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Halifax Citadel Ready To Open New Signature Exhibit

By NPT Staff - May 3rd, 2022
A view of the Halifax Citadel's new exhibit.

A view of the Halifax Citadel's new exhibit/Parks Canada, Aaron McKenzie Fraser

The Halifax Citadel National Historic Site — one of Canada’s most-visited national historic sites and a Halifax tourism icon — has a new $5 million ($3.9 million USD) signature interpretive exhibit.

Funded through the Federal Infrastructure Investment Program, “Fortress Halifax: A City Shaped by Conflict” launches May 7 when the site opens for the season.

This experiential offering chronicles the history of Kjipuktuk, through its establishment as “Halifax” in 1749 to the mosaic of a city that it is today. It recounts stories of the people here — the Mi'kmaq, and settlers of British, French, Acadian, Black Loyalist and other immigrant cultures.

The 6,500-square-foot, multi-room exhibit combines traditional and virtual elements, offering a social and military history of Halifax and its impact on the region and the globe as told through the lens of the four forts that stood atop Citadel Hill.

The Fortress Halifax exhibit opens May 7.

The Fortress Halifax exhibit opens May 7/Parks Canada, Aaron McKenzie Fraser

Parks Canada worked closely with Mi'kmaq and other local groups to ensure the materials reflect the diverse histories and experiences of the people of Kjipuktuk (Halifax) and Nova Scotia.

The exhibit “will welcome Canadians and visitors from around the world for years to come, providing them with opportunities to learn about the origins, the peoples, and the contributions of Kjipuktuk,” Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Halifax, said in a news release.

The present Halifax Citadel was completed in 1856 and is the fourth in a series of British forts on this site. The restored Citadel is a national landmark, commemorating Halifax’s role as a key naval station in the British Empire and bringing history to life in Atlantic Canada’s largest urban centre.

Federal investments in the site are part of the largest federal infrastructure plan in the history of Parks Canada. Parks Canada says infrastructure investments help it protect and conserve national treasures, supporting local economies and contribute to growth in the tourism sector.

The new exhibit combines traditional and virtual elements.

The new exhibit combines traditional and virtual elements/Parks Canada, Aaron McKenzie Fraser

The exhibit will immerse visitors in the social and military histories of Halifax and its vibrant, yet turbulent, colonial past while providing opportunities to learn about the role that Halifax played in regional, national and global events. It uses the four Citadels and the distinct eras in which each was built as the basis for guiding visitors on a journey through time and history, from an indigenous landscape to the establishment of Halifax in 1749 and into present day.

Oral story recordings, original Mi'kmaw commissioned artworks, historic photographs and maps, digital stories and journals, and interactive digital tables invite visitors to engage with cultures, histories and place names. Visitors can handle uniforms, play interactive games and browse the Hometown Heroes digital collection or add their own local war hero.

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