Found Photos

[ScovaNotian]

There are some rather interesting postcards on www.playle.com . This one show that AGNS must have received a major makeover at some point:

The citadel used to be a parking lot?

... and PPP open for car traffic

This one is taken from Bedford Row?

Two more views:

[someone123]

Yep, originally the AGNS was the post office building and it had a cupola next to the Britannia statue (that looked out to sea -- she had a better view originally in the 1860s when this was one of the taller buildings downtown). It is a gem and I would like to see them restore the cupola.

The courthouse on Spring Garden Road also originally had a cupola aligned with the centre of the building and Grafton Street. Another candidate for a small improvement project. Sadly, the nearby Customs House is gone completely and is still a parking lot.

There are many, many examples of Victorian-era details that have been stripped off of buildings over time. Many of the buildings along Barrington and so on had elaborate cornices that have been removed. The corner building on Prince Street (J.W. Doull) had a large clock on its roof visible from the street.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

Yep, originally the AGNS was the post office building and it had a cupola next to the Britannia statue (that looked out to sea -- she had a better view originally in the 1860s when this was one of the taller buildings downtown). It is a gem and I would like to see them restore the cupola.

The courthouse on Spring Garden Road also originally had a cupola aligned with the centre of the building and Grafton Street. Another candidate for a small improvement project. Sadly, the nearby Customs House is gone completely and is still a parking lot.

There are many, many examples of Victorian-era details that have been stripped off of buildings over time. Many of the buildings along Barrington and so on had elaborate cornices that have been removed. The corner building on Prince Street (J.W. Doull) had a large clock on its roof visible from the street.

This page has a number of interesting photos, including the Doull building as originally constructed with the clock tower.

http://www.halifaxhistory.ca/Then-now.html

[fenwick16]

I saw this picture on the halifax.ca website yesterday. I think that it catches the essence of Halifax with the harbour, ferry, fog and Purdy's Wharf towers.
(source halifax.ca)



I don't think that people would want to board the ferries from the wharf shown in the picture below. If only the Heritage Trust people could be transported back in time to 1910 when this picture was taken, they might appreciate modern-day Halifax much more.
(source: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/imagesns/html/40194.html )

[alps]

Did I ever post this here? Can't remember! I scanned it a couple years ago from a photo book by Sherman Hines. Looks like early 80s.

It's the only photo I've seen of the west facade of the Metro Centre.

[-Harlington-]

what a differance in the waterfront

[worldlyhaligonian]

Halifax looks 1000x better now.

Get those lots filled with office and residential and we'll have the most vibrant downtown of any ~400,000 city in Canada, period.

[someone123]

Great find. Not sure if I've seen that exact one before or not, but I've commented on the buildings on Sackville Street just below Hollis before. I've still yet to see a good street-level shot of them from any era.

[Keith P.]

Interesting to see the lands bounded by Brunswick and what is now Carmicheal St down towards Argyle are either barren or contain unremarkable buildings. The only one I recognize is the one that now holds the Keg and what used to be Bubbles. No Prince George, no Homburg (formerly North American Life) Bldg.

[fenwick16]

For comparison, this more recent photo shows a similar angle to the photo posted by alps.

(source: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/halifax/DVD/harbour3-eng.php )


I would like to see the expansion of the TD tower go ahead - I dislike the blank wall. I would also like to see every other proposal go ahead - International Place, Nova Centre, Roy, Discovery, some Salter proposal, United Gulf, Waterside, Queen's Square ... Hopefully it won't take another 30 years though.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by alps

It's the only photo I've seen of the west facade of the Metro Centre.

I didn't pick up on the significance of that at first until I saw the later photo posted. I forgot that prior to the WTCC the Metro Center indeed had a facade on that (I think it is actually the east) side.

I makes one wonder what the options would be for expansion/renovation of the MC if the WTCC was not there. The WTCC is a generally lousy building and it would not be much of a loss if it were to go away assuming the new convention center gets built.

[fenwick16]

I think the only practical way to significantly expand the Metro Centre would be to tear it and the current WTCC down and rebuild it. The 15,000 seat Winnipeg MTS Centre arena - Winnipeg MTS Centre arena would fit there. I pasted an MTS image to a Google map of that site a few months ago - my image . But who knows how many years it will be before Halifax can afford a new Metro Centre.

I was in the Metro Centre prior to the WTCC being built. I remember that the outer concourse (where the WTCC currently is) was elevated; it almost appeared to be on stilts (is my memory correct?).

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I was in the Metro Centre prior to the WTCC being built. I remember that the outer concourse (where the WTCC currently is) was elevated; it almost appeared to be on stilts (is my memory correct?).

I honestly don't remember how that side looked. From the grade of the lot it would certainly need something to support it given the slope, so maybe your memory is correct. Looking at the subsequent picture after the WTCC was built it appears they cut away a lot of that side of the original MC building.

