Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB) is looking for help to solve the mystery of an old bell that been around for more than 100 years.

In an interview with Acadia News, Steve Proctor, spokesperson for HHB, tells us it all started about four years ago when he was “poking around” one of the closets in the MacKay Bridge garage.

“I saw this bell and I thought, ‘what the heck is this?'” explains Proctor. “I asked around to a couple people, and nobody really knew what it was.”

Bit of a mystery

The bell has 1899 on it, so Proctor says it might have been made in that year. The Halifax Explosion was in 1917.

The bell has 1899 on it. PHOTO: STEVE PROCTOR/HALIFAX HARBOUR BRIDGES

“I thought maybe it was one of the bells that was in one of the churches that was destroyed. There are four north end churches that were destroyed that were close to the bridge. Sort of the possibility of them being blown in the harbour or whatever,” says Proctor.

It is also a Meneely.

Proctor explains that he went to the Meneely Bell registry and found out they went out of business in 1952 and no reference of any bell in that time frame going to Nova Scotia.

“I don’t have anything from where it was shipped until it sort of shows up in 1950 on the bridge,” says Proctor.

The question now is, he says, what were the first 50 years?

“We’re looking for people to say maybe they saw it. Maybe [their] great grandfather was one of the guys who had rang the bell or something along that line,” adds Proctor. “Something that could give us a hint of that sort of middle part of the bell’s life.”

On display

The bell used to hang from the Macdonald Bridge so it could ring as people passed. That system was replaced by a foghorn then Wi-Fi.

Now, Proctor says, the intent would be to have it be displayed in an exhibit or donated to a museum but wants its story attached.

“If we could confirm this came out of one of the destroyed churches and give it back to that church, if they were interested. Or [it] could be incorporated into the Halifax Explosion Memorial,” says Proctor.

“That would be sort of the ultimate goal from my point of view. Then you’re bringing history full circle, right?”

If you have any information on the bell, you can contact HHB.