By Roger Marsters, Curator of History
The recent SailGP races in Halifax Harbour offered new ways to see a familiar place. In addition to folks crowding chilly wharves and hillsides in person, many more followed the races online. More than a few, including me, watched local webcams for backstage action at SailGP’s Dartmouth Cove marshalling yard.
Heritage Day 2024 celebrated the life and legacy of Mr. William Hall, V.C., the African-descended Nova Scotian farmer and naval hero. What do we celebrate when we celebrate William Hall, his life, and his achievements? For more than a hundred years, Black Nova Scotians have celebrated Hall as a good neighbour and dutiful family member, as a courageous Black man who overcame entrenched race-based prejudices to live as freely and generously as he could.