Longtime social advocate Sharon Brown Ross is among those calling on Halifax to preserve the former home of Nova Scotia’s first Black doctor, along with an adjacent property.
Brown Ross, who is an Order of Canada recipient from Halifax, grew concerned about the future of Dr. Clement Ligoure’s North Street home after seeing nearby buildings boarded up.
The city is acquiring land in the area to widen Robie Street as part of a $149-million plan to construct dedicated transit lanes.
“Dr. Ligoure did so much for Halifax, for the province, for the country. He was a hero,” Brown Ross said.
Ligoure treated hundreds of victims of the Halifax Explosion at his clinic at the property following the disaster. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, he also edited Nova Scotia’s first Black newspaper, the Atlantic Advocate, and recruited soldiers for Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion.
Ligoure treated hundreds of victims of the Halifax Explosion at the property. (Queen’s University Archives, V28-P-301. C. C. Ligoure)
The Halifax Regional Municipality bought the Ligoure property in September.
In a statement, the municipality said the building “is not within the Robie Street transportation reserve and is not affected by the planned dedicated bus priority lane.” However, the city added that council has not yet provided direction on its future use.
The city also owns an adjacent grey building with a matching turret that sits within the transportation reserve. That building has already been boarded up.
Brown Ross, who is Black, said demolishing the adjacent structure would be disrespectful to African Nova Scotians and leave the Ligoure property isolated beside a major roadway.
“With respect to the history of Halifax, they displaced many marginalized people in the Cogswell district, in the downtown area. That affected my family. They displaced and got rid of and bulldozed Africville to the ground.”
The former Ligoure home is registered as a municipal heritage property and is now owned by the city, which also owns the adjacent, boarded-up grey building. (Gareth Hampshire/CBC)
The Ligoure home was registered as a municipal heritage property in recent years. Brown Ross is now seeking provincial heritage designation for the site.
Historian William Breckenridge supported both applications.
“The [Halifax Explosion] is a national-importance event in which he played a critical role in saving so many people’s lives,” he said. “That’s something that we need to honour and respect.”
Local MLA Suzy Hansen called the property a vital part of Black Nova Scotian history.
“We would love to see the house preserved and put to good use in a way that honours Dr. Ligoure’s incredible contributions to our province,” Hansen said in a statement. “I have been in touch with the area councillor and the provincial Department of Public Works and will continue to push for answers for my community.”
Community group Friends of Halifax Common has launched a petition to pause the Robie Street widening project, calling it unnecessary and poorly timed during a housing crisis.
“The buildings are all standing,” said group member Peggy Cameron. “They could be repopulated, they could be providing homes and the city could be doing a proper analysis.”
Future uncertain for home of Nova Scotia’s first Black doctor
Municipal staff are preparing a report for council outlining options to recognize the Ligoure property’s historical significance.
Brown Ross supports converting the space for a non-profit health care or affordable housing service tied to the African Nova Scotian community, but stressed that demolishing the adjacent building would ruin the site.
“It will be an eyesore,” she said. “That should never happen.”
The staff report is expected to reach council in early 2027. Any home demolitions for the Robie Street project are not expected before 2027, with construction scheduled for 2028 at the earliest.
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