Bricks and the Halifax Explosion

After the Halifax Explosion, Shaw Brick received an order for one million bricks from Piercey's hardware store, likely the largest brick order ever in Nova Scotia.

Bricks have been manufactured in Nova Scotia for over 300 years and are in much of our infrastructure, including many historic buildings. For example, The Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax was built in 1928 of brick manufactured by Shaw in Lantz, Hants County. Its granite steps are from Queensport, Guysborough County.

Historically there were brick-making plants in many Nova Scotia towns that supplied their local areas. Shaw Brick started buying these small plants in the 1930s but eventually only ran plants in New Glasgow, Lantz and Chipman, New Brunswick. Today Lantz is one of only three plants left in Canada. Clay and shale extracted in Nova Scotia are key ingredients in the bricks manufactured in Lantz.

Historical Shaw brick factory.

The Lord Nelson Hotel.