Halifax has lost 87 per cent of heritage buildings: study [Video]

HALIFAX –

A new project mapping Halifax’s architectural heritage shows the city has lost most of its historical structures.

The Halifax Memory Maps project, led by Jonathan Fowler, a Saint Mary’s University archeologist and anthropology professor, has found the city has lost 87 per cent of historical buildings since 1878.

Fowler said the project began after realizing through discussions with his students there was no real way to track how many historical buildings remain in Halifax while the city’s population grows.

The first instalment of the project compares early maps of Halifax drawn by American civil engineer Henry W. Hopkins in 1878 with current maps of the city, finding that only 1,143 of nearly 9,000 buildings remain.

The project found only 381 of the city’s remaining buildings are registered as heritage properties with the Halifax Regional Municipality, protecting them from demolition. It also says 30 per cent of unregistered heritage buildings in downtown Halifax were demolished between …