Dalhousie's 2005 report card for neighbourhood relations reads: good progress made, but more work needs to be done.
That was the general consensus from the neighbours who attended the annual Neighbourhood Meeting on the night of Jan. 25. About 25 neighbours and students attended the meeting, which was chaired by Dale Godsoe, Dalhousie Vice-President, External. The police were represented by Superintendent Mike Burns (Patrols) and HRM by Councilor Sheila Fougere.
President Tom Traves opened the meeting with a recap of the history of the Dalhousie University Community Committee (DUCC). Now entering its third year of operation, it has a membership that includes neighbours, students, the police, city councilors, members of Dal and the University of King's College, the Spring Garden Road and Area Business Association, and several other groups.
Over the past year, major initiatives have been implemented. These include a designated police patrol for the surrounding neighbourhoods; the introduction with Metro Transit of a special pass for students; new landlord guidelines from Dal for off campus student housing; an enlarged booklet "Living in the Halifax Community: A Guide for Students" delivered house-to-house to off campus students; support for a city bylaw that blocks the conversion of single family homes to "monster" student rooming houses; and a snow shoveling program by residence students for seniors in the neighbourhoods.
While complimenting Dalhousie on its efforts to date, the neighbours identified a number of outstanding issues, including noise and vandalism (especially during Orientation Week), and Dalhousie's no smoking policy which the neighbours say has pushed smoking off campus and into the surrounding neighbourhood streets.
President Traves said the University is open to ideas and will continue to work hard to solve neighbourhood issues.