Hants County Museum Renamed to Reflect its History

A treasured Hants County museum has a new name that better reflects its history and role in the community.

Clifton Museum Park, formerly Haliburton House Museum, returns the original name to the property and helps address the complex legacy of its former owner. Located in Windsor, Clifton Museum Park is part of the Nova Scotia Museum.

“The Province wants to offer a historical description that honours the stories of all the individuals connected to Clifton,” said Allan MacMaster, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. “The shift to Clifton Museum Park retains historical accuracy, without honouring the name of one individual whose treatment of others should not be forgotten.”

The Nova Scotia Museum consulted cultural organizations, local government and visitors before renaming the museum.

For more than 50 years, the museum was named after Thomas Chandler Haliburton, a businessman, judge and author who gained fame through his fiction. His work was noted for its racism, sexism and bigotry, even in the 1800s. Haliburton inherited significant wealth from slavery, seized land from Acadians and spoke out against the emancipation of slaves and education for African Nova Scotians.

The estate was built for Haliburton and named Clifton for the English birthplace of his wife, Louisa Neville. Clifton was dropped from the name in the 1970s, decades after the museum opened in 1939.

Quotes:

“The decision to rename this historic community place to Clifton Museum Park honours not only the rich heritage of our region but also signifies our dedication to progress and inclusivity. We believe this change represents a significant step forward in celebrating the contributions of all members of our community, ensuring that our public spaces are welcoming and representative for everyone.”
— Twila Grosse, Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs

“On behalf of the Windsor Hockey Heritage Society, we are very pleased to hear of the renaming of the museum to Clifton Museum Park, which is home to the Birthplace of Hockey Museum. We are proud of what this name change represents and to be a part of this welcoming and inclusive community we are all striving towards. We look forward to taking these next steps and continuing our valued partnership with the Nova Scotia Museum.”
— Krista Lloy, President, Windsor Hockey Heritage Society

“The Avon Sport and Social Community is very pleased to learn about the rebranding of the museum park. Our community is very appreciative of our very successful collaboration with the museum on the use of the park space for disc golf. The branding is quite suitable since this disc golf course is arguably one of the most inclusive and accessible park layouts in the province. We look forward to many more years of supporting and promoting this beautiful shared-use park space for residents and visitors alike.” — Chris Kendrick, President, Avon Sport and Social Community

Quick Facts:

• the museum is open June 1 to October 5 this year
• the museum’s address is 424 Clifton Ave., Windsor
• the house and estate were opened to the public in 1940 and have been part of the provincial collection of museums longer than any other historic building

Additional Resources:

Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage grants and programs: https://cch.novascotia.ca/investing-in-our-future

Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage:

• website: https://beta.novascotia.ca/government/communities-culture-tourism-and-heritage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NOVASCOTIACULTURE
• X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NS_CCTH

Nova Scotia Museum: https://museum.novascotia.ca/