Annual Report 2000 - Halifax Regional Municipality

A nnual Report 2000 

1

Progress through 

Innovation, 

Commitment 

and Dedication 

4 ...........Profile of Halifax 

Regional Municipality 

5 ...........The Mayor’s Message 

6 ...........Council Members 

7 ...........Organizational Chart 

8 ...........The CAO’s message 

9 ...........Executive Management 

Team 

10 - 13 ...Major Initiatives 

14 - 37 ...Business Units 

38 .........Awards & Recognition 

39 .........Condensed Financial 

Information 

3

Profile 

of Halifax Regional 

Municipality 

H 

alifax Regional 

Municipality (HRM) 

came into existence on 

April 1, 1996 as a result of 

the amalgamation of the 

former cities of Halifax 

and Dartmouth, the 

former Town of Bedford 

and the former 

municipality of the 

County of Halifax. Unlike 

other amalgamated 

regions in Canada, HRM 

has significant suburban 

and rural content, in 

addition to a large urban 

mix. 

The land area of the 

municipality is 5,577 

square kilometers (2,224 

square miles), which is an 

area slightly larger than 

the Province of Prince 

Edward Island. With 

approximately 200 

communities within its 

boundaries and a 

population of 

approximately 342,000 

people, HRM is Nova 

Scotia’s largest and most 

diverse municipality. 

Approximately 34 per cent 

of the total population of 

the province resides within 

HRM. 

The municipality is 

governed by a Council/ 

Chief Administrative 

Officer form of 

government, which 

includes one Councillor 

for each of the 23 Districts 

and a Mayor elected-atlarge. 

It is the 

responsibility of the Chief 

Administrative Officer to 

provide advice to Council 

and carry out its policies 

and programs, as well as 

oversee the operation of 

the Administration and its 

3,000 full-time employees. 

History/Culture 

Settlement first 

occurred in the Region 

with the founding of 

Halifax by the British in 

1749. Nine years later in 

1758, an election for 

Council members was 

held and Halifax became a 

forerunner in the later 

emergence of a 

democratically elected 

government in North 

America. Facts and events 

of historical significance 

continued to occur and 

have greatly influenced the 

development of the 

Region. 

From 1928 until 

1971, over a million 

immigrants arrived in 

Canada through the Port 

of Halifax’s Pier 21. Many 

of these immigrants 

settled in the area, 

enriching our social and 

cultural environment. 

Today, HRM is a region of 

diverse cultures, deeply 

rooted in history and 

tradition. 

Environment 

From the historic 

downtown areas of Halifax 

and Dartmouth (which 

embrace the world’s 

second largest natural 

harbour); to a coastal 

region encompassing more 

than 400 kilometers of 

coastline on the eastern, 

western and southern 

shores; to the fertile 

farming land in the 

Musquodoboit Valley; to 

the communities of 

Sackville and Cole 

Harbour; HRM is a first 

class example of urban, 

suburban and rural living 

at its finest. 

Business/Economies 

The Halifax Regional 

Municipality is committed 

to supporting the 

development and growth 

of business within the 

Region. It has one of the 

country’s best educated 

workforces. Through 

organizations such as the 

Greater Halifax 

Partnership and the 

Halifax Regional 

Development Agency, 

HRM has experienced 

steady economic growth 

since amalgamation and is 

recognized as a great 

location to do business. It 

is emerging as a leader in 

the future of business 

prosperity. 

4

I 

The Mayor’s 

Message 

am extremely pleased to 

report that the Halifax 


enters the new century 

having made great progress 

over the past year. 

Our goal was to get our 

financial house in order. 

This we have done. Last 

year, Regional Council 

approved a Multi-Year 

Financial Strategy. This 

process has proved itself to 

be invaluable to 

significantly improving 

the financial state of the 

municipality. At the year 

ending March 31, 2000, 

for the first time since 

amalgamation, HRM had 

a surplus of $4 million. 

This was accomplished 

while also reducing our 

debt by $16.1 million. 

As this report makes 

clear, we have many 

achievements to be proud 

of throughout our 

municipality. We also have 

much to look forward to 

in the coming year. 

I am proud to say that 

the Harbour Clean-up, 

the largest single project in 

HRM's history, is finally 

becoming a reality. In 

April 1999, Regional 

Council approved a plan 

for advancing the clean-up 

of the Harbour. It is 

anticipated Council will 

award the contract this 

Fall. This is an enormous 

achievement. 

The HRM 20/20 

"visioning" process started 

last February under the 

leadership of the 

Metropolitan Halifax 

Chamber of Commerce. 

Many dedicated residents 

and community groups 

from all corners of the 

HRM submitted ideas, 

visions, and dreams about 

the type of municipality 

they want in 20 years. 

Our obligation is to work 

together to achieve the 

goals citizens have 

expressed for their 

communities. This sense 

of partnership is essential 

for our regional 

community. 

The year has been full 

of many momentous 

celebrations and events. 

Our Millennium 

celebrations have lasted 

“I am proud to say that the Harbour Clean-up, the largest single project in 

HRM's history, is finally becoming a reality. In April 1999, Regional Council 

approved a plan for advancing the clean-up of the Harbour. It is anticipated 

Council will award the contract this Fall. This is an enormous achievement.” 

— Walter R. Fitzgerald, Mayor 

throughout the entire year. 

The 250th anniversaries of 

Sackville and Halifax were 

celebrated in 1999. This 

year, the 250th 

Anniversary of the 

founding of Dartmouth 

was celebrated. In May, we 

hosted Jr. Hockey’s 

Memorial Cup for the first 

time in our history. In 

July, we welcomed the 

world during Tall Ships 

2000. 

This is an exciting time 

for the HRM. The Sable 

gas project will have a 

significant impact on the 

future growth and 

prosperity of our 

municipality. 

Development and 

construction activity in 

HRM remains high. The 

entire region is seeing 

growth. 

We have come through 

a difficult period during 

the first few years 

following amalgamation. 

We have all learned a 

great deal as this 

municipality has been 

transformed. We are 

leaving the 20th century 

and arriving in the 21st 

century on a very positive 

and enthusiastic note. 

Yours truly, 

Walter R. Fitzgerald 

Mayor 

5

Council 

Members 

4 th Row: Councillors 

Gordon Snow, Jack 

Mitchell, David Merrigan, 

Russell Walker, Steve 

Streatch 

3 rd Row: Councillors John 

Cunningham, Robert 

Harvey, Steve Adams, 

Graham Downey, Ron 

Cooper 

2 nd Row: Councillors Reg 

Rankin, Clint Schofield, 

Bill Stone, Graham Read, 

Jack Greenough, Keith 

Colwell 

1 st Row: Councillors Jerry 

Blumenthal, Bruce 

Hetherington, Sue Uteck, 

Sheila Fougere, Harry 

McInroy, Condo Sarto 

Missing From Photo: 

Councillor Peter Kelly 

For the 2000-01 Fiscal Year, Halifax Regional 

Municipality has projected $462 + million in revenues 

and expenditures. Below is a chart showing municipal 

expenditures. 

2000-01 Municipal Expenditures (Gross Amounts) 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

Name 

Tota 

l E xpenditur e ( rounded ) % 

General Government, 

Administrative Services, Financial 

Services, Information Services, 

$ 40,054, 000 8.7% 

Human Resources, Shared Services, 

Community Projects 

Transit 

Services 

$ 20,024,000 

4.3% 

911 Communication Centre, Fire & 

Emergency Services, Regional Police, $ 83,718,000 18.1% 

RCMP 

Real Estate Services, Building 

Management Services 

$ 11,587,000 2.5% 

Solid 

Waste Resources 

$ 37,191,000 

8.0% 

Planning & Development, Public 

Works & Transportation 

$ 49,569,000 10.7% 

Tourism, Culture & Heritage; Parks 

& Recreational Services 

$ 22,768,000 4.9% 

Library 

$ 12,614,000 

2.7% 

Fiscal 

Services 

$ 184,874,000 

40.0% 

Total 

$ 462,399,000 

100.0% 

HRM’s Tax Rates Have Declined 

Residential Tax Rates (per $100) 

99/2000 2000/01 Change Percent 

Tax Rates Tax Rates per $100 Decline 

Urban 1.362 1.348 -0.014 -1.0% 

Suburban1.251 1.238 -0.013 -1.0% 

Rural 1.040 1.029 -0.011 -1.1% 

F 

G 

H 

E 

D 

I 

C 

B 

A 

6

HRM 

Organizational 

Chart 

Boards & Commissions: 

• Police Commission (Liason Deputy CAO) 

• Halifax Regional Library (Liason Deputy CAO) 

• Greater Halifax Economic Dev. Partnership 

Halifax 

Regional Council 

Chief 

Administrative Officer 

Deputy Chief 


Corporate 

Communications 

Admin. Services, 

Legal Services, 

Municipal Clerk 

Deputy Chief 


Public Works & 

Transportation 

Parks & Recreation 

Mayor’s Support 

Councillors’ 

Support 

Financial Services 

Human Resources 

Planning & 

Development 

Tourism, Culture, 

Heritage 

Harbour 

Solutions 

Solid Waste 

Resources 

Real Estate 

Services 

Shared Services 

Special Projects/ 

Grants Program 

Transit Services 

Information 

Services 

Emergency 

Measures 

Community 

Projects/ 

Youth Live 

Fire & Emergency 

Services 

Police Services 

911 Call Centre 

7

The CAO’s 

Message 

“I am proud to say that we have reached financial stability and fiscal predictability 

within a very short time. More importantly, we have set our financial course for the 

future through our Multi-Year Financial Plan, and we will preserve and protect this 

financial stability through our Business Planning Strategy. ” 

— Ken Meech, Chief Administrative Officer 

A s we enter the new 

millennium, the 

many challenges 

that we faced as a 

result of the 

amalgamation are 

behind us now and 

we can look forward 

with new confidence and 

excitement. 

