Celebrating Excellence

On November 19, members of Halifax Transit’s ferry team – Captain Gustavo Millacet, Sergey Zavalko, Eduard Tavityan, Blake Nugent and Jenny Rowlands – received the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s (CUTA) Individual Leadership Award for the bravery they displayed last year aboard the Vincent Coleman ferry.

Last October, when the ferry was approximately halfway through its crossing from Halifax to Alderney Landing, the crew was notified that a passenger had fallen overboard. Once alerted, the team acted quickly to turn the ferry 180-degrees and proceed back towards Halifax to locate the individual.

Upon location of the passenger, who at this point was floating in the water with little movement, the crew began activating passenger overboard procedures, including utilizing a large rescue net. After several attempts to rescue the passenger from the deck of the ferry, Mr. Tavityan dove into the frigid water to guide the passenger into the net. The crew also proceeded with first-aid measures and called first responders to ensure they would be prepared once they docked at Alderney.

A heartfelt congratulations to the award winners – if it were not for their quick action during a crisis, combined with their training, the outcome might have been very different that day.

When much of our region closed in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Halifax Transit staff on the frontline and behind the scenes demonstrated immense collaboration, ingenuity, innovation and dedication to keep the region moving. Halifax Transit implemented service changes and COVID-19 safety protocols at an unprecedented pace through the cooperation of multiple divisions.

To enhance precautions and resume fare collection, the maintenance team initiated the design and prototyping of polycarbonate barriers tailored to meet the unique requirements of each style of conventional bus. Additionally, in the spirit of safety and customer service, staff stepped up to ensure buses were thoroughly disinfected every day. Over the summer and fall, a mask giveaway program was launched, providing nearly 20,000 reusable masks to passengers at locations throughout the region. With the creativity, resourcefulness and initiative of staff at all levels, Halifax Transit continues to adapt to changing public health directives and provide exceptional service to move the region forward.

Halifax Transit employees at the Scotia Square mask giveaway.

As public health directives continue to change, teams across Parks & Recreation have significantly adapted their programs and services, providing opportunities for residents to safely stay active. Below are just some highlights from the past several months:

• Developed COVID-19 work practices to ensure the reopening of parks, trails and fields could be done in a safe and efficient manner.
  
  
• Staff stepped up when the municipality was chosen as one of 12 Canadian cities to take part in CBC’s 90-minute televised Canada Day celebrations. Locally, the show received over 100,000 views and the broadcast was selected as one of the top three shows in Canada by Canadian Heritage. View the celebrations here.
  
  
• The Legend team developed a process to keep up with the pace of the large volume of refunds, membership freezes and bookings for municipal and multi-district facilities. As restrictions began to lift, this team reconfigured the system to accommodate new programs and the ability to track clients and maximum numbers.
  
  
• Showed a focus on the customer by launching several programs to align with public health directives, including REC at Home; modified summer day camps; and free outdoor programming throughout the region for children, youth, families and seniors via two travelling Rec Vans.
  
  
• Modified access to select facilities, allowing members of the community to regain partial use of fitness centres and pools. Customers were able to pre-book access times for activities through an online registration system.
  
  
• As restrictions began to lift, staff managed over 80,000 rebookings, including almost 4,000 in the first two weeks of November alone with the reopening of schools for community use.

Through collaboration and innovation, and with their customer’s safety in mind, Parks & Recreation continues to provide amenities that support the physical and mental well-being of residents of all ages.

When COVID-19 impacted the in-person Permit/Subdivision application process, a skilled group of employees from Planning & Development and ICT quickly addressed this gap by collaborating on an electronic solution to meet the needs of residents and industry stakeholders.

Within nine days, the interim solution was up and running, which includes:

• A new online submission form.
• New workflows for intake and processing and secure payment processing.
• An adapted high-volume, low-complexity application distribution and review process.

Throughout the process, staff regularly met with industry stakeholders to provide project updates and collaboratively work through roadblocks – something they continue to do weekly.

Coming very soon – is the launch of Release 1 of Planning & Development’s Permitting, Planning, Licensing and Compliance Solution. This will replace the above-mentioned interim solution for permit applications. Planning & Development is excited and committed to continually improving customers’ digital interactions with a focus on service excellence.

COVID-19 restrictions, such as physical distancing requirements, have impacted the way we move around the region. In response, the Strategic Transportation Planning team was tasked to create the municipality’s Mobility Response: Streets and Spaces program.

To help research, create, evolve and implement the program, an interdepartmental team was formed with representatives from Transportation & Public Works, Planning & Development, Halifax Transit, Corporate Communications, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) and Public Safety. Not only was each member of the team solutions-focused, but the collaborative environment helped to reduce process timelines and provide faster approvals.

