Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia

06/12/2026

Paradise Heritage Centre: plaque unveiling tomorrow. Be there if you can!

Continuing to educate: Former Paradise Academy earns provincial heritage designation.

A building that has educated generations of people in Paradise, Annapolis County, continues to serve that purpose, albeit in a different way.

Long gone are the teachers at the front of the classroom, instructing children as the sunlight beams in through the large windows of Paradise Academy. In its place are a collection of community groups that regularly meet at the Paradise Heritage Centre.

Paradise Academy, which opened in 1894, was the fourth school in the community. It is of Second Empire style of architecture. It has a mansard roof, which originally sported a cupola, and tall, narrow French-style windows.

The Paradise Historical Society was immediately formed in 2018 to keep the building in the community of about 300, and the Paradise Heritage Centre became a reality.

Paradise Historical Society vice-president David Hankinson and president Barbara Bishop (seen in the photo) are excited to invite people to the unveiling of the Paradise Heritage Centre's provincial heritage plaque on June 13.

This is an excerpt. The full article (Jun 10), by Jason Malloy, can be found online by searching for the Annapolis Valley Register.

Little White Schoolhouse Museum
Tupperville School Museum

06/11/2026

In Mahone Bay this weekend? Check out the Mahone Bay Museum's Home and Garden Tour! Tickets required.

Thank you to Lexie, our Educational Programmer for preparing this post on one of the homes featured on the Mahone Bay Home and Garden Tour, June 13-14. 🌸 Visit our website for ticket details: https://mahonebaymuseum.com/home-and-garden-2026/

The Oakland House is one of the many ageless dwellings featured in this year's upcoming Home and Garden Tour. It overlooks the bay and is characterized by a wonderful garden, making it a great visit and a true embodiment of the region’s enduring charm.

An owner found a piece of newspaper in the walls during renovations suggesting that the architectural origins predate 1852. The house was built into the side of a hill as a one and a half storey house including a central chimney that was positioned in the middle of the houses framing.

In 1947 the roof was lifted, the chimney and small rooms downstairs were removed, opening the space inside the house. Newer renovations include a kitchen extension, followed by adding two guest bedrooms upstairs. Guests love these rooms that look out over the bay and into the Garden. The property now features a beautiful private garden which will be available to see on the tour. We hope to see you this weekend!

06/10/2026

John Wesley Chisholm shared these thoughtful comments today. If you have not already expressed concern to your councillor about the future of the Halifax Memorial Library, please do so.

His comments: Seeing these images that the people of Tennessee are so enthusiastically supporting in their new federal courthouse immediately takes my mind to the strong symmetry, vertical emphasis, and simplified classical forms that convey the dignity and permanence that we see in our own Halifax Central Library. That is being left in such disrepair that even the grounds are not being kept up. In that painful, slow walk of important properties that we've seen so often, they're left to decline, with maintenance and repairs deferred until the inevitable decision non-decision that's already been made in fait accompli.
To say this building, this place that was part of our commonwealth and part of the value that those who went before us created, is now both worthless and meaningless. Rather than being an asset, it is left to become a liability and another pathetic political loss of the Amalgamated City.

The proposed Chattanooga federal courthouse represents an evolution rather than a departure from the architectural tradition established by the existing 1933 Joel W. Solomon Courthouse. Like its predecessor, the new building employs monumental stone construction, strong symmetry, vertical emphasis, and simplified classical forms to convey the dignity and permanence of the federal judiciary. While the older courthouse reflects the Art Deco and Stripped Classical tendencies of the early twentieth century, the new design adopts a contemporary interpretation of classical civic architecture, featuring monumental pilasters, ceremonial entrances, and carefully proportioned façades. The new facility is intended not as a replacement of the historic courthouse's architectural legacy, but as a response to modern operational requirements, including enhanced security, accessibility, courtroom capacity, and building infrastructure needed to serve the region's growing federal court system.

06/04/2026

The latest issue of The Griffin, the Trust's excellent quarterly publication is now out! The cover art this month is by Bev Cameron and features the Cumminger Bros. building at Sherbrook Village.

If you aren't getting a copy of The Griffin, it is probably because you haven't taken out a membership in the Trust! Annual memberships are $35 and Free for students, but you MUST enroll. Here is a link, which also lets you see past issues. https://www.htns.ca/griffin

06/02/2026

From the Mother Corp:
Five small-town libraries are set to close their doors permanently this summer. The Annapolis Valley Regional Library announced the changes Monday after months of sounding the alarm that their operations were on shaky financial footing. As of July 20, branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Port Williams and Middleton will no longer be in operation. Middleton Mayor Gail Smith said the branch in her town was well used and described the news as devastating. "These libraries have meant a great deal to us, like in our town and I'm sure the rest of the towns and villages, so it's a sad day, it's a sad day in Nova Scotia," she said. Since last year, the regional library service has been urging the public to contact local and provincial politicians to advocate for the libraries.

05/27/2026

Well, we're excited to see what La vielle La Vieille Maison - Musée acadien/Acadian Museum has in store! Stay tuned everyone.

Nous avons prévu un été plein de surprises, mais vous devrez patienter encore une semaine avant que nous dévoilions tous les détails!

We have an exciting summer planned, but you will have to wait one more week before we release the details!

Photo: Pages from the 1972 book "Seasoned Timbers" by Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia

05/19/2026

More demolitions. Once again, a big thanks to William Breckenridge for sharing news about demolitions in already one of the most densely developed parts of the peninsula (and without highrise, we might add), to make way for even more.

William writes, "These 4 properties are right now being demolished [at] 5236, 5226, 5222, 5220 Kent. We need to find a way to speed up the heritage application process or else 100% all gone within next 5 years. I wonder what stories these homes could tell." Thes are all pre-Confederation homes.

05/15/2026

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND AWARDS CEREMONY!
Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Christ Church, 50 Wentworth Street, Dartmouth, NS
and via Zoom (link to be added soon)

This year we will be celebrating the following awardees:

CHARLES MACDONALD CONCRETE HOUSE - 2026 Residential Built Heritage Award

38 CENTRAL STREET, CHESTER - 2026 Residential Built Heritage Award

05/06/2026

"From Marginalization to Visibility: 2SLGBTQ+ Archives and Public Memory" is a is a q***r and trans history and archives hybrid conference taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 15-17, 2026, with presentations in both English and French. It builds on the success of the National Q***r and Trans+ Community History Conference held at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2024.

**Please keep comments respectful or they will be deleted.**

From Marginalization to Visibility: 2SLGBTQ+ Archives and Public Memory. A q***r and trans history and archives conference. May 15-17, 2026.