CANS calls on HRM Council to stop advancing construction policy without consultation

DARTMOUTH, NS – The Construction Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) is raising serious concerns about Halifax Regional Council’s ongoing pattern of moving ahead with construction-related decisions without meaningful consultation with the organizations that represent industry and the people who build our city. Despite repeated outreach and efforts to engage early, major decisions continue to move forward without input from the construction industry.

When policy changes are made without clearly explaining the problem, considering what is realistic on active job sites, or talking to the people responsible for doing the work, the result is confusion, delays, and uncertainty. It adds pressure on municipal staff and pushes taxpayer dollars toward reactive report-writing instead of practical, timely solutions. It also deters much needed investment in our region as investors are attracted to municipalities that have clear and consistent rules, regulations, and bylaws. And it hurts our sector’s small businesses — companies rooted in the communities affected by these decisions — as unpredictable, last-minute policy shifts disrupt schedules and increase costs.

“We all want a safer, more accessible city. Our members live here too — raising families, commuting, and using the same streets and sidewalks as everyone else,” said Duncan Williams, President & CEO of CANS. “But Council keeps moving forward with surprise motions and policy changes without talking to us, even though we’ve repeatedly asked to work together. That approach creates delays and added costs — and those costs ultimately land on the public through higher housing costs and delayed projects.”

Most recently, a motion on maintaining active transportation routes during building construction was introduced immediately after Council adopted substantial amendments to the Construction Site Management Administrative Order. The motion advanced without prior engagement with the construction sector, even though these issues have been raised by industry for years.

Many of the concerns cited are not new. CANS and industry partners have long advocated practical improvements tied to universal accessibility and public safety, including hoarding practices, reducing the duration and footprint of street and crosswalk encroachments where feasible, and safer pedestrian routing around construction sites. Industry has repeatedly offered to work with HRM proactively to strengthen outcomes on the ground, but requests to meet have not been accepted.

Importantly, HRM already has tools designed to address these concerns: Construction Management Plans (CMPs). CMPs, developed through the permitting process, are intended to manage traffic, active transportation routing, accessibility, public safety, and right-of-way impacts on a site-specific basis. CANS helped write this framework several years ago, in collaboration with the HRM Council at the time, and has long called for its consistent use and enforcement.

“When CMPs are used properly — and the full toolbox is applied within existing laws — the principles raised in this motion can be addressed,” said Williams. “If there are gaps, we’re ready to sit down and fix them together.”

CANS is urging HRM to reconvene a joint industry–municipal working committee — a proven approach used in previous Council terms — to review CMP implementation, identify any genuine gaps, and resolve issues efficiently. This would support better outcomes for residents, respect staff capacity, and avoid duplication.

CANS is also urging the Province of Nova Scotia to review the Halifax Charter to make sure HRM’s governance structure works for a bigger, faster-growing city.

“We’re hearing from many developers who are reconsidering projects in HRM because the process is unpredictable, the rules are unclear, and there’s too much risk. That’s not good for families waiting for housing or for taxpayers who rely on growth,” said Williams. “HRM needs more housing and infrastructure delivered, not more uncertainty.”

CANS remains ready to collaborate immediately. We’re available to work together to solve problems and help deliver safe, accessible streets while keeping projects on track.

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The Construction Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) is the leading voice of the construction industry respected by members, government, industry, and the public. CANS represents 800 large and small companies throughout Atlantic Canada that build, renovate, and restore non-residential buildings, roads, bridges and other engineering projects. 

Media Contact:
Amanda Silliker
Director, Marketing and Communications
Construction Association of Nova Scotia
asilliker@cans.ns.ca
902-818-0835