Shannon Park, Nova Scotia

Shannon Park
Subdivsion
Shannon Park in 2008 Shannon Park in 2008
Location within Nova Scotia
Coordinates:
Country	Canada
Province	Nova Scotia
Municipality	Halifax Regional Municipality
Community	Dartmouth
Community council	Harbour East - Marine Drive Community Council
District	6 - Harbourview - Burnside - Dartmouth East
Postal code	B3A
Area code	902
GNBC code	CBIFY

Shannon Park is a former military community on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is immediately south of the A. Murray MacKay Bridge in the community of Dartmouth. It straddles several transportation routes, namely, Highway 111 and a CN Rail freight line, as well as Halifax Harbour and is bordered on the south by Tuft's Cove.

History

Shannon Park, along with the adjacent military community of Wallis Heights, was primarily used for housing the families of personnel serving with the Royal Canadian Navy. It was built in the 1950s to remedy the shortage of housing which plagued sailors and their families in Halifax during World War Two. The community was named after HMS Shannon, the Halifax-based frigate which won a notable victory in the War of 1812.

With defence cutbacks reducing the number of personnel serving in the navy and expanded housing available on the civilian market, Shannon Park and Wallis Heights were closed in 2004 and remaining residents were moved to military housing at Willow Park. The former housing structures have fallen into decay.

Immediately north of the community on the Bedford basin adjacent to the MacKay bridge lies the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, as well as a Canadian Coast Guard communication centre, and a Canadian Food Inspection Agency laboratory.

Until the HRM withdrew their bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, urban planners envisioned Shannon Park to be used for locating the proposed sports stadium, athletes village and several additional venues. Disposal of the land is being negotiated between National Defence and the Canada Lands Company crown corporation. Mi'kmaq from the Millbrook Reserve near Truro have applied for a portion of the land. Shannon park now has a French immersion school.

Although presently unused, Shannon Park remains part of the CFB Halifax defence complex. The Department of National Defence disposed of Shannon Park in three pieces.

Present

The Canada Lands Company bought 33 hectares, including buildings and land on the site for redevelopment.

Another 3.98 hectares was transferred to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The Millbrook band has an outstanding land claim on a portion known as Turtle Cove, which it says was the site of a former Mi'kmaq settlement.

The Canada Lands Company also bought an existing elementary school and 1.89 hectares of land for $313,000. Over the next year, Canada Lands will try to negotiate a sale to the Halifax Regional School Board, which wants to acquire the school.

Starting in the Fall of 2015, the abandoned military housing at Shannon Park will be demolished, however, the plan for what will be developed has yet to be determined.

A Stadium for the Atlantic Schooners, the infamous 10th Canadian Football League team, has been discussed as a location (by 2020).