Highlighted below are a few recent decisions by Regional Council that reflect steps being taken by the municipality to make a difference in the Halifax region. For more details regarding all matters deliberated by Council and the direction given to municipal staff, please see the action summaries which are posted to the online meeting agendas within one business day as well as the meeting minutes which are posted online once approved by Regional Council.
Highlights from Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
2024/25 HalifACT Climate Action Implementation Update
Halifax Regional Council continues to advance HalifACT: Acting on Climate Together, the municipality’s long-term climate action plan to reduce emissions, build resiliency and promote equity and economic development.
In 2024/25, several key initiatives progressed under HalifACT and related environmental programs:
- Public transit electrification: Completion of the Ragged Lake Transit Centre expansion and rollout of 60 electric buses to support zero-emission transit and service reliability.
- Home retrofit pilots: Deep energy retrofits achieved over 50 per cent energy savings, improving affordability and comfort for participating households.
- Renewable energy agreements: A long-term contract was signed to offset 45 per cent of corporate electricity use through planned wind turbine development, expected to reduce corporate emissions by approximately 25 per cent when operational in 2026.
- Resilient infrastructure standards: Updated design standards were adopted to improve safety, reduce costs, and ensure climate-adaptive capital investments.
- Public electric vehicle charging: 29 EV chargers of varying speeds were installed at parks and community centres across the municipality, supporting low-carbon transportation and reducing range anxiety.
- Flood resilience and stormwater management: City-wide floodplain mapping supported a pilot retrofit program in Spryfield and Upper Hammonds Plains, enhancing public safety through targeted home upgrades.
- Scotiabank Centre retrofit: A major energy retrofit began in spring 2024, including LED lighting, building automation, heat recovery, and a natural gas generator. The project is expected to reduce energy use by 26 per cent and cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 800 tonnes of CO₂e annually.
HalifACT targets reflect the urgency of the climate crisis and require bold, sustained action. Continued investment will deliver meaningful environmental, social, and economic benefits for residents, businesses, and the municipality.
For more information, read the staff report.
Note: this update will be finalized when the meeting minutes are approved by Regional Council.
2025/26 FireSmart Vegetative Debris Management Support
Halifax Regional Council has directed the Chief Administrative Officer to allocate $20,000 to support vegetative yard waste and debris disposal during municipal FireSmart events.
FireSmart™ Canada is a national program focused on wildfire resilience through education and mitigation. Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) adopted FireSmart in 2022 and intensified efforts following the May 2023 wildfire in Upper Tantallon, which destroyed over 150 homes.
HalifACT will provide up to $20,000 from the Small Projects Bundle to support HRFE in coordinating vegetative debris management, including:
- Curbside collection for eligible properties
- Mobile chipping services via private contracts
- Temporary drop-off sites on HRM property
- On-site processing using air curtain burners or grinders
- Hauling and recycling through local facilities
For more information, read the staff report.
Note: this motion will be finalized when the meeting minutes are approved by Regional Council.
2025/26 Municipality Asset Naming Policy Review
Halifax Regional Council has directed staff to initiate a review of Administrative Order 46, Respecting HRM Asset Naming Policies, to implement Action 3.2 of the Culture and Heritage Priorities Plan.
A review will make naming and renaming processes clearer and more consistent. It will support inclusive, culturally respectful asset naming across the municipality and will better reflects Mi’kmaq, Acadian, and African Nova Scotian history and culture.
For more information, read the staff report.
Note: this motion will be finalized when the meeting minutes are approved by Regional Council.
Previous meeting highlights
2025/26 Affordable Housing Grant Program (AHGP) Funding
Regional Council has directed the Chief Administrative Officer to allocate $1.5 million from the Density Bonus Reserve to fund affordable housing projects in the regional centre.
The program provides project-specific grants to non-profit and charitable housing providers for new construction, conversions, repairs, acquisitions and studies.
The AHGP supports municipal priorities to increase the supply of affordable housing and to improve and maintain existing stock. Since 2021, the program has awarded $14 million to create or preserve more than 730 units and rooms of affordable housing.
For more information, read the staff report.
Note: this motion will be final when the meeting minutes are approved by Regional Council.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Treatment and Management Plan
Regional Council has approved the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Treatment and Management Plan to protect eastern hemlock populations in the municipality.
HWA is an invasive pest first detected in Nova Scotia in 2017 and in Halifax in 2023. Left untreated, it can decimate native eastern hemlock forests within a few years.
The plan outlines how Halifax will survey, mark, and treat hemlock trees, focusing initially on 15 priority parks. Treatment will be carried out by a combination of municipal staff, contractors, and supervised volunteers, using chemical methods that remain the only effective option to reduce HWA’s spread.
Its goal is to preserve healthy hemlock stands in Halifax for current and future generations.
For more information, read the staff report.
Note: this motion will be final when the meeting minutes are approved by Regional Council.