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The dispute has Michael Risley, the son of one of the founders of Clearwater Seafoods, facing off against his uncle, the company’s other founder, and members of the east coast business elite
Published Nov 20, 2025 • Last updated 3 days ago • 8 minute read
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The entrance to the Risley estate in the Deep South End of Halifax. The city has rescinded a covenant that permitted only singly-family residences in the neighbourhood, angering many neighbours, some of whom number among Canada’s business elite. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle Herald
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The Deep South End neighbourhood in Halifax is one of the city’s wealthiest, known for its quiet, leafy streets and grand historic homes, particularly the waterfront quarter that hugs the Northwest Arm bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
Properties there rarely come on the market, and the area’s combination of waterfront views, century-old trees and sprawling lots has long made it a haven for the city’s elite. But now there’s a high-stakes development battle going on there that has grown into an unexpected family feud between two of Atlantic Canada’s most influential business dynasties and drawn a who’s who of residents into a fight over trees, traffic, private lanes and the future of their famously exclusive enclave.
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The residents prize their privacy above all else, with their homes tucked behind gates, hedges and mature gardens, but it’s a quiet sanctuary in a city that is getting bigger, louder and faster, and just like in similar neighbourhoods across the country, a tug of war between old restrictive covenants and the need for new housing is playing out.
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For example, the British Columbia Supreme Court earlier this year ruled against a community in Squamish attempting to block a four-unit townhouse development based on a 1959 covenant that limited lots to single-family homes. The court declined the challenge, citing — among other factors — the public interest in increasing housing supply.
The dispute in Halifax, however, is grabbing more attention because at its centre is Michael Risley, the California-based son of Clearwater Seafoods Inc.‘s billionaire co-founder John Risley, who inherited a 1.3-acre private estate that is bundled into two parcels of land and includes a nearly 9,500-square-foot mansion with seven bathrooms, an indoor pool, an outdoor rink and a carriage house. Despite its size and prominence, the estate has sat mostly vacant for years, used only occasionally by the family.
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Michael Risley, pictured with a young relative, is the son of Clearwater Seafoods co-founder John Risley and has triggered a battle over development plans for a 1.3-acre estate in one of Halifax’s toniest areas. Photo by Handout /Michael Risley
The neighbourhood has so far been largely untouched by the apartment boom reshaping Halifax as the city’s population surges. That stability exists largely because Risley’s estate — along with several surrounding properties — is governed by a 1941 restrictive covenant permitting only a single-family residence. That covenant was reaffirmed in 1990 by his mother.
As a result, neighbours say they were blindsided last winter after receiving a letter from Risley outlining his intentions for the property and saying that he had applied to the city to lift the covenant and presented two possible paths forward.
If the covenant remained, he said he would subdivide the estate into eight lots, each of which could support a new single-family home. But if the covenant was removed, he planned to pursue his preferred option of building a “tasteful low-rise condominium,” designed using ZZAP Architecture and Planning and architect Dan Goodspeed of Kassner Goodspeed Architects Ltd.
Risley expressed confidence the city would approve his request. He was right.
I’m not a developer. Put yourself in my shoes. I need to figure out how to sell the property
Michael Risley
In July, Halifax’s former chief administrative officer (CAO) approved the covenant modification. Under provincial legislation introduced to encourage residential density, the CAO can now modify or discharge private covenants when they are more restrictive than current zoning rules related to height or density.
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That decision set up what Risley’s neighbours describe as a nightmare scenario. Last spring, Halifax overhauled its zoning rules as part of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Now, most serviced lots can contain up to four units and larger lots in the urban core — including the peninsula — can have as many as eight.
The changes have triggered a wave of applications to the CAO’s office to discharge restrictive covenants. By the end of October, the CAO office had approved 12 of the 13 requests it received, with only one denied, according to the city. To date, five of these decisions have been appealed.
On a parcel as large as the Risley estate, removing the covenant could theoretically allow as many as 10 eight-unit buildings.
