A granite boulder at Kidston Lake Park in Spryfield has been given heritage status.
At a regular council meeting on Tuesday, council voted unanimously to give Kidston Lake Park and the famous “rocking stone” heritage status.
“As we’re going forward, there’s a lot of development pressure around this lake and I think it’s important that we continue to remember the historical importance and the ecological importance of this area,” said Patty Cuttell, councilor for District 11, covering the Spryfield area.
It was originally protected in 1971 under the former charter of the city of Halifax, but that legal protection disappeared when the 1981 Heritage Property Act superseded the protections given by the former Halifax City Charter.
A 200 year-old history
The boulder was deposited in the area by a glacier sometime between 75,000 to 10,000 years ago, according to a report presented to council by municipal staff. It’s what’s known in geological terms as an erratic: a glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests
Historical accounts say, at one point the stone could be rocked with a single hand, but as years passed and the stone settled, it became immobile – though some locals claim it can still be rocked with the right touch.
Its history dates back centuries, with the earliest published description in 1823, when the Acadian Reporter called the stone a “wonder of nature.”
Over the years, famous politicians, tourists and families came to see the stone, even after it ceased to rock.
Public access
The land, which was owned by the Kidston family, was donated to the municipality to be used as a public park in 1958.
Cuttell acknowledged the Kidston family’s contribution to the Spryfield’s history and says the stone is an important part of that history.
She says this is a significant move and she’s excited to work further with council to improve the park area around the rocking stone.
“There’s always work to be done in our municipal parks and hopefully I can work with staff in the future around some new amenities [for Kidston Lake Park]: bathrooms, changerooms.”
