Catherine Hennessey, protecting Charlottetown’s architectural heritage

Day 59 of my solo bike trip across Canada.

What could be more natural in Charlottetown than to meet a woman with a passion for history? After all, the capital of Prince Edward Island is the birthplace of Canada.

A specialist in the protection of architectural heritage, Catherine Hennessey has been actively working for over 40 years to preserve her hometown’s historic buildings. “My job is to ensure that the municipality and developers respect our heritage,” she says. This requires regulations, but also, and above all, a great deal of education.” 

Ms. Hennessey is well known in Old Charlottetown, particularly because she’s known for never giving up when it comes to defending the nobility of old stones or gables. Year after year, her battles have preserved many old homes and buildings that would otherwise be lost to demolition. “There’s a growing awareness these days of the value of architectural beauties inherited from the past and the importance of preserving them,” she concludes.

Since that meeting, the City of Charlottetown has created the Catherine Hennessey Heritage Award, and a few years later, Catherine even received the Order of Prince Edward Island. Even today, I can remember her slogan: “Know it, love it and protect it”. Thank you Catherine for inspiring me with this awareness. 

Texts by Éric Clément and Bertrand Lemeunier.