The Halifax Defence Complex sites
Georges Island National Historic Site
Georges Island is one of five national historic sites in Halifax which are known collectively as the Halifax Defence Complex.
These five sites represent the best examples of the many fortifications in the Halifax area that the British and Canadian militaries built over a 200-year period.
Parks Canada administers these sites on behalf of all Canadians as part of a larger nation-wide family of national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas.
We invite you to explore all five historic sites within your reach.
Fort McNab National Historic Site
Primarily used during the First and Second World Wars, this fort is located on the south end of McNab’s Island, directly across from York Redoubt.
This was the first fort in Halifax to have breech-loading artillery.
Georges Island National Historic Site
Once considered the “key of Halifax Harbour,” the current features on the island date mostly from the second half of the 19th century.
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
This imposing stone fort is the fourth to occupy Citadel Hill and is the premier site in the Halifax Defence Complex. Completed in 1856, the current fort was an active military site until the end of the Second World War.
Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site
Located in Point Pleasant Park, this tower was built in the 1790s, the first Martello-type tower in Canada and one of the earliest Martello Towers in the British Empire. There were five towers in Halifax, including one on Georges Island.
York Redoubt National Historic Site
Originally constructed in the 1790s on a high bluff overlooking the entrance to the harbour, this sprawling fort served until the end of the Second World War.
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