Kennetcook landmark designated as municipal heritage property | CBC News
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Some residents in East Hants, N.S., say they are thrilled the Kennetcook Community Chapel will be recognized as a heritage property on Wednesday.
Completed in 1890, the Kennetcook Community Chapel has long been a landmark in the community. It closed as a place of worship in 2018 but has continued as a community hub.
According to Barry MacAskill, president of the Kennetcook Cemetery Society which initiated the application for designation in 2024, the church’s history deserves heritage status.
“It’s been a landmark in the community and in the total area because it can be seen from the hill over East Gore,” MacAskill said. “It’s been there for years and years.”
He said the church has historically been sustained by donations. Although the building remains in good shape, the heritage designation will help with upkeep, he added.
Angela Sanford, the chapel committee’s vice-president, said the heritage status recognition is bittersweet because the church has played an important role in many aspects of her life.
She attends memorial services there, and family members are buried in the adjacent cemetery.
“It’s played an ongoing integral role in my life,” said Sanford. “It is now the chapel, but it continues to have a significant role in our lives.”
She also hopes the heritage recognition can help their committee find grants and funding.
“Churches are going by the wayside,” said Sanford. “In financially struggling times, it’s even more challenging to find the financial wherewithal.”
For Greg Hussey, the president of the East Hants Historical Society, securing a heritage designation is vital for preserving historic buildings like the chapel because they feature unique architecture.
“You’re just not getting that type of carpentry anymore or that type of finish work,” said Hussey.
He said the heritage designation gives it some protection, helping to preserve it for the future.
Hussey also pointed out that the designation can serve as a promotional tool for the community’s tourism.
“It’s kind of shown as a spotlight to say, hey, we have these heritage buildings within our area,” said Hussey.
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