Photo: As part of the activities for the very first Heritage Day, which took place on February 16, 2015, Nova Scotian school-aged children and youth were invited to submit designs to inspire the creation of a Heritage Day Flag. To read more about the Heritage Flag Design, click HERE
Celebrated the third Monday in February, Nova Scotia Heritage Day is an annual reminder of our storied past and an opportunity to honour the remarkable people, places and events that have contributed to this province’s unique heritage.
Beginning in 2013, the day gives all Nova Scotians the opportunity to celebrate different contributions to Nova Scotia's storied past and diverse culture, and learn more about our history in the process. To learn more about how the day was named 'Heritage Day' click HERE
Past and Future Honourees
In 2013, following the introduction of Nova Scotia Heritage Day as the province’s newest holiday, Primary to Grade 12 classes were invited to submit their suggestions for significant cultural and historical contributions that should be honoured during future Heritage Day celebrations.
More than 75 submissions were received and reviewed by a three-member panel. From those submissions, a list of Heritage Day honourees was created, including Viola Desmond, who was selected as the holiday’s very first honouree, and Joseph Howe, who was the honoured in 2016. To read more about the upcoming honourees, please click HERE
2020 Honouree: The Community of Africville
The community of Africville was a small close-knit African Nova Scotian community located on the shores of the Bedford Basin. Built by the descendants of the Black Loyalist and the Black Refugees who came to Nova Scotia in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Church was the centre of the community which included a school, post office, and a number of stores and businesses owned by residents. Throughout the history of Africville, unhealthy and unwanted institutions were placed within and around the community, deteriorating land values and quality of life. To learn more, including a variety of videos, please click HERE
2020 Heritage Day Events
Events are taking place throughout the province, however locally the Museum of Industry in Stellarton currently has a special exhibit: A Walk through Africville, an artistic exhibit
About the Exhibit:
A Walk through Africville uses some of the same content featured in the 1989 film” Africville: A Spirit that Lives On”. The new portions are the interpretation from artists and descendants from Africville on what really mattered about Africville and the people who lived there. This exhibit will open on Feb. 4th at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton and will have a special program on Heritage Day, Feb 17th. The exhibit will continue to travel the province until mid-2021.