Heritage

Kennetcook Bridge
Kennetcook Bridge

The Municipality of East Hants is proud to be an area with a rich history of shipbuilding, forestry, railway construction and preserved natural surroundings.

 Highlights include:

  • The shipbuilding heritage is celebrated annually with a re-enactment of the banishing of the whiskey peddlers and launching of a model of the W. D. Lawrence, the largest wooden sailing ship ever built in Canada. For more information, see the Lawrence House Museum in Maitland.
  • The Nova Scotia Railway ran between Truro Crossing (now the Lantz district) and Halifax, until it was later extended. See the Elmsdale history page for more information.
  • When completed in 1853, the The Shubenacadie Canal was an engineering wonder. It opened up and facilitated commercial and military travel from Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy.
  • The Hants East Historical Society museum is housed in a former church that was built in the 1800s with a plaster interior that was hand-painted using feathers. The historical cemetery has an excellent view of the Cobequid Bay. The Museum has sections dedicated to War Heroes (WWI & WWII), quilts and flags of bygone era, as well as a Titanic display.
  • Court House Hill – All East Hants Council meetings were held in Councillors’ homes until 1867. The Court House location was in the area now known as Gore, until 1907. The Court House stood as a historical landmark until it destroyed by a fire on July 22, 1956.
  • The Walton lighthouse is the last original, shingled, wooden lighthouse in Hants County. Visitors are invited to enjoy a panoramic view of the cliffs and Fundy tides from the top.
  • The Burntcoat Head Lighthouse was destroyed in 1972, but in 1994, a replica lighthouse was constructed. The replica contains a centre for the history of the area, the Fundy tides, and old lighthouses, along with a panoramic view of the Minas Basin.

If you have a Heritage Property and would like to have it designated as such contact dbrown@easthants.ca

The Municipality of East Hants is made up of 14 historic villages, each with their own distinct heritage. You can also enjoy a compilation of Stories and Memoirs of Historical East Hants.  If you have more information or history for any of these districts, please forward to recreation@easthants.ca:

Sources: Hants County | Connect to Visit, The Shubenacadie Canal, Lawrence House Museum

Heritage Links for further information

Nova Scotia Links