'They don't know what was there': Halifax historian remembers popular harness racing track
Historian Blair Beed believes many people would be surprised to learn Almon Street in Halifax was once home to a popular harness racing track.
“They don’t know what was there,” said Beed.
A Canada Post office on Almon Street in Halifax is located on a parcel of land that was once home to a harness racing track. (Paul Hollingsworth/CTV Atlantic)
The track was around until the mid-1960s and featured a grandstand that could seat several thousand people. Now, a post office facility is located on the parcel of land.
“It was a really happening place for the whole province,” said Beed.
Harness racing at the property has roots dating back to 1897. The track opened in 1922, and was operational for the next half century.
“I think of a bygone era. Harness racing is still popular in the province,” said Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame president and CEO Bruce Rainnie.
“You had that, and you had Sackville Downs. That was a place where people congregated, and it was in the middle of the city.”
Large crowds used to gather at the horse racing track. (Halifax Municipal Archives)
The Halifax property also housed the exhibition grounds as part of the Halifax Forum complex.
In 1951, Princess Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth, visited Halifax.
Beed still has the newspaper program and map from the royal visit that included a ceremony at the track.
“She did a car tour around the city, and then for a half hour she went into the stadium grounds,” said Beed. “Everyone could sit there and watch for a half hour as she went around the track.”
Looking back at this chapter in history, Beed has one lingering question.
“I can’t imagine why we got rid of it,” said Beed.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants
The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately.
LIVE UPDATES Water bottle, protein bar wrapper may help identify shooter in UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing
The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Here's the latest.
Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border
A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week.
Life expectancy in Canada: Up last year, still down compared to pre-pandemic
The average Canadian can expect to live 81.7 years, according to new death data from Statistics Canada. That’s higher than the previous year, but still lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The National Weather Service cancels tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after 7.0 earthquake
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast.
These foods will be hit hardest by inflation in 2025, according to AI modelling
The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025.
The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why
Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why.
Pete Davidson, Jason Sudeikis and other former 'SNL' cast members reveal how little they got paid
Live from New York, it’s revelations about paydays on 'Saturday Night Live.'
Saskatoon based dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts
A Saskatoon based dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts.