Halifax Common


The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park.

History

The Halifax Common was originally a lightly forested swampy area which formed the source of Freshwater Brook, which flowed into Halifax Harbour near the site of today's Pier 21. The Common was designated by surveyors following the settling of Halifax in 1749. It was created to serve three purposes. The first was to provide pasturage for horses and livestock, both by the military garrison and the citizens of Halifax. The second was to create a large area in which regiments stationed and in transit through Halifax could set up camps. The third and final reason was to provide clear fields of fire for the garrison of the Halifax Citadel, so that invading forces would have no cover in the event of an assault on the fort.
Originally, the Halifax Common stretched from Cunard Street, the current northern boundary of the North Common, south to South Street. The Saint Mary's Campus is part of the Collins Estate as is Gorsebrook Field to its immediate north. This has both Inglis Street (Saint Francis School and Gorsebrook School. With its eastern boundary at North Park, Ahern, Bell Road, and South Park, and Robie Street in to the west. During the 1800s, the city expanded in all directions, and some of this development encroached on the Common. Residential development spread up Spring Garden Road, cutting the Common in half. In addition, civic institutions were established on the Common, in keeping with its use as a public space. The Common became home to the Public Gardens, Camp Hill Cemetery and Camp Hill Hospital, Dalhousie University Medical Campus, the Civic, Victoria General, IWK and Grace hospitals, Citadel High School.

Facilities

The North Common contains a cricket ground, several softball diamonds, a large fountain near the centre, tennis courts, a soccer field, an outdoor city-owned swimming pool, skateboarding facilities, and a smaller fountain. It is larger than the Central Common, and is much more empty and open, making it suitable for organized sporting and recreation events. A public washroom was recently built on Cunard Street.
Playgrounds were recently replaced on the Central Common, because of concerns due to toxicity levels in the soil beneath the playground. Arsenic from playground wood that had been treated with chromated copper arsenate had leached from the playground wood, into the soil.
Near the Cogswell street side of the Common is The Halifax Pavilion. The Pavilion is an all-ages venue that showcases many different genres of music.
Across Cogswell St from the Pavilion is the Emera Oval, a 400-metre skating track. Originally constructed to host speed skating events in the 2011 Canadian Masters Championships and the 2011 Canada Games, the oval was slated to be removed in March 2011, but due to its overwhelming popularity, it was made a permanent fixture.
As of January 2014, it is going into its second winter as a permanent fixture. It is open for public and speed skating sessions and the ice surface opens for supervised skates as soon as weather conditions are sufficiently cold. During the warmer seasons it remains open for other uses. The summer of 2013 marked the beginning of inline activities offered by the city - supervised inline/ roller skating times with free rentals of inline and roller skates just as ice skates are rented out for free during public skates during the winter.

Location

The Halifax Common is centrally located on the Halifax peninsula, about a five-minute walk to and from Downtown Halifax.
The square-shaped North Common is bordered by Cunard Street to the north, North Park street to the east, Cogswell street to the south, and Robie Street to the west. The Central Common is triangle shaped and is bordered by Cogswell Street to the north, Bell Road to the south-west, and Trollope Street to the south-east.

Events

The Common is now a popular outdoor concert venue for the Halifax region. With its central location, it has direct walking access to Downtown Halifax and the Barrington Street Halifax Transit public transit terminal, with services providing connections to the rest of the city, the Halifax harbour ferry connecting with Downtown Dartmouth and Woodside, as well as the new Bus Rapid Transit service MetroLink. During these shows, concert express and shuttle buses run directly to and from Common Park from various locations and are designated to operate along with the regular service Metro Transit offers.
DateEvent NamePerformersEvent Attendance
1983Royal VisitPrince Charles and Diana, Princess of Walesest. 30,000-40,000
1984Papal VisitPope John Paul II80,000
September 23, 2006A Bigger Bang TourRolling Stones, Kanye West, Alice Cooper, Sloan55,000
August 30, 2008Country Rocks 2008Keith Urban, Charlie Major, Johnny Reid, Aaron Pritchett, Gretchen Wilson, Jimmy Rankin, Great Big Sea
paid attendance 11,853
July 11, 2009Paul McCartney Live on the CommonPaul McCartney, Joel Plaskett, Wintersleep, Sierra Noblepaid attendance of 26,504
July 18, 2009Halifax Rocks 2009KISS, Thornley, The Trews, Econoline Crush, The Novaks, Children of Eve, Frankie Whytepaid attendance of 21,402
June 24–28, 2010Grand Chief Membertou 400 & Royal VisitRoyal Visit by Queen Elizabeth II, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Unknown
July 24, 2010Halifax Rocks 2010The Black Eyed Peas, Weezer, Classified, Hot Hot Heat, Rich Aucoin, The Jimmy Swift Band, The Stanfields, Chad Hatcherpaid attendance of 8,362
August 6 & 7 2010Country Rocks 2010Aug 6: Johnny Reid, George Canyon, One More Girl Aug 7: Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Kevin Costner and Modern West, Lonestar-
January 15, 16 2011Canadian Masters ChampionshipsCanada Games Oval-
February 11–27, 20112011 Canada Games.Canada Games Oval- long track speed skating competitions.- Future-
July 1, 2017Canada Day ConcertDeadmau5, Reeny Smith, Rebecca Thomas, Matt Mays.

;Notes
;Pre-2000
;2006
;2009
;2010