Community leaders heart is in Sackville

BEDFORD - Bill MacDonald spent 46 years in Sackville where he served as a councillor and volunteer.
His community involvement earned him the title of Sackville's Volunteer of the Year for 2008.
But shortly after receiving that honour this past spring, MacDonald and his wife left the community because they couldn't find a suitable place to "downsize" when they sold their house.
"It took nine months for the house to sell, and we started looking at apartments in Sackville and found there was not a great variety. We just couldn't find anything suitable," he recalled. "Being in the community for 46 years, and being part of that community, when you make that move you have to find the right place that you like."
Bedford's Nelson's Landing provided what they were looking for -convenience, close to amenities, and a nice view to top it all off.
"There were a few apartment buildings on Cobequid Road that were nice, but it's very busy there," he said. "Being involved in the community all these years, we were looking for something a little quieter."
MacDonald isn't the only longtime Sackville resident who has moved out of the community after making the decision to downsize.
"I met five or six people I knew from Sackville in the elevator here (at Nelson's Landing)," MacDonald said. "People ask me why I'm living in Bedford. I say I'm living in Bedford, but my heart's in Sackville. I'm still involved."
In recent months, Middle-Upper Sackville Coun. Brad Johns said he has been approached by several senior residents planning to leave the community.
Last week, Johns told The Weekly News that the primary housing choices in Sackville were single family or mobile homes. He's hopeful the newly approved Sunset Ridge development will provide some alternatives.
Municipal planner Thea Langille-Hannah said the Sackville Municipal Planning Strategy does support a variety of housing types, but it's a market-driven scenario and planners can't require developers to build specific styles of housing.
But she noted that planners are now seeing a change in the market.
"There is the development of Twin Brooks, the old (Sackville) golf course lands. They're looking at a mix of housing being proposed there," Langille-Hannah said. "We're seeing this across the municipality as demographics are changing, baby boomers are selling their homes and looking for housing options. It's a definite change we're seeing."
Although affordable housing is often a topic of conversation among seniors at Sackville's Silver and Gold Seniors Centre, representative Jackie Cajolais said a lack of mixed-housing options in Sackville doesn't seem to be an overriding issue.
Cajolais does know seniors who have downsized and moved to Lucasville's Timber Trails mobile home park or the mobile home park across from Stokil Drive. But she believes those she knows who have left the community just wanted to be closer to downtown Halifax and hospital facilities.
Johns suspects longtime Sackville residents considering a move are anxious to see what upcoming developments will look like in the near future.
"I look forward to seeing what the large development will do there in Sackville on Melham Drive," MacDonald said. "I may be back. Never say no."
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca