Historic North End Halifax

Clint MacNeil teaches history, geography, and world religion at St.
Charles College in Sudbury.

Historic North End Halifax highlights both the accomplishments and
challenges Haligonians experienced during their 250-year history.

The North End’s roots are inextricably tied to the presence and
expansion of the military. Forts Luttrell and Grenadier were established
to counter hostile invasion while the Royal Navy acquired property for a
new dockyard in 1759. During times of war, in particular 1776 and 1812,
both construction projects and the population increased proportionately.
Foreign Protestants, Loyalists, and Irish immigrants called Halifax
home.

The North End prospered through homegrown industries, including cotton
and sugar refining. Samuel Cunard’s shipbuilding industry exemplified
19th-century entrepreneurship during Halifax’s golden age of sail. A
mighty explosion in Halifax Harbour on December 1917 levelled the North
End, testing the community’s resolve; a massive reconstruction effort
followed. By the 1940s, Halifax was considered one of the most important
ports in the world. The Nazis presumably recognized the port’s
strategic and military value when the Hindenberg passed overhead in July
1936.

Africville was a shanty town in the North End filled with dilapidated
dwellings that had few amenities. For years, city officials argued that
improvements to the community were too expensive. However, they readily
opened the coffers to relocate residents once the land was deemed
commercially profitable for industrial development. By 1970, the last
resident relocated and the community was demolished.

Having a number of Halifax-related publications to his credit, and
himself a resident, Erickson is knowledgeable about the area. Beautiful
black-and-white photos and a generous balance between primary and
secondary sources make this book a reliable and interesting read.