Media Advisory

Rural Focus This Year on Heritage Day Celebrations

(Wednesday, February 15/06)-- Mayor Peter Kelly will join District 1 Councillor Steve Streatch and local residents in celebrating Heritage Day with a plaque dedication and reception at the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum.

Mayor Kelly said that Heritage Day celebrations in previous years have focussed on various aspects of HRM’s urban heritage, but this year the events will highlight the municipality’s rural heritage sector.

“The Eastern Shore is particularly rich in natural and built heritage. Its long, scenic coastline of bays, headlands, beaches, inlets, and islands is a nature lovers paradise,” he said. “Of equal interest are its heritage buildings, which fit organically into the landscape in numerous, picturesque villages and hamlets. Some of these buildings are recognized and protected through HRM’s municipal heritage registry.”

Councillor Streatch said “We are pleased that the Heritage Day focus this year is on rural sites and attractions, and we are pleased that Mayor Kelly will be taking part in the celebrations with us. This event will draw attention to the tremendous contributions, both past and present, that rural communities make to our history, culture and great quality of life throughout HRM.”

The Heritage Day event on February 20 will take place at the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum, which was registered as a heritage property in 2003/2004. Housed in a restored 1918 Intercolonial Railway Station and several railway cars, the museum traces the history of the railway and its importance to the development of this region in the first half of the 20th century. The rail line connected the Eastern Shore and the Musquodoboit Valley with the national rail system. The restored station now provides a beautiful example of HRM’s architectural heritage and an ideal home for the large collection of Nova Scotia railway memorabilia.

Mayor Kelly will join members of the Musquodoboit Heritage Society and other local heritage enthusiasts in a celebration and reception at the Museum.

When:            Monday, February 20, 2006
Time:              11:30 AM
Where:           The museum is located in the centre of the village of     Musquodoboit Harbour at 7895 Highway 7, about a half hour drive from Dartmouth

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Councillor Steve Streatch
(902) 497-2995

Bill Plaskett
HRM Heritage Property Program
(902) 490-4419