Halifax’s Common Roots Urban Farm to have new home after HRM vote

Halifax’s Common Roots Urban Farm will soon have a new home.

Halifax Regional Council voted on Tuesday to pass a motion that will establish the farm at the Bi-Hi Park located near Bicentennial Drive and Bayers Road.

Approximately 110 of the farm’s 200 garden plots will move to the new location.

READ MORE: Pumpkin smashing a good way to mark end of Halifax’s Common Roots Urban Farm

Councillors, however, voiced concerns over the new site of the farm, which is located at the busy intersection of multiple roads, contains very little parking and has no established access to water.

“If they will have to put a water tap in, what would be required to put in the water tap?” said David Hendsbee, councillor for Preston-Chezzetcook-Eastern Shore.

“I’m curious if this is going to be addressed at all.”

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WATCH: Common Roots Urban Farm set to move in April 2019

6:09 Common Roots Urban Farm

Staff assured council that the Common Roots organization had been aware of the possible concerns about their new location, but chose the location nonetheless.

“They understood into this with the recommendation what was going to be available to them,” Angela Green, Halifax’s manager of recreation programming, told councillors.

Shawn Cleary, councillor for Halfiax West Armdale, went even further and provided a back-handed compliment to many of his fellow council members.

“All great questions, colleagues, and you might be surprised that Common Roots Urban Farm folks have actually thought about all of them beforehand,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "All great questions, colleagues, and you might be surprised that Common Roots Urban Farm folks have actually thought about all of them beforehand," he said.

The farm is currently located on two acres of land owned by the Province of Nova Scotia adjacent to the QEII hospital and was searching for a new home in order to make way for the hospital’s redevelopment later this year.

READ MORE: QEII Health Sciences Centre redevelopment to cost $2B, funded with P3 model

Council also accepted a motion that will see the Halifax Regional Municipality house and store the remaining 90 garden plots at existing community gardens in the municipality.

Municipal staff will even assist in the move of the 90 garden plots, allocating staff resources and equipment to move plots.

The HRM and Common Roots are set to host a public consultation about the planned relocation on March 10, 2019, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Calvin Presbyterian Church, located across from the Bi-Hi park.