SHEET HARBOUR — Construction on the long-anticipated Eastern Shore Lifestyle Centre (ESLC) in Sheet Harbour is set to begin, with a sod-turning ceremony tentatively scheduled for July 11, according to information obtained by The Journal.
District 2 Councillor David Hendsbee of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) confirmed the event to mark the start of the construction process for the $34,270,733 project, which will be carried out by Avondale Construction of Halifax, will take place at the Department of Natural Resources/HRM fire station site.
While the approved bid is a sizeable increase from the original estimate, which was about $9 million, Hendsbee said “HRM will be picking up the difference and doing [so] by debt funding.”
According to HRM planning documents published in 2024, the 21,000-square-foot facility will house a community hall and kitchen, a Halifax Public Libraries space, a fitness centre and a replacement Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Station #28. The facility will be built at 22835 Highway 7, the site of the existing fire station, which will remain operational until the new one is complete, and the former structure is demolished.
At the municipality’s May 21 audit and finance standing committee meeting, Hendsbee noted that the project’s original budget increased when the decision was made to include a new fire department as part of the facility. At the same time, he said, the broader impact of global economic uncertainty – including tariff risks linked to trade disputes and ongoing border delays – was not yet fully understood.
Philip Dugandzic, HRM’s director of corporate facility design and construction, told the committee the project’s complexity has also driven up costs. Contributing factors include inflation, post-pandemic construction impacts, increased material costs, the larger scope of the facility and the added challenges of building in a rural location, such as transporting materials and housing labour.
Hendsbee added that rural procurement typically involves “extra costs, such as the mobilization of equipment, materials and labour,” noting, “We might see some impacts from the trade tariffs when it comes to some materials being imported.”
Now eight years in development, the ESLC has experienced several delays alongside its rising price tag. Still, Hendsbee said, “It is hoped that the provincial and federal governments might find some additional funding to help offset the municipal burden,” adding, “that awaits to be seen or not.”
A source close to the project, who requested anonymity, said plans for the facility are still evolving. HRM will organize a sod-turning ceremony for invited politicians, followed by a community reception “for everybody in the communities from East Ship Harbour to Ecum Secum” at the existing Lions Club.
The source said the ESLC committee provided input throughout the design phase and helped organize two public consultations. The group hopes to continue that advisory role during the construction phase.
The source added the committee will focus on identifying community-funded enhancements to integrate into the build, monitoring project progress and issuing regular newsletters to keep the public informed.
The committee, they said, “will try and get the best possible facility for our communities, recognizing that we cannot have everything we want but achieve the best we can.”
