When Jane Zathey first moved to Great Beech Hill 12 years ago, she became fascinated by its history.
“I consider myself a steward of the area,” she says. “I’ve been, I don’t know if you’d call it talking, or praying, or meditating on that path pretty much ever day for 12 years.”
But now she’s worried a local developer might alter a place she’s come to care about deeply.
Great Beech Hill is located just off Cobequid Road in Lower Sackville. The gravel path on the hill was originally part of the old Cobequid Road. All that remains of the old road is a small crescent with a new street sign, specially installed by the Halifax Regional Municipality at Zathey’s request. Her house is the only one on the path.
Recently, Stoneridge Properties has purchased a piece of Crown land on one side of the former road. Stoneridge already owned a parcel on the opposite side. Company owner Kevin Saunders was contacted but declined to comment about his plans for the property.
Zathey is worried that the developer might get rid of the path entirely, redeveloping it—and the surrounding woods—and destroying what she says is a site of historic importance.
She says Great Beech Hill has archaeological evidence of past Mi’kmaq presence, which is why she’s been seeking municipal historic designation for the land. Zathey has a signed statement from a former neighbour that reads, “I, Timmy Thompson, was born in 1956. I remember, as a child, children of the neighbourhood of Great Beech Hill, hunting for arrowheads and artifacts… ”
Local historian and former regional councillor Bob Harvey says he’s not surprised that people may have found Indigenous artifacts on Great Beech Hill. He hasn’t encountered any himself, but he says the area is “very likely to have been travelled by the Mi’kmaq people.”
In his book, Historic Sackville, Harvey describes how the origin of Cobequid Road was a trail leading through the woods, originally travelled by the Mi’kmaq.
Zathey is hoping any development can be held off while archaeologists dig up the area and see what else can be found.
This article appears in Apr 27 – May 3, 2017.
The excitement generated by my application has taken Great Beech Hill from municipal to provincial heritage designation! Unfortunately, the $1 purchase of this path has still has to be proven to be illegally done – we’re hitting brick walls trying to get information & minutes of meetings to find out why proper protocol wasn’t done – this was designated surplus Crown land when surveyors viewed the land because the green street signs & posts had been stolen. There have been 6 street signs (and accompanying stop signs) stolen, all coinciding with visits from surveyors or visits from potential buyers. By law, surplus Crown land must be offered to the municipality first. I cannot uncover any evidence that this was done. When the municipality refuses, a public hearing is held with signage declaring same, for the neighbourhood to be aware & have a chance to bid on the land. This was not done. The land was purchased for $1, 0.7 acres. And the HRM has continued to plow & grade the path since its purchase last August. Thankfully, we’re getting the news out to the Mi’kmaq community, which is really only what matters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF33pEDETyY
https://www.facebook.com/puka.makaioahukauhalealoha