Working with United Way of Halifax, Dennis Pilkey provided leadership in developing a Brief on Dartmouth North.  This work was done as a pilot under a contract with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).  HRSDC asked that the profile have three parts:

1. Statistical overview with a strong local statistics component, i.e. more than just Statistics Canada data
2. Analysis of the statistics and area providing both a context and a social disadvantage perspective including observations on local opportunities
3. A case study that demonstrates a strong collaborative approach that leads to meaningful change for the area.

The Dartmouth North Brief was completed in March, 2008.  The pilot was successful in demonstrating what can be done by this approach and clearly demonstrated both the need and potential for a more in-depth profile of the area. It also demonstrated the extent of data available for neighbourhoods.

Dartmouth North was the second Action for Neighbourhood Change area in HRM.  In 2005, Spryfield residents became part of a national project involving five communities.  As a result of the successful engagement of the community, United Way of Halifax Region committed to ongoing support of the Action for Neighbourhood Change program.  Fairview was subsequently added as the third Action Neighbourhood.

As part of United Way’s Poverty Solutions initiative, all three of these neighbourhoods as well as two rural areas were included in a UW 2016 Census Snapshot.