'Where do we grow next?': East Hants sees population jump, building permits triple

A central Nova Scotia municipality is preparing for its population to surge by as much as 70 per cent in the coming decades, part of a development boom in communities on the outskirts of Halifax.

Almost 1,000 people moved to the Municipality of East Hants last year, bringing the population to over 25,800, according to Statistics Canada. The area's growth was only surpassed by the Halifax Regional Municipality and Cape Breton Regional Municipality. 

"It's almost like five years ago somebody threw a light switch," John Woodford, the director of planning and development for East Hants, said in a recent interview. 

He said the next 20 years could see enough housing built for 18,000 more people to move to the area, with construction projects already coming to fruition.

Demand for housing growing

Since 2021, the municipality has issued an average of 328 new building permits annually. That's more than triple the amount a decade ago, said Woodford.

"The demand for housing is there," he said. "Every time an apartment building is built here, it doesn't seem to matter what the rents are, it gets filled immediately as soon as it opens."

Woodford said more than half of permits are for apartments, semi-detached dwellings or townhouses.  

About 80 per cent of residents live in single family homes like Perry Mitchelmore, who built in Lantz 22 years ago. The community is a half-hour drive from Halifax.

Mitchelmore said the potential growth doesn't bother him, but he would like to see more attention paid to drainage, particularly with the threat of climate change. His home, and many others in the area, were damaged by flooding in July 2023. 

"As you approve more developments, as you cut trees, as you change drainage paths, you're just creating more opportunities for that to happen in the future. And if you don't think about that, it's going to happen," said Mitchelmore, who works as an engineer. 

In contrast, Woodford said new development could help address historical issues in some subdivisions. 

"As development happens upstream of an existing subdivision with a problem, we're using the opportunity for that development to divert storm drainage or add more retention and so on to improve that situation downstream," he said.

Lower house prices, amenities attracting buyers

Matthew Dauphinee, past president of the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors, said new homes available under $600,000 are a draw for buyers. He said that's in addition to amenities, like the aquatic facility and sportsplex, in what the municipality calls the corridor: Enfield, Elmsdale, Lantz, Milford, Shubenacadie and Nine Mile River. 

"It's just really grown, even to a point where I'd say that it supports a lot of what HRM has," said Dauphinee. "Traditionally, it was probably an area for people that were working in the Dartmouth side, a lot of people in Enfield airport region." 

Dauphinee said the divided highway and new Lantz interchange are ideal for commuters. 

Now, the municipality is looking at secondary planning for 366 hectares of mostly undeveloped land west of the Lantz highway exit. 

"We're trying to answer the question where do we grow next, and how do we grow next?" Woodford said. 

Dauphinee said there is little sign of interest in the area slowing down — adding to an increased urbanization of the corridor and prompting some who prefer a rural life to sell.  

"Now they have the opportunity to sell at an increased value and, you know, go out a little further for more."