Fall 2011

Halloween

Another community Halloween costume party is planned for children of WWH this year. The event will take place at Giant Steps – French Village (formerly Crossroads Academy), just past Tantallon Elementary on French Village Station Road. Note: Parents must accompany their children at the party.

Giant Steps has generously offered to provide the gym at no charge. Special thanks to them as well as the many volunteers who are helping to make it happen.

HRM in Westwood Hills

Paul Clarke has been working with HRM municipal works staffers to address some of the complaints surrounding signage in the subdivision. A file has been created. Another ongoing issue is the lack of garbage cans in the green space areas. Requests for additional cans have been put forward. Peter Lund has been contacted again, to assist with addressing these concerns.

Westwood Hills Beautification

The Gazebo in the Hemlock green space is in need of repair. Several volunteers have come forward to assist with the work. Anyone wanting to help out is asked to contact Paul Clarke. Of course, if you happen to see work taking place you are more than welcome to join in.

Weeding of the entranceway to the subdivision is becoming a significant issue. It was done once in the early summer and again at the end of summer. Thank you to ASC Properties for arranging and paying for the entranceway weeding for the past several years. It takes approximately 45 hours of work to properly weed the boulevard. As responsibility for the entranceway will fall to the WWHRA in future years, the executive is exploring various organic options to help control the weeds to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

Water Access

A group of volunteers has come together to explore various options surrounding the remaining water access point. They are exploring whether a small ramp and floating dock is a viable option for the subdivision. At this stage, it is felt that a removable dock would be the preferred option. Once costing, etc is completed, the group will then see if the necessary Environmental and HRM approvals can be obtained. Funding partnerships are also being explored.

The issue of water access is one that has created some lively discussion within the subdivision. The goal of this initiative is to simply provide residents of Westwood Hills a safe way to access Wright Lake for the purpose of canoeing, kayaking, or other quiet non-motorized water activities.

Community access point to Wright Lake off Westwood Blvd.

GRINS

GRINS is a partnership between Westwood Hills Residents Association and the RCMP. It stands for:

The first event was held at the intersection of Westwood Hills and Hemlock Drive. Several local volunteers teamed up with Tantallon RCMP and Halifax Metro Traffic Services to conduct a safety roadblock. Cars were stopped, drivers were provided with an explanation of the initiative and they were given safety material and a 'happy face' sticker by Westwood Hills children. Over 400 cars were stopped during that first event. RCMP hope the initiative will catch on in other subdivisions, but only if it is community led. RCMP Cst. Susan Camus wants people to understand that driving 70 km/h through the subdivision will only save a couple minutes off a person’s trip, but the extra speed is a serious safety risk to everyone who lives here.

As part of the GRINS initiative, Westwood Hills Residents Association will be selling reflective safety vests at reduced cost to anyone who is interested. These vests are ideal for anyone who likes to walk at night. Any money raised will go toward future GRINS initiatives. The vest will be available to purchase at the Halloween Party or directly from Francine. Future updates on vests and GRINS will be posted on the Facebook site. For further information, or to purchase a vest, please contact Francine Galloway via email or through the WWHRA Facebook group.

It has also been suggested that we approach local businesses to fund and care for flower beds in front of the large display rocks placed at several of the intersections throughout the subdivision. These are the large boulders with street names etched into them. If the business were to take on the responsibility of funding and caring for a flower bed, they would be allowed to put up a small sign to note their contribution. If you have thoughts on this suggestion, please voice your opinion either privately to one of the executive or publicly through the Facebook site. Your feedback is important.

Park Development Update

Work continues to move forward on the creation of a community park using the undeveloped park lands located between High Timber, Hemlock and Wyndham. The Park Development Committee has prepared an official land use request letter for HRM and a file has been opened. An HRM development planner will work with the committee over the next 12 months to plan out the park, complete an official costing; and apply for provincial funding. It is anticipated work on this project may start late next year.

In May of 2010, residents of Westwood Hills were sent a survey regarding the undeveloped park lands. The preferred option is to have the land developed into nature trails that would be used for jogging, walking, bicycling and general fitness. Working with the city planners on the design, the Park Development Committee is developing a plan that will be unobtrusive for those homeowners bordering the park and at the same time functional for the entire community.

Facebook

Chances are, if you’re reading this you’re aware that the Westwood Hills Residents Association has a Facebook page. The site is designed to facilitate the timely flow of information. It is also a place where residents can go to advertise local services, find out about issues affecting the community and discuss various issues. These online discussions are important and it’s equally imperative people feel comfortable in being able to voice their opinion and have their point-of-view heard. What will not be tolerated are personal attacks directed toward individuals or groups within the subdivision. Hurtful comments will be removed immediately.

Christmas and New Year's Eve:

Planning is underway for the annual Christmas Decorating Contest and New Year’s Eve fireworks display. As Christmas approaches, volunteers will once again be putting up wreaths throughout the subdivision and decorating community Christmas trees. The annual fireworks display will take place on New Year’s Eve at the Hemlock green space. Updates will be provided via the Facebook page as we get closer to the event(s). As always, volunteers are not only appreciated but necessary if we are to keep these initiatives going.

Contact Information

Daphne DeMond-Rose
daphne.brian@ns.sympatico.ca

Paul Clarke
VPWWHRA@gmail.com

Francine Galloway
dfgalloway@ns.sympatico.ca

Lane Farguson
farguson@hotmail.com