Friends of Halifax Common has sent a new letter to Premier Rankin requesting that he cancel the  ~$100 million parking garages planned for the QEII re-development. FHC respectfully ask for a better choice for the future and for health care dollars.

• There is a much greater need for direct-to-patient health care over unnecessary parking structures. 
• Nova Scotia is moving away from balanced Budgets because of the COVID crisis and need to avoid unnecessary expenditures that add to Debt. 
• Approximately 3,000 citizens signed a petition against the NS Museum garage.
• Policy priorities set out in the Speech from the Throne needing investment, and especially for the goal of getting off carbon, are inconsistent with building parking garages.
• Traffic emissions are a principal source of air pollution and the leading cause for Canada having one of the world’s highest rates of new childhood asthma. 
• Each year ~36,000 Canadians die an early death from diseases related to burning fossil fuels- for perspective COVID has caused 22,000 deaths. Nova Scotia has one of the world’s worst jurisdictions for vehicle fuel consumption and emissions.

As COVID has reminded us worldwide, access to public open space has enormous proven and necessary health benefits. Parking garages do not.