Construction

Since the demand for permanent shelter constituted such an overwhelming consideration, Ross' row house plan received complete approval and, when he indicated that property was required immediately, the Commission expropriated the requisite tract consisting of over one hundred parcels of land comprising an area of 23 1/4 acres (390 feet by 2,600 feet).(36) A one and a half million dollar pension fund for those injured in the explosion had financed construction.(37)

By late May, 1918, construction tenders had been submitted and contracts approved. To manufacture the Hydro-stone a plant went up on the eastern passage where a supply of sand had been secured. Output fluctuated between 2,000 and 4,000 blocks per day; these went by special narrow gauge railway to the construction site.(38)





Rebuilding Richmond District (Public Archives of Canada)





Despite supply shortages, building progressed swiftly until the Spring of 1919 when a series of labor disputes affected the projected completion date. The specific incidents fitted a pattern of confrontations that had begun as early as February, 1918. Relief officials maintained that emergency conditions permitted waiving the Halifax Trades and Labour Council's guidelines.

The Council repeatedly protested against the hiring of non-union labor, the wage scale, and straight time for Sunday work. (39) Despite interruption and friction-the Commission at one point met labor's requests by threatening to tell the public that unions were holding up the new housing-the Prince of Wales inspected a finished home on August 18, 1919.(40) By mid-1921, all work had been finished.

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Atlantic Planners Institute

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This document was last modified on March 8, 2000.