www.ns.legion.ca 27 Citadel Hill (Fort George) continued.... On their departure in 1871, a farewell ball complete with a musical tribute was composed in their honour. It was hosted by the famous brewmaster and then Grandmaster of the Mason Lodge of Nova Scotia and mayor of Halifax, Alexander Keith. On November 25, the regiment set sail for Ireland on board the troopship Orontes. With them went 17 young Nova Scotian women who had married members of the regiment. The Halifax Citadel has a living history program featuring animators portraying life in the fort where soldiers of the 78th Highland Regiment and the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band who re-enact life in 1869. First and Second World Wars Although never attacked, Citadel Hill's various fortifications continued to be garrisoned by the British Army until 1906 and afterward by the Canadian Army throughout the First World War. When the Great War began in 1914, there was widespread suspicion in Canada that immigrants from enemy countries might be disloyal. In response, the federal government passed regulations allowing it to monitor and intern anyone who had not become naturalized British subjects. These people were labelled “enemy aliens.” In total 8,579 men were prisoners of war in 24 camps across the country. Fort George's final military role was to provide temporary barracks, signaling and the central coordinating point for the city's anti-aircraft defences during the Second World War. Preservation In 1935, the hill and fortifications were designated a National Historic Site and received some stabilization as a works project during the Depression. However, the fort was not restored and began to decay after the end of the Second World War. In the late 1940s, Halifax downtown business interests advocated demolishing the fort and leveling Citadel Hill to provide parking and encourage development. However, recognition of the fort's historical significance and tourism potential led to the fort's preservation and gradual restoration. Research by historian Harry Piers published in his final book The Evolution of the Halifax Fortress, 1749-1928 in 1947 played a key role in making the case and providing resources to restore the Citadel. In 1956, the partially restored fort opened as a historic site and home to the Halifax Army museum and, in the years before they constructed their own museums, as home to the Nova Scotia Museum and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The Citadel was finally fully restored to its 1869 appearance in the 1990s by Parks Canada. 78th Highlanders - Contemporary Re-enactors, at Citadel Hill This re-enactor is showing the tourists how the rifles of the 19th century worked.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==