One of the things I never understood about the MC was the comment I recall from when it was originally built that seating capacity could be increased later on by adding an upper level at either end. Seeing the older picture I think I now understand how that would have been done. On the south side of the building you can see that the roof and structure appears separate from the main building in some ways; it is a shed roof unlike the flat roof of the main building and is lower than the main part. I expect the architects did that to allow the shed roof to be replaced with a different, taller structure to accommodate a second level at the south end at least and possibly at both ends of the building.

I also wonder if it would be possible to raise the main roof to mitigate the effect of those awful Fred MacGillivray skyboxes and allow for an extension of the upper bowl seating area. That might expand the seating capacity of the building although it would not address the overcrowded and inadequate concourses.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I expect the architects did that to allow the shed roof to be replaced with a different, taller structure to accommodate a second level at the south end at least and possibly at both ends of the building.

I also wonder if it would be possible to raise the main roof to mitigate the effect of those awful Fred MacGillivray skyboxes and allow for an extension of the upper bowl seating area. That might expand the seating capacity of the building although it would not address the overcrowded and inadequate concourses.

This was my understanding also - that it could have seats added at the rink goal ends. I think that it could have several rows added without raising the roof (the rows would have to overhang the lower rows and be rather steep). Only one end is currently available for such expansion (maybe a thousand seats could be added to that end?).

If the roof were raised then several rows could also be added to the WTCC side (Argyle side). I remember when the Metro Centre first opened, I heard that it was as large as the interior of the Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens. So I downloaded a 3D model of the Maple Leaf Gardens from the Google 3D Warehouse (by username Jon) to the Halifax Metro Centre location. Here is a link to the image - Maple leaf Gardens at Metro Centre location. . It appears as though the current Metro Centre footprint is only slightly narrower than the Maple Leaf Gardens, and the Metro Centre is slightly longer in the other direction (goal end to goal end). Without the WTCC, that site is much larger than the Maple Leaf Gardens footprint.

It looks like it would be possible to get the Metro Centre up to 14,000 - 15,000 seats by raising the roof and expanding into the WTCC. The Brunswick side would remain as it is with a high blank wall (or maybe it could have several levels of private boxes like this Atlanta Philips Arena). It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing result. Somewhat lopsided like this - Philips Arena layout . On the other hand it might look ok. Maybe for $50 million dollars, the Metro Centre could be converted to a 15,000 seat arena. Several 10,000 seat arenas were enlarged to NHL size - Quebec City Coliseum, Winnipeg Arena, Buffalo Auditorium, Pittsburgh Civic Center ...

[halifaxboyns]

You'd be very limited on how you could raise the height of the MC. I remember back to the report that Trade Centre did on the various WTCC expansions and they showed the Metro Centre. The viewplane restrictions on the MC at Brunswick were really intense - we're talking maybe about 2 or 3 feet (at least that's how it looked).

[alps]

East side, right! I would love to see a better photo of that. This upper walkway must've been a continuation of what still runs along the Duke St. side? Here's an enlargement, as well as another poor quality old photo. I thought prior to the WTCC there was a chocolate factory on the site, but it must have been a vacant lot for a few years?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by alps

East side, right! I would love to see a better photo of that. This upper walkway must've been a continuation of what still runs along the Duke St. side? Here's an enlargement, as well as another poor quality old photo. I thought prior to the WTCC there was a chocolate factory on the site, but it must have been a vacant lot for a few years?

The enlargement makes it appear as though the lower section of the MC was built in anticipation of a future structure adjacent, as it seems unfinished. The Moirs factory was a large concrete building and I think it came down as part of the site prep of that entire block in prep for the MC project.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by alps

East side, right! I would love to see a better photo of that. This upper walkway must've been a continuation of what still runs along the Duke St. side? Here's an enlargement, as well as another poor quality old photo. I thought prior to the WTCC there was a chocolate factory on the site, but it must have been a vacant lot for a few years?

This is the elevated outer concourse (walkway) that I remember.

I faintly remember media reports of an additional building when the Metro Centre was built. So the WTCC must have been planned when the Metro Centre was designed in the mid 1970's (as is evident from the way that it is designed to be used as an exhibit hall). I think that both the Metro Centre and WTCC have been success stories.

On a somewhat related topic, it would be very interesting to see construction photos of the Halifax Forum. The Halifax Forum will be 100 years old in another 16 years and I really think that it should become a heritage building. There aren't many arenas left from that era.

PS: The Halifax Metro Centre has a similar configuration to the Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens. This is how the Maple Leaf Gardens looked when it opened in 1931 - Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931 versus the Halifax Metro Centre - Halifax Metro Centre

[resetcbu1]

courtesy :OpTILLmus

[resetcbu1]

how do I post pics seemed not to work?