For the past few years, 

our primary goal has been 

to ensure a seamless 

transition of the delivery 

of programs and services 

from the four previous 

municipal units to our 

customers–the citizens of 

the Halifax Regional 

Municipality. I believe 

that we have achieved that 

end and have set standards 

and service levels that are 

not only appropriate, but 

also acceptable, for the 

many diverse communities 

throughout our region. 

Another major goal was 

to put our financial house 

in order and we, too, have 

achieved this. I am proud 

to say that we 

have reached financial 

stability and fiscal 

predictability within a 

very short time. More 

importantly, we have set 

our financial course for 

the future through our 

Multi-Year Financial Plan, 

and we will preserve and 

protect this financial 

stability through our 

Business Planning 

Strategy. We have 

implemented a very 

aggressive Debt 

Management Plan and 

have adopted the “pay as 

you go” principle for 

Capital Projects. 

We continue to receive 

national and international 

interest in our Solid Waste 

Management Strategy, 

with many municipal 

officials visiting our stateof-the-art 

facility at Otter 

Lake. The municipality’s 

next major capital project 

is the $315 million 

Harbour Solutions 

Project. Construction is 

expected to start in the 

Spring of 2001 and when 

completed and operating, 

it will mark the first major 

environmental saltwater 

clean-up in the country. 

Development of a 

regional plan will be a 

major focus for the next 

few years. Citizens of the 

municipality had the 

opportunity to tell us the 

kind of community they 

would like to see in the 

next two decades through 

our recent Vision 20/20 

exercise. It is my pleasure 

to thank the Metropolitan 

Halifax Chamber of 

Commerce for its 

tremendous co-operation 

in this joint effort with 

HRM. 

Our economy is 

booming now and we are 

seeing unprecedented 

growth. Economic 

forecasts predict this will 

continue for at least the 

next decade and beyond. 

Through the regional 

planning process, we will 

develop policy and 

guidelines for such things 

as: building new 

infrastructure to meet 

economic growth; 

replacement of existing 

systems; building a 

transportation network for 

the future and 

determining ways to more 

effectively manage growth. 

We could not have 

achieved any of our 

accomplishments so far 

without the efforts of our 

highly-skilled professional 

workforce. The work has 

been hard and the 

pressures have been great. 

I would like to take this 

opportunity to extend best 

wishes to each and every 

one of our employees and 

say “thank you” for a job 

well done. 

Also, I would like to 

extend our sincere thanks 

to the citizens of Halifax 

Regional Municipality. 

With their continued 

patience and support, we 

will continue to strive for 

excellence and make every 

effort to preserve, protect 

and improve our great 

quality of life in the 

Halifax Region. 

Sincerely, 

Ken Meech 

8

Executive 

Management Team 

AT he Executive 

Management Team 

(EMT) includes the Chief 

Administrative Officer, 

Ken Meech, and the 

Deputy Chief 

Administrative Officers, 

George McLellan (left) 

and Dan English (right). 

EMT is responsible for 

providing information, 

support and guidance to 

Regional Council; 

implementing policies and 

priorities of Regional 

Council; ensuring the 

delivery of a balanced 

budget; and managing and 

leading the administrative 

functions of the 

municipality. Deputy 

CAO Dan English is 

responsible for the services 

of Planning & 

Development, Parks & 

Recreation, Public Works 

& Transportation, Transit, 

Tourism, Culture & 

Heritage, Community 

Projects and Library 

Services liaison. Deputy 

CAO George McLellan is 

responsible for the services 

of Public Safety, 

Information Services, 

Human Resources, Shared 

Services, Financial 

Services, Real Estate 

Services & Facilities 

Management. 

HRM Grants Program 

The Grants Program is a portfolio of programs 

administered under the auspices of the Office of the 

Deputy CAO. The programs focus on assistance in 

social development - providing modest tax exemptions or 

tax deferrals to low-income homeowners – and 

community development – providing annual grants to 

support community non-profit and charitable 

organizations in a diverse range of community-based 

programming. 

Accomplishments 

These include increased public visibility, increased 

program participation, and the development of strategic 

partnerships with other HRM departments, community 

stakeholders, and government agencies. 

Special Projects 

The Special Projects Office coordinates a range of 

initiatives on behalf of Regional Council and affiliated 

HRM programs and services. The principle activities of 

this portfolio address inter-governmental initiatives, 

policy analysis, applied research, and the management of 

inter-departmental project teams. 


These include community consultation and 

participation in major facilities, including the 

Dartmouth North Community Center; and significant 

progress in supporting community initiatives to address 

the issue of homelessness. 

9

Major Initiatives 

Multi-Year Financial Strategy/Business Planning 

T 

he Halifax Regional 

Municipality provides a 

broad range of programs 

and services of benefit to 

its citizens. Since 

amalgamation, the 

municipality has faced 

external and internal 

challenges that placed 

significant pressures on 

financial resources. 

The 2000/2001 Budget 

represents significant 

improvement in the 

municipality’s financial 

health and has earned the 

municipality a letter of 

commendation from the 


Chamber of Commerce. 

The improvements are 

such that tax rates are 1% 

lower than in 1998/99; 

there is no forecast deficit; 

reserves are at $74.3 

million dollars; and the 

debt is being gradually 

reduced. 

The responsibility for 

this success stems, in large 

part, from the Multi-Year 

Financial Strategy. In May, 

1998 a Multi-Year Financial 

Strategy committee was 

formed consisting of 

municipal staff and 

community members. 

Principles of financial 

management were adopted 

by Council in December 

1998 which provided a 

framework for business 

planning, operational 

effectiveness and discipline 

and restraint in spending 

and funding. A Reserves 

Policy was adopted by 

Council, along with a 

Capital Spending Policy 

and Capital Debt Policy. 

In line with the Multi- 

Year Financial Strategy, a 

phased-in business 

planning process 

was introduced in 

1999, focused on 

doing the right 

things right. 

As of March 2000, over 

80 business plans were 

drafted, forming the basis 

for the development of the 

2000/2001 budget. The 

2000/01 budget was based 

primarily on service levels 

provided in the previous 

year and new initiatives 

that focus on Council’s 

strategic directions and 

was on “getting the right 

fit” for the many business - 

and service units. 

Improving customer 

service was a priority. 

Alignment 2000 took into 

consideration people, 

structure and processes, 

resulting in many functions 

being streamlined and 

others being bundled into 

The 

context for the 

business planning process 

was set by Council in the 

establishment of key 

business strategies, 

expressed in terms of 

outcome statements and 

strategic directions. The 

implementation strategies 

in support of these business 

strategies were included in 

the business plans. 

business strategies, along 

with initiatives that 

support the Multi-Year 

Financial Strategy. 

With the Multi-Year 

Financial Strategy and 

Business Planning 

Processes in place, a review 

of service delivery and the 

ability to improve on that 

service delivery was 

undertaken. The emphasis 

new business or service 

units. This process will 

continue until the “right fit” 

is achieved. 

The commitment and 

dedication of Council and 

staff during the past year 

has ensured that the 

municipality’s financial 

capacity has improved, 

and will continue to 

stabilize and strengthen. 

10


20/20 Vision Exercise 

I 

n July, 1999 Halifax 


agreed to a public 

consultation, HRM 20/20, 

that will result in a new 

vision for HRM. This 

consultation involved the 

collaboration of the 


Chamber of Commerce, 


Municipality, Metro 

United Way, community 

organizations, and 

individual citizens. 

A volunteer organizing 

committee for HRM 

20/20 set out to develop a 

consultation process that 

was inclusive, diverse, easy 

to understand, and 

flexible. To facilitate 

discussion and provide a 

vehicle in which to 

articulate ideas, a 

workbook was developed. 

There were several ways to 

participate in HRM 20/ 

20: by attending 

community workshops, by 

visiting the HRM 20/20 

website and filling out the 

workbook electronically, 

or by filling out a print 

workbook. It is estimated 

that over 700 citizens were 

directly involved in the 

process by participating in 

the completion of 

workbooks. 

On June 19, 2000 

HRM 20/20 held a 

Community Forum which 

was attended by 

approximately 150 people. 

The purpose of the forum 

was to present to the 

community the findings 

of the community 

consultation process and 

to discuss the implications 

of what had been heard. A 

draft vision and values 

were presented at the 

session and these formed 

the basis of discussions 

relative to a set of strategic 

directions and next steps. 

The organizing 

committee will create a 

final report based on the 

individual submissions, 

the community 

roundtables and the June 

19 forum. The report will 

incorporate the values 

expressed by participants. 

It will outline a common 

vision for HRM, together 

with recommended 

strategic directions to 

guide our progress toward 

that vision. HRM has 

agreed that the report will 

form the basis of future 

HRM planning, including 

the development of a 

regional plan to guide 

development initiatives. 

This is a pioneering 

effort for our community, 

the first time that the 

citizens of HRM have 

had the opportunity to 

develop a common vision. 

11


Waste Resource Management 

H 

alifax Regional 

Municipality — with a 

population of 342,000, 

generating 260,000 

metric tonnes of waste per 

year with an existing 

regional landfill that was 

almost at capacity — 

required a waste resource 

management strategy and 

a new landfill. The strategy 

that was adopted allowed 

extensive citizen 

involvement, input and 

acceptance, stakeholder 

involvement in the 

planning and site selection 

process and represents a 

fully integrated approach 

to waste management. 

