Haligonians want an aquarium, better parking in downtown: Report

An aquarium could get more people into the Halifax core, a new survey has found.

The latest poll from Narrative Research, looking into people’s perception of the downtown, shows enthusiasm for the area but also room for improvement.

“We really saw that people are having positive experiences, but there needs to be more to draw them there with greater regularity,” Margaret Brigley, Narrative CEO, said in an interview.

The survey found about half of people living in the Halifax Regional Municipality go downtown once or twice a month, with people under 35 heading down at a higher rate.

Restaurants and the waterfront are the main reasons people go, Brigley said, but people want more options.

“The top of mind mentions were an aquarium as well as a performing arts centre and about half of people told us either of those would encourage them to go downtown more often,” Brigley explained.

Narrative’s poll found parking, traffic and affordability are reasons people avoid heading in from the suburbs. It also found people living with disabilities are “significantly” less likely to feel safe or at home in the core.

Paul MacKinnon, CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, said the survey was “great feedback” that points out areas that need improvement while also showing the desire for more to do in the core.

“With a larger population there is an expectation that we’re going to have many more things to do in our downtown and a greater variety of things, whether that’s family-friendly things or more investment in arts and culture, we need it all frankly,” MacKinnon said.

MacKinnon said the business commission is launching a new “vision” for the downtown in June, which he said will speak to some of the issues noted in the survey.