Fort Edward interpretive centre could build ‘cultural legacy’ in West Hants, N.S.

WINDSOR, N.S. — Backed by strong community buy-in, volunteers with the West Hants Historical Society are hopeful municipal councillors will give them a green light to proceed with creating a tourism destination near an iconic former military base in Windsor.

The society’s president, Shirley Pineo, outlined the plan for an interpretive centre that would celebrate the various cultures that populated Hants County during a presentation to West Hants council Oct. 24.

“West Hants is steeped in history, encompassing the Mi’kmaq, Acadian, Black and military units’ contributions. Our region played a pivotal role in shaping Nova Scotia’s history,” said Pineo, noting these groups helped shape Canada’s history.

Fort Edward National Historic Site in Windsor was home to many firsts – serving as a Mi’kmaq trading post, a military encampment, Acadian church and, during the deportation, a prison. North America’s oldest agricultural fair got its start on the hill.

“The proposed cultural interpretive centre would aim to celebrate and educate visitors about their history, fostering a deep appreciation for our diverse cultural heritage.”

Since October 2022, the organization has been working diligently to form a viable plan to give West Hants council an alternative option for the land, which is adjacent to the Parks Canada site, that the municipality was looking to sell.

In 2021, the society learned that West Hants planned to sell the property to a developer who wanted to build apartments. The municipality also began a rezoning process for the property.

The land in question was once the site of Windsor’s outdoor pool, and was gifted to the former Town of Windsor for that purpose. It is zoned open space, meaning it’s public land. In October 2022, council voted to delay the rezoning, granting the historical society time to develop a plan, and time for a more in-depth archaeological survey to be conducted.

Abundance of input 

Society members have received interest from a variety of cultural groups. They’ve received verbal support from provincial and federal politicians, and positive feedback from residents and tourists alike.

“Residents want to see our history preserved and celebrated,” said Pineo.

The interpretive centre would provide washrooms – something that is long overdue at the historic site – and potentially would house artifacts that were unearthed at Fort Edward but are not displayed locally.

“West Hants has made significant strides in promoting physical health and well-being such as the new aquatic centre, the sports complex and the library supporting the mind and the body. However, the missing piece in our community’s development is culture and arts, which are essential for fostering a well-rounded and vibrant community,” she said.

“The establishment of a cultural interpretive centre would provide a place where residents and visitors can immerse themselves in our rich history, fostering a sense of pride and unity.”

She said the centre would draw more tourists to the area, and the economic spinoffs would be felt throughout West Hants. It would also “serve as an educational hub for schools and institutions, encouraging cultural appreciation and research.”

Pineo said preserving the land adjacent to Fort Edward is paramount to their interpretive centre plan. Establishing such a facility is a pivotal step “towards building a cultural legacy for West Hants.”

Students take stance 

Two summer students, who worked at the West Hants Historical Society’s museum on King Street, outlined why they support the vision.

“Preserving that land adjacent to Fort Edward would not only preserve the history of West Hants, but it would also preserve the historical education for future generations. Future youth of the area will have the chance to visit and feel immersed in the history around them,” said Gretchen Archibald, who noted a lot of people are simply not aware of the historical significance of the fort.

“A new cultural centre would be a wonderful opportunity for more educational field trips for schoolchildren of all ages. Maybe they’ll even be inspired to pursue a career in history, just like how I have been inspired by my work this summer,” she said, outlining how the centre would be a tourism attraction and economic driver for small businesses.

“As a young adult in the West Hants area, I ask you please do not let yet another piece of West Hants history fade away.”

No rezoning

After a year delay, the public hearing to rezone the open space land to residential R2 was back before council.

Pineo requested council not rezone the land adjacent to Fort Edward National Historic Site, saying a museum would be allowed to be built on open space lots as it’s for the good of the community.

Coun. Debbie Francis noted that while the society wants to use the land, the rezoning is a separate issue.

“This is for rezoning, this is not deciding who or what we do with the land afterwards,” she said.

Coun. Rupert Jannasch said in his research, if Parks Canada is involved with the cultural centre, “it would involve a lot of time, a lot of budget, a lot of money and a long work plan and a work schedule to come up with the appropriate project.”

He said the project is “fraught with pitfalls” and could take a long time to see to fruition.

Coun. Jim Ivey noted that when the process started, council was simply looking to sell what they deemed surplus land.

“In parallel, we also undertook the rezoning process because we, at that time, only perceived there to be a single solution to addressing (the vacant land),” he said.

Ivey said in hindsight, and with two interested parties in the land, that rezoning process may not have been started.

Mayor Abraham Zebian said this has been a long and informative process.

“Coming in to the region, not having a real deep background on Fort Edward myself as a member of this council and not knowing past discussions of previous councils in relation to Fort Edward, I’ve learned leaps and bounds of information on the history and where things were,” Zebian said, noting he could see deferring the decision until council decides what to do with the land in question.

Coun. John Smith said he liked the historical society’s proposal, noting how important the piece of land is.

“It’s one piece of land that can’t be replicated. It’s next to a national historic site. There aren’t many of those available in the province,” said Smith.

“I think once that land is used for whatever purpose it’s used for, that will be it for the next lot of decades,” he said, noting “I think we really have to get it right.”

Coun. Scott McLean pointed out it took the arena years to get built, so he’s in favour of allowing time for the society to tackle the interpretive centre.

After significant discussion, council decided not to rezone the property. It will stay open space, with the neighbouing gravel parking lot remaining residential.

However, it was noted the decision doesn’t mean council has decided between the historical society and the developer.