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Heritage | Atlantic Canada

Halifax Town Clock

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Town Clock on the eastern slope of Citadel Hill in Halifax, is the emblem of the City of Halifax and one of the most photographed landmarks in the city, so it is vitally important that the authenticity and appearance of the building should be preserved.

The Rehabilitation and Restoration dealt with repairing leaks in roofs and flashings, restoration of copper roofing and flashings below the dome level, repair and restoration of the details and mouldings, improvements to the vandal resistance of stair railings, and improvements to the legibility of the clock dials. Care was taken to minimise the visual impact of any new measures, and to ensure the reversibility of any necessary application of modern materials or methods. Except in rare instances, only period-compatible details and materials were used. Clock faces were repainted with a cobalt blue colour based on contemporary 18th-19th Century examples and the numerals and hands have been finished with gold leaf.