It’s nearly a century old and talks of the Halifax Forum’s future are getting older by the day, too. “We should have taken care of this 10, 12 years ago, but we didn’t,” says Coun. Tony Mancini. “Look, there’s a number of factors why we’ve delayed it so often, but here we are.” “I wish it wasn’t $126 million, but unfortunately we have paused, we postponed,” says Coun. Virginia Hinch. “We’ve done this so many times.” Late last Friday afternoon, the city announced the Forum’s demolition permit was paused because of cost overruns. Rebuilding it at the same site, as part of the Halifax Forum Revitalization Project, had been estimated to cost $126 million. But the new cost estimate hasn’t been made public. Despite not firmly agreeing on what the best way to proceed is, both councillors agree it’s time to get moving one way or another. “I think we need to respect the Forum for what it is and what it’s done, and that we need to continue on with the Forum… A rebuild at the same location,” Hinch says. Mancini was absent from a council vote in March on Mayor Andy Fillmore’s motion to defer the project and look at other areas to rebuild. The vote was tied, which meant the motion failed. “We need to really look outside the box,” Mancini says. “I’m not saying we have to leave that location. Maybe we do. We should consider that if that’s an option to get us a new facility. You know, can we build something on that site with a partnership? Can there be housing as part of that equation on that site?” But Mancini remains concerned about the price tag. The area councillor says the community can’t lose its space. “It’s for the community,” Hinch says. “We have the farmer’s market, we have bingo halls, there’s a shelter there right now. “There’s so much more that the Forum can offer, but it’s not just two parts of ice.” Between the Forum and Civic Arena, a closure would mean a loss of 8.5 per cent of the city’s ice availability and a cutback for all teams and organizations that use it. “People need to understand we’re not against the Halifax Forum redevelopment,” says Tim Boyce, technical director for the Halifax Hawks. “What we are rallying for is more ice time capacity in the city. This is a figure skating problem. This is a ringette problem. This is an ice usage problem.” Both councillors agree they need more information is needed from the mayor about his hopes of building a new rink elsewhere. Fillmore hasn’t said which two locations he’s considering for a new, cheaper rink option, but he’s maintained the community portion of the Forum would stay here under a housing development. Last weekend, he told CTV News Atlantic he’s in talks with the Department of National Defence (DND) to see about a potential land partnership for a new build. DND acknowledged CTV News Atlantic’s interview request on Thursday, but didn’t provide an answer or statement by our Friday afternoon deadline. The debate is expected to return to council in the coming weeks. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
