-
York Redoubt National Historic Site: Halifax’s Hidden Historic Fort
I think we can all agree, finding something free AND fun can be challenging. And in the winter? Seemingly impossible. However, what if I told you there was a free, outdoor historic site that you could visit year round that is only a 20 minute drive from Halifax? Yes, it exists. I’m talking about York Redoubt, the National Historic Site. As a seaside city, so much of Halifax’s history is ingrained in its military presence, with a large naval presence to this day. York Redoubt had a large role protecting Halifax Harbour for over a century. Through these visits to forts on Georges Island, McNab’s Island, Point Pleasant Park and…
-
A Tour of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax, NS
Do you have a local spot that friends keep telling you is great but you never get around to visiting? Yeah, me too. Now more than ever, many of us have redirected our attention from trips far from home to places right around the corner. For me, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) has lingered on my list of “must sees” for awhile now. Once the winning design of the new Art Gallery of Nova Scotia was announced for the new Halifax waterfront location, I knew I needed to visit the current AGNS. The new design is sleek and modern. Surrounded with innovative curves and interestingly drafted community spaces,…
-
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The throwback continues! During Christmas break of 2019, I traveled to North Carolina. The trip included visiting two state museums. In the morning, my partner and I explored the North Carolina Museum of History. After breaking for lunch, we headed next door to the North Carolina Musuem of Natural Sciences. That’s right, I toured two museums IN ONE DAY. Jam packed with history, we visited the North Carolina Museum of History in the morning. By the time my partner and I finished up at the North Carolina Museum of History and grabbed a bite to eat, our day of museum hopping was only half done. We still had the North…
-
10 Tips for your Archive Trip
If you are looking to solve some history mysteries, working on a paper, do genealogical research or simply want to learn more about your community, an archive might have the answers you’re searching for! An archive is a place that holds, organizes, protects, and often allows access to historical materials. Generally, held in its collection are items or records such as newspapers, letters, diaries, photographs, maps, and many more materials. Usually an archive has at least one archivists who helps visitors with their research requests. Besides assisting visitors, staff complete tasks such as cataloging and digitizing materials. You might be thinking “I’ve never been to an archive before, how does…
-
The Mills Brothers Holiday Village at the Museum of Natural History
Tis the season for eggnog, tree decorating and toasts around the warmth of the fireplace. Or perhaps more realistically, shoveling snow off the doorstep and frantically running to the post office with your handwritten cards before the business day’s end. Regardless of the stresses that gift shopping and cooking can bring, this time of year is generally filled with delightful decorations and the excitement of holidays that are just around the corner. If you’re like me, when you think of holiday decorations, you think of driving by lavishly decked out houses in Halifax’s South End or walking down the city’s streets to look at the amazingly lit up tree in…
-
Researching at the Colchester Historeum in Truro, Nova Scotia
What do you do in your spare time? Maybe you have a sport you’re into, complete crosswords, catch up over craft beers at local breweries or lift weights at the gym. Most of us have at least one, if not many activities that we leap to as soon as we have a day off. One of my preferred pastimes is learning about history. Usually that involves a trip to an archive or museum to investigate a history mystery that is occupying my research. Or simply exploring a new-to-me historical site just for the sake of it. Depending on the day, I may be headed around the corner or hours away.…
-
Mills Brothers Building Meets Wrecking Ball
You’ve likely walked by it dozens of times and never given the building a second glance. Or maybe you noticed the oddity of a Tudor styled building in downtown Halifax. I’m talking about that long, beige and brown trimmed shopping centre on Spring Garden Road that up until recently housed a variety of shops, including the well-known Duggers. This location is the Mills Brothers building. Over the last years, stores have been emptying out in preparation for the block to be torn down. The demolition will make way for a new development by Micco Group, set to be finished by 2023. Originally the demolition was planned for this summer, but…
-
25 Things About Kirby
You’ve seen museums I’ve explored, coffee shops I’ve relaxed at and books that I’ve read. I thought that it would be nice to introduce you all to myself further! To write something fun, that shows you all a different side of me than you may not see through my usual posts. So here’s my list of hopefully interesting facts about me: 1. My real name is Kirby. For some reason I’m always surprised when people ask “Is Kirby your real name?” or “Is Kirby a nickname?”. I even had someone ask to see my driver’s license once because they didn’t believe me. Kirby has been my name since birth. No,…
-
The North Carolina Museum of History
This post is a bit of a throwback! Join me as I share my story of traveling to North Carolina over the December holiday break of 2019. I visited two state museums during my stay. This blog post focuses on the first. The day after Christmas I boarded a plane for my first solo international flight. After dating my partner for over a year, I was headed on my first visit to his home state: North Carolina. He had spent the holidays with his family and I was excited to meet them. I got up in the wee hours of the morning to start my journey at the Halifax Stanfield…
-
History over Hot Drinks: Open Book Coffee
There’s a little coffee shop I know, where the roasts are local and shelves are lined with history books. This café is called Open Book Coffee. Nothing quite pulls at my heartstrings like a local coffee shop. To be completely honest, I had no clue that this cafe/ bookstore existed a few weeks ago. It was entirely by chance that I discovered its existence. There’s a specific book that I have been searching for online, in bookstores and thrift shops. The Terry Punch book, called “Genealogical Research in Nova Scotia” is one of the must-reads when it comes to Nova Scotian genealogy. I had to have it. I saw the…
My name is Kirby and I’m a 20-something year old with an M.A. in History. Needless to say, history is a huge passion of mine.
