Citadel Hill dispute heads to Supreme Court

A decade-long dispute between Halifax Regional Municipality and the federal government over the assessed property value of Citadel Hill is now heading to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The city's request for a hearing was granted on Thursday.

Halifax claims the 47 acres of land are worth between $18 and $19 million, but according to federal officials the land cannot be developed and is therefore only worth $10.

That difference means about $500,000 in annual grants in lieu of taxes that the city could expect from the federal government.

The city's lawyer, Mary Ellen Donovan, expects the case will be heard within a year and a decision could come six months later.

The dispute has already been through a number of legal rounds. Halifax appealed a decision by a dispute panel to the Federal Court of Canada, which ruled in Halifax's favour. Ottawa later took that decision to the Federal Court of Appeal.