“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody,

only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

 

- Jane Jacobs

 

The purpose of this project is public education and fine art photography in the tradition of essay photojournalism. It presents

a picture of Canada’s newest Big City, the Halifax Regional Municipality, and how it runs and portray the people who keep it operating every day.

 

This is accomplished through a series of photographic essays in blog form with explanatory text in a series of instalments

over a two year period. This series will remain up on the internet for access into the future for the public, teachers, schools

and universities and the images can be used for other purposes, including a book, public exhibitions, and as well contributing to a visual archive of this time and place for the future.

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Background

 

The Fathers of Confederation originally envisaged a relatively centralized system of government for Canada, reflecting a desire for a strong national Parliament. However, the former British colonies increasingly asserted their rights to attain legislative powers necessary to achieve their goals and demanded to be placed on an equal footing with the federal government.  Local governments became very much legally, creatures of the province, and hobbled by legislative restrictions and often underfunded by provincial legislatures.

 

However, with rapid population growth in the twentieth century when more and more people moved from rural areas to the cities, metropolitan hubs became the drivers of economic growth and social experience. The City Councils became the first responders, attempting to do the heavy lifting in dealing with issues like sustainability, climate change, quality of life, housing, gender justice, inclusion and multiculturalism, immigration and attracting workers: manufacturers, trades people, artists, academics, scientists and businesses to their cities and encouraging economic growth.

 

The sad reality is that most of us do not really understand what cities are actually responsible for and what services

they are constitutionally required to provide.

 

Most of us are unaware of how a city is run day in and day out. We may remember the face of a bus driver but are largely ignorant of those who do the work behind the scenes of making sure you have water, paved streets and sidewalks to drive,

bike and walk on, sewage treatment, garbage and renewables collection, public transit, street lights, police protection,

fire fighters, librarians, gardeners, snow plow drivers or those who facilitate the arts, sports and cultural activities, maintain playgrounds and parks and support newcomers and help communities thrive. They are unseen and unknown,

yet vitally important. Watch the blogs to see who they are snd what they do.
 

We live in a time when all public institutions, many of which have been created by hard work over decades, even centuries,

are mistrusted and under threat. Their very future questioned. Certainly, some of the challenges and criticism of these democratic forms need be met and change needs to happen but if we lose them totally we may see our civil society

and sense of security and community wellbeing completely unravel.

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Hopefully this project will give a glimpse behind the scenes.