Dominion Public Building (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The Dominion Public Building is an Art Deco-style office building located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Completed in 1936, it served as the central post office for the City of Halifax and housed various other government offices.

Alternative names

Main/Halifax Post Office, Federal Office^[1]

Architectural style

Art Deco

LocationHalifax, Nova Scotia, 1713 Bedford Row

Coordinates44.64802°N 63.57203°W / 44.64802; -63.57203

Quick facts Alternative names, General information ...

Dominion Public Building
Dominion Public Building, Halifax
Interactive map of the Dominion Public Building area
Alternative names	Main/Halifax Post Office, Federal Office[1]
General information
Architectural style	Art Deco
Location	Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1713 Bedford Row
Coordinates	44.64802°N 63.57203°W / 44.64802; -63.57203
Current tenants	Public Works and Government Services Canada [2]
Completed	1936[2]
Renovated	Interior: 1990s[2] Exterior: 2008-2009[2]
Height
Height	53.27 m (174.8 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	13
Renovating team
Awards	Lieutenant Governor’s Citation for Adaptive Reuse and Restoration (1993)[2]

Close

A four-story addition using similar materials was added to the north of the original building in 1962. In the early 1990s, Canada Post transferred the building to Public Works Canada. Public Works undertook extensive interior renovations to convert the building to general office use, which included the installation of a glass atrium over the former light court of the 4th-7th floors to create more contiguous space. Between 2008 and 2009, it undertook extensive repairs on the tower portion of the building. These included complete removal, cleaning, and restoration of the sandstone exterior and repairs to the underlying steel frame. The tower restoration also included the installation of a new copper dome similar to the original.

Although since surpassed, the Dominion Public Building was the tallest building in Halifax at the time of its completion in 1936. The building is a federally recognized heritage building. Notable heritage features include the stone structure, the large stone seahorses at the roof level and in the main lobby, the remaining brass postal wickets and the lobby's marble floors and dedication to Edward VIII.^[3] The Dominion Public Building is fully occupied by Public Services and Procurement Canada (formerly Public Works and Government Services Canada).