We sit down with newly elected Mayor Andy Fillmore after his first year for a wide-open conversation about what it takes to steer a city that’s growing in every direction: more people, more jobs, more pressure on streets and services. He talks frankly about trading the heat of Parliament for the hands-on grind of City Hall, where a mayor is one vote among many and every policy hits a sidewalk, a bus route, or a household budget.We dig into mobility first. Halifax is in a loop where buses are stuck i...
We sit down with newly elected Mayor Andy Fillmore after his first year for a wide-open conversation about what it takes to steer a city that’s growing in every direction: more people, more jobs, more pressure on streets and services. He talks frankly about trading the heat of Parliament for the hands-on grind of City Hall, where a mayor is one vote among many and every policy hits a sidewalk, a bus route, or a household budget.
We dig into mobility first. Halifax is in a loop where buses are stuck in traffic and riders default to cars. The mayor lays out a clear case for bus rapid transit—express routes, priority, comfort—and the provincial congestion review now underway on the peninsula. We also tackle the grid: how well-meant restrictions can slow the whole system, why data matters, and how to balance safety with movement. If you’ve felt the drag getting across town, this is the roadmap, warts and all.
Housing and budgets keep the stakes high. The city needs roughly 8,000 homes a year and is building about half that, with infrastructure capacity—water, wastewater, stormwater—now a key bottleneck. Add major defence spending set to flow into Halifax, and the urgency doubles. The mayor explains last year’s flat tax rate, this year’s 10.5% pressure from inflation and contracts, and his push to protect core services while partnering with the private sector—think smarter ferry models and transit hubs with amenities—to keep costs down and quality up. We also get into the assessment cap’s market distortions and why revenue reform isn’t about raising more, but raising better.
Along the way we talk civic culture: what makes Halifax kind and welcoming, why the waterfront still stuns, and how to grow without losing our feel. You’ll hear candid reflections on early missteps, lessons in council diplomacy, and a clear view of what quality of life should mean here: affordability, safety, things to do, and transit worth choosing. If you care about how Halifax moves, builds, and stays itself, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us: what would you cut or fund to keep the city on track?
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