National heritage conference returns to Halifax for first time in 23 years

The National Trust Conference being held in Ottawa in 2023.

A national heritage conference is making its long-awaited return to Halifax this month at a time when the city is grappling with balancing preservation of its historic buildings with the needs of an expanding population.

The National Trust Conference will bring together more than 500 heritage experts and advocates in one of the oldest cities in Canada in two weeks. The conference, which moves around the country every year, was last in Nova Scotia in 2002.

“It’s been a long time,” said Chris Wiebe, manager of heritage policy and national conference. “I think Halifax is really interesting because it brings all kinds of questions and case studies to the fore.

“(The growing population has) brought a lot of pressure on older neighbourhoods and communities. It’s a great learning laboratory for examples of how to handle the intensification drive.”

The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia is an official sponsor for the event. Executive director Emma Lang noted the event hasn’t been in Atlantic Canada since it visited Fredericton in 2018.

“It’s really exciting for our organization because it gives us a chance to draw attention to the amazing heritage here and the challenges we face,” Lang said. “There’s a lot going on here. It fits in with stories we’re talking about on the national level.”

Wiebe said some of the big topics for Canadian heritage properties these days are climate change and the growing need for new housing.

“It’s time to take stock and address some of those concerns,” he said. “I’m hoping to get a pulse-taking of how heritage places are being managed and how the public is perceiving that work. How do we transform some of the ways we protect places?”

Lang, who notes that Nova Scotia has some of the weakest heritage protection laws in the country, said the preservation of heritage sites and the creation of more housing units and transportation options can go hand-in-hand.

“Tearing down housing does not make there be more housing,” she said. “So many cities have increased transit without tearing down buildings. You can take heritage structures and add units to them. Structures that exist facilitate affordable housing.

“Halifax is experiencing a rate of demolition we haven’t seen since the 1960s and 1970s.”

The Heritage Trust recently launched a campaign to save five historic buildings on Williams, Robie and North streets. Earlier this year they also called for the former Halifax Alehouse to be saved from the potential wrecking ball.

“We need to save the structures that exist,” Lang said. “So many buildings that house students have been demolished. We’re in a very dangerous position.

“It’s frustrating because we know there’s other ways of doing it. You can have growth, you can have affordable housing and you can preserve these structures.”

Lang hopes to use the conference as an opportunity to showcase some of Halifax’s heritage sites to visitors.

“We developed a program called Taste of Halifax,” she said. “We made reservations for people to go with a small group and go to a restaurant in a heritage structure. We want to make sure the conference benefits the community. How do we support these businesses that are doing a fantastic job ensuring these heritage buildings stay up?”

The National Trust Conference will run at the Halifax Convention Centre from Oct. 23 to 25.

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