From noise concerns to unruly pets and questionable property lines, disputes between neighbours are nothing new.
In Halifax, a new program spearheaded by the United Way aims to address these disputes without tying up municipal resources.
“Maybe it’s not an actual solve of the issue itself, but it certainly should result in something that both parties can live with, and to avoid conflict, and then hopefully to more understanding within the community itself,” said Deborah Page with United Way Maritimes.
The program, dubbed The People Project, connects neighbours with a trained mediator. The process will be confidential until the mediator reaches out to the other people involved to see if they are willing to take part.
Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini brought the motion to council in February to get funding for a community mediation project. The decision to go ahead with the pilot program led by the United Way was made in July.
According to statistics from the municipality’s 311 program, there have been more than 4,000 calls related to pets and noise complaints so far in 2025.
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Mancini says one of the biggest concerns he has with the high volume in neighbourly disputes is the time and cost needed to get staff and bylaw enforcement involved.
“How do we figure this out? How do we adjust it so that we don’t have the same issue between neighbours and at the same time, chewing up and eating up so much municipal resources?” he asked.
Mancini says issues in communities can also cause divides and stress in neighbourhoods — something he wants to avoid as well.
“I’m really hoping this pilot results in coming up with a solution that two neighbours … can at least live with,” he said.
Five community organizations have signed on to participate in the project, including Veith House in Halifax’s north end.
Jamie Matthews, the organization’s executive director, says it was a no-brainer since the non-profit does similar outreach work already.
“This program is really just an extension of the (work) that we’ve always done here in the neighbourhood, which is just try to make it more neighbourly and friendly and inclusive for everyone,” said Matthews.
The pilot program began last month and will last until March 2025.
Mancini says if it goes well, he hopes it will become a permanent program.
“I really hope it works because I’ve seen too many of these neighbour disputes that have negative impacts sometimes on a whole neighbourhood.”
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Noise, pets and property lines: New Halifax project aims to solve neighbour disputes
