What’s going on in HRM this Heritage Day long weekend

Find a list of what's open and closed the Heritage Day here.

Nova Scotians are gearing up for a long weekend as we mark Heritage Day on Monday.

First held in 2015, our newest holiday recognizes remarkable people, places and events that have contributed to our unique heritage.

This year, we will honour Mi'kmaw poet Rita Joe.

Born in 1932 in We'koqma'q First Nation, Unama'ki (Cape Breton Island), she lost both of her parents when she was just a child.

Rita Joe spent several years in foster care before finding herself at the Shubenacadie Residential School by the age of twelve.

She later returned to Cape Breton where the mother of 10 began writing, publishing her first collection of poetry in 1978.

“Our mother provided a gentle but powerful voice for our community and Mi'kmaw people,” said her daughter Frances Sylliboy in a news release.

“She inspired so many to dream, to use their voice and connect with their identity on their own terms. We are happy that Nova Scotians across the province will be celebrating the legacy of our mother, together with us.”

Nova Scotians can borrow the eBook “Song of Rita Joe” with no waitlist until the end of February.

Find Halifax Public Library's curated online collection of stories and poems by Rita Joe by clicking here.

Earlier this month the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia organized a presentation of commissioned works by Mi'kmaw poets; Tiffany Morris, Danica Roache, Raymond Sewell and Rebecca Thomas.

The event can be watched here and will be shown at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Monday in the Windsor Foundation Lecture Theatre. Admission to the art gallery is free Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will also be a presentation of new commissioned works by Tiffany Morris, Danica Roache, and Raymond Sewell, inspired by the work of Rita Joe. “Our History Would Be Different: A celebration of Rita Joe, the poet laureate of the Mi'kmaq people” will take place at Halifax Central Library's Paul O'Regan Hall on Wednesday, January 22 at 6:30 p.m., then at the Millbrook Heritage Centre on Wednesday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m.

The Canada Games Centre will be hosting a free Heritage Day event Monday from 10 a.m. to noon with face painting, arts and crafts, pizza, and guests from the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre performing Indigenous dance and drumming.

There will be a special light show this weekend projected on the old Halifax Memorial Library at Grafton Park in honour of Rita Joe. It runs in rotation with the African Heritage Month light show from sunset to 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

And there are a number of other events taking place this Heritage Day long weekend.

Sackville Snow Days will see plenty of parties, sports and recreational activities, live entertainment, fireworks, family movies and more all weekend long.

There's even a parade Monday afternoon starting at 2 p.m. As a result, a section of Sackville Drive will be closed for about an hour between Sackville Cross Road and Rock Church.

Cole Harbour Place will have a number of free activities on Monday, including swimming, skating, crafts and bingo.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic will be open Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission.

There's no public skating on the Emera Oval. For the next week or so, it's being used to host the 2023 Canada Winter Games long-track speed skating competitions. Haligonians are invited to cheer on the athletes from Saturday, Feb. 18 to Saturday, Feb. 25.

And if you've always wanted to try sportfishing, or you just haven't yet gotten around to getting a licence, you can fish for free this weekend on 63 Nova Scotian lakes. Atlantic salmon are not among the fish you're allowed to catch.