Halifax Partnership Lays Out Two-Year Economic Recovery Plan
HALIFAX – Halifax Regional Council (HRM) has set aside $75,000 for the Halifax Partnership to carry out the city’s economic recovery plan.
The Halifax Partnership is a public/private partnership created to foster economic development in HRM. Council first put the organization in charge of the city’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery in early April.
At the time, Wendy Luther, the partnership’s president and CEO, outlined a three-phase recovery plan for the city.
The plan consisted of the “urgent” response to the virus that is happening right now, a “stabilization” phase when public health measures being to lift, and a “recovery” phase that will see the city fully open for business.
She pointed out that Halifax’s economy was “incredibly” strong before Covid-19 hit and that the plan provided a set of guiding principles for returning to that point.
May 12, Luther told the council that the basic structure of the plan remains but that it’s an “evergreen” document that will change as the Covid-19 crisis evolves. To that end, the plan’s original one-year timeline has been extended.
“We’re starting to realize the plan may take a longer timeframe, something like 18-24 months,” she said.
She said there are no specific days or fixed timeline for when the city can move from one phase to the next. Progressing through the plan, she said, will happen based on public health directives.
“One of this plan’s key strengths is its recognition of the need to be nimble and adaptable,” Luther said. “The unprecedented and fluid nature of this crisis means that we may drop actions, amend actions, and maybe add new actions in response to new information and changing circumstances.”
For now, Halifax remains in the “urgent” phase of the plan.
For the partnership, that largely means connecting local businesses to the programs and resources, keeping tabs on programs and statistics related to Covid-19, and matching businesses with potential employees.
The municipality, meanwhile, is moving more of its services online, paying vendors and suppliers as promptly as possible, and taking steps to help protect vulnerable communities through rapid Covid-19 testing and support programs.
The second “stabilization” phase of the plan puts a strong focus on bringing life back to Halifax’s business districts.
That will mean adapting roads and sidewalks to better handle social distancing requirements, reopening municipal sites where possible, and helping businesses execute their reopening strategies.
The final “recovery” phase will have a strong focus on larger questions like business investment in Halifax, what lessons the city can learn from the crisis, and how the city can continue to grow its population.
Voicing his support for the plan, Coun. Wayne Mason said he believes it’s a good plan for the city moving forward.
“Every journey starts with having an idea of where you want to go. I think this tells us where we want to go in terms of economic recovery,” he said.
“It doesn’t answer all the questions, it’s not possible to answer all the questions right now when we are waiting to find out what tomorrow brings. This situation continues to change on the day and on the hour.”
Coun. Richard Zurawski agreed, adding that the city’s economic recovery is also an opportunity to improve policies across the HRM.
“We’re in the right place and the right time to make some significant changes in how the city functions,” he said.
A detailed outline of the Halifax Partnership’s three-phase plan is available on the organization’s website.