Source: CBC News
Posted: Jan 11, 2016 6:00 AM AT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/shannon-park-rebuild-main-1.3393233?cmp=rss
Once a Mi'kmaq community, then a military community, the waterfront site is seeking its new identity
The Shannon Park neighbourhood of Dartmouth, N.S., has paved roads, dozens of apartment buildings, schools, churches and even a multi-purpose centre, all with gorgeous views of Halifax Harbour.
The only thing it doesn't have is people.
One day very soon, heavy equipment will roll onto the site along Halifax Harbour and begin one of the biggest reconstruction projects Nova Scotia has ever seen.
Shannon Park occupies nearly 40 hectares of prime real estate in one of Canada's great cities.
But the place is a mess.
In its prime, it was a thriving military community home to hundreds of people. Long before that, there was a Mi'kmaq settlement there called Turtle Grove, sometimes called Turtle Cove.
CBC Nova Scotia took an in-depth look at the area's past, present and future.
The last military families moved away 13 years ago.
Now, the apartment blocks sit empty with shattered windows. A chain-link fence keeps would-be visitors out.
All of that is about to change.
'A very enticing' piece of land
The mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Mike Savage, has called Shannon Park "a very enticing, useful, valuable" piece of land with "a multitude of potential uses."
In 2016, the abandoned buildings will disappear.
What comes next? That's where you come in. Community consultation has been underway for several months, and it's time to have your say.
- What will your grandchildren see when they walk along the waterfront?
- What can we afford to do?
- Is there anything we absolutely shouldn't do?
This week, CBC Nova Scotia is focusing on the past, the present and the potential futures of Shannon Park.
We're calling our project The Big Build
