Downtown Halifax Business Commission

Nova Scotians and visitors to the province may not have heard of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC), but they’ve certainly seen the benefit of its work.

Representing 1,800 businesses in downtown Halifax, DHBC draws on collaboration and resourcefulness for its many initiatives, which include advocating for Barrington Street to be recognized as a heritage conservation district, operating the popular FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) bus with Metro Transit, and running the Chronicle Herald Holiday Parade of Lights – attracting some 100,000 people.

"We’re a membership-based organization, totally funded by the businesses in the downtown core, with a mandate to make the downtown more successful for those businesses," says executive director Paul MacKinnon. As he explains, the commission is focused on two areas: downtown development and the downtown experience.

The first concerns the physical nature of the downtown, making sure historic buildings are preserved and new buildings will enhance the area. The second concerns the way people feel when they come down as a customer or as a resident.

"We want to be a vibrant, exciting downtown," MacKinnon says. "We don’t want downtown to be thought of as a place of just government offices or big bank buildings or smaller businesses. We really like the mix that we have here, which gives the downtown a lot of its electricity."

The DHBC, incorporated in 1987, has provided leadership in the Halifax Regional Municipality HRMbyDesign initiative. MacKinnon is vice-chair of a task force that is playing a key role in the development of an urban design plan for the regional centre.

The designation of Barrington Street as a heritage conservation district is part of that plan, and one in which DHBC has played a leadership role. "Barrington Street represents the most diverse collection of historic commercial buildings in all of Canada," MacKinnon says. "We have architecture that goes back as far as 1749 and goes up to 1996, with many great examples in between."

The historic designation will help in the ongoing efforts to see Barrington Street realize its potential. "Our main asset is these great buildings," MacKinnon says. "So let’s fill them with people, let’s fix them up and make them viable."

The success of the downtown core, which MacKinnon calls "the economic engine of HRM" has a direct impact on those living beyond its boundaries. He says the core generates between $40 and $50 million in municipal taxes annually. "If you live in Fall River, for instance, and HRM builds a new playground in your neighbourhood, a large part of that is being funded by downtown taxpayer dollars."

Within downtown, the businesses represented are diverse, and this is reflected in DHBC’s board of management. "You go into a board meeting and you could have a CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation sitting beside the person who runs a small retail store on Barrington Street. They really learn a lot about how they each work and what that symbiotic relationship could be," MacKinnon says.

Suzanne Saul, chair of the board, is co-owner of Attica Furnishings Ltd., which features modern furniture and accessories by local and international artists and designers. Attica has a location on Barrington Street.

As Saul notes, "Downtown is exactly where Attica wants to be, especially in the summertime – the activity, the buzz, the throngs of people. We like that feeling of being connected to the street and part of the urban landscape."

When asked why she became involved in the DHBC board, Saul replies, "because I have a passion for downtown and I just felt that the downtown needs interested and involved people to have a say. I’ve seen the downtown grow so much over the years, but there’s so much more potential here."

Saul says that while DHBC is the voice for businesses downtown, there’s a broader perspective of helping to encourage an environment which will "make the downtown a great place to live, work and play."

To foster such an environment requires resourcefulness, a skill which DHBC’s three full-time employees demonstrate by stretching the commission’s budget through partnering with others and securing sponsorships and in-kind participation.

In May, the Navigator Program was introduced by the DHBC and three other local business commissions, community groups, HRM and the provincial justice department.

The navigator is a social worker who connects with people on the street and helps to identify resources for them. The program will also identify gaps in the system and make recommendations.

"When we looked at the issue of homelessness, we thought ‘what’s a small piece that we can do?’" MacKinnon says. While he says they don’t know how much of an impact will be felt in overall numbers, the hope is to be able make a difference for people on the street.

MacKinnon says greater attention to sustainability will lead to an increase in urbanization. "People are now starting to make decisions more and more about living closer to work or taking public transit or just leaving a smaller footprint," he says. "Not living on 12 acres, but living in a much smaller urbanized environment and using the park that they share with all their other neighbours. It’s going to become a lot more imperative for people to seek out that kind of living."

And that includes young adults. "I think it’s a great city to be young in," MacKinnon says. "In many ways, I think you can get ahead more quickly in Halifax than you can in larger cities."

As MacKinnon discusses DHBC’s vision for the downtown core, there is an overriding sense of energy and vibrancy. It’s a vision where downtown will be viewed not only as the place to find a unique gift, experience fine dining and do banking. It will also be a dynamic place to visit, work and live.