The strategy was premised 

on diverting waste and 

turning it into a resource, 

with a goal of diverting 

65% of total waste from 

the landfill by year end 

2000. This innovative 

waste management system 

is based on separation of 

recoverable materials at 

source and is one of the 

first of its kind in North 

America. 

The strategy promotes 

the managing of waste by 

Reduction, Reuse, 

Recycling, Composting 

and Disposal of only 

stable, inert residuals in 

the landfill. The tools for 

achieving the strategy 

include disposal bins, 

backyard composting, 

source separated 

composting, household 

hazardous waste (HHW) 

disposal, blue bag 

recycling, front end 

processor, waste 

stabilization and a residual 

disposal facility. The 

approach is a curbside 

four-stream (organics, 

refuse, recyclable 

containers and recyclable 

paper), two-pass collection 

system (organics and 

refuse are collected 

bi-weekly on an 

alternating basis). As well, 

a facility that operates year 

round is available for 

residents to deposit their 

household hazardous 

waste material. A major 

public education 

program, "Let's 

Waste Less", was 

key in obtaining 

public acceptance 

and cooperation. 

The waste 

processing and disposal 

facility at Otter Lake 

was developed 

through a Public 

Private Partnership 

(PPP) approach - a 

private sector partner 

designed, built and now 

operates the facility for the 

municipality, which 

provided the financing 

and retains ownership of 

this state-of-the-art facility. 

Residents of the 

municipality are very 

fortunate to have a waste 

management strategy that 

was community 

developed, endorsed, and 

promoted. The success of 

the strategy is directly 

attributable to municipal 

residents who every day 

utilize the available waste 

diversion tools that 

encourage and advance 

responsible resource 

management. 

12


Harbour Solutions 

F 

or over 200 years sewage 

from homes and 

businesses has flowed 

untreated into Halifax 

Harbour. Since the 

1950's, harbour pollution 

has been identified as a 

serious problem, and there 

have been many attempts 

to create a workable plan 

to combat it. Two plants 

have been built at Mill 

Cove on the Bedford 

Basin and in Eastern 

Passage, but these only 

treat 20% of the sewage 

entering the harbour. In 

the past few years, 

improved harbour water 

quality has become a 

priority within HRM and 

a plan has been developed 

to address the situation. 

The $315 million dollar 

project will be completed 

in phases and could take 

up to 10 years to 

complete. 

Four new plants will be 

built - two on the Halifax 

peninsula, one in 

Dartmouth, and one at 

Herring Cove. All parts of 

each plant will be enclosed 

in a building with no 

tanks visible and 

incorporating extensive 

odour and noise control. 

On the Halifax 

peninsula and in 

Dartmouth, the 

wastewater will be 

intercepted along the 

shoreline by collector 

pipes and directed to three 

treatment plants. In 

Mainland South it will be 

directed to the plant at 

Herring Cove via an 

existing collector and new 

piping. At the plants, the 

wastewater will be put 

through advanced primary 

treatment (removing up to 

90% of the solids) 

followed by ultraviolet 

disinfection. The cleaned 

wastewater effluent will be 

discharged into deep water 

in the Harbour well away 

from the shoreline, 

through a diffuser. 

HRM will carry out 

the Harbour Solutions 

Project through a Public 

Private Partnership (PPP). 

The selection process 

started in 1998 and it is 

expected a partner will be 

selected this Fall. The 

partner will be expected 

to work closely with local 

residents and businesses in 

the immediate 

neighbourhood of the 

treatment plants. 

Community Liaison 

Committees will be 

established and will play a 

role in minimizing any 

negative impacts caused 

by the Project and will 

assist in the integration of 

the treatment plants into 

the neighbourhoods. 

HRM residents and 

visitors will be able to 

witness and enjoy a 

cleaner harbour: no more 

floating objects, no more 

visible plumes of 

discoloured water and no 

more thick build up of 

organic sediments on the 

harbour floor from 

untreated sewage. After 

200+ years, the character 

of the world's second 

largest natural harbour is 

about to change. 

Four Sewage Treatment Plants – General Locations 

13

Community 

Projects 

C 

ommunity Projects uses 

an innovative collaborative 

approach to facilitate the 

growth and development 

of youth. This approach 

focuses on building 

capacities within youth by 

enhancing their selfreliance 

through 

developing their physical, 

social, emotional, 

intellectual and 

economical well-being. 

The program develops "at 

risk" youth, between 16 

and 30 years of age, who 

are motivated to make 

changes in their lives. 

Youth LIVE is the key 

initiative developed in the 

business unit to provide 

opportunities for youth to 

grow, which in turn builds 

stronger and safer 

communities. 

Youth LIVE provides 

challenging experiences 

for "at risk" youth, by 

responding to social issues 

through the operation of 

business ventures which 

create economic 

opportunities. Since 

1994, Youth LIVE has 

established several 

entrepreneurial initiatives 

including Paper/Beverage 

Container Recycling 

Program, Residential 

Enviro Depot, 

Commercial Enviro 

Depot, and Organic 

Green Cart Service to 

address needs in the 

community. These 

business initiatives create 

opportunities for youth to 

develop marketable job 

skills, life skills, career 

preparation and job 

exploration while 

becoming integral 

members of the 

community. 


Youth Development 

Approximately 65% of 

the participants in the 

program are successful in 

gaining employment, 

furthering their education, 

training or starting 

entrepreneurial 

endeavours. 

Landfill Diversion 

Annual diversion of 

approximately 575 tonnes 

of paper product and 

3,300,000 beverage 

containers from the waste 

stream. 

Organic Green Carts 

Delivery, removal, 

maintenance and 

cleaning of 

approximately 

3,000 organic 

green carts 

annually 

throughout the 

municipality. 

Current Initiatives 

Dangerous and Unsightly 

Premises Improvements 

Partnership primarily 

with Planning and 

Development along with 

other Business Units. 

Organic Program 

Removal of organic 

waste from municipal 

buildings. 

Strategic Alliances 

Continue to develop 

alliances with public and 

private sector. 

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At a glance... 

• Service to over 130 sites 

throughout the municipality 

• Service to over 20,000 

customers annually at the 

Residential Enviro Depot 

• Service to approximately 70 

youths annually 

• Process Development service 

with Business Units including 

Fire, Transit, Human Resources, 

Waste Resources, 

Planning and Development, 

Finance, Police 

14

T 

Administrative 

Services 

he Administrative 

Services Business Unit 

includes Legal Services 

and Corporate Support 

Divisions (including 

Municipal Government 

Support, Records 

Management and the 

Corporate Library). Legal 

Services performs all the 

legal services required by 


Municipality, including 

Prosecutions, Due Process, 

Preventative Law, Solicitor 

Services and Advocacy, 

through a combination of 

in-house and out-sourced 

services. Corporate 

Support Services supports 

the process of local 

government for the 

municipality as mandated 

by statute through the 

provision of corporate and 

municipal services to 

Regional Council, 

Community Councils and 

their respective boards and 

committees. Information 

Resource Management 

Services implements a 

comprehensive approach 

to information 

management by treating 

information as a valuable 

corporate resource, while 

protecting the legal and 

financial interest of the 

municipality. Election 

Services conducts general 

and special elections, in a 

professional and impartial 

manner, in accordance 

with applicable legislation. 


Freedom of Information 

All Freedom Of 

Information and 

Protection of Privacy 

(FOIPOP) requests 

processed as required by 

legislation. 

Secretariat Support 

Provided support to 

approximately 56 

Regional Council 

meetings, 46 Community 

Council meetings and 489 

Board and Committee 

meetings. 

Elections 

Six by-elections have 

been conducted since 

amalgamation and one 

regular election for the 

Regional School Board 

and the Conseil Scolaire 

Acadien Provincial. 


Records 

Ensure the 

preservation of 

corporate archival 

records and the 

placement of vital 

records in a vault within 

City Hall. 

Information Management 

Contribute to 

corporate efficiency 

through a 

comprehensive 

approach. 

Legal Services 

Implementation of a 

case management system. 

Election 

Conduct a regional 

municipal election for the 

positions of Mayor and 

Councillors, members of 


School Board and the 

Conceil Scolaire Acadien 

Provincial in the Fall of 

2000. 

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• 5000 boxes of documents 

classified 

• 1000 information/research 

requests processed 

• 29,000 microfilm images 

developed 

• 7,620 agendas prepared and 

distributed 

15

Financial 

Services 

F 

inancial Services, 

formerly the Department 

of Finance, recently 

underwent organizational 

change. The primary 

functional areas within 

Financial Services includes 

Accounting Services, 

which provides all 

corporate accounting and 

reporting functions for the 

municipality; Financial 

Planning, which 

coordinates and supports 

Business Planning and 

budgeting, and provides 

fiscal and economic policy 

advice and formulation; 

Procurement, which 

provides support and 

implementation of the 

municipal procurement 

policy, inventory and asset 

management, insurance 

claims and risk 

management; and 

Revenue and Process 

Audit, which analyses 

assessment information, 

calculates and prepares tax 

billings, coordinates area 

rates and administers a 

number of by-laws. 


Financial Management 

System 

On April 1, 1999 SAP, 

the first phase of a new 

financial management 

system became 

operational. Included in 

Phase I were Financial 

Accounting (general 

ledger); Controlling 

(departmental accounting 

and job costing); Materials 

Management (purchasing 

and inventory) and Plant 

Maintenance (fleet). 

Customer Service 

New payment options 

were implemented for 

paying parking tickets and 

taxes through financial 

institutions, the Internet 

and pre-authorized tax 

payments. 

Business Plans 

Business Plans were 

completed for each 

Business Unit. 

