Enough is Enough: Stop the Destruction of Halifax’s Built Heritage

Yet another important historic building is under threat of demolition in downtown Halifax, this time 1717 Brunswick Street, the former Halifax Alehouse.

 The Ramia Group of Companies, which purchased the building in December 2024, has applied for a permit to demolish 1717 Brunswick Street, an architecturally and culturally significant part of this city’s built heritage.

 Built in 1893, and designed by prominent architect Henry Busch, this attractive brick building  was created to house Halifax’s first permanent Salvation Army Citadel temple. The building is one of the only remaining vestiges of the lost neighbourhood known as the “Upper Streets.” This colourful neighbourhood had a reputation of being rough and tumble due to the presence of a number of bars and brothels that attracted soldiers who were stationed nearby, as well as other patrons from across the city. At the same time, the Upper Streets was a welcoming and integrated neighbourhood, filled with working-class residents and newcomers from rural areas and other parts of the world. Demolishing this building would obliterate yet another piece of Halifax’s rich history at a time when we have already lost so much of our built heritage.

 The residents of Halifax, and the millions of tourists who visit our historic city every year, value heritage buildings like 1717 Brunswick Street, and their presence provides economic and environmental benefits to the entire province. Truly progressive and successful cities are able to change and grow in ways that do not destroy the very qualities that make them special. We demand better for Halifax and from its leadership, property owners and developers.

In furtherance of this demand, HTNS has launched a petition on Change.org (https://www.change.org/Save1717BrunswickStreet)  seeking the support of other people who feel as we do. Halifax - and broadly, Nova Scotia - are under attack from property investors with little interest in our built heritage and too much interest in profiting from the loss of treasured reminders of our past like 1717 Brunswick Street.

 In 2020, HRM Staff recommended registration of this property, identified as the Salvation Army Citadel, but nothing came of it. Once again, we call on our municipal and provincial leaders to create better incentives to preserve the historic fabric of our city. And we also call on the Ramia Group to do better..

 Heritage and growth can coexist. Show the residents of Halifax that you are a good corporate citizen and that you have the creativity and skill to preserve the best of the past while building the best of the future.