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COMMUNITY PROFILES

Uniacke Heritage Society

An Interview with Ken Isles, April, 2005

The Uniacke Heritage Society was registered as a non-profit organization in 1995. The main objectives of the society are to preserve the history, heritage and culture of Mount Uniacke Districts, preserve the natural environment and to promote recreational activities for the betterment of the community.

Two founding members of the Uniacke Heritage Society, Bruce and Marion Walker, are recipients of the 1999 Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award. Positioned on the right is a picture of some core members of the society. From left to right are; Nina MacDonnell, Barbara Isles, Ken Isles, Frances Wagner, Hugh Borden, Laura Middleton, Ann Harris and Rick Skinner. Take notice of their logo above the photo and the community sign that the society has designed and developed. The logo signifies the preservation of the roots of Mount Uniacke’s rich heritage.

It’s taken a lot of hard work and determination to accomplish the many things that the society has done for the Mount Uniacke area to date. Some of these accomplishments include:

Cleaning of Murphy Lake, stocking it with speckled trout and installation of a wheelchair accessible boardwalk where special fishing derbies for handicapped persons are held annually.
Landscaping vacant public properties in the core area of the community to enhance roadside appearance.
Organizing anti-litter campaigns involving other community groups and the Clean Nova Scotia Foundation to rid roadsides of litter.
Constructing a walking trail from the Murphy Lake boardwalk to connect with the Uniacke Estate Park trails with the help of other community volunteer groups.
Holding July 1st celebrations annually.
Developing and installing a “Welcome to Mount Uniacke” sign accompanied by a community flag to represent the area’s heritage and culture involving design material and help from local students.
Installing a community billboard street map and a historical mural on abandoned public property at the intersection of Highway One and the Old Mines Road.
Preparing historical information on the Mount Uniacke area for publication.

The activities listed above represent only a fraction of the group’s successes to date. Ken Isles says that the society has some other projects coming up that will further improve the Murphy Lake area, make it more attractive to visitors and increase recreational activities at the Lake. Another plan is to build on Canada Day celebrations by bringing in outside competition for the sporting events held in conjunction with annual celebrations.

Ken says that one of the challenges for his group is to minimize having public events on dates that other groups in the area are having similar events. “Community groups must work together to avoid overlapping with one another’s activities,” he notes. “Advance planning for events and communication with other groups needs to be done on a regular basis.”

Ken attributes their society’s successes to having the support of government agencies, community volunteers, the Uniacke District Ratepayers Association, the Uniacke District Volunteer Fire Department, the Uniacke Legion and other organizations in the area. He also says that it helps “when people take a positive approach, especially when faced with challenges.”