Budget 

2000/2001 Budget 

(Operating, Capital & 

Reserves) was approved by 

Council. It included a tax 

rate reduction of 

approximately 1% 

and a decline in 

the municipality’s 

debt of 

approximately 

3.2%. 


Business Strategies 

Financial Services will 

lead Council’s Taxation, 

Fiscal Accountability and 

Economic Growth 

Business Strategies. 

Multi-Year Financial 

Strategy 

Implementation of 

Strategy is continuing. 

HRM 20/20 

Financial Services 

continues to participate in 

the exercise. 

Municipal Involvement 

Continue to clarify the 

role of the municipality 

with the Greater Halifax 

Partnership and the 


Development Agency. 

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• 450,000 customer payments 

processed 

• 11,000 tax certificates issued 

• 4,700 business occupancy 

openings and closings processed 

• $10 million in Metro 

Transit fares sorted, rolled & 

deposited 

• 34,000 cheques issued 

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I 

Information 

Services 

nformation Services is 

responsible for providing 

access to, and 

coordinating the use of, 

technology within the 

municipality. The 

Information Services 

Business Unit includes 

Administration, which 

concentrates on the 

coordination of all the 

sections within 

Information Services and 

provides direction to the 

corporation on the proper 

use of technology; 

Customer Care provides 

frontline support to the 

corporation's computing 

community through the 

Help Desk, PC 

Technicians, Account 

Reps and a training 

component; Business 

Solutions supports 

internal business units in 

their analysis of a business 

problem and 

implementation and 

support for the solution; 

and Technical 

Infrastructure is 


and maintaining access to 

all of the municipality's 

technical infrastructure 

and business applications. 


SAP 

The municipality went 

live with SAP, the new 

financial software, on 

April 1, 1999. The 

modules implemented 

were Finance & Control 

for reporting, Material 

Management for 

inventory and 

procurement, and Plant 

Maintenance for fleet 

operations. Subsequently, 

enhanced SAP includes a 

Release Strategy for the 

requisitioning and 

approval process coupled 

with a faxing solution 

which makes the whole 

process paperless. 

Year 2000 

All business 

applications, network 

components, desktop 

units, and server 

components were made 

Year 2000 compliant by 

December 31, 1999. 


Municipality made the 

transition into the new 

millennium with very few 

problems. 

Parking Ticket System 

HRM was the first 

municipality in the 

country to integrate a 

municipal parking ticket 

system with a provincial 

court system. 


Police/Fire Systems 

Police and Fire will have 

combined, computer-aided 

dispatch and records 

management system. 

Election 2000 

IS will implement an 

election system, that 

includes voter registration, 

voter notification, and 

election night results 

including web based 

presentation on election 

night. 

E-Commerce 

IS will chair a 

committee of all 

municipal business units 

to coordinate the 

implementation of 

e-commerce and 

e-business 

initiatives. 

Land 

Information 

System 

IS will 

coordinate and 

merge all municipal 

interest in land 

and property 

information 

in one 

system. 

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• 1,400 personal computers 

• 2,000 users on GroupWise 

with over 26,000 messages 

being sent per day 

• 14,256 calls to the Help 

Desk in 1999 

• 9,672 individual incidents 

opened by the Help Desk 

• 20 Novell Servers, 7 NT 

servers, 8 Sun Servers, 4 other 

servers supported 

• Conducted 110 training 

courses with 785 seats 

• 314 small office or home 

office users accessing HRM's 

computer network remotely 

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Human 

Resources 

The Human Resources 

Team provides a full range 

of professional services in 

partnership with the 

business units and the 

corporation in the 

initiation, development 

and delivery of programs 

and services that will 

better equip the employee 

in the performance of 

their job. The HR Team is 

client and site-based, 

offering advisory, 

coordination and 

developmental services to 

business units. These 

range from recruitment to 

employee relations; 

services, including benefit 

planning and 

administration, pension 

support services, payroll 

and compensation 

administration; and 

services, such as diversity 

management, human 

resource planning, 

training, performance 

management and strategic 

planning. 


Safe & Harmonious 

Workplace Assurance 

Project Impact is a 

partnership program 

whereby employees’ 

cardiac health is assessed 

and a program of 

improvement, including 

exercise, stress 

management and 

nutrition, is established. 

Workplace Safety: In 

partnership with 

business units, 

the municipality 

has undertaken 

initiatives to 

ensure 

compliance 

with the 

Provincial 

Act and the 

highest level of safety for 

employees. 

Employee Family 

Assistance Program: An 

improved range of services 

to all HRM employees 

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and their families. HRM 

values its employees and 

recognizes the benefits 

which flow to the 

organization from a 

balance between work and 

employees’ safety, health 

and well being. 

Organizational Development – 

Assistance & Alignment 

Policies and 

agreements have 

been streamlined 

and there is consistency 

throughout the 

organization; realignment 

and organizational 

restructuring support; 

provision of educational 

training and development is 

structured around business 

unit and corporate 

objectives; The Leadership 

Development Program is 

aligned with business 

planning and the 

business strategies of 

Council; A Priority 

Placement Program exists 

for displaced 

employees. 

Performance 

Culture 

There is an 

evaluation 

system that 

recognizes 

performance 

and 

encourages 

growth 

and 

development 

of its employees. 

In support of 

employee growth, 

the organization 

increased its funding 

for mutually 

beneficial training. 

The career 

contribution of 

retired employees was 

recognized and 

honoured. 


Benchmarking of Human 

Resources Services 

Evaluation of private and 

public sector best practices, 

improvement of service 

delivery and improved 

business planning. 

Productivity and Health 

Attendance Management: A 

two-year program which 

will identify and address 

issues causing employee 

absence; and a focus on 

health and wellness 

initiatives to enhance 

performance management; 

Benefits: Improved 

benefits coverage for all 

HRM employees. 

Succession Planning and 

Career Management 

Identification of 

competencies, skills and 

behaviours, the key 

attributes in employees that 

result in effective and 

efficient service delivery. 

Providing employees with 

training and development 

opportunities around 

competencies will benefit 

the organization with its 

future service needs. 

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• Number of Unions/Associations: 6 

• Number of retired employees: 

Approximately 2000+ 

• Number of third party 

agreements administered or 

supported: 10 

• Number of competitions 

(1999): 200 

19

Parks & Recreation 

Services 

P 

arks and Recreational 

Services, through 

Alignment 2000, are 

responsible for the 

provision of services 

relative to the design, 

operation and 

programming of park and 

recreational facilities and 

correspondingly, the 

maintenance of these 

facilities. The services 

provided include: 

Community Recreation 

Services, whose purpose is 

to provide quality, 

affordable and accessible 

recreation and leisure 

programs, services and 

facilities through 

programming and 

community development. 

It recognizes community 

strengths and provides 

assistance to meet the 

recreation needs of 

communities. This enables 

communities to create 

partnerships, achieve selfsufficiency 

and increase 

citizen involvement and 

responsibility; Recreation 

Facilities Services are 

accountable for the 

planning and provision of 

the Parks and Recreation 

Facility System. This 

includes municipallyowned 

parks, trails and 

open spaces, as well as 

community centres and 

major indoor facilities 

provided through 

management agreements; 

and Parks and Open 

Spaces are responsible for 

the administration and 

maintenance of the 

municipal parks system, 

athletic fields, sport 

courts, playgrounds, 

several beaches, trails, 

several public open spaces, 

municipal cemeteries, 

municipal urban forest 

program and horticulture 

support for the park system. 


Parks System 


Municipality has one of 

the largest and most 

diverse municipal parks 

system in all of Canada. 

Land Acquisitions 

In partnership with 

Real Estate Services, two 

important land 

acquisitions were 

completed on Deadman’s 

Island and the Jack Lake 

lands. 

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Conceptual Designs 

In partnership with the 

Halifax Regional Library, 

the conceptual design for 

the Keshen Goodman 

Library and Mainland 

Common Recreation 

Centre was completed. 

Community Development 

Projects 

Several projects were 

undertaken including the 

analysis of a potential 

youth centre in Bedford 

and a review of the 

recreation program service 

delivery model within the 

community of Sackville. 


Feedback 

Develop and 

implement Park and 

Facility User Report 

Card System to obtain 

feedback on services 

provided. 

Pesticide 

Alternatives 

Continue to 

implement 

environmentally 

sustainable 

natural resource 

management 

practices. 

Capacity Analysis 

Develop and 

undertake a community 

recreation capacity analysis 

to determine the 

community’s skills, 

knowledge and resources. 

Fall River Recreation 

Centre 

Review the possible 

relocation of the Centre to 

the High School or 

another appropriate site. 

Partnerships 

Explore partnerships to 

provide new sport fields 

and diamonds; advance 

the Regional Trails 

Program in conjunction 

with the Regional 

Development Agency. 

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• 7 municipally owned and 

operated cemeteries 

• 250,000 bedding plants 

grown and used throughout 

the park system each year 

• 634 park properties - largest 

park 4200 acres; smallest park 

2800 sq.ft 

• 30,000 organized outdoor 

sport participants use municipal 

fields 

• 11 municipal arenas that 

recover 98% of direct costs 

• 206 ballfields 

• 120 sportfields 

• 476 playgrounds 

• 1.3 million visits to Point 

Pleasant Park in 1999 

• 3 million+ visitors used the 

municipality’s five major 

indoor facilities 

• 83% of municipal residents 

use the parks - 70% on a 

regular basis 

• 6000+ metric tonnes of yard 

waste processed and used 

in-house each year 

• 1500+ metric tonnes of 

wood chips processed and used 

in-house each year 

• Halifax Common is the 

oldest municipal park in 

Canada - dating back to 1763 

• Community Recreation 

serves over 55,000 citizens 

each year in direct programs 

• Operates and manages one 

major facility, nine community 

centres and several smaller 

facilities of which three have 

pools including a wave pool 

• The Wave Pool is the only 

indoor wave pool in Atlantic 

Canada. It has zero depth 

entry and is fully accessible 

21

Planning & Development 

Services 

A 

s a result of the 

corporate restructuring 

initiative, Alignment 2000, 

the Planning Services and 

Development Services 

Departments were 

consolidated into 

Planning and 

Development Services. Its 

primary focus is to further 

Council’s strategic 

objectives related to 

planned growth and 

community development 

and to provide a high level 

of service during a period 

of increasing demands. 

