The Logic of Cancer:
One more metaphor for the record and the road to get this substack page going before we get on to election info.
The decision comes a day after dozens of residents went to City Hall, following up on letters, emails, and petitions sent by thousands, to raise concerns about the consequences of going ahead with the cancerous changes. They include zoning changes that pave the way for more 40-storey towers, for up to eight units on properties in the majority of residential areas in the city centre. They also allow for buildings up to nine stories on major transit routes.
Is this how you imagined our seaside town? Do you know anyone who grew up dreaming of paying all the money they could ever earn to live in a poorly drywalled box in the sky?
Do you worry government got it wrong? I do.
Do you think anyone would be responsible if they did?
Speaking to news media after the vote, the few councilors willing to comment to the last of the legacy media left standing seemed more lost than anything.
"What we're doing is not destroying our city. It is actually creating opportunity for more people to be part of our city. Sure, there's going to be growing pains, but that's with anything," said Coun. Lindell Smith of Halifax Peninsula North.
Coun. Pam Lovelace said she sympathizes with those frustrated about lack of consultation but said the city was put in a corner.
“We’re under the gun. We have a deadline that needs to be met, we’re in a housing crisis and we need more attainable housing.”
Councilor Mason recognized his downtown district was overrepresented in the parade of people saying council was going in the wrong direction. It’s not surprising. The downtown districts already have the highest population density east of Montreal and they are also the ones most heavily targeted for more growth. No discussion has ever been shared about what the right population density is to have the kind of city that works well. There’s only one word repeated endlessly - GROWTH. Though none of the current councilors could really explain in a fact-based or comparative way why we must endlessly grow.
Of course, it’s a corner of our own making.
More councilors did express concern over the pace at which the changes have been developed. The federal funding is contingent on the changes being in place by July 1.
"There's definitely concern on my part that this is being rushed," said Coun. Patty Cuttell of Spryfield-Sambro Loop-Prospect Road.
"This idea that we're kind of under the gun, I think that further diminishes public trust in what we do here."
A third of the councilors who committed to this hair-brained scheme aren’t even running for office in the next election. But it wouldn’t matter. Our shell game system of government is organized such that no one is accountable. The guilt is divided up into small forgettable pieces such that no one, even in their darkest moments, will ever feel responsible for what they’ve done. And by responsible I don’t mean in the moral sense, which is meaningless these days, I mean that they simply won’t be able to be held legally liable for the decisions they’ve made – the new low bar of humanity.
In many ways, this approach mirrors the logic of cancer: an entity growing uncontrollably, consuming resources, and ultimately threatening the very system that sustains it. Just as cancer cells proliferate without regard for the well-being of the host, Halifax's growth strategy risks eroding the city's unique character and livability – the commonwealth that the land speculators and tax-consumers at city hall live on.
The Unseen Consequences
Cancer thrives by prioritizing relentless expansion over purpose, harmony and balance, a process that devastates healthy tissues and organs. Similarly, Halifax's rapid development is consuming the city's infrastructure and natural resources at an unsustainable rate.
This entire problem, along with the inflation and resource strain it caused is a self-inflicted would. Over 100% of the ‘growth’ we are dealing with is accounted for by official immigration numbers. And that’s only part of the story. Recent independent reports have revealed that the number of student immigrants in Canada is likely undercounted by more than a million – and likely have an outsized unaccounted impact on a university heavy town like Halifax. The influx of new residents, driven by aggressive immigration policies and money made university administrations, has overwhelmed public services, healthcare, housing, and transport systems. This strain not only affects long-time residents but also the innocent newcomers, who, hoping for better lives, find themselves in a city struggling to accommodate its own growth.
Quality of Life: A Deteriorating Fabric
Much like cancer disrupts the body's normal functions, Halifax's uncontrolled expansion disrupts the daily lives of its citizens. The once quiet streets, cherished for their peace and ease, are now busted - bustling with traffic and noise. The charm of easy parking and scenic views is being replaced by congestion and brutalist, poor quality, high-rise buildings that fulfill no one’s dream. The city's historical and cultural fabric, which gave it a distinctive small city/big town vibe, is fraying under the pressure of relentless development.
A Deeper Disease
The cancer analogy extends to the socio-economic impacts of Halifax's growth. Just as cancer cells ignore the body's regulatory signals, the city's development ignores the social signals of distress and discontent. Rising living costs, inflated housing prices, homelessness, and overburdened healthcare and social services indicate a system in crisis. The exploitation of international students and immigrants for cheap labor mirrors the unchecked proliferation of cancer cells, where immediate survival trumps long-term health.
Towards a Sustainable Future
The unchecked growth of cancer ultimately leads to the demise of the host. Halifax must heed this biological lesson. Sustainable development, like a balanced cellular system, requires regulation, foresight, and respect for limits. It demands a shift from quantity to quality, ensuring that growth enhances rather than diminishes the city's character and livability.
Halifax must embrace a vision of growth that prioritizes the well-being of its residents and the preservation of its unique culture and heritage. This means investing in infrastructure, healthcare, and social services that support a balanced population. It means developing housing that is affordable, sustainable, and in harmony with the city's identity, of which we all must have a clear shared vision. And it means fostering a community where every resident, new or old, can thrive.
Growth with Purpose
It’s not too late. It’s time to stop and start again with a new plan, a new healthy vision. As Halifax navigates its future, it must avoid the cancerous logic of unchecked growth. The city’s leaders and residents need to start over and work together to create a blueprint for development that respects the natural and social environment, ensuring that Halifax remains a place of beauty, history, and community. Only by embracing sensible, sustainable growth can Halifax avoid the fate of becoming a victim of its own success, preserving the qualities that make it a truly special place to live.
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