Halifax MP suggests moving Canada Post’s sorting facility to make way for new housing

By CityNews Halifax Staff

According to a Halifax member of Parliament, if the city’s main Canada Post building was relocated, it could open up land for thousands of new homes.

Andy Fillmore says there is a prime opportunity to tackle the housing crisis in HRM, and suggests moving the sorting facility on Almon Street to open up new builds.

The Liberal MP says Canada Post’s sorting facility between Windsor and Robie Streets should be relocated to make for more than 5,000 housing units.

He says bold solutions are needed to match the scale of the housing crisis.

“It would involve that entire city block that the Halifax Forum sits on,” Fillmore tells CityNews Halifax. “We’re talking Robie Street to Young Street to Windsor Street to Almon Street.”

Fillmore says city planners anticipate the area could eventually accomodate up to 10,000 residents if the facility was moved to clear the land.

He says he’s already begun discussing the idea with Canada Post leadership, fellow federal ministers and property owners in the area.

In a release, he said an additional benefit would be enhancing operational efficiency, as a new zero-carbon facility that could be constructed elsewhere in HRM would be in line with Canada Post’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.