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Field sessionsGeorges
Island National Historic Site—[FS1] Georges Island National Historic Site—[FS1] Leave hotel at 10:30 am; return to hotel at 4:00 pm A small drumlin set in the middle of Halifax Harbour, Georges Island formed a vital part of the defences of Halifax and its important naval base for more than 150 years. Although there are remnants of fortifications of the War of 1812, the majority of extant fortifications—a network of stone and brick underground passages, magazines and gun emplacements—date to the reconstruction of the fort to accommodate the new rifled muzzle-loading artillery of the 1860s. A bonus for this tour: the 15-minute boat trip to Georges Island provides a striking panorama of Halifax and its magnificent harbour. Grand Pré Rural Historic District National Historic Site and Irving Environmental Centre, Acadia University—[FS2] Leave hotel at 10:00 am; return to hotel at 5:30 pm The landscape of Grand Pré, known in the 18th century as Minas, reflects 300 years of European settlement. Its dykelands, upland fields, orchards and villages embody characteristics of land use by the early Acadian settlers, modified by later generations of residents. The area has been placed on the Canadian candidate list for presentation to the World Heritage Committee. This tour also includes a visit to the Irving Environmental Science Centre and Botanical Gardens, which concentrates on study of the ecology of the Acadia Forest Region. Old Town Lunenburg: UNESCO World Heritage Site—[FS3] Leave hotel at 10:00 am; return to hotel at 5:30 pm Lunenburg was established in June 1753 as a planned settlement for approximately 1500 European Protestant immigrants. Two hundred fifty years later, the formal grid of streets and blocks and public spaces still characterizes the town while its architectural heritage harmoniously blends buildings of the last three centuries. This tour includes a walking tour of the town and a visit to St. John’s Anglican Church, a fine example of Carpenter’s Gothic architecture nearing restoration following a fire in 2001. Historic Downtown Churches—[FS4] Leave hotel at 10:15 am; return to hotel at 4:00 pm Noted preservationist and author Betty Pacey will lead a tour of a number of historic churches. Stops include the Little Dutch Church (1756); St. Patrick’s Church (1883), at risk; St. George’s Church (1800), restored after a major fire; St. Paul’s Church (1750), in the Grand Parade, where lunch will be provided; St. Mary’s Basilica (1820); and St Matthew’s Church (1858). Church congregants will serve as additional tour guides to specifically address the preservation challenges of these sacred buildings. Respectful dress is requested: no shorts please. Halifax Landscapes—Post 2003 Hurricane Juan—[FS5] Leave hotel at 10:45 am; return to hotel at 4:45 pm This tour will visit three sites impacted by Hurricane Juan in September 2003. Halifax’s Victorian Public Gardens, a national historic site, suffered serious damage and was re-opened last July 1 after a very tight program of Assessment, Approval, Design, Tender and Construction. Much work is still required, but the master planning, conservation planning and landscape design is well underway. Lunch will be provided in the gardens before moving on to the Old Burial Grounds. This graveyard was active from 1749 to circa 1825 and went through a conservation program in the late 1980s. Finally a visit to Point Pleasant Park, which lost 80 percent of its trees and was re-opened to the public last year, will demonstrate a site in transition and transformed by nature. The tour will be led by landscape architect Cary Vollick, whose firm was the consultant for two of the sites, with HRM’s Parks and Grounds staff responsible for the two city properties. Historic Downtown Masonry Buildings—[FS6] Leave hotel at 10:30 am; return to hotel at 3:00 pm This is a walking tour of historic masonry buildings in the downtown, representing various states of condition and a large part of the City’s architectural and social history. The tour will start at the Historic Properties waterfront warehouses, which were threatened with demolition for a freeway in the late 1960s. They became the first project to preserve a tangible group of our historic buildings. The tour proceeds to NSCAD University, which saved the block of buildings on the east side of Granville Street which were built after the Great Fire of 1859 and represent a unique streetscape. The tour will visit Province House, the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Halifax Club and Founder’s Square and then move south to Keith’s Brewery and Keith Hall before stopping at Government House where lunch will be provided in the garden. After this break the tour will visit the Old Burial Grounds and the Welsford Parker Monument, pass St. Mary’s Basilica, and stop at the Provincial Courthouse. On the way back, the tour will visit Carleton House and City Hall in Grand Parade. The tour will be led by Conservation Architect Graeme Duffus who will discuss some history, architectural style, conservation work done, planned or needed, and the technological challenges being faced.
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