A community group has sent a proposal to Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) officials aimed at improving emergency connectivity and public safety in Upper Hammonds Plains and Indigo Shores, N.S. The communities were highlighted in a study by the HRM as top priority for emergency connectivity, with limited egress routes, rapid subdivision growth and elevated vulnerability in emergency scenarios. The Pockwock Corridor SAFE-Working Group submitted an outline of a project to HRM Coun. John Young and Mayor Andy Fillmore. They pointed to cumulative public safety risks such as evacuation, emergency response, fire resilience, infrastructure capacity, population growth and traffic congestion, then highlighted motions the HRM could implement. “In recent years, particularly following the wildfires, residents have become increasingly concerned that growth is outpacing the infrastructure and emergency services required to support it,” the group wrote to the mayor and councillor. “People just barely got out during the fires and that was three years ago and it was a struggle,” Debbie Miller, a member of the Pockwock Corridor SAFE-Working Group, told CTV News. “It is only by luck that people did not die and that is not going to happen the next time unfortunately if we do not have better roads to connect us and get us out.” Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore says the Pockwock Corridor SAFE-Working Group has devoted significant time to raise awareness of these issues and bring forward practical solutions. “Regional Council has recently advanced work in these areas, including the approval of my motion exploring partnerships with utilities and other orders of government to help accelerate solutions,” he says in a statement to CTV News Atlantic. “It’s my hope that Regional Council has options to review as quickly as possible so this work can move forward.” In a news release, Darren Hiltz of the Pockwock Corridor SAFE-Working Group says their community chose to be part of the solution. “We invested hundreds of volunteer hours understanding the issues, reviewing technical information, and developing practical proposals.” Some of the motions set out in the outline include working with internal departments, emergency services, government, private sector and community stakeholders and reporting findings of the pilot project back to council within six months. “Residents emphasize that emergency access in a rapidly growing corridor is not just a transportation issue: it is fundamentally a matter of public safety, emergency preparedness and community resilience,” reads the news release from the group. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Emma Convey For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
