Projects Launched for Heritage Day
Nova Scotians can get a feel for life in Halifax in the late 1800s through two new projects launched for Heritage Day today, Feb. 19. Both are linked to the Nova Scotia Historic Places Initiative.
One project is an online exhibit of the 1871 Rogers' Photographic Advertising Album. Fifty-six local businesses advertised in this coffee-table type book. The photos depict life in downtown Halifax at the time of Confederation with such details as lamp posts, horse-drawn coaches and pedestrians sporting the fashions of the day. The exhibit is on the Nova Scotia Public Archives website at www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm .
The other project is a map showing an aerial view of peninsular Halifax, the harbour and the Northwest Arm as they looked in 1879. It is bordered by modern photos of 27 commercial buildings from the period that still exist today. Lines run from the pictures of the buildings to their locations on the map. An interactive version of the map will soon be available at www.nshistoricplaces.ca . It will allow people to see more detail and find links to information about historic buildings.
"There's tremendous interest in our communities about our rich heritage, and these projects are vehicles to help Nova Scotians explore their province and celebrate its history," said Len Goucher, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. "This map and online exhibit give us a glimpse of life in Halifax more than a hundred years ago and remind us of how important it is that we preserve our buildings and other historic places."
The Nova Scotia Historic Places Initiative is part of a national effort to develop a culture of conservation. It includes the Nova Scotia Register of Historic Places, a growing online database currently featuring images and details on more than 500 historic places such as houses, churches and cemeteries in the province. All the buildings featured on the map and most in the online exhibit are listed in the register.
Heritage Day was established in 1973 by the Heritage Canada Foundation. It is celebrated the third Monday of February to encourage the preservation and promotion of Canada's nationally significant historic, architectural, natural and scenic heritage.