Demolition of Dartmouth community creates concern for residents

Demolition begins at Ocean Breeze in Dartmouth Demolition begins at the Ocean Breeze community in Dartmouth to make way for a new development.

Demolition has begun at the Ocean Breeze Village in Dartmouth, N.S.

“We knew it was coming,” says resident Celine Porcheron.

That doesn’t make it any easier for the residents who now have to find a new place to live, especially at the affordable prices many were paying.

“We know we’ve got it good here. I pay under $1,100 for a three-bedroom lower apartment with a backyard. We know that those prices are blessings, but they’re also the curse,” Porcheron says.

Because that’s way under market value. The new buildings going up will surely cost more to live in.

“I’ll have to pay double rent minimum for less bedrooms so I can’t do that, I can’t see myself affording that,” says Porcheron.

At its peak close to 1,500 people were living in Ocean Breeze. Now around 1,000 people call the community home.

“The fear for residents is the high rental costs and short supply. There will be people with nowhere to go as the demolition continues. It’s really concerning because there are unit prices in there, I don’t know how that’s going to be replaced,” says area councillor, Tony Mancini.

“I just wish we could do something. There potentially could be people that may end up in a tent because they’re not going to have a place to move to.”

Jenn Laverty, the president of the Ocean Breeze Residents Association says the community is very tightly-knit.

“This is home for us. Almost everybody that lives here has been here for a very long time,” Laverty.

“We are not just neighbours, we’re family and friends and we’re a community.”

With limited options, residents say they may not only be forced to leave the city, but leave Nova Scotia entirely in search of a new home.

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