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John Risley, the father of Michael Risley, is one of the founders of Clearwater Seafoods. Michael Risely said his father told him to “do what’s right for your family” with regards to the Halifax property nestled in an area known as a haven for the city’s elite. Photo by Becca Willcott /Becken Photography
A corporate family feud
One of the loudest objectors to the plan is Colin MacDonald, John Risley’s former business partner who co-founded Clearwater Seafoods. The company was sold in 2020 in a $1-billion deal to Richmond, B.C.-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. and a coalition of Mi’kmaw First Nations.
MacDonald is also connected to the Risleys by blood: his sister is Michael’s mother. Only a narrow slice of land sits between his 2.5-acre property, assessed at $8.2 million, and the property his nephew is trying to redesign.
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MacDonald, in an email to the city’s planning department when it considered Risely’s application to lift the covenant, said the covenant has protected the neighbourhood’s character for nearly a century.
“We are a residential neighbourhood and historically protected,” he said in the email.
Colin MacDonald, co-founder with John Risley of Clearwater Seafoods, is also Michael Risley’s uncle and lives beside the property his nephew wants to develop. MacDonald is one of the loudest opponents of any changes to the site. Photo by Paul Darrow /Darrow Multimedia
In another chain of emails to neighbours and the city’s planning department, MacDonald said Risley privately offered to sell him the property for $9.5 million, but when he refused, Risley listed it for $8.7 million the next day. He added that the proposed condo would be an “ugly change to our little corner of paradise.”
MacDonald also said Risley’s dad “really has no financial interest in the property” and is likely only “peripherally aware of what is afoot,” subtly distancing the Clearwater founder from his son’s plan. The home was in John Risley’s ex-wife’s name before being turned over to their son.
But the dispute is more than just a family spat. A who’s who of Deep South End residents — including developer Gus Ghosn, Allan Shaw of Shaw Group, Brad Langille, chief executive of GoGold Resources Inc., and other prominent neighbours — have joined forces to appeal the city’s decision to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board (NSRAB).
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Shaw, a cousin of the late former federal NDP leader Alexa McDonough, lives directly across from Risley’s property.
We are a residential neighbourhood and historically protected
Colin MacDonald, co-founder of Clearwater Seafoods, in an email to Halifax planning department
“It’s not a matter of one condominium or any condominiums,” he said. “We have narrow private lanes that just don’t accommodate traffic; no place to park, no place for emergency vehicles. We have covenants that don’t allow that. We’re exercising our rights. Nobody has any issues with Risley as long as he follows the covenants. Period. He says he would like to follow the covenants.”
The neighbours, represented by legal counsel, echo the concerns raised by Shaw and say the covenant has safeguarded the neighbourhood’s character, property values and infrastructure for decades — protections every current homeowner relied upon when purchasing their properties.
Allan Shaw, accompanied by his wife, Leslie, speaks at a charity event in 2015. Shaw lives in Halifax’s Deep South End and is among several prominent business people challenging the city’s decision on the Risley property. Photo by CHRISTIAN LAFORCE /Postmedia
They also said that permitting multi-unit buildings on the estate contradicts the city’s municipal planning strategy goals, which prioritize affordability, walkability and safe access.
Any new units in this high-value enclave would likely sell for far more than $1 million, they said, offering no meaningful contribution to housing affordability.
Risley’s plan: condo or subdivision
Though Risley’s letter to neighbours may have implied otherwise, he said he has no intention of building on the property. The actor and filmmaker said his goal is to sell the property and let someone else develop it.
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“I’m not a developer,” he said. “Put yourself in my shoes. I need to figure out how to sell the property.”
Risley said if the restrictive covenant is lifted, “it would almost certainly increase the value of the property. So, like any person in my position, I’m going to pursue this.”
He also confirmed that he offered the property to his uncle Colin.
“He doesn’t want it; maybe he has enough real estate,” he said.
