$2-million Renovation of Courthouse Complete

Thanks to a $2 million investment from the province, the Roman Goddess of Justice now sees all in the newly renovated Pictou Justice Centre.

In a unique blend of old and new, three historic painted glass windows that were saved from a fire, including one of the Goddess of Justice, were installed in the renovated Pictou Justice Centre.

Justice Minister Ross Landry and the Pictou County Roots Society marked the end of the $2 million renovation project today, Dec. 9, with the unveiling of the windows in their new home.

"The goals of this renovation were to improve service delivery and convenience to the public by offering all justice services under one roof, and to ensure we had a modern and safe facility," said Mr. Landry. "The historic windows add a nice touch of history to the newly renovated building and I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in refurbishing, restoring and installing these windows."

The windows, originally imported from England in the mid-1800s, were badly damaged in a fire at the original Pictou County Courthouse in 1987. The province and the Pictou County Roots Society, along with other levels of government, business and community organizations, worked to save them. Two lawyers, a court administrator and a judge formed the not-for-profit organization Pictou Justice Complex Painted Windows Society to raise the necessary funds to complete the work.

"The detail in the windows has been described as the finest of its kind in Canada and it was important to preserve their history and beauty," said retired provincial court judge Clyde MacDonald, who is a member of the Pictou Justice Complex Painted Windows Society. "We're pleased the provincial government and the Pictou County Roots Society helped to make it possible for the public to enjoy these windows for years to come."

The building renovations include a secure interview room in cells, videoconferencing services, a room for vulnerable witnesses, a suite of secure rooms for legal counsel, and surveillance cameras and equipment with continuous views of inside and outside the courthouse.