Remarks: This Sackville Street structure was built by the Navy back in 1942 as an alcohol-free clubhouse (a “Wet Canteen” was also planned, but seems not to have come to fruition, alas). It was saved from the wrecking ball earlier this year when it was given heritage status, but here it sits, collapsing all on its own. Holm says Halifax Rugby Football Club will eventually use the building as its clubhouse (no chance at all that will be dry), as soon as it can raise the money for restoration.
Who’s Responsible?: Maggie Holm, heritage planner for HRM, 490-4419.
Status: August 2008: Still broken Not much of a surprise that the Canteen is still kickin’ around as-is with no sign of renovations beginning. What is surprising, though, is that it is actually still standing. Seems it has the special talent to defy gravity. Still existing, but still broken. Updated by Amanda Wenek
This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2008.
A prime example of what’s wrong with Halifax. This thing should never have been given heritage status. It is a totally unremarkable building. It needed to go away and something more functional and useful taken its place. Instead we are saddled with another decrepit ramshackle eyesore that will probably fall down. Ridiculous.
Hear hear. I bet the Heritage fruitcakes battled endlessly to “save” this “piece of history”, and now that they’ve made their point, they’ll do absolutely nothing to get it restored or used for anything, while they are off fighting their Holy War against anything over 4 stories proposed to be build on some empty lot.
Halifax Sux!