Nobody has any issues with Risley as long as he follows the covenants. Period
Allan Shaw, Deep South End resident
Risley said the house is already on the market and it is listed for almost $6 million.
He said MacDonald may not be as worried about potential changes to the neighbourhood as he said since he spends little time at the Halifax property because his primary residence is in Chester, roughly a 50-minute drive away.
“He just doesn’t want the property changed, but I think he doesn’t spend a lot of time there now,” Risley said.
Multiple attempts were made to contact MacDonald, including visits to his Halifax home, where no one answered the door, while calls to his residence in Chester went unanswered. Several neighbours said MacDonald rarely occupies the property in Halifax.
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Cranes pierced the Halifax skyline this summer with a construction boom underway to address the growing need for housing. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle Herald
Risley said the idea of a condominium originated with “a fellow interested in a tasteful condo,” though that person is waiting to see whether the covenant is lifted. Others, he said, are “fishing around,” but are holding off until the NSRAB makes a decision on his neighbours’ appeal.
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Regardless of the outcome, he said the land will be developed. If the neighbours succeed in overturning the covenant modification, he plans to appeal. If he ultimately loses, he intends to subdivide the estate into three parcels for single-family homes.
Risley said he understands why his uncle and other neighbours want the area to remain unchanged, and he acknowledged he cannot predict whether the character of the community will shift. But he also pointed to Halifax’s rapid growth as a positive force.
“I don’t know if this will change the whole character of the community, but look at the building and the development that’s been happening there in the past 10 years,” he said. “Halifax is charmed; they’re totally lucky to be having this kind of money being poured into the community.”
Halifax is charmed; they’re totally lucky to be having this kind of money being poured into the community
Michael Risley
Risley, who has three children, also said his parents support his decision. His mother, who signed the covenant, “doesn’t mind what I’m doing,” he said. “My father is completely supportive and says, ‘Do what’s right for your family.’”
People in the neighbourhood agree that Halifax needs more housing, but many say dense development should happen elsewhere, not on two private laneways without sidewalks. Others reject the “rich NIMBY” framing entirely.
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“This isn’t about wealth,” one longtime resident said. “It’s about whether a private lane can suddenly become a condo corridor.”
Another neighbour involved in the appeal told the NSRAB that the covenants were put in place for a reason and warned that lifting them could undermine “the peaceful nature of my neighbourhood,” citing concerns about increased noise, traffic, pollution and potential trespassing due to a larger local population.
“I am also concerned about the effects on the health of vulnerable residents around the proposed development,” the neighbour said in a letter to the NSRAB.
A plaque indicates the entrance to the Risley estate in Deep Sound End, Halifax. Not all residents of the neighbourhood oppose plans to develop the site. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicla Herald
The NSRAB is expected to rule by year-end on whether Halifax acted lawfully in lifting the covenant.
But not everyone in the neighbourhood opposes development.
Patrick Waddy, who lives a short walk away on Cromwell Road, where his home is assessed at $1.6 million, regularly walks his dogs along one of the private lanes.
He said Halifax, like much of the country, is struggling with a housing crisis. He understands why neighbours want to preserve their privacy, but he also believes the city needs more homes.
“I’m not really opposed to development, obviously. If there’s a lot of traffic on this road, I’m not going to like it that much. But at the same time, we have to have housing for people,” he said. “If we’re NIMBYs, how can anything ever happen? You’ve got to be fair; you’ve got to allow some development. Halifax’s population is growing; they’ve got to go somewhere.”
The prospect of a condo development in the neighbourhood is also reasonable, Waddy said.
“If I had a vote, I would not vote against it,” he said.
All told, Halifax is now approving new housing at a rate of 5,000 units a year, which it needs to do since its population grew to more than 503,000 in 2024 from roughly 473,000 in 2022.
Against that backdrop, Risley said he’s simply seizing the opportunity.
“Nothing comes without growing pains,” he said.
• Email: arankin@postmedia.com
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