Tuesday 11 February 2020

Flood and Fire: A Story of Resilience at Heritage Village and Heritage Shipyard

by Roseann Davidson

Executive Director, Heritage Village and Heritage Shipyard


Natural disasters hit our city and our museums not once, but twice. This is our story.

The Hangingstone River Flood of June 2013 devastated Heritage Village (formerly Heritage Park) and we wondered how we would ever function as a museum again. The damage to our buildings, infrastructure, collections, and archives was beyond our comprehension. 

Yet four years later, through the tireless work of our staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and external partners, we began a new chapter. Our new beginning placed us in a position to become bigger and better than we could ever have imagined. We affectionately grew to call this time as our “flood of opportunity.”


The Hangingstone River Flood leaves Heritage Village (then Heritage Park) under water.
All images courtesy of Roseann Davidson