Shannon Park, along with the adjacent former national defence site of
Wallis Heights, housed the families of personnel serving with the
Royal Canadian Navy. It was built in the 1950s to remedy the shortage of housing which plagued sailors and their families in Halifax during World War Two. The community was named after
HMS Shannon, the Halifax-based frigate which won a notable victory in the
War of 1812. With defence cutbacks reducing the number of personnel serving in the navy and expanded housing available on the civilian market, Shannon Park and Wallis Heights were closed in 2004 and remaining residents were moved to military housing at Willow Park. All buildings have been demolished as of 2018. Immediately north of the neighbourhood on the Bedford basin adjacent to the MacKay bridge lies the
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, a
Canadian Coast Guard communication centre, and a
Canadian Food Inspection Agency laboratory. Until the HRM withdrew its bid for the
2014 Commonwealth Games, urban planners envisioned Shannon Park to be used for locating the proposed sports stadium, athletes' village and several additional venues. Disposal of the land is being negotiated between National Defence and the
Canada Lands Company crown corporation.
Mi'kmaq from the Millbrook Reserve near
Truro have applied for a portion of the land. Shannon Park now has a
French immersion school. Although unused, Shannon Park remains part of
CFB Halifax. The Department of National Defence disposed of Shannon Park in three pieces. ==Present==