One aspect of the program included the installation of 16 kilometers of Slow Streets across peninsular Halifax and downtown Dartmouth. Additionally, the expansion of patios or outdoor dining areas were accommodated to support local businesses. According to the program’s public engagement and follow-up survey, 65 per cent of respondents were supportive of the of the Slow Streets initiative, 58 per cent visited extended patio or outdoor dining areas, and 59 per cent felt these spaces encouraged more street life.

Patios and outdoor dining areas were expanded to support local businesses. The sidewalk on Spring Garden Road was expanded to create space in adherence with physical distancing guidelines.

In the midst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement was brought to the forefront after a series of tragic events ignited a long overdue call for social justice and shed light on existing institutional racism.

In response, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion/African Nova Scotian Affairs Integration Office (ANSAIO) amplified their work in helping Business Units address the anti-Black racism that still exists within the municipality. These initiatives and resources include:

• Developed Walking together: A journey towards combatting anti-Black racism, an organizational resource.
• Coordinated an interactive presentation to Regional Council from Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard.
• Supported the virtual Black Health Conference, featuring presentations from Dr. Joy DeGruy.
• Launched the ANSAIO Speaker Series, featuring presentations from experts on key topics to learn more about how the municipality interacts with African Nova Scotian communities.
• Provided ongoing support to employees of African descent.

Additionally, an anti-Black racism project charter has been developed based on recommendations by the Anti-Black Racism Working Group. Through the project charter, the municipality will work on key objectives that will enable it to become a safe and inclusive organization. Over the coming months, a steering committee, representing various parts of the organization, will commence work on the charter and help create a robust municipal anti-Black racism strategy for a safe and inclusive organization.

Thank you to the D&I/ANSAIO team for supporting these initiatives under such difficult circumstances. Your work is vital in continuing the difficult, yet important conversations needed in order to remove barriers and move change forward.

Front row (L to R): Dave Kerr, Denise Ryan, Tracy Zwicker-Forbes, Brittany Pottie, Avery Masewich
Back row (L to R): Kim LeBlanc, Doug Murphy, Sam Bennett, Linda Simmonds
Missing: Joel Aguinaga, Vicki Robertson, Bob Gailey.

Since the software’s launch in July 2018, over 82,000 client accounts have been created with 79,500 program registrants participating in over 11,000 programs. The software also allows residents to process memberships, as well as sign-up for drop-in sessions.

But the capabilities don’t stop there; several transformative offerings are currently in the works.

New in 2020, residents will be able to search gym space, ball diamonds, sports fields, and ice surfaces (starting this winter with the LeBrun Recreation Centre and Sackville Sports Stadium), with the ability to book online coming soon. Equipment loans — including helmets, skates, kayaks, canoes, snowshoes, and more — will also be offered.

As part of the Affordable Access Program, residents who meet the criteria can access heavily discounted or free programs and services through the software. And a new payment-plan option for summer camps will allow registrants enrolling within the full eight weeks of programming to pay just 25 per cent of the cost as of April 1, with remaining deductions occurring throughout May, June and July. New universal key fobs and cards will also be issued to registrants, facilitating accessibility across all community and recreation centres and multi-district facilities.

The ongoing deployment of this enterprise recreation software in centres and facilities across the municipality — many with their own unique site requirements, registration fees, processes and program offerings — is no easy feat. Progress would not be possible without the expertise and adaptability of the project team.

Congratulations to everyone involved for your collaboration, problem solving and commitment to excellence.

Be sure to check out the robust list of events planned for this month which are being promoted via our digital screens and the municipality’s social media platforms.

For their important contributions to the vibrancy of the Halifax region, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to our African Nova Scotian residents and all residents of African descent; the African Nova Scotian Affairs Integration Office (ANSAIO), Office of Diversity & Inclusion; business-unit partners; and our provincial counterparts. Special thanks, this month in particular, for the meaningful work planning and organizing such an inspiring line-up of African Heritage Month events and activities.

In the spirit of celebrating the accomplishments of African Nova Scotians and those of African Descent, I would like to also congratulate our most recent graduates of the Foundations for Aspiring Leaders Program.

Kudos to each of you for achieving this significant career milestone. We are grateful to have you all as part of our municipal team and excited to see how you will continue to apply your new skills.

Beginning February 26, all employees are encouraged to participate in an online Diversity Census administered by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), an independent charitable organization specializing in promoting diversity and inclusion in Canada.

Your confidential responses, as part of the census, will help us better understand our current state; set realistic equity, diversity and inclusion goals for our organization; and measure our continued progress.

The results of the census will be used to:

• Develop and tailor programs, policies and practices to better support our workforce;
• Identify and remove any barriers that may exist in hiring, training, promoting and retaining our employees; and
• Inform our upcoming Employment Equity Program.

In less than 15 minutes, your participation will help us go far in creating a work environment at the Halifax Regional Municipality that is inclusive for all.

To learn more, please visit the intranet.halifax.ca/MakeYourselfCount or contact the following project leads directly: