What is a historic place?
The Historic Places Initiative defines a historic place as:
a structure, building, group of buildings, district, landscape,
archaeological site or other place in Canada that has been
formally recognized for its heritage value by an appropriate
authority within a jurisdiction.
What does it mean for a building or place to be protected or registered?
In Nova Scotia, places can be protected under the provincial Heritage Property Act, Special Places Act and municipal heritage-by laws. Each of these pieces of legislation provide protection through control over alterations and demotion. For a general overview, please see "Heritage Places in Nova Scotia... what you need to know."
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Why can I not find a building or place?
The Nova Scotia Register of Historic Places is a work in progress. New historic places are added almost everyday. A register search might be unsuccessful because that historic place has not been added yet, or maybe it is not registered. If the latter is true, then the historic place will not be added to the register. In addition, the Nova Scotia Register of Historic Places only includes places formally recognized at the municipal and provincial level. Places formally recognized at the national level can be found on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Why is my community not represented?
Not all communities in Nova Scotia have registered or protected places. Please contact your municipal office for more information. Also, the Nova Scotia Register of Historic Places is a work in progress and a place in your community may have not been added to date. Please contact the Registrar for more information.
What is a Statement of Significance?
The Statement of Significance is an important part of every property record on the Register. It is comprised of three elements: description of place, heritage value, and character-defining elements. These three elements explain what the historic places is; why the place is important or significant; and which principal features of the place speak directly to its heritage value and should be protected. The Statement of Significance can also be used by property owners, planners, architects and other involved in the maintenance and conservation of historic places.
Can I visit the places included on the Register?
Historic places on the Register include private homes, commercial properties, museums, protected sites and places of worship. Many of these places are open to the public and encourage visitors. However, the Nova Scotia Historic Places Initiative strongly encourages interested persons to be respectful of privately owned places.
Why are some places included on the Register more than once?
Occasionally a historic place is recognized or protected by more than one level of government. Places can be recognized at the municipal, provincial or federal level, or by all three. Each level of recognition comes with different protection and different reasons for giving the recognition. Some reasons for a municipal heritage designation might be for the places' connection to the community, while the same place might have provincial significance for its architecture, and so on.
What is the Canadian Register of Historic Places?
The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP) is a searchable database accessible via the Internet. It describes historic places formally recognized by local, provincial or territorial governments or by the federal government. Every province and territory in Canada contributes information from their local registers to the CRHP, including Nova Scotia. Visit the Canadian Register of Historic Places to learn about significant historic places across the country.
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