A park in downtown Halifax named in honour of a late local activist is now home to colourful new art and seating for visitors. The installation – called “A Place for Everyone” – is now on display at Raymond Taavel Park on the corner of Barrington and Inglis streets. Taavel, a well-known gay rights advocate, was attacked and killed outside a gay bar on Gottingen Street in 2012. The new display features colourful structures that form a bench, tables and a light beacon. It was funded by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC)’s Gritty to Pretty grant program and conceptualized by the Halifax-based OSO planning + design agency. DHBC asked applicants to add creativity, vibrancy and queer joy to the park. “This new infrastructure celebrates the 2SLGBTQIA+ stories that continue to shape Halifax,” says OSO project coordinator Jen Frail. “The bench idea (and design) emerged from community engagement sessions and is a tribute to the hope and love it takes to build a kinder, safer, more compassionate city together.” DHBC says it has supported more than 50 local artists through its ‘Gritty to Pretty’ grant program since 2015. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
