Description of Historic Place

The Halifax Forum building is a large, brick Georgian inspired structure set in a quiet location in the North End of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The building has had many additions and alterations since its construction in 1926. The heritage designation applies only to the original 1926 building.

Heritage Value

Social Value

The Halifax Forum building is valued for its use as a public space in Halifax and its association with the game of hockey. It has been used for exhibitions, athletic events, and concerts since its construction in 1926. It was erected on a lot between Young and Almon Streets, on the site of a covered yet temporary ice rink. The Forum is recognized for having hosted the first hockey game on artificial ice east of Montreal. There have also been countless historical figures that have visited the building, participated in sports activities or spoke during important events. One of the best examples of this is the hockey team the Voyagers, an American Hockey League (AHL) affiliation of the Montreal Canadians of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden, and NHL stars such as Guy Carbonneau and Brian Skrudland played regularly at the Halifax Forum. The Halifax Forum building continues today to serve as a public space, hosting various events including hockey games.

Architectural Value

The Halifax Forum building is also valued for its association with Andrew Cobb. Cobb was a prolific and versatile architect who built churches, university buildings, industrial buildings and hospitals throughout Nova Scotia. Architecturally, his design of the Halifax Forum building was inspired by Georgian architectural style with its low pitched roof, balanced proportions and central doors on each wall. The exterior is red brick, though wood and concrete were also used in the construction. Over the past twenty-five years there have been many renovations and alterations to the Halifax Forum building. The most notable is a particularly large addition at the north-west end of the building attached to the arena called the Civic Arena that was originally in the main portion of the building later moved to this newer addition on the building.

Source: HRM Heritage Property File 2901 Windsor Street, Halifax Forum, found at HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

The key character-defining elements of the Halifax Forum (original section only) include:

- Georgian architectural elements such as the low pitched roof, balanced proportions, central doors on each wall and white granite string course which wraps around the entire building;
- string course above and below third storey windows;
- remaining features of small windows above and below (now filled in with brick) on the Windsor Street side;
- remaining features of arched windows in both the front and rear facades with fanlight style windows above reminiscent of clerestory windows found in churches (both filled in with brick);
- remaining features of front central arched window over the entrance (now filled in with brick);
- exterior red brick with two large brick pilasters forming the entrance on the front of the facade and the rear;
- wood construction and concrete foundation of contrasting colour.