Not Your Grandfathers Mining Industry, Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax’s Dominion Building

Halifax’s first skyscraper, the Dominion Public Building, built in 1935 of sandstone from Wallace, played a surprising role in documenting the harbour during World War II.

With 13 floors above ground, it was the first “skyscraper” built in Halifax and it dominated the city’s skyline until the 1960s.

The building, at 1713 Bedford Row in Halifax, is an example of the projects undertaken by the federal government to stimulate local economies during the Great Depression. It served as a sorting station and administrative offices for Canada Post until 1990. It was then renovated to serve as office space.

While most of the building’s exterior is clad with sandstone from Wallace, Cumberland County, there is granite at ground level because granite does not absorb or wick water, as sandstone can. Sandstone is porous so most Nova Scotia sandstone buildings built after 1820 used courses of non-porous stone at ground level to prevent moisture problems.

The building’s tower underwent a significant renovation in 2008-09. Water leakage and rusting masonry anchors affected the tower’s structural frame and resulted in some displacement of the sandstone. This problem was worsened by the freeze/thaw cycle in winter.

To fix it, the tower’s 2,693 sandstone blocks, some of which weighed almost 2000 pounds, were removed and the tower’s steel superstructure was repaired. The sandstone blocks were then put back in place, including eight six-foot-high seahorse sculptures that adorn the tower near the roofline.

The domed tower also received a new copper roof in keeping with the original finish.

During WWII, journalist H.B. (Bruce) Jefferson was Regional Censor of Publications, making him responsible for ensuring media throughout the Maritimes did not reveal information sensitive to the war effort. His office was in the Dominion Public Building.

Ironically given his role as government censor, Jefferson, a camera buff, used the building’s height to take an extraordinary series of pictures of Halifax’s harbour in wartime. He took hundreds of pictures of ships and careful notes about their comings and goings - information a spy would have given anything to obtain.

The vast majority of sandstone produced in Nova Scotia has come from the Wallace area. See the story at https://notyourgrandfathersmining.ca/wallace