Residents in the Tantallon and Hammonds Plains area of Halifax have been voicing concerns about access roads and emergency egress from the growing subdivisions ever since the devastating wildfires of 2023.
At the time, residents shared stories of being stuck in traffic trying to flee on Hammonds Plains Road, as the sky grew black with smoke.
The fire forced the evacuation of more than 16,000 people and ultimately destroyed over 150 structures.
Halifax Regional Municipality said this week that work will begin on the emergency exit from the community of Westwood Hills this month, and the municipality is also gathering public input on more connector roads.
It’s welcome news for Richard O’Fegan, the president of the Westwood Hills Residents Association.
“It’s good to see that some momentum has taken place. It’s good see some actions have taken place to support our commu-nity,” he said.
A staff report was commissioned by municipal councillors in the months after the 2023 wildfire, which recommended moving ahead with a new emergency-only connection between the Westwood Hills subdivision and nearby Highway 103.
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But O’Fegan says he has reservations about the placement of the road, and the fact that it will remain locked by a gate when there isn’t an emergency.
“It’s difficult for the community to be 100 per cent behind the placement of this and understand the positive impacts it’ll have if we do face a situation similar to what we did in 2023,” he said.
As part of the egress project, connector roads between the subdivision and Upper Hammonds Plains as well as Highland Park North are also being considered. The proposed plan states the purpose of these roads “would be to improve access and egress in case of emergencies, as well as to increase transportation network connectivity between these three communities.”
O’Fegan says he feels the placement of the connector roads could cause problems later on.
“All roads pointing to Hammonds Plains doesn’t really seem like the most effective strategy when you’re talking about 880 homes and more, (you’re) talking about a long-term care facility, you’re talking about neighbouring subdivisions,” said O’Fegan.
Debbie Miller, a member of the neighbourhood group Pockwock Corridor SAFE, says residents want to know if there will be more roads heading in the other direction that lead to Highway 101.
“This isn’t enough. This is maybe step one, depending on what their goals are. If their goal is to have more development without better planning, then that’s not going to work,” she said.
Residents will have the opportunity to share their thoughts during in-person engagement sessions or take part in an online survey.
The meetings will be held:
- Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Upper Hammonds Plains Community Centre, 711 Pockwock Road, Upper Hammonds Plains
- Thursday, Oct. 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Tantallon Public Library, 3646 Hammonds Plains Road, Upper Tantallon
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