Spade Geomatics

Up the Eastern Shore this week. First stop Beaver Harbour. Then to Moser River to finish off a survey that proved to be quite a challenge. Nearly 100 hours of research, interviews and title searches tracing back to the Original Grants from Queen Victoria in 1876. Followed by weeks / miles of slogging through the bush to find any old evidence. Some days felt futile. In the end, we found old fences, rocks with chieseled initials, blazes and even a car axel marking the lines of neighboring parcels, enough to peice the puzzle back together. Then another couple weeks flagging out and clearing the lines. Tomorrow the last markers go in the ground and blazes get painted up. It will be nice to be done with this one. What a relief. Our feet are sore

We were retracing a property in the Quinpool Rd. Connaught Ave. area recently and came across some interesting history while doing research. There were only two retracement plans to be found in this entire block. One from 1988 and the other from 1991.

Most of the Deed descriptions on this block refer to the original "Hornsby's Division of Woodill Field" plan from the 1860's-1870's. Connaught Ave was originally called Pine Street and as you can see in the attached expropriation plan from 1940.

Bennett Hornsby, a Confederate Colonel in the American Civil War, moved to Halifax in 1863 and reinvented himself as a land speculator. By all accounts he didn't succeed in selling many lots in his subdivision.

If you are buying real property in the HRM or anywhere in Nova Scotia for that matter it is important to examine your deed to determine exactly when the description (Schedule A) originates. Often times when land is transferred by deed, the description just gets copied from the previous deed. The same goes for when it is entered into land titles.

We know this can be confusing, so if you want a professional to look things over and advise you on the best way to secure your investment, feel free to shoot us a message and we can give you an honest assessment of where you stand.