On Monday evening there was a garden lecture sponsored by the Friends of the Public Gardens and the Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society. I’m bringing this up now because it took place in a theatre in the Sacred Heart School and the Head Mistress, who greeted us, was excited that their building is part of Doors Open this weekend.  From the glimpse I got this should be a popular site. Here is a little preview.

Do pause and look at the central pavillion. That is probably the best bit of copper work in the city. While you’re looking up, notice the sacred heart in carved sandstone that is only obvious up close.

The theatre has a tongue and groove wooden ceiling. Are there more of these left in the city?

The theatre is on the second floor and you pass an amazing skylight protected by an elegant oval railing. In the entrance hall below, it just glows bright and beautiful.

If you keep your eyes open there will be all sorts of swell details to discover such as doorknobs and cast iron fireplace surrounds.

The building complex has had quite a history of addition and subtraction. Here are a couple of images I took before the wing to the right was removed and replaced in the 1980s (?).

From the College Street side, there was a rich collection of windows and dormers and a fragment of the tall grey fence that used to surround the site.

If you visit during Doors Open remember that Dalhousie University Life Sciences Research Institute is open just around the corner.