District 9 has a population of approximately 26,500 people and is made up of a mix of urban and suburban dwellers in the communities of Armdale, Ardmore, Armview, Bayers and Westwood, Chocoloate Lake, Cowie Hill, Flinn Park, Springvale and Fairmount, Jollimore, Kline Heights, Melville Cove, Quinpool, Westmount, and Williams Lake.
A large portion of the district hugs the Northwest Arm, a historic inlet that is part of Halifax Harbour and which defines the Western side of the Halifax peninsula. The Arm is approximately 3.5 km in length and was first called the “Waygwalteech”, translated to “salt water all the way up”, by the Mi’kmaq people who originally occupied the lands surrounding the arm. Today, much of the shoreline of the Northwest Arm is fronted by private residences and several parks and there are many key public access points for the public to enjoy the Arm and all its beauty.
District 9 map
PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING DISTRICT 9: BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Each district in the municipality has access to District Capital funding that can be used to support important community projects throughout the district. These District Capital funds must be used for capital projects that will benefit the wider community, must be payable to a non-profit organization or can be used to support an unbudgeted HRM initiative, and must be for projects under the municipal mandate.
To involve residents in how these tax dollars are spent, I will be organizing another Participatory Budgeting (PB) process in 2026. The benefits of the Participatory Budget process are that it encourages great ideas to come forward from local individuals and groups, builds community support and collaboration, and gives residents a direct say in how they want the District 9 capital funds to be spent. Examples of past projects funded from the District 9 Participatory Budget and District Funds process are: outdoor gym equipment in Saunders Park; concrete table tennis in Flinn Park; picnic tables, outdoor classroom, and bike rack at Sir Charles Tupper Elementary School; bike rack for the Spryfield Farmers Market located at St. Paul’s United Church; outdoor walkway and Community garden at Chebucto Heights Elementary School; new playground equipment at Whimsical Lake Playground, and others.
Info, Events, and Dates
Participatory Budgeting details and videos will be posted here in early 2026 to provide information on what PB is, how it will work, and the timelines for applications and vote.
Proposal Submission Deadline
Friday, May 8, 2026
You may email submissions before midnight to my Coordinator, Chris Newson at Chris.Newson@halifax.ca or mail to:
Chris Newson
Council Support Office
PO Box 1749
Halifax, NS B3J 3A5
Community Vote/Town Hall
Some day around June 3, 2026 (TBD)
Maybe Chocolate Lake or St Andrew’s Rec Ctr (TBD)
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
District 9 residents of all ages can VOTE on their favourite projects in person. That’s right, YOU decide which project gets funding. Winners are announced that night.