Dartmouth Commons
Encyclopedia
The Dartmouth Common is an approximately 300 acres (1.2 km²) area of land set aside by the government in the late 18th century for the settlers common use in Dartmouth
Nova Scotia
, Canada
. Much of it is maintained by the Halifax Regional Municipality
, Today the most prominent area is called the Leighton Dillman Scenic Garden, which is named after a voluntary keeper of the garden.
Other areas of the common are used by: baseball
fields, the former Dartmouth City Hall, then the Dartmouth Regional Library
then after that the Dartmouth Heritage Museum
, the Dartmouth Sportsplex
, Dartmouth High School, Bicentennial Jr. High School, an elementary school called "Park School" (since torn down) and two burial grounds. Between the Dartmouth Sportsplex and Dartmouth High School there is an urban forest
, a green space in the downtown corridor. The former Dartmouth Heritage Museum building has since been demolished, and the area it stands on was turned back into park land.
Under the "Halifax Regional Municipality Act" the municipality cannot develop the Dartmouth Common, nor charge a fee to use the ball fields. The Dartmouth common section of "Halifax Regional Municipality Act" reads:
529 (1) In this Section, "Dartmouth common" means the common of Dartmouth so far as it was vested in the City of Dartmouth on April 22, 1986. (2) The Halifax Regional Municipality shall not sell, lease, license or otherwise alienate the Dartmouth common. (3) Subject to subsection (4), no person shall build on the Dartmouth common. (4) A person may build an addition to a building located on the lands described in the Schedule to Chapter 87 of the Acts of 1994, An Act to Amend Chapter 68 of the Acts of 1986, the Dartmouth Common Act, if the building and the addition are both totally located on those lands. (5) The Dartmouth common is held by the Halifax Regional Municipality in trust for the inhabitants of the municipality. 1998, c. 18, s. 529.
Recent amendments to the Act:
It is recommended that subsection 529 (4) be renumbered to 529 (4)(a) and clause 529(4)(b) be added as follows: (b) The Municipality may build, expand or improve: i) transit facilities, fronting on Nantucket Avenue; and ii) parking lots for the Sportsplex, on the Dartmouth Common to a maximum of 6 acres (24,281.2 m²).
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Much of it is maintained by the Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
, Today the most prominent area is called the Leighton Dillman Scenic Garden, which is named after a voluntary keeper of the garden.
Other areas of the common are used by: baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fields, the former Dartmouth City Hall, then the Dartmouth Regional Library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
then after that the Dartmouth Heritage Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, the Dartmouth Sportsplex
Dartmouth Sportsplex
The Dartmouth Sportsplex is an arena located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It has been home to various junior, senior and minor & high school hockey teams. It co-hosted the 2004 World Women's Hockey Championships with the nearby Halifax Metro Centre. It also hosts occasional trade shows and...
, Dartmouth High School, Bicentennial Jr. High School, an elementary school called "Park School" (since torn down) and two burial grounds. Between the Dartmouth Sportsplex and Dartmouth High School there is an urban forest
Urban forest
An urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. In a narrower sense it describes areas whose ecosystems are inherited from wilderness...
, a green space in the downtown corridor. The former Dartmouth Heritage Museum building has since been demolished, and the area it stands on was turned back into park land.
Under the "Halifax Regional Municipality Act" the municipality cannot develop the Dartmouth Common, nor charge a fee to use the ball fields. The Dartmouth common section of "Halifax Regional Municipality Act" reads:
529 (1) In this Section, "Dartmouth common" means the common of Dartmouth so far as it was vested in the City of Dartmouth on April 22, 1986. (2) The Halifax Regional Municipality shall not sell, lease, license or otherwise alienate the Dartmouth common. (3) Subject to subsection (4), no person shall build on the Dartmouth common. (4) A person may build an addition to a building located on the lands described in the Schedule to Chapter 87 of the Acts of 1994, An Act to Amend Chapter 68 of the Acts of 1986, the Dartmouth Common Act, if the building and the addition are both totally located on those lands. (5) The Dartmouth common is held by the Halifax Regional Municipality in trust for the inhabitants of the municipality. 1998, c. 18, s. 529.
Recent amendments to the Act:
It is recommended that subsection 529 (4) be renumbered to 529 (4)(a) and clause 529(4)(b) be added as follows: (b) The Municipality may build, expand or improve: i) transit facilities, fronting on Nantucket Avenue; and ii) parking lots for the Sportsplex, on the Dartmouth Common to a maximum of 6 acres (24,281.2 m²).