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That is not new. What is new is the speed and scale of the moment we are in'Last updated 6 hours ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.South Korea's Hanwha Ocean is competing to build as many as 12 submarines, several of which are expected to be based in Halifax. Photo by Hanwha/PostmediaAs billions of dollars in new federal defence spending flow into Nova Scotia and a multibillion-dollar submarine contract nears a decision, Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore said the city must move quickly to ensure infrastructure and housing keep pace with a wave of economic growth.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorSpeaking at the Intersect/26 conference in Halifax earlier this month, Fillmore described Halifax as “Canada’s defence city” and argued that municipalities hosting major military assets need additional support as Ottawa ramps up defence investments.“Halifax is Canada’s defence city. That is not new. What is new is the speed and scale of the moment we are in,” Fillmore told business and policy leaders gathered at the event.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“Canada is having serious conversations about sovereignty, defence capacity, supply chains, economic resilience and national productivity. But this moment asks more of us than simply benefitting from growth. It asks whether our systems are prepared for it.“Those conversations can feel abstract, but locally they become very practical. They become housing demand, workforce needs, transit availability and usability, water and wastewater capacity. Growth only succeeds when people can feel its benefits in their everyday lives. If growth simply puts more pressure on housing, infrastructure, mobility and affordability without improving opportunity and quality of life, then we have missed the point.” Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore speaks to reporters at city hall. Photo by Jen Taplin /The Chronicle HeraldThe federal government has accelerated defence spending amid growing concerns about sovereignty, security and military readiness. In March, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced more than $2 billion in defence-related investments for Nova Scotia, including $1.2 billion for power and service infrastructure upgrades at CFB Halifax’s Dockyard and Stadacona facilities.Ottawa also committed $82.5 million to acquire the former refinery lands in Eastern Passage, a 192-hectare waterfront property that will support current and future Royal Canadian Navy operations.Adding to the anticipation is the federal government’s pending decision on the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, an estimated $80-billion procurement to replace Canada’s aging submarine fleet. South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems are competing to build as many as 12 submarines, several of which are expected to be based in Halifax.The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs as shipbuilders, maintenance providers and defence suppliers expand operations to support the new fleet.Those jobs will bring more people to Halifax and increase pressure on a housing market already struggling with affordability challenges.“We cannot talk about economic growth without talking about housing,” Fillmore said.“If Canada is going to build more, trade more, defend more, and compete more seriously in the world, then cities have to be ready. Our infrastructure has to be ready. Our institutions have to be ready.”But Halifax remains one of Canada’s least affordable rental markets. According to Statistics Canada, Halifax tied with Ottawa as the country’s fourth-most-expensive major city for average asking rent on a two-bedroom apartment during the first quarter of 2026.The average asking rent climbed 5.4 per cent year over year to $2,350, even as rents declined in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and several other major Canadian markets.A recent report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation found Nova Scotia had the highest average asking rents in Canada for purpose-built apartments and condominium units, surpassing British Columbia. Average rents in the province reached $2,343 in May, driven largely by conditions in the Halifax-Dartmouth market.The rising cost of housing has become a growing political issue as governments prepare for what could be one of the largest periods of defence-related investment in the province’s history. NDP Leader Claudia Chender answers questions from reporters at Province House in Halifax. Photo by Ryan Taplin /The Chronicle HeraldNova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender called on Premier Tim Houston to leverage federal infrastructure funding to increase affordable housing construction and improve regional transportation networks.“Rents in Halifax continue to rise while they drop across Canada,” Chender said.“People are spending hours in their cars and hundreds of dollars in gas each week just trying to get to work or drop their kids at school. There are hundreds of millions of dollars on the table from the federal government. Tim Houston needs to make a deal and use that money to build housing people can actually afford.”Fillmore acknowledged that when the winning bid on the submarine project is announced, it will “create a significant impetus . . . to step up and move quickly on infrastructure preparedness.”He said that could include partnerships with the Canada Infrastructure Bank and discussions with the Department of National Defence about creating funding mechanisms specifically for communities heavily affected by defence spending.“It’s going to mean that we’re going to need to work very closely at a shared table with our colleagues at DND and the provincial government and municipal government,” Fillmore said following a recent Halifax regional council meeting.The mayor remains confident that the city will be able to handle the coming growth.“People say to me, ‘Mayor, have we won the lottery with this submarine patrol submarine contract?’” Fillmore said. “My answer is always, ‘We haven’t won the lottery, but we’ve won the right to work hard to win the lottery.’“Regardless of which consortium wins the bid, Halifax will be ready.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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