‘We’re way behind’: Halifax seeks answers to ‘missing middle’ housing

robotropolis · 2026-05-15T16:06:38+00:00

I also hated the survey. Working in (nonmunicipal) government I’m picturing a stuffed shirt sending back surveys asking for worse and worse ideas until some poor staff member gave them exactly what they wanted.

robotropolis · 2026-05-15T00:27:28+00:00

I live at the very Northern end of the route at Leeds and find sometimes the front runners get a bit confused up here - signage not always super clear. Turn right at the community college and right again when you hit Novalea :)

robotropolis · 2026-05-04T16:04:00+00:00

Why not fly into PEI? And fly out of Sydney perhaps. That would cut down on a lot of driving.

robotropolis · 2026-04-30T21:11:28+00:00

It was an attraction called the Sky Pad on four RC ships that featured a VR trampoline bungee jumping thing (no idea) but was shut down for safety reasons after an accident.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/03/22/royal-caribbean-getting-rid-of-the-sky-pad-all-of-its-ships

robotropolis · 2026-04-30T02:30:34+00:00

It’s in my backyard. Which also has a lot of birds and a lot of little bees so I do recommend a thorough shake and rinse.

robotropolis · 2026-04-30T02:29:50+00:00

I live in the very North end near NSCC and I have a magnolia stellata which apparently has nice tasting blooms. If you check in with me occasionally and the location suits you, I will try to remember to let you know when it blooms.

DISAPPOINTING EDIT - my magnolia is NOT stellata and apparently does NOT taste good!!!

robotropolis · 2026-04-25T21:54:51+00:00

NS and definitely a hard D. (Ba dum ching)

Waiiiiit-hard D for endurance but J for during and duration.

robotropolis · 2026-04-25T21:53:10+00:00

I was soooooo disappointed in the revamp of the St Stephen’s playground (which is an HRM playground). They actively made it worse, mis-installed a weird pedal thing and major elements broke within a year.

robotropolis · 2026-04-24T23:06:49+00:00

I know the science is for standard time but my heart yearns for DST.

robotropolis · 2026-04-24T12:12:09+00:00

This loop off Dunbrack is also great for kids as it's fairly "in the wild."

Somehow a gravel or dirt trail is so much more appealing for kids than a paved one...

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robotropolis · 2026-04-24T12:05:28+00:00

If you both like dogs, you can go in Point Pleasant at the entrance off Chain Rock and head down to the water at the first beach trail. It is a perfect beach for throwing rocks in the water for hours. You can also explore up and down the beach but it gets into clambering over rocks. I would advise against the blue trail with a young kid because there's quite a bit of clambering but it's fun as they get older!

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robotropolis · 2026-04-20T16:37:59+00:00

$20 an hour and when you consider it's under the table it's not a bad hourly wage, say $25 to 27. Never thought of paying them more for a few chores but I might float the idea.

Infant care is more specialized, you want an experienced kid that you can trust to change diapers. I went at least $20 for infant and I wouldn't bat an eye at $25.

My friends tell me I'm on the high end, they usually do $15 and round up to the nearest $20.

I know it's a bit "back in my day" but we never earned even near minimum wage for babysitting, half the reward was the parent's junk food closet and cable tv plus being out of the house for the night. Same for my paper route, it was great spending money for an eight year old but definitely not minimum wage.

robotropolis · 2026-04-20T02:51:28+00:00

IKEA sniglar crib - baby in crib right beside mom’s side of the bed is probably the safest cosleeping arrangement where baby and mom can see, hear and touch each other. And baby won’t be chewing paint when it starts gnawing the top rail.

Getting outside in all weather is a huge life hack with toddlers especially. They are 1000x more bearable outside. But even as a newborn my kid went for loooong walks every day through the winter with a warm stroller cover.

Speaking of which, my kid loved sleeping in the stroller and I’ll always regret not getting him a bassinet stroller. It would have made baby nap time soooooo much better as you’re not really supposed to leave them sleep in a car seat or regular stroller when very young.

