Above: Though Georges Island sits right in Halifax harbour, many Haligonians know little about the old penal colony and military fortifications.Parks Canada’s Hal Thompson helps us unravel the mystery.
HALIFAX – Georges Island will be open on Saturday and Sunday to host a public picnic with a historical bent.
The event, called Picnic in the Past, will educate people about an island many know in name, but few have set foot on.
“We’re excited … to get it open for this weekend, so people can get out and explore a great part of this city,” said Aaron Legge of Sports and Events Atlantic.
Guests will get to see old fortifications and reenactments paying homage to more than 200 years of history.
WATCH: A taste of Picnic in the Past
“There’s some interesting, very elaborate technological remains out there,” Hal Thompson, of Parks Canada, said Friday on the Global Halifax Morning News.
“We like to think of the island as the birthplace of Halifax,” he said.
Because the island has been uninhabited for about 50 years, Thompson and his crew have to bring over and set up all the facilities for these events. He said they’ve done a lot of planning to figure out the best way to present the island, for special events like this weekend.
Although the island will only be open for two days, this time, a permanent opening could be in the cards at some point.
“We’re still looking at the feasibility of how often we’re going to open it,” Thompson said. “Will it sustain itself all the time? Will it be just a weekend thing? We don’t really know yet. It takes a lot of marketing research, really.”
Georges Island is one of five national historic sites administered by Parks Canada in Halifax, along with the Halifax Citadel, Price Wales Tower, Fort McNab and York Redoubt.
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