Building and development 

statistics indicate a 

continuing increase in 

demand on this 

service based 

on current economic 

growth, interest rates, 

vacancy rates, and 

population trends. 

The primary functional 

areas of the consolidated 

business unit include: 

Community and 

Municipal Planning, 

which prepares and 

amends municipal policy 

relative to where, how and 

when development within 

the Region occurs; 

Planning Applications 

provides advice to 

Regional and Community 

Councils and Committees 

concerning the 

implementation of 

community and 

municipal 

planning policy 

through the 

by-law amendment 

processes; Subdivision 

Approvals is responsible 

for the approvals process 

that results in the creation 

of property lots and 

conveyance of roads, 

sidewalks, sewers, water 

systems and parkland to 

the municipality; 

Construction Approvals is 


approvals process that 

ensures that the design 

and construction of 

buildings conform to 

legislated health and life 

safety requirements and 

by-laws respecting 

community character; 

Land Use Compliance 

administers a 

program to ensure 

and advise on 

compliance with 

land use by-laws and land 

development agreements; 

and By-law Enforcement 

provides a program for 

administering and 

enforcing a variety of 

miscellaneous by-laws and 

licensing functions which 

are largely related to 

community standards of 

safety and character. 


Client Service 

Improved overall client 

service in the area of 

construction approvals by 

streamlining permit 

application 

processes for 

high 

volume 

customers. 

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Planning Strategy and 

Land Use By-law 

Prepared and obtained 

approval of a new 

planning strategy and land 

use By-law for Downtown 

Dartmouth through direct 

and extensive community 

participation. 

Pesticides 

Coordination of the 

municipality’s recent 

initiative to minimize 

public health and 

environmental impacts 

resulting from the 

cosmetic use of pesticides 

on residential properties. 

HRM 20/20 

Initiation and 

municipal participation in 

HRM 20/20, a 

community-led initiative 

to create a broad-based 

vision and identify core 

community values for the 

Region. 


Consolidation 

Incorporate 

development approval 

functions related to 

infrastructure, which 

currently reside in Public 

Works and Transportation 

Services, into Planning 

and Development 

Services. This will 

consolidate all aspects of 

municipal land use 

planning, implementation 

and enforcement in one 

business unit. 

Regional Growth Strategy 

Establish a process for 

creating a Strategy. 

Processing Time 

Restore a 4-6 month 

average processing time 

for Planning Applications; 

implement service 

improvements to building 

permit and subdivision 

processes to decrease 

average processing time. 

Master Plans 

Complete community 

master plans for Hemlock 

North, Governors Lake 

and Morris-Russell Lake. 

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• 950 new building lots 

approved for construction in 

1999 

• approx. 3500 building 

permits issued in 1999 

• estimated total value of new 

construction in 1999 was 

$360+ Million; $140 Million 

of this was in the form of new 

commercial, industrial and 

institutional development such 

as P3 schools 

• total value of new construction 

in 1999 was $85 million 

higher than in 1998, 

representing an approximately 

31% increase 

• 20,000 inspections per year 

• 50+ municipal By-laws / 

licences administered and 

enforced 

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24 

T 

Public Safety — 

RCMP 

he RCMP provides 

policing services to a large 

geographical area of the 

municipality – 

approximately 95% of the 

land mass of the 

municipality, 

encompassing in excess of 

155,000 citizens. Through 

five police offices at 

Tantallon, Lower 

Sackville, 

Cole Harbour, Sheet 

Harbour, and 

Musquodoboit Harbour – 

the services of patrol, 

uniform policing, 

investigations, crime 

prevention, and drug and 

criminal investigations are 

conducted. The 

philosophy of community 

policing is a “partnership 

between the police and the 

community.” This is 

evident at each of the 

detachment offices, 

whether it be in the 

Sackville office, where the 

RCMP work closely with 

over 180 community 

volunteers; to the 

Musquodoboit Harbour 

office, where they have 

four Citizens on Patrol 

groups; to the Tantallon 

office, which has four 

community policing 

offices providing localized 

access for the public. 

Through the Halifax 

RCMP Detachment, the 

services of major crime 

investigation, highway 

patrol, police dogs and 

policing at the Halifax 

International Airport are 

provided. Provision of an 

“effective, efficient policing 

service which reflects the 

uniqueness of... the 

municipality and meets the 

needs of the rural and 

urban areas” is the mission 

of the RCMP in the 


Municipality. 


Street Team 

The Street Team, out 

of the Tantallon office, has 

had considerable success 

in seizing more than $2.13 

million dollars in illicit 

drugs, stolen property and 

cash. 

Major Case Management 

Program 

The Halifax 

Detachment was the first 

in the country to utilize 

the Program in its 

investigations – it is now 

accepted as the standard for 

the RCMP and many other 

police forces. 

Spurs Youth Groups 

The Lower 

Sackville, 

Tantallon and 

Cole Harbour 

offices support 

the youth 

groups which 

are active in 

crime 

prevention 

initiatives. 


Youth Drop-In Centre, 

Beaver Bank 

A joint partnership 

with the community to 

establish a centre for 15 to 

18 year olds. 

Restructuring 

All areas of service 

delivery are being 

examined and realigned to 

best meet the 

communities needs. 

Future Development 

A growing population 

and increasing demands 

will present challenges, 

impact the police-topopulation 

ratio and will 

necessitate a responsive 

approach. 

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• 164 RCMP Officers 

• 810 volunteers 

• 54,000 volunteer hours 

yearly 

• 24 Federal Drug 

Investigators 

• 10 Community Policing 

offices 

• Lower Sackville was the first 

RCMP Office in Nova Scotia 

to start the Citizen’s on Patrol 

Program 

• 3 police service dogs 

• 72 marked police vehicles 

• 22 unmarked police vehicles 

• 4 motorcycles 

• 4 boats

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Halifax Regional Police 

alifax Regional Police is 

responsible for policing 

Halifax, Dartmouth and 

Bedford. The RCMP is 

responsible for policing 

the remainder of the 

municipality. The 

philosophy of the Halifax 

Regional Police is 

community - oriented 

policing. A dedication to 

citizens, which focuses on 

their needs and concerns; 

the implementation of 

positive change; and the 

provision of a well-trained 

and accessible police 

organization that is open 

to new ideas; is their 

commitment. Halifax 

Regional Police exists “To 

Serve and Protect.” 

Halifax Regional Police 

operational divisions 

include: the Office of the 

Chief of Police, which is 

responsible for the overall 

operation of the 

organization including 

executive level support, 

legal services, chaplaincy 

unit, audit and policy, 

public affairs and media; 

Operations Division is 

responsible for the day-today 

patrol activities, 

including Emergency 

Response Team, K-9 Unit, 

Victim Services, 

Community Relations / 

Crime Prevention; 

Operational Support 

Division provides 

assistance to the 

Operations Division in 

areas of investigative and 

specialized services 

including, Crime Analysis, 

Fraud Unit, Joint Forces 

Operation, Major Crime, 

Drugs, Vice, Polygraph; 

and Administration 

Division includes training, 

records, properties and 

exhibits. 


Reorganization 

Community Relations/ 

Crime Prevention Unit 

reorganized to allow 

officers to specialize in 

certain aspects of crime 

prevention and develop a 

greater involvement of the 

community and 

volunteers with police. 

General Investigation 

Section (GIS) 

A new section was 

formed to concentrate on 

crimes against persons 

and crimes against 

property. 

Youth Programs 

The Community 

Relations / Crime 

Prevention Unit has 

worked closely with 

schools to establish a 

number of new programs 

aimed at zero tolerance 

for violence in schools. 

Break and Enter Burglaries 

Clearance rate for 

break and enters and 

robberies has risen 

dramatically. Halifax 

Regional Police has one of 

the best clearance rates for 

bank robberies in Canada. 


Power Shift 

Provision of more 

police officers at peak 

policing hours. 

Police Visibility 

Increase visibility 

within the communities. 

Community Involvement 

Increase community 

involvement in 

community problemsolving. 

Enforcement Increase 

Increase summary 

offence enforcement – i.e., 

crosswalks, speeding 

violations. 

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• 393 sworn members 

• 69 civilians 

• 65 marked police vehicles 

• 75 unmarked police vehicles 

• 16 motorcycles 

• 14 mountain bikes 

• 226 volunteers 

• 1998 - patrol unit responded 

to 124,863 calls for service 

• Halifax Regional Police 

maintains one of the best 

response times in Canada 

• 7 fully trained critical 

incident negotiators 

• 5 Police Service dogs 

• Fully functional Emergency 

Response Team (ERT) and 

Explosive Ordinance Disposal 

Unit (EOD) 

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T 


Fire & Emergency Service 

he Halifax Regional Fire 

and Emergency Service is 

a large composite service, 

consisting of career staff 

and volunteer members. It 

is responsible for 

protecting and serving a 

5,577 sq. kilometre area, 

approximately the size of 

Prince Edward Island. 

