ALMA, N.S.
Some people consider a ribbon cutting a boring ritual. Not Shirley MacLeod.
After six years of hard work by the Green Hill- Alma Historical Kiosk Committee, MacLeod couldn’t have been happier than to publically unveil the project.
“Our committee found this project to be a learning experience,” she told a crowd gathered Saturday, Sept. 15 in Alma. “It was fun, exasperating, surprising and the cause of sleepless nights but we’re happy it’s ribbon cutting day.”
The kiosk is located on property in front of the Alma Fire Department who has taken the committee on as a subcommittee. A timeline plaque board in the kiosk tells of the history of the region. Also at the kiosk are benches, one of them was donated in memory of the late June Rosborough who had been instrumental in the project.
The project didn’t come without it’s obstacles. As they were starting the project MacLeod said they soon discovered that funding from the provincial and federal sources that had been used for other kiosks in the county were no longer available.
But they did not give up. They held bake sales and suppers, made cookbooks and calendars – “anything we could think of to make a buck,” MacLeod said.
The Municipality of Pictou County also contributed to the project.
The result is something that MacLeod hopes will help people learn about their past.
“A lot of people really have no idea what used to be here – even the (Green Hill) look off. It was such a famous site at one time. Still there are people here who have no idea there was anything up there.”
Heather Facey, another committee member, led the research end of the project. In addition to the local people who gave information and artifacts, she said they were thankful for the support of the Nova Scotia Archives in Halifax, McCulloch Centre in Pictou and Roots Society in New Glasgow.
She said one of the thrills of the project for her was going to the Nova Scotia Archives and holding a document from 1811 that was written by three men from Alma who were applying for money from the government to build a school.
“They had already had the school, but the school was in the school teachers house,” she said.
Another document she found particularly interesting was one granting permission to the early settlers to survey the area.
“The early settlers were here for a good 20 years before they received their deeds or grants for any of their land,” she said. “We did get to see and hold the warrant to survey where all these lands behind you and around us were divvied up and given to those early settlers.”
Not all the information gathered would fit on the panel at the kiosk so the group has started a Facebook page called Green Hill-Alma-Sylvester History where they will be providing more information.
Municipality of Pictou County Warden Robert Parker thanked those on the committee for their hard work, saying it was the same kind of determination that was shown by the original settlers who came to this area.
In addition to the historic information the kiosk will provide, he said it will also create an economic benefit by bringing in people who are interested in learning more about their family’s roots.
“It means so much to know where you came from,” he said.
