The legacy of Edward Cornwallis, the founder of Halifax, has come under scrutiny due to historical accounts of violence against Indigenous peoples. One significant event is the Dartmouth Massacre, which occurred on May 13, 1751. Eyewitness John Wilson described the brutal treatment of captives by Mi’kmaq warriors, detailing horrific acts of violence.

Wilson's account is one of several historical records documenting Mi’kmaq attacks on British settlers. Thomas B. Akins, a prominent historian and Nova Scotia’s first Commissioner of Public Records, also chronicled these events. In a reading from 1847, he noted that the Mi’kmaq destroyed homes and caused panic among Halifax residents, who could hear the cries of settlers and the whoops of the attackers.

Cornwallis arrived in Nova Scotia on June 21, 1749, with over 2,500 settlers. His tenure as governor was marked by conflict, as the Mi’kmaq had lived in the region long before European arrival. The introduction of European settlers led to widespread disease and a decline in the Mi’kmaq population. Between 1688 and 1763, several wars between the French and English significantly impacted both settlers and Indigenous communities.

Two wars were particularly consequential for the Mi’kmaq: Father Le Loutre’s War and the French and Indian War. During this time, the Mi’kmaq allied with the French, leading to numerous raids on British settlements, including eight on Dartmouth. In response to these attacks, Cornwallis issued a proclamation in 1749 offering bounties for Mi’kmaq scalps, a move that has drawn significant criticism in recent years.

The statue of Cornwallis, once a prominent feature in Cornwallis Park, has been removed, and the park has been renamed. This change reflects a broader trend of reevaluating historical figures associated with colonial violence. The discussion surrounding Cornwallis gained momentum following the publication of Daniel Paul’s 1993 book, "We Were Not the Savages," which accused Cornwallis of genocide against the Mi’kmaq. Paul described Cornwallis's bounty proclamation as an extermination order targeting Indigenous peoples.

Following Paul’s death in 2023, his research influenced Nova Scotia politicians to reconsider the names of public spaces and institutions associated with Cornwallis. In 2020, there were calls to rename a coast guard icebreaker named after him. Critics of Paul’s narrative, such as historian Leo J. Deveau, argue that it oversimplifies the complex historical context of