Effort underway to preserve home of Nova Scotia's first Black doctor
Nov 13, 2026
This is the historic Halifax property people are rallying around.
The former home of Clement Legore, the province's first black doctor.
The municipality owns the building
and says it's not affected by the transit project.
But as the city prepares to widen Robie Street for bus lanes,
there are worries about its future.
This Dartmouth-based writer and artist is starting a campaign.
To have an opportunity to preserve
This place, you know, that meant so much to so many people.
David Woods has been researching Lagore since the mid-80s
and his legacy in the black community
while working to honor his contributions to Halifax
and treating hundreds of victims of the explosion in this building
he notes is significant for a number of reasons.
So here in one location we have where the black newspaper is published.
We have connected history with the number two construction battalion.
We have the first black doctor, the first black medical clinic.
A report's expected to go before council early 2027,
outlining options for potential future uses of the property
that recognize its historical significance.
Woods is holding a meeting at the library
to try to come up with some ideas and a long-term plan of action.
There are hundreds of families in Halifax.
who owe their lives in the sense that some
of their great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers
would have been saved by this doctor.
The home is already a municipal heritage property.
City staff and contracted specialists have been assessing its condition
as the province considers an application
to grant provincial heritage status.
We definitely know the Lagore house matters
to a lot of people in the community.
I understand the Heritage Advisory Committee has made a recommendation
and it's sitting on my desk right now for review.
He expects to make a decision soon.
Meanwhile, any demolition work on nearby homes
to allow for the Robie Street widening
is not expected to happen until 2027 at the earliest.
Gareth Hampshire, CBC News, Halifax.