The Service is divided 

into three major divisions 

Metro (Core), Rural 

District, and Support 

Services and a Deputy 

Chief heads up each of 

these divisions. Core 

Division responds to over 

11,000 emergency calls 

per year; Rural District 

Division responds to over 

4500 calls per year, 

including fires, medical 

emergencies, motor 

vehicle accidents, high 

angle rescue, confined 

space rescue, hazardous 

materials spills, water and 

ice rescue, investigations of 

odours, as well as other 

emergencies when the 

public are not sure who to 

call. The Support 

Division consists of 

Logistics (Mechanical & 

Building), Fire Prevention, 

Public Education, 

Investigations, Payroll, 

Administration, Training 

and Career Development. 

The Division provides all 

the services necessary to 

maintain a high response 

readiness, as well as 

important preventative 

measures. 

The Fire Service is also 

very involved in Special 

Events that come to our 

area, by being involved in 

the planning and 

provision of emergency 

response during these 

events (such as the recent 

Tall Ships and G7) to 

ensure the safety of all our 

visitors and citizens. 


Attendance Management 

Program 


implementation of a 

program to manage sick 

leave usage. 

Officer Development 

Program 



program to enhance service 

knowledge for new officers. 

Strategic Planning 

Plan completed; Action 

Plans to be developed for 

each of the strategic 

directions. 


Increase Lectures and 

Community Events 

An initiative to further 

develop awareness of fire 

safety in our communities. 

Station Relocation 

Proceed with the 

construction of two new 

fire stations to enhance 

service delivery. 

Prepare for Natural Gas 

Obtain the necessary 

equipment and training to 

handle emergencies 

involving natural gas. 

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• 62 Stations throughout 

HRM 

• 442 career staff 

• approximately 800 volunteer 

members 

• April 1, 1998 to March 31, 

1999 15,401 calls responded 

to, of which 6,514 were 

medical calls 

• Mechanical team maintains 

over 170 apparatus and small 

vehicles 

26


Emergency Measures Office 

T 

he Emergency Measures 

Office (EMO) of the 

municipality offers two 

levels of service to its 

clients: 

– during times of 

emergency, the EMO 

facilitates the delivery of a 

coordinated response to 

the emergency. 

– in periods of nonemergency, 

the EMO 

provides programs and 

leadership that will assist 

its clients to prepare for an 

eventual, but unknown 

peril. 

The two levels of 

service are provided 

internally and externally. 

Internally, EMO’s services 

are provided to other 

municipal departments 

and services that will be, 

or may be called upon to 

perform in an emergency 

role at some point in time. 

Externally, the EMO 

liaises with other 

governmental agencies, 

private sector business, 

and members of the 

public at large to provide 

the two levels of service. 


Strengthening Preparedness 

Among Neighbours (SPAN) 

EMO formed a team of 

dedicated staff and 

volunteers to educate 

individuals and families 

on emergency 

preparedness. 

Year 2000 Response (Y2K) 

EMO was part of the 

project team that worked 

to minimize any potential 

difficulties that could 

arise during the rollover 

into the new millennium. 

EMO also ensured there 

were extensive plans 

available to allow for 

continuity of essential 

services should a Y2K 

related problem occur. 

Emergency Responses 

EMO participated in 

several emergency 

responses in 1999 – acting 

as an advisor to the 

responding agencies and 

helping coordinate the 

evacuation and temporary 

relocation of displaced 

residents. 


Emergency Operations 

Centre (EOC) 

Participating in a joint 

approach to emergency 

management with the 

three levels of government. 

Training 

Develop and 

implement an EMO 

training philosophy that 

supports current 

emergency management 

styles and is coordinated 

with other municipal 

departments. 

Volunteer Management 

Developing programs 

that utilize our extensive 

volunteer community in 

both emergency and nonemergency 

times. 

Evacuation Plan 

Completion and 


master evacuation plan for 


Municipality. 

27

T 


911 Communications Centre 

he 911 Communications 

Centre dispatches calls for 


Police and Halifax 

Regional Fire and 

Emergency Services. It 

also provides important 

field support, manages 

non-emergency phone 

lines which individuals 

call when they require 

police or fire assistance in 

a less urgent setting, and 

forwards calls which 

require medical attention 

to Emergency Health 

Services ( EHS) which 

handle the dispatching 

duties for all ambulances 

in Nova Scotia. As one of 

seven Public Service 

Answering Points 

(PSAP's) in Nova Scotia 

which are all linked to one 

another, the staff of the 

Centre can efficiently and 

correctly handle 

emergency calls that can 

come from anywhere in 

the Province. 


Dispatch Centre 

A fully functional, 

independent dispatch 

centre is available for 

handling emergency 

dispatching of all police 

and fire services that are 

currently handled at the 

Centre. 

Dispatch Point 

Implementation of a 

single dispatch point for 

all HRM fire departments, 

paid and volunteer, has 

been initiated, with the 

Dispatch Centre assuming 

dispatching 

responsibilities for an 

additional eight volunteer 

fire departments. 

Partnership with 

Halifax Regional Police - 

Computer 

As a partner with 

Halifax Regional Police, a 

new computer system for 

patrol vehicles was 

implemented for officers 

on patrol. 


Paging System 

Review and analysis of 

a single paging system for 

Halifax Regional Fire and 

Emergency Services 

(volunteers). 

Partnership with Halifax 

Regional Police - Mobile 

Radio 

As a partner with 

Halifax Regional Police, a 

test program on a new 

trunked mobile radio 

solution (TMR) which 

provides province-wide 

radio coverage via 

trunking, will be initiated. 

Pilot Project - Digital 

Mapping and Global 

Positioning System (GPS) 

Digital mapping and 

the interaction with a GPS 

will improve the 

effectiveness and efficiency 

with which emergency 

police resources are 

delivered. 

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• 55 personnel 

• 60,000+ 911 emergency 

calls per year 

• 500,000+ non-911 calls 

per year 

• 7-day/24 hour 

communication dispatch 

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Library 

T he Halifax Regional 

Library is a corporation, 

separate from Halifax 

Regional Municipality. It 

is accountable to Regional 

Council through the 

budget review process. 

The Library provides 

comprehensive, innovative 

and responsive public 

library service through 

branch library facilities, 

outreach services (Books 

by Mail, Mobile Libraries, 

Homebound), materials, 

programs, electronic 

telecommunication 

networks, communications 

media, knowledgeable 

employees and 

partnerships. The Library 

provides access to a broad 

range of information 

resources through a 

number of mediums. The 

Library is a one-stop 

location for information. 


New Library 

Planning and design 

plans for the new Keshen 

Goodman Public Library, 

to be located in Clayton 

Park, completed and it is 

anticipated the facility will 

be open in the Fall of 2001. 

Community CAP Site 

The Jeddore- 

Musquodoboit 

Community CAP Site was 

officially opened. 

Y2K Project 

Transition to 2000 

occurred without any 

technical 

problems 

or service 

disruption 

to library 

users; 138 

noncompatible 

PCs, hardware 

and software were 

replaced. 


New Library 

Develop a Tantallon 

Branch to open in 2001. 

Access 

Improve public access 

to information technology 

and the World Wide Web. 

Hours of Operation 

Review hours of 

operation and develop 

proposal for increased and 

equitable hours of 

operation for all branches 

and services. 

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• 13 Branch Libraries 

• 32,825 Total open hours 

• 1,164,578 Total number of 

collection volumes 

• 1,905 Total number of 

magazines titles subscribed to 

• 2 mobile libraries 

• 3,481,665 items borrowed 

• 2,088,004 visits to the Library 

• 22,159 new borrowers 

registered 

• 375,255 questions answered 

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Public Works & Transportation 

Services 

F 

ormulated under 

Alignment 2000, Public 

Works and Transportation 

Services was created to 

consolidate all critical and 

operational services 

regarding management of 


infrastructure. The 

services provided include 

Design and Construction 

Services, whose main 

function is the 

coordination of the 

Capital Budget, which 

entails the evaluation and 

prioritization of 

infrastructure 

requirements, design, 

tender call, 

construction inspection 

and project management; 

Traffic and 

Transportation Services 

are responsible for the 

approvals and installation 

of traffic control devices, 

as well as the planning of 

orderly expansion and the 

safe, effective operation of 


transportation 

network; 

Environmental and 

Engineering Approval 

Services manage the 

wastewater and 

stormwater infrastructure 

by ensuring system 

capacity, investigation and 

determining solutions to 

specific problems, 

administering and 

enforcing legislation, 

drafting, implementing 

and amending by-laws, 

policies and 

procedures; 

Street and Roads Services 

provide maintenance 

services for municipalowned 

streets and 

sidewalks; Technical and 

Underground Services are 


maintenance of collection 

and transportation of the 

wastewater and storm 

drainage systems; and 

Wastewater Treatment 

Services manage the 

treatment 

of 

wastewater at 14 pollution 

control plants providing 

environment and public 

health protection. 


Bridge Approaches 

Major improvements 

to both approaches to the 

Angus L. Macdonald 

bridge to complement 

the additional 

bridge lane. 

Traffic Signals 

Design and 

construction of five new 

traffic signal installations. 

Pollution Prevention 

Program 

Phase 1 of the 

Pollution Prevention 

Program (source control) 

implemented. 

Unpaved Streets 

Reinstatement of chipsealing 

program for stone 

& oil on unpaved streets. 

Sewer Lateral Maintenance 

Implemented increased 

service levels for sewer 

lateral maintenance. 

Wastewater Treatment 

Eastern Passage Water 

Pollution Control Plant 

odour control addition. 

30


Funding Strategies 

Development of 

funding strategies for 

infrastructure construction. 

Traffic Control System 

Expansion of the 

computerized traffic 

control system (SCOOT) 

to portions of Dartmouth 

and Bedford. 

