or else sheltered into tents raised on the Halifax Commons.
Military reports of the relief efforts immediately following the explosion detail the following taskings:
Lieut. G.B. Isnor spent the first 36 hours after the explosion driving his car, assisting in the search for places to house the homeless, conveying nurses and doctors from the Terminals to the Hospitals, and helping with the distribution of emergency blankets clothing, etc
Lieut. L.G. Esther, on the 6th, ordered to assist in putting up tents on the Common. Relieved at midnight
Lieut. O. R. Crowell, … Spent evening till 10.00.p.m. conveying oil to tents on Common. On the 7th, assisted in boarding up Union Jack Club building for shelter.
The Tents were only temporary, and by January, more permanent temporary housing was under construction. The photos below form the Archives are dated Jan 26/18, less then 2 months after the explosion. the first shows the Gov. McCall Apartments built on the Provencal Exhibition Grounds (which were bounded by Young, Robie, Almon and Windsor streets)
This second set of buildings also housed the Halifax Relief commission, and were built on the Garrison Grounds. These buildings were basically constructed of timber and tar paper. These replaced the tents, and lasted until the hydrostone, and other more permanent accomidation could be constructed.
In the second world war, what is now Mulgrave park was known as Manning Pool. The site began as a large estate in the north end. It was destroyed in the Halifax Explosion and sat as vacant land until it was developed by wartime housing authorities for military use. In 1941, Manning Pool was built on the site. At the end of hostilities, when Wartime Housing was transformed into CMHC, the site became available for further development.
Apartments under construction at Manning Pool. The building is constructed on simple wooden posts. These would eventually be coverd with a plywood facing. The single family homes were also constructed on wood posts.
Wartime housing was able to quickly provide homes for service members and their families. The houses IIRC were prefab, and assembled on site. Constructed of basic Wood, they provided suitable, but temporary shelter. you can see the edges of the plywood in the photos. they were simply painted.
So what lesson do these wartime examples have for today?
In the middle of wartime supply shortages we manged to provide quality emergency housing to deal with homelessness in the first world war . During the second world war, facing rapid population growth due to the influx of service men, we were able to quickly build emergency housing.
Apparently now, with our economy once again booming, we have forgotten how to do what we have done twice in the past.
The railway station in Amherst is facing an uncertain future. Still owned by VIA, it was closed in 2012 when The Ocean went to 3 days a week. The train still stops; however, the train crew handles customer service.
There were plans for the town to operate an artisan market in the station, but pipes burst last winter, causing $200,000 in damage. VIA is looking to sell the station to the town, but the town requires a use for it.
The Intercolonial Railway (ICR) opened its line from Truro to Moncton on 9 November 1872. Initially the ICR served Amherst passengers from a station constructed of wood on the same site as the present-day structure. The present structure was opened on 31 August 1908 and is constructed of local red sandstone.
Several minor modifications have been undertaken to the structure in recent decades, including removing the south wing in 1975, replacing the bottom exterior stone in 1991 with stone from the Roman Catholic Church once located on Prince Arthur Street, and in 1992 new metal exterior doors were installed.
Amherst Station is protected under the federal Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act.The act responded to long-standing and widespread concern that Canada’s heritage railway stations were not being afforded an adequate level of protection. The initiative of a private Member of Parliament, the Act received support from all parties.
Since 1990, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada has evaluated almost 300 railway stations, more than half of which were designated heritage railway stations. To be considered, a railway station must be owned by a railway company subject to Part III of the Canada Transportation Act; and be more than 40 years old.
The Halifax Infants Home, now known as Bethany House, is located at 980 Tower Road, on the corner of Inglis St. It was built to accommodate the Halifax Infants Home (from 1900 – 1959) and subsequently sold to the Salvation Army, who ran it as the Bethany Home for unwed mothers and their children (from 1960 – 1998). The house was purchased by Saint Mary’s University in 1998, the building has accommodated educational uses.
It was designed by J. C. Dumaresq for the Infants Home, and replaced an older structure on the site. Done in the Second Empire Style, the Home features unique tower like features along the Inglis Street facade.
(Above) Article pre-construction, Halifax Morning chronicle, June 19 1899, Incidentally, the Ball they mention was held in the (then) brand New Halifax Drill Hall
Interestingly, this new home, replaced Belvidere House, also located on this site. At the time, Heritage advocates were arguing in favor of Saving Belvidere House, for its historical status as one of the oldest buildings in Halifax. It was demolished due to wear and needed repairs.
The Nova Scotia Infants Home came down on June 27, 2014. Apparently the HTNS was notified of this by on June 24, and a Facebook post was made on the 25th on a group to save the building. No time lines were given by SMU for demolition, however it seems that the date was chosen – a Friday before a long weekend, a, nice quiet time when no one would notice.
a plaque now commemorates the building, affixed to a fence in a field.
The Tramway Building was built in 1916, after a fire destroyed the previous building on the site. It is named Tramway, after its tenant, the Halifax Electric Tramway Company, Which operated Halifax’s streetcars until they were converted to trolley coaches in 1949. The 2 Storefronts are original to the building, Housing Tip Top tailors 1921-41 until they moved next door, and then Chas brown Furriers from 1942- 1983.
Designed by Andrew Cobb, in a Modern Neo-Gothic Style. It was one of the first all concrete buildings in Halifax (The first being the 1903 A.M. Bell Building on Granville St.) Cobb studied at Acadia , MIT and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and Setup Shop in Halifax in 1909. He also worked as a partner with S.P Dumerasq. Cobb had his office in Tramway from 1938 until his death in 1943.
The building features a clear hierarchy of forms, separated by wide concrete banding, which separates the Retail street level from the second floor, and again form the second floor to the roof line. Octagonal turrets line the top of the building, though the Barrington street ones have been removed due to their poor condition.
It was reported today that Starfish Properties recently completed Construction on 1592 Barrington Street. Located between the Khyber Building, and the Tramway building, This site was probably better known as the CD Plus building – Named for its last Tenant.
We know that a 1915 fire destroyed everything between khyber and barrington/Sackville Streets. (Even this is odd, as HRM heritage documentation states the fire was between the Khyber building and Blowers, though those structures still survive and date to the 1880’s)
Tiptop was housed in the Tramway building 1921-41. Its thought the site was originally the rear entrance for Reardon’s store on Argyle. The photo left, is Dated 1950’s however it shows the site as a 1 story building with tiptop Occupying it.
therefore this must have been taken between 1941-and 1951. HRM Assumes that the building was renovated in 1941/42 when tiptop moved, however HTNS created a presentation which features an ad for the grand opening, From the October 10 1951 Herald Newspaper.
The Store was Designed in 1951 By Allan Duffus, who was inspired by Modern art of the time, resulting in a geometric facade. Faced with granite, and a Large Light up Sign where i/o would alternate in Tip Top, the fenestration offered lots of display space to the street.
Compare the Above rendering to a more recent Pre-demolition photo. The facade is largely intact, although poor maintenance, material choices in subsequent renovations and signage have marred it since tip top vacated the property in 1980.
B 