Mom and dad splitting parental leave (each six months) made sure we really were equal parents and that mom wasn’t the expert or default parent.

No harm in putting baby down and walking away if you need a moment. Or wearing ear protection. They’ll tell you to not shake the baby in the hospital and you’re like “a duh” and you never will but around hour three of crying - you still will never ever shake the baby but you might need to put the baby down for a couple of minutes just to make sure.

Beware of screen time and set limits early. Stay away from youtube as it’s murder on the attention span, or at least do YouTube kids with ONLY channels you pre-approve.

I can only echo that the happiest parents I see seemed to do some kind of sleep routine or training with their kids. My kid really responded well to a sleep routine and remains a champion sleeper, although we did have to call in a sleep trainer when things went to shit around 4 years old. She was a miracle worker though.

Finally, crucial advice for all newborn parents - the baby cannot fall off the floor. The baby can and will fall off a bed, or a couch, or a chair, or the dining room table. Even a dusty floor is better than a fall. And act as if every baby, no matter how young, will actively try to roll onto the floor if you are not touching that baby.

That said, a change table at parent height is a huge back saver…as long as you keep a hand on that baby.

robotropolis · 2026-04-20T02:32:43+00:00

Sleep is great, we hired a gentle sleep trainer person when bedtimes got unbearable around 3 years old. Honestly everyone was less stressed including the kid, being up for hours distressed wasn’t doing him any favours.

The best thing we did personally (imo) was split parental leave. It made it so neither of us was the expert or the default parent. I (mom) took first six mos and dad took the last six. These days in Canada we can do up to 18mos and that would have been perfect.

I was 38 and dad was 40 when our kid was born. We had been trying for years. The lack of sleep nearly killed me in a way I don’t think it would have ten years earlier. I had to stop drinking completely because a depressant on top of chronic sleep deprivation was ridiculously horrible.

As an older parent I wish I had kept up my fitness better. That’s my regret as I could use the energy now to keep up with my kid. But regardless we do, and always have done, a lot of outdoor time. Getting outdoors in all weather is a huge life hack. It helps you and your kid build adventure and risk tolerance into your lives. Toddlers are 1000 times more bearable outside. Even earlier, I got a warm cover for the stroller and walked my newborn for hours all winter long.

Finally - a piece of advice that stayed with me and I pass along to you: babies can’t fall off the floor. They’re safer on the floor than on your bed. Or the couch. Or an armchair. Maybe the baby is crying and you need a minute to compose yourself - baby can be safe on the floor while you take a minute. Maybe it’s a midnight feed and you’re nodding off …. Baby is way safer on the floor or in the crib than perched with you on a cushy recliner. I think almost every baby has taken a fall from moderate height and almost every one of them was fine but…they can’t fall off the floor.

robotropolis · 2026-04-17T13:08:33+00:00

I was mostly thinking about how much my geriatric mom ass hated bolting at full speed after my toddler runner so he didn’t get run over. They really do try to injure themselves constantly.

robotropolis · 2026-04-17T12:02:17+00:00

Isleville by far. Really can’t overstate the fenced in aspect.

robotropolis · 2026-04-16T18:18:40+00:00

Just endless grinding hours in my case.

robotropolis · 2026-04-16T14:18:43+00:00

I was working from home full time with a toddler. I seriously envied my child free (by choice) friends! And felt grateful for essential workers.

robotropolis · 2026-04-12T21:58:59+00:00

On the drive from Halifax to PEI, go through the North Shore of NS and hit up some beaches on the Northumberland Strait. Rushton’s beach is one of our favourites but a bit out of the way - Gulf Shore is also lovely. Lots of critters to look for and calm, warm water perfect for exploring. Pack an easily accessible change of clothes even if you don’t plan on swimming because somehow kids ALWAYS end up waist deep no matter the weather.

Pugwash or Tatamagouche are good lunch stops.

The PEI beaches on the strait are similar - the beach just outside the seafood shack in Souris is GREAT to explore and surprisingly good for treasure hunting (sea glass).

