Spryfield, Nova Scotia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spryfield is a neighbourhood in Mainland Halifax, Nova Scotia. The name "Spryfield" is also used to refer to the general area of Halifax's South Mainland.

1 The Community
2 History
3 Schools
4 Government Representatives
5 External links

[edit] The Community

The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

Spryfield has a handful of playgrounds for children to play (there are current efforts to alleviate this need; including the construction of a Kaboom playground structure behind the Lions' rink), and numerous lakes for swimming in the summer months. For people who are not interested in swimming in a lake, there is a public pool in the middle of the community at the Captain William Spry Community Centre. There are baseball fields, soccer fields, basketball courts, and a hockey rink for recreational sports, plus multiple gyms.

Along with the buildup of subdivisions and homes, there are several schools located in Spryfield for all ages. There are daycares, elementary schools, junior high schools, and one high school (J. L. Ilsley High School). When choosing a school in Spryfield, children may attend French immersion or English speaking classes starting from elementary school.

A variety of residential areas set among green space have made it attractive for residential development, and it has become a fast growing community. The area is undergoing a period of growth with new subdivisions under construction. The Herring Cove Road business area has undergone many improvements and new business locations are appearing.

There is a strong sense of community in the neighbourhood, with many programs for all ages, history societies and a general pride. Although along with this comes a bad reputation in the area that has held up for years. There are boarded-up buildings littering Herring Cove Rd, and crime (mostly drug related) that has continued to plague the area. The reputation seems to stretch reality seeing that people take it for a lot more than it is worth; most of Spryfield is quiet and peaceful.

[edit] History

First occupied by settlers, who used to hunt and fish at Beaver Lake (now called Long Lake), Spryfield is named after Captain William Spry who purchased land in the area in 1769.

The availability of land suitable for farming attracted new settlers, such as the Drysdale, Kidston, Umlah, Yeadon, McInnis and other well-known local families who survive in the community to this day.

[edit] Schools

J. L. Ilsley High School (10-12), 38 Sylvia Avenue
Chebucto Heights Elementary (P-6), Cowie Hill Rd.
Central Spryfield School (P-6), 364 Herring Cove Road
Elizabeth Sutherland (P-9); 66 Rockingstone Road
Rockingstone Heights School; 1 Regan Dr
Cunard Junior High School (7-9); 121 William's Lake Road

[edit] Government Representatives

Michele Raymond is currently the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Halifax Atlantic, the constituency that includes the community of Spryfield. She was elected in 2003.

Alexa McDonough is the Member of Parliament for Halifax, which in 2004 was re-organized to include the community of Spryfield.

Stephen Adams is the HRM City Councilor for District 18, he was elected in 1991 initially serving the area as representative of Ward 7 before amalgamation.