Waste Resource 

Management Policy 

Policy being developed 

in conjunction with 

Planning & Development 

Services. 

Adopt-A-Highway Program 

Active canvassing for 

more participants in 

the program. 

Mill Cove Water Pollution 

Control Plant 

Computer process 

control (WEB) upgrade 

and addition of pumping 

station air scrubber. 

Natural Gas Distribution 

Coordinating planning 

and construction efforts to 

ensure the projects are 

undertaken with minimal 

interference with existing 

infrastructure within the 

street right-of-way, and 

traffic flow patterns. 

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• 1441 kilometers of streets 

maintained 

• 191 signed crosswalks 

• 20,000 kilometers of streets 

swept 

• 65,000 litter baskets 

emptied 

• Responded to 12,500 service 

calls 

• 10 Adopt-A-Highway 

partnerships 

• 30 kilometers of road 

shoulders graded 

• 24,000 tonnes of salt used 

(winter operations) 

• 5,200 tonnes of sand used 

(winter operations) 

• 734 kilometers of sidewalks 

• 3000 meters concrete curb & 

gutter repaired 

• 45 handicap ramps repaired/ 

installed 

• 550 street signs replaced/ 

installed 

• 4500 traffic signs replaced/ 

installed 

• 44,000 meters of crosswalks 

repainted 

• 12,000 meters of wastewater 

collection system cleaning 

• 1,250 meters of service 

lateral repairs 

• 1,050 new street lights 

added 

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32 

Real Estate Services & 

Facilities Management 

C 

orporate Real Estate 

Services is mandated to 

provide the municipality 

with an effective market 

oriented, professional 

program of real estate 

services. These include 

inventory management of 

real property assets; 

negotiation and 

management of leases on 

surplus municipal lands; 

sale of surplus real estate 

assets; Business Parks lot 

sales and leasing; Business 

Parks management and 

development, marketing 

and promotion; and 

acquisition of real 

property assets. The recent 

realignment of Building 


with Corporate Real 

Estate Services 

demonstrated the need 

for a corporate-wide 

integrated building 

management 

program. The 

design, 

implementation 

and operation of 

this program has 

been initiated. 


Sales - Business Parks 

23 transactions 

for a total value of 

$3,926,284 

Sales - Surplus 

Municipal Properties 

33 transactions for 

a total value of 

$4,303,146 

Acquisitions - for Various 

Capital Projects 

Six transactions for a 

total value of $1,635,325 


Inventory Management of 

Real Property Assets 

Design and 

implementation of an 

Operational Real Property 

Inventory Management 

Database to ensure real 

property assets are 

comprehensively listed 

and updated. 

Business Plan for Expansion 

of Business Parks 

Prepare and implement 

a Business Plan for 

Strategic Expansion of 

Municipal Business Parks. 

Strategic Properties 

Acquisition Plan 

Prepare and implement 

a Strategic Properties 

Acquisition Plan to ensure 

that operational or capital 

projects can proceed on a 

timely basis. 

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• 12 Business & Industrial 

Parks housing 1500+ 

companies 

• 8,000 acres of land for 

business park expansion with 

only 2,300 being occupied 

• Administration of 30 land 

lease agreements representing 

annual gross revenue of 

$250,000 

• 1999/2000, 45 sales of 

surplus real estate and business 

park lands totaling approx. $6 

million 

• Property acquisitions of 

approx. $1.5 million

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Shared 

Services 

hared Services represents 

an entrepreneurial 

approach to providing 

services to the various 

business units within the 

municipality. It clusters 

expertise in selected 

services common to the 

Corporation under one 

business unit. The level of 

expertise that exists within 

Shared Services enables 

the municipality to perform 

many functions in-house; 

with greater time and cost 

efficiencies. Shared Services 

is a customer-driven unit, 

focusing on the needs of 

its clients. It is defined by 

the solutions and results it 

achieves for its clients. 

Shared Services includes: 

Fleet Management Services, 

which provides safe, 

reliable and appropriate 

equipment and vehicles 

and manages the long 

term fleet utilization and 

replacement program; 

Marketing and Design 

Services provides a unique 

in-house marketing, 

graphic design, print and 

distribution service; 

Customer Service Centres 

provides “one stop 

shopping” and ease of 

access to municipal 

services for residents of, 

and visitors to, the 

municipality; Corporate 

Call Centre provides a 

single gateway into the 

organization, allowing for 

easy access to consistent 

up-to-date information; 

Geographical Information 

Services (GIS) provides 

the business units of the 

municipality with a 

corporate-wide geographic 

reference database and 

system that captures, 

stores, retrieves, analyzes 

and displays information 

and Payroll and 

Administrative Services. 


Expansion of Services 

The Customer Service 

Centres have expanded the 

“one stop shopping” 

concept to include By-Law 

Licensing for Automatic 

Machines and Vendors & 

Peddlers Licenses. 

Call Centre 

Integration of three 

major call-taking 

functions within the 

organization into one 


Operations Fleet 

Consolidation of 

Operations Fleet at one 

central location. 

Quality of Data 

GIS has improved the 

quality of its data in order 

to provide a higher level of 

time critical support to 

corporate projects. 

Internal Support 

Support to clients in the 

implementation of SAP and 

collective agreements. 

Website 

Redesigned corporate 

website to improve 

interactivity, consistency 

and ease of navigation. 


Fleet Management 

Set benchmarks and 

measure performance to 

determine the most cost 

effective delivery model. 

Internal Service Delivery 

Provide services to the 

corporation that consist of 

a fully integrated approach 

to communications. 

Customer Service Centre 

Expand services to 

include Internet access, 

recreation facility permits 

and selected licensing 

services. 

Call Centre 

Integrate the existing 

call/information centre 

functions into one 


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• Maintains 600 operational 

vehicles and 800 pieces of 

small equipment, 177 buses, 3 

ferries and 16 access-a-buses 

• 236+ marketing and design 

projects completed 

• 1,700 visits to website per 

day; average length of stay: 

4.5 minutes 

• 6 million+ images on the 

photocopier 

• 5.5 million+ images on the 

presses 

• 11,000,000 impressions 

produced by the Print Shop 

• Six Customer Service Centres 

throughout the municipality 

processed 200,000 payment 

transactions, 75,000 service 

payments, 42,000 general 

inquiries, 2,000 marriage 

licenses and 16,000 parking 

ticket payments 

• Call Centre processed 

600,000 incoming calls 

33

Tourism, Culture & Heritage 

34 

I 

n 1999, the tourism 

industry in Nova Scotia 

generated $1.27 billion 

dollars, making tourism 

the province’s second 

largest industry. Tourism 

receipts in the 

municipality accounted 

for over 50% of this total, 

putting well over $600 

million dollars into the 

local economy. 


Heritage’s mandate, in 

addition to working 

within the mainstream 

commercial tourism 

infrastructure, is to 

continue to develop a new 

stream tourism, adventure 

tourism and cultural and 

heritage sites. The 


Heritage Business Unit 

comprises: a Marketing 

Division, whose function 

is to develop and deliver 

an overall marketing 

strategy to promote the 

municipality as a 

destination for business 

and leisure travel; Civic 

Events & Festivals 

Division organizes and 

manages municipal 

created or supported 

special events; Visitors 

Services Division provides 

information to visitors; 

and Culture & Heritage 

Division is responsible for 

the delivery of services 

related to culture and 

heritage. 


Cruise Ship Attraction 

As founding members 

of the Atlantic Canada 

Cruise Association, 

marketing staff played a 

lead role in expanding the 

region’s potential to attract 

the cruise ship segment. 

Halifax is now one of the 

most popular Ports of Call 

on the cruise region, the 

New Atlantic Frontier. 

Halifax’s 250 th Birthday 

Celebrations 

Staff were involved in 

implementing many 

special programs for 

Halifax’s 250th 

anniversary celebrations, 

including an historic reenactment 

of the 1749 

landing of founder, 

Colonel Edward 

Cornwallis and his settlers. 

Heritage HRM Millennium 

Project “One City, Many 

Communities” Published 

In conjunction with 

the HRM Millennium 

Project, the first municipal 

guide to more than 188 

communities which form 

the amalgamated Halifax 

Regional Municipality, 

was published. Entitled 

“One City, Many 

Communities,” written by 

Alfreda Withrow, the 

guide provides readers 

with an insight into the 

cultural and historic 

diversity of our many 

communities. 

Visitor Information 

In 1999, the number of 

visitors receiving assistance 

rose 28% with more than 

140,000 people visiting 

the HRM Visitor 

Information Centre 

between January and 

August.


Heritage Tourism Strategy 

Development 

Development of an 

HRM Heritage Tourism 

Strategy in consultation 

with 70 community, nonprofit 

and government 

partners. The strategy, 

which will identify new 

forms of tourism, 

primarily dealing with 

Heritage and Culture, will 

be developed over the next 

three to five years to 

maximize the benefits of 

the community. 

Visitor Information Centres 

To improve the 

physical quality of the 

Visitor Centres and to 

lengthen the open season/ 

peak season for all Visitor 

Information Centres. 

Halifax Entertainment 

Season Campaign 

To expand the 

partnership program and 

base dollar contributions 

to build a larger campaign 

valued at $210,000. This 

is targeted at increasing 

tourism in the 

municipality between 

January and April. 

Civic Events & Festivals 

Event planning for 

Dartmouth’s 250 th 

Anniversary Celebrations 

and for Canada’s biggest 

Millennium Event, Tall 

Ships 2000. 

