In-Person Public Participation

Public Participation is an opportunity for you to share your opinions and views during regular meetings of community councils, standing committees (except Appeals Standing Committee), and Budget Committee.

Are you looking for information about Virtual Public Participation?

Public Participation is open for anyone to speak at. All participants are asked to follow these guidelines:

Each person may speak for up to five minutes.
Topics which are scheduled for an upcoming Public Hearing or Appeal Hearing may not be addressed during public participation.
Comments should be respectful, relevant to the type of meeting, and directed to the Chair.
If more than one person appears representing a group in relation to a particular topic, the Chair may require that you choose one person who will speak on behalf of the group.
Your name, community, and comments will be recorded in the minutes, and no further action will be taken that day. The members may or may not choose to take any action at a future meeting.

Is your meeting happening in City Hall? Learn about attending in-person meetings in City Hall.

How will I know if a meeting is virtual or in-person?

Information about whether the meeting will be virtual or in-person will be included at the top of the meeting agenda.

How can I find out about upcoming meetings?

A calendar of upcoming meetings, and specific information for meetings coming soon, are posted to the Agendas, Meetings, and Reports page.

Can I speak virtually at in-person public participation?

For meetings held in the Council Chamber at Halifax City Hall, Zoom is available as an option for pre-registered speakers. If you wish to use Zoom, make sure you include this information when you pre-register. To use Zoom the deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. one business day prior to the meeting.

For all other meeting locations, only in-person participation is available.

How do I sign up to speak at in-person public participation?

When registering you can only add your own name to the list and not the name of another person.

All meetings will be audio and/or video recorded for the purpose of creating a record of the proceedings. If you do not wish to be recorded, do not sign up to speak; you can provide a written submission via clerks@halifax.ca.

There are two ways to sign up as a speaker for in-person public participation:

Option 1: Register in Advance - by 4:30pm on the business day before the meeting

Zoom is available as an option for pre-registered speakers at meetings in the Council Chamber only.

Contact the Municipal Clerk's Office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the business day before the meeting. Specific contact information for the staff supporting the meeting will be included at the top of the meeting agenda, once posted.

If you’re signing up via email, if you don’t receive a response from us within 1 business day please phone our office to confirm receipt. Please ensure you check your email’s junk/spam folder regularly.

Please include:
-the meeting body (e.g. Halifax and West Community Council, Budget Committee)
-the date of the meeting
-your first and last name
-your community of residence
-whether you wish to speak in person or speak using Zoom (Council Chamber meetings only)

Option 2: During the meeting

During the meeting, after all the pre-registered speakers have been called, the Chair will call three times to ask if there is anyone else present who would like to speak. If you are present in the meeting room you can indicate your wish to speak at that time.

What happens if I sign-up in advance but miss my turn to speak?

If your name is called during public participation and you aren’t present to speak, you will be given a second opportunity after all other names on the list have been called. Once the Public Participation section of the meeting has finished, there will be no further opportunities to speak on that meeting date.