Halifax only paying for demolition of fire-damaged building at Bloomfield, city now says

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

The Halifax Regional Municipality has issued a clarification to information provided to CityNews Halifax regarding the demolition of the vacant Bloomfield school site.

On Wednesday, a municipal spokesperson told CityNews that the municipality would be covering the cost of demolition at the site, which includes three derelict buildings and is owned by BANC Group.

In a statement Thursday, the municipality now says there was a miscommunication, and Halifax will only be footing the bill for the demolition of one of the buildings that was significantly damaged by fire in February.

Related:

• Council unanimously approves motion to address fire-ravaged Bloomfield School
• Fire destroys building at former Bloomfield School site in Halifax’s north end
• HRM could consider buy back rights for former Bloomfield School in light of recent fire

“Following its initial response to the fire at one of the three buildings at the Bloomfield site on Feb. 16, 2025, Halifax RegionalFire & Emergency (HRFE), pursuant to the Fire Safety Act, installed temporary fencing and established security at the site for public safety,” the municipality’s statement reads. “In addition, HRFE contracted a company to demolish the structure damaged by fire because of concerns with theintegrity of the building as a result of the fire.”

The statement says the city plans plans to try to recover the cost of fencing, security and demolition of the fire-damaged building from the property owner.

The municipality now says a demolition permit issued on March 11, 2025, is for the two remaining structures, and the property owner will be responsible for any costs associated with that work.