Black community in Truro doesn’t want to ‘end up like Africville’ 

Article content

“We’re fighting to protect our community,” Truro’s planning committee was told on Dec. 16. 

A woman who didn’t identify herself said they had already lost two other Black communities in Truro and have seen what has happened to Africville in Halifax because of developments pushing in.

“We’re fighting to protect our future for our children,” she said. “This is a big deal to us.”

Article content

It was an emotional meeting of the planning advisory committee as several long-time residents of West Prince Street (also known as The Island) spoke out against a proposed five-storey, 52-unit development at 60 Juniper Street — currently a parking lot. Truro town staff recommended that the committee not give it a recommendation to council because, even though it checks off a number of boxes, it doesn’t satisfy the requirement of neighbourhood compatibility.

‘PROTECTING OUR CULTURE’

“We have already witnessed the loss of The Hill and The Marsh as cohesive Black neighbourhoods and this development risks further eroding our community. This is not simply about construction, it is protecting a culture and a historical identity that has deep significance to our town,” said Trevor Jordan, representing a group of residents who came together to voice their opposition to the project.

Jordan summarized the community’s complaints by saying it’s too big and doesn’t fit in with the neighbourhood, there are “serious environmental and structural issues,” as well as it casts shadows, cuts off sightlines and creates more traffic and parking demands.

Article content

Many residents don’t trust the stormwater and flood-risk mitigation plans will be effective, even though the proposal meets standards set by the town.

He said they’re not against development but this neighbourhood deserves heritage protection and respect “as part of Truro’s cultural fabric.”

Another woman who didn’t give her name said they’re being squeezed out of their community. 

“Let us live. You kept us down for 200-300 years … this town was built by our ancestors with pick and shovel — you should know all this stuff.”

She added that her community needs to speak up more or they’ll “end up like Africville.”

Ward 2 Coun. Bill Thomas said community feedback is key to this project moving forward.

“The owners have a right to develop that land, the question is how will it be developed? And your involvement will help decide how compatible it is in regards to the historic nature of the Black community, also to the size and mass of the development relative to being right beside residential, single-home properties.”

DEVELOPER ASKS FOR A DEFERRAL

Ross Grant, representing the developer Blenkhorn Investments Limited, asked the committee for a deferral — a rare move this late in the process.

Article content

“The reason we’re asking for the deferral is that after having the chance to review the staff report for this step of the file, we feel there is further opportunity to circle back with staff and discuss key issues on this application,” he said, adding that they would revise the proposal after more consultations with the community. 

There have already been two community feedback sessions.

Grant said they’re hoping to come back with a revised proposal that would get a green light from staff.

When asked what he would revise, Grant hedged on specifics and said they need more time to talk through those issues with staff and the community to evaluate what changes would be needed to get to a positive recommendation.

Jason Fox, director of planning and development, said a deferral would basically mean starting over because there would need to be substantial changes made to the design.

Given the choice of requesting a deferral or withdrawing the current application and starting from scratch, Grant said they’d rather get a deferral and see if it would need significant alteration first before having to start over.

Article content

Ward 3 Coun. Ian McGrath said the changes would be too much and the added consultation would take too long.

“Starting from scratch is probably our best option, in my opinion.”

A woman in the gallery said that very little has been changed and the community wants the developer to start over. Another resident said the developer already had the chance to talk to the community and they didn’t take them seriously.

At the end of a lengthy discussion, the committee held two votes: they agreed to deny the deferral request and they voted to go with the staff’s recommendation not to proceed with a development agreement.

That means it’s back to the drawing board for 60 Juniper Street, Truro.

Article content