Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S., residents push for faster action on fire hydrant issue

Some residents of Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S., say they're feeling both hopeful and frustrated after a closed-door meeting with city officials.

Residents of Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S., say they’re both hopeful and frustrated after a community meeting Thursday night with senior officials from Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax Water, and Halifax Fire.

Residents told CTV News officials outlined plans during the meeting to address the long-standing issue of unusable fire hydrants and low water pressure in the area.

Officials proposed short-term solutions including adding new fire hydrants, upgrading pipes, and providing grants to help residents install water boosters in their homes.

“The goal is to right the wrong,” explained community member Lennett Anderson. “It’s not lost on us that we host the Pockwock watershed. It is in our backyard. This is land that was taken from the community several years ago.”

While some community members welcomed the updates, many expressed concerns over the timeline.

“We’ve been paying for fire protection in our taxes for decades, but our hydrants can’t even fight fires,” said Anderson. “I don’t feel the urgency we need. They’re talking about a timeline of two years before pipes are upgraded and before the majority of the community gets proper fire protection. That’s far too long.”

Residents are also calling for reparations, saying the issue reflects systemic racism and decades of neglect in the historic African Nova Scotian community.

“We were misled for years,” said Anderson. “This is about more than infrastructure, its about fairness, safety and making things right.”

He said the city has agreed to make this a part of their action plan.

“I was at a loss for words when my trustees showed me the documents of our municipal property tax that fire protection is listed, yet our fire hydrants in this community cannot be used for fire suppression. There’s an African Nova Scotian action plan that is meeting with us so that we can outline the concerns, the issues, and the demands of the community.”

Anderson said the community plans to take their fight to the provincial government to see if anything can be done to expedite city official’s plans.

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