New dorm for Springhill community college hits roadblock

Progress on a new residence for community college students in Springhill, N.S., has been set back after public opposition forced officials to take their first choice of location off the table.

Cumberland Mayor Murray Scott said a new residence for the Nova Scotia Community College's Cumberland campus is "desperately needed," so the community was pleased when the province announced last fall it would build a new 40-bed dorm.

But when municipal council announced last week that the residence would take the place of a public park across the street from campus, community pushback was swift.

"I would say it's in the hundreds, at least, have shown their disappointment," Scott said in an interview.

"As a council, we responded to that. We've heard loud and clear what they said in the last couple of days. We just have to go back to finding a suitable location that fits for everyone and I'm committed to doing that."

Scott said council, along with NSCC and the province, will go back to the drawing board.

He said two other sites were previously identified, and they'll be looked at again. But he said neither is perfect.

One is the site of the current fire station, which is adjacent to the NSCC campus, and is due to be rebuilt on another site. But Scott said construction of a new hall has not started and the project recently hit roadblocks of its own, meaning the fire department might not be able to move out soon enough. 

Scott said the hope was for the new residence to open by the fall of 2025.

"So there will be some timeline challenges, if it were to be that site."

The former Springhill arena was also considered, but Scott said it was not the college's first choice.

No one from NSCC was immediately available to comment.

The reason for the pushback

Scott said he expected some people would oppose using Lion's Park for student housing, but he was surprised by the number of complaints.

In addition to the hundreds of calls, texts and emails that Scott described, there was an online petition that garnered 500 signatures.

The petition says the park is a beloved community hub where kids play, and where a memorial was erected just last year for a young man from the community who died.

"So many have poured their heart and soul into that park and for it to be paved over would be a slap in the face," the petition reads.

'Dire need' for housing in community

Scott said forgoing a new residence because of this setback is not an option. He said he is determined to find another location.

Not only does the college need it for their students, Scott said the community needs the space in off-campus housing that will consequently open up.

"Just like across this province, [housing] is a dire need and it is here."

Scott said he was assured by provincial officials that they remain committed to building the new residence. No one from the government was immediately available to comment.