News Release: Canada Post Facility must relocate to unlock housing opportunities
Andy Fillmore says relocating Canada Post’s Almon Street facility could open federal land for thousands of new homes
HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY, NS – February 21, 2024 – Amidst Canada's housing crisis, Halifax Member of Parliament Andy Fillmore is urging transformative action to address the urgent need for more homes in the Halifax Regional Municipality. With housing emerging as the paramount issue across the country, Fillmore advocates for leveraging federal land to alleviate the crisis.
"At the heart of the issue is the critical shortage of homes. We need bold solutions to match the scale of this challenge," says Fillmore.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), an additional 3.5 to 4.1 million homes are needed nationwide to restore affordability. In line with this, Nova Scotia's share would require building tens of thousands of new homes in HRM by 2030.
Fillmore highlights a prime opportunity in the heart of Halifax: the current site of Canada Post's sorting facility on Almon Street. With Halifax experiencing significant growth, the need for land – especially close to essential services and transit – has become crucial.
"It's time for Canada Post to relocate and open up this federal land for housing," says Fillmore.
The relocation of Canada Post's sorting facility presents an unparalleled opportunity for housing development. City planners have created a conceptual plan for the area that shows capacity for over 5,000 new housing units, accommodating up to 10,000 residents.
"This is a massive opportunity to bolster housing supply in our urban core, on a site near existing services like schools and transit, and already connected to water and sewage," says Fillmore.
“This would be a simpler and more cost effective solution than breaking new ground on an unserviced site. But it’s a plan that only works if the Canada Post sorting facility is relocated.”
Fillmore says he has already begun raising this idea with some of the relevant parties, including Canada Post leadership, federal government ministers, and the adjacent property owners.
Fillmore underscores the urgency of planning for future growth, urging proactive measures to prevent a compounded housing shortage in the future.
"If we have learned anything from the current housing crisis, it’s that the time to plan for the homes we’ll need in the 2030s is now," stresses Fillmore. “We need to take full advantage of every opportunity that’s before us.”
Drawing on successful precedents in the Greater Toronto Area and Vancouver, Fillmore says there are additional benefits of relocating the sorting facility to a location outside of the urban core that is accessible by major regional transportation networks. Not only would this enhance operational efficiency, but it would also clear the way for a new zero-carbon facility in line with Canada Post's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
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