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• In 1999, 16,300 direct and 

indirect jobs within the 

municipality were attributed 

to the tourism industry sector 

• 60+ special events 

coordinated within HRM 

annually 

• an estimated 1.5 million 

people attend HRM civic 

events/festivals annually 

• 11 seasonal visitor 

information centres operated 

• 440,000 visitors were served 

at all of the visitor 

information centres in 1999 

• 1999 saw a record 73 cruise 

ships call on Halifax 

• 107,837 cruise ship 

passengers in 1999 

• approximately $5.3 million 

was generated in publicity 

value for HRM, through the 

Travel Media program 

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W 

Solid Waste 

Resource Services 

aste Resources is 



operation of the 

municipality’s waste 

resource management 

system; maintenance of all 

related infrastructure; and 

management of 19 service 

contracts, provided by 16 

private sector service 

providers/partners at a 

value of $35 million 

dollars. The 


management of the system 

is guided by the strategy’s 

objectives to maximize the 

3 R’s (reduce, reuse and 

recycle), maximize 

environmental 

sustainment and minimize 

cost and encourage 

stewardship. Waste 

Resource Services include: 

Recycling Services, 

Organics/Composting 

Services and Regular 

Waste Management 

Services, which includes 

materials collection, 

contract management, 

materials processing, 

marketing/ 

communication/education 

programming, and 

distribution and 

management of carts; 

Household Hazardous 

Waste (HHW) 


includes sorting, 

consolidating, bulking, 

handling, transportation, 

recycling and proper 

disposal of hazardous 

materials; and HWY 101 

Landfill Environmental 

Management includes the 

Leachate Treatment Plant 

and Flare Stack, site 

maintenance and 

monitoring issues relative 

to site closure. 


Communication/Education 

Comprehensive 

communication/education 

program developed and 

implemented to support 

the delivery of the system. 

Otter Lake Processing and 

Disposal Facility 

Construction, testing 

and commissioning of 

facility – one of the most 

refined in North America. 

Organic Collection 

Single largest 

municipal unit in North 

America to offer curbside 

organic collection service. 


Maximizing Diversion 

Fulfill objectives for 

increased diversion, 

including programs for 

condominiums, 

apartments and the 

industrial, commercial and 

institutional sectors. 

Material Quality 

Ensure delivery of 

quality organics and 

recyclables. 

Communication and 

Education Program 

Improve program and 

reinforce message to 

maximize diversion. 

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• 100,000+ green carts and 

mini-bins distributed 

• Residential collection to 

108,000 households 

• 36,000 tonnes of organics 

diverted 

• 18,000 tonnes of recyclables 

diverted 

• 46% diversion achieved for 

all components in 1999 

36

P 

Transit 

Services 

ublic transit strengthens 

the local economy, and 

addresses environmental 

concerns. It contributes to 

social equity by providing 

safe, reliable, affordable 

transportation to 

residents, regardless of age, 

income or disability. 

Transit Services is 


public transit within the 

municipality. It is 

delivered through five 

different avenues: 

Conventional Transit or 

fixed route transit, 

provides a service between 

6:00am and 12:30am, 

seven days a week on 47 

fixed transit routes. It 

transports on average 

50,000 passengers per day; 

Ferry Service provides two 

ferry landings on the 

Dartmouth side and one 

on the Halifax side. It is 

fully integrated with the 

public transit system and 

transports on average 

2,000 passengers per day; 

Access-A-Bus provides 

transportation services to 

individuals who, because 

of restricted mobility, are 

unable to use the 

conventional transit 

service; Charter Service 

provides services on 

conventional transit, 

Access-A-Bus and Ferry 

Service to private groups, 

cruise ships, sightseeing 

tours, conferences and 

conventions; and 

Community Transit 

provides transportation 

alternatives to residents 

living in rural areas that 

do not have the population 

to support conventional 

transit service. 


Metro Transit 

Transported 11,960,000 

passengers in 1999/00. 

Access-A-Bus & 

Contracted Service 

Transported 118,000 


Community Transit 

Transported 49,224 

passengers in Beaver Bank 

and Porters Lake in 1999/00. 

Special Events 

Coordinated transit 

support for special events 

i.e., Natal Day, Canada 

Day, Shearwater Air Show. 

Ferry Service 

Transported 1,480,000 



Transit Study 

Conduct a 

comprehensive Transit 

study that will 

recommend a strategic 

direction for public transit 

in the municipality. 

Transit Shelters 

Install 10 new shelters 

throughout the transit 

service area. 

Park & Ride 

Expand parking capacity 

at the Cobequid Terminal. 

Low Floor Buses 

Introduce wheelchair 

accessible, low-floor buses 

on Routes 3 (Manors) and 

7 (Gottingen). 

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• 32,000 calls per week on the 

Go-Time public information 

system 

• 275 full time bus operators 

• 177 buses 

• 16 Access-A-Bus vehicles 

• 4 Community Transit Buses 

• If the 5,000 peak hour 

passengers Metro Transit 

carries to Peninsula Halifax 

used private automobiles, an 

additional twenty acres of 

parking and two new road 

lanes would be required 

• 14 Low floor accessible buses 

• 3 ferries 

37

Awards 

and Recognition 

Halifax Regional Municipality has been recognized provincially and nationally with 

awards for excellence in various categories. This recognition, including the following, is a 

testament to the commitment and dedication of HRM management and staff to excellence 

in both the development and delivery of high caliber, efficient programs and services. 

Federation of Canadian 

Municipalities, Sustainable 

Community Award 2000 

• “Reduction in 

Greenhouse Gases.” 

Canadian Public Relations 

Society - Nova Scotia 

Gemstone Awards 1999. 

Two awards received: 

• “Creation of the Halifax 


Organic Collection 

Program School Video” 

and 

• “Halifax Regional 

Municipality & McArthur 

Thompson & Law for the 

Launch of the Organic 

Collection Communications 

Program.” 

Canadian Public Relations 

Society - Nova Scotia 

Gemstone Awards 2000 

• “Halifax Regional 

Municipality and 

Corporate Communications 

Limited for The Mayor’s 

Crosswalk Safety Campaign.” 

The Canadian Association 

of Municipal 

Administrators & The 

Royal Bank of Canada 

• Honourable Mention, 

Willis Award for Innovation 

“Fiscal Accountability - 

Multi-Year Fiscal Strategy 

and Business Planning.” 

Conference Board of 

Canada Award 

• “1999 Top Employer of 

Youth in Nova Scotia,” 

Youth Live. 

Canadian Association for 

Community Education 

• “1999 Program of the 

Year,” Youth Live. 

Nova Scotia Environmental 

Award 

• “1999 Youth Award of 

Merit”, Youth Live. 

Crime Prevention Society of 

Nova Scotia 

• “1999 Top Youth 

Initiative,” Youth Live. 

1999 Canada Post Literacy 

Leadership Award 

• “Children’s Reading 

Support Program”, 

Halifax Regional Library. 

Industry Canada 

• “LibraryNet Best 

Practices 1999.” 

Nova Scotia Waste 

Diversion Conference. 

Award received twice - 

• “Highest Per Capita 

Waste Diversion Award in 

1998/99 and in 1999/00.” 

Mayor Walter Fitzgerald presenting award from the Nova Scotia 

Resource Recovery Fund Board to Councillor Reg Rankin. 

From left to right, FCM President: Mayor Sam Synard, 

Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador; HRM Energy Auditor: 

Chris Feetham, and the Honourable Minister of the 

Environment: David Anderson. 

38

Condensed Financial 

Information 

Condensed Financial Information (000’s) 

As of the Year Ended March 31st, 2000 

Budget Actual Actual 

2000-2001 1999-2000 1998-1999 

Summary of Statement of Operations 

Revenue: 

Non-Departmental Revenues $372,375 $366,110 $357,901 

Departmental Revenues 90,024 73,134 67,206 

Total Revenues 462,399 439,244 425,107 

Expenditure: 

General Government Services $51,641 $49,754 $44,023 

Transit Services 20,024 19,646 18,127 

Protective Services 83,718 78,463 76,207 

Solid Waste Services 37,191 37,819 34,013 

Planning & Dev/Public Works & Transportation 49,569 43,938 45,333 

Recreation and Cultural Services 22,768 21,857 23,119 

Library Services 12,614 11,981 11,709 

Fiscal Services 184,874 171,712 181,801 

Total Expenditures 462,399 435,170 434,332 

Surplus (Deficit) for Year $0 $4,074 ($9,225) 

Excerpts from Capital Balance Sheet: 

Fixed Assets: 

Land $123,076 $119,738 

Buildings 311,343 303,635 

Infrastructure 708,030 669,654 

Machinery and Equipment 96,503 83,764 

Total $1,238,952 $1,176,791 

Long Term Debt issued and outstanding $283,200 $271,248 

Equity in Capital Assets 1,002,396 $963,619 

Excerpts from Reserve Funds Balance Sheet 

Capital Reserve Funds - Available Equity $21,050 $17,817 

Operating Reserve Funds - Available Equity 51,019 51,078 

Excerpts from Operating Funds Balance Sheet 

Taxes Receivable $34,942 $35,220 

as a % of Taxes Billed 11.28% 11.13% 

HRM’s audited financial statements are available through the Financial Services Business Unit. 

39

Produced by the HRM Corporate Communications Office 

Research: Nancy Dempsey 

Design and layout: 

Corinne Hartley-Robinson, Shared Services 

Photography: 

Gord Lehmann, Shared Services 

P. Franklin, HRM 

HRM Staff 

For further information, contact: 

John O'Brien, Corporate Communications Officer, 

C/O Chief Administrative Office, 1841 Argyle Street, Halifax, 

N.S. B3J 3A5 

Phone (902) 490-6531; Fax (902) 490-4044; or e-mail, 

obrienj@region.halifax.ns.ca.

Annual Report 2000 - Halifax Regional Municipality

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