Halifax councillors expected to choose Lucasville community boundary in December

A municipal staff report on the boundary of the Halifax community of Lucasville has been completed and councillors are expected to discuss it at a Halifax Regional Council meeting next month.

Once the boundary is pinpointed the community can get long-awaited welcome signs, according to the Halifax government.

“I’ve lived here for 40 years, and I’ve never seen a sign saying, ‘Welcome to Lucasville,'” Iris Drummond, chair of the Lucasville Community Association, said on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Much-delayed Halifax Convention Centre to officially open Dec. 15

She said residents worked on figuring out the community’s perimeter in 2013.

“People brought in their deeds, their land grants, everything, and we had it pretty well established,” Drummond said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "People brought in their deeds, their land grants, everything, and we had it pretty well established," Drummond said.

Work by the municipal government on determining the official boundary began in 2016, according to spokesperson Brendan Elliott.

Public meetings were held, and letters were sent out; staff got feedback on three potential boundary maps from residents.

“We understand this can be an emotional issue. People who live in a community take great pride in calling it their community, and they think it’s their community, but they might end up being surprised to find out that, historically, the boundary actually says they don’t live in that community anymore, they might live in a different community,” Elliott said in an interview on Nov. 17.

Of the municipality’s 200 communities, there are 19, including Lucasville, remaining to pinpoint. Next on the agenda is the community of Cole Harbour.

WATCH: Family looks to pass on piano damaged during Halifax Explosion

1:54 Family looks to pass on piano damaged during Halifax Explosion

The entire process, which began in 2002, is expected to take about 20 years.

“Depending on where we put the boundary, it will move another boundary. It’s like pieces in a puzzle,” said Elliott.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Depending on where we put the boundary, it will move another boundary. It's like pieces in a puzzle," said Elliott.

Signs in Lucasville could be erected as soon as spring 2018 if a boundary is determined next month, he added.

District 14 Councillor Lisa Blackburn said in an email that the boundary matter will go before councillors on Dec. 5.

Drummond and Perley Oliver, another resident, both said they hope councillors make a decision that reflects what locals desire.