Outside the Hydrostone

In addition to the 326 units in the row housing, contractors under Commission supervision had constructed a total of 180 houses scattered throughout the district. Seventy were the cheap frame dwellings nearest the industries. The remaining replacement houses were made of the Hydro-stone and stucco. On the prestige slope, the Commission endeavored to spur private construction by offering mortgage funds at six and a half percent interest, a rate that was below the prevailing level and was offered at a time when 'money was not available.' (41)

For his trouble, Adams must have felt personal frustration. Not only was a large portion of his plan discarded, but in subsequent years sections of the approved plan were sacrificed, streets were closed and their area added to building lots.(42) On the other side of the ledger, two diagonal arteries and the Park remain to the present.

Moreover, according to a city memo on subdivision practices, the eventual development of St. Paul's glebe land and some of the Commission's property used for wartime housing in the early 1940's abandoned 'the gridiron plan dating from the turn of the century' because of the enduring example of Adams' rejected plan. (43)

Despite some setbacks, Adams had further long term impact; his advocacy of zoning caught hold. As the following entries from the Commission's minutebook confirm, the Relief Commission functioned as a zoning authority.

March 9, 1921.

Application from Mr. Roche to convert his house into a shop. Permission was confirmed.

Permission to Mr. Williams to build a store on Duffus Street was refused.

Application of Mr. Fultz through Messrs. Ross and McDonald (sic) to be allowed to place his house on the lot seven feet from the land line instead of eight feet, was refused.(44)

April 1, 1921

Permission was refused to Mr. Brown to build another house on the back portion of his lot.

It was decided that shops would be allowed to be built on Creighton St., Verth St., and Barrington St., and on the north side of Duffus Street west of Gottingen St. (45)

Desiring codification of regulations, the Commission in late April, 1921, instructed Halifax civil engineer, Harry Pickings 'with a view to deciding what could be done with the Town Planning Scheme suggested by Messrs. Adams and Seymour' (Adams' assistant who conducted the survey work in Halifax).(46) For the next few months Pickings surveyed the area, interviewed the Commission as to its ideas on development, examined the Act establishing the Commission, and consulted the City. (47)

In November, 1921, the Commission approved his fifty-one page set of regulations: The Halifax Relief Commission Town Planning Scheme. The document remained in force until legislation in 1948 revoked the planning powers and converted the Commission into a pension board. Shortly thereafter, the Commission, which had rented and maintained the row houses as Canada's first public housing project, began to sell units to occupants.

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This document was last modified on March 8, 2000.