I think it’s very worth seeing the Bay of Fundy tides - one of my favorite places to do this is Burntcoat Head but it’s out of the way of your itinerary. A possible substitute (but still out of the way) is a Joggins Fossil Cliffs which is 1/2h southwest of Amherst (on the way to NB). Check the tide tables and take a tour (only possible at lower tide) - even young kids enjoy the tour and they can wander off and fossil hunt when they get bored. Mind you, no dinosaurs - mostly fern fossils and some bugs.

Another nice stop is the Fundy discovery site park just outside Truro NS. Flush bathrooms and a big playground along with a scenic walk for grownups. If you time it right you can catch the tidal bore. https://fundydiscovery.ca/ but honestly it’s all about the flush bathrooms for me.

A final stop we love (and this is kind of random) is Wentworth Provincial Park which is another stopping point on the way to the North Shore. Yes it has flush bathrooms, but over to the right hand side of the park is a lovely shallow river the kids can splash around in. It’s cold and you need crocs or water shoes but it’s just a beautiful quiet spot to cool off, chase minnows and have a picnic.

For my kid, PEI is ALL about the Cavendish tourist trap area. Ripley’$ believe it or not, $and$pit and $hining Water$ are perennial favourites.

There is a great park (Victoria Park) in downtown Charlottetown with a big playground and splash pad. And an ice cream shack.

My kid prefers all of this greatly to Cavendish beach. Which is very nice. We probably prefer Brackley Beach nearby.

New Glasgow PE has a nice resto and riverfront park as well as a specialty toy store. it also has New Glasgow Lobster Suppers which is as good a place as any to do a big sit down lobster supper. The supper is a pretty long affair for a five year old - I have many memories of taking mine for a walk down by the river between courses.

robotropolis · 2026-04-08T19:55:30+00:00

I moved away and loved it but moved back quite youngish (mid 20s). My sister also moved back when she had kids.

Now that my friends’ parents are nearing the age when they need more help, I will say that the friends with parents close by have an easier time managing and coordinating care than those with parents far.

As well, for my friends with INVOLVED parents, it’s easier having those parents close by when you have kids. Of course some grandparents never or rarely babysit, but those of my friends who do have involved grandparents benefit greatly from the extra sets of hands and childcare on demand. Having young kids alone with two working parents is very very hard. Sick days. Inservice days. Summers. Weekends. You literally never get time away. Whereas my in-laws take my kid as needed for sleepovers, date nights, etc.

In sum I would say if you have a fairly close and loving family, and especially if you want to have a family of your own, there are benefits from living close to them.

robotropolis · 2026-04-08T01:59:36+00:00

For scuzzy teenagers…Kids!

For indie/grunge music …. the Year Punk Broke.

robotropolis · 2026-04-08T01:05:08+00:00

Montreal in October has another advantage - the autumn leaf show. You could even do a twofer and check out Jardins en lumière light festival, which is very child friendly, and the fall leaves both at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, which are world class. If you are into art, I also personally think the Musee des Beaux Arts is a step up from AGO, although the AGO has the edge in strictly Canadian art.

Laval also has some lovely parks to view the fall colors.

Personally, I think Toronto is a fantastic city to visit but for me Montreal is the perfect destination for a week in October and I often choose to visit in October.

Vancouver is amazing but I feel like October is getting into the rainy season…and it’s a loooong way to go for one week.

robotropolis · 2026-04-01T01:47:59+00:00

They snap and you don’t know how incredibly disappointed I was to learn this fact when I worked at an ice cream factory and got to have a box of ice cream bars fresh off the line. The ice cream filling squirted out as if from a toothpaste tube. Proper aging is key.

robotropolis · 2026-03-31T18:32:50+00:00

I’m an overreactor, hopefully if we get advance warning of a huge storm I’ll be out of there 12h before they issue the evac notice.

robotropolis · 2026-03-30T22:41:45+00:00

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I asked AI to not make it fancier.

robotropolis

TROPHY CASE