Welcome to the seventh edition of Things In Halifax That Just Don't Make Sense (TIHTJDMS). This occasional series, as I have explained before, discusses things in the city of Halifax that might at first glance appear to be interesting. Upon reflection, however, it doesn't make any kind of sense.
These are pictures from Summit Plaza, a small amphitheater along the Halifax waterfront. It is a legacy of the 1995 G-7 Conference, which was held here. It is close to a building called Summit Place, which prior to 1995 everyone called the green toad.
The G-7 featured the world leaders of the leading 7 economies in the world. It was between us and Quebec City. We won, and Quebec City was pissed about losing this opportunity. Bwah ha ha ha.
To leave a permanent reminder of the G-7 conference, they built this amphitheater, in the hope that it would be used for many years afterward for outdoor concerts and the like. I suppose you can get 250 people or so in there. Maybe a few more.
It hasn't worked out that way. The day I took these photos and a couple others, people were sitting out on their lunch hour, munching on their sandwiches. One guy was leaning back, half asleep. There were maybe 20 people there. And this was during the noon hour! Other times, there are even fewer.
After just 14 years, the plaza is looking worse for wear. The wooden construction is starting to wear out. A couple coats of wood stain would make it look so much better. But nobody bothers.
For a couple of summers, during the Buskers Festival, they would occasionally put buskers there to perform. It seemed to work fine. Crowds would show up. But they stopped doing that.
I don't get it. The plaza is maybe 45 seconds away from very well trod sections of the Halifax waterfront. It is very close to that stupid tongue that I wrote about a few months ago, for example.
I think the idea of having a permanent plaza as a reminder of the 1995 G-7 Conference is a good one. We don't want to forget our history. But the fact that people are not using this plaza to its full potential is disappointing. The fact that the city doesn't exploit this plaza and have it be used more is also disappointing.
Let's face it, folks: Summit Plaza as it exists now doesn't make sense.
Next time: The road that goes nowhere.
Bevboy
2 comments:
Bev, those are two nice pictures, maybe just perhaps the plaza does make abit of sense ;)
Hi, Kevin. Yes, I am still alive. Still feeling crappy today.
Thanks for writing. What I meant, which I guess I didn't express very well, is that the Summit Plaza is a great idea, but that it is so underutilized and neglected that it is just a matter of time before it's considered blighted and removed. I would hate to see that happened. Why is the plaza not used more?
That is what doesn't make sense: Not the existence of it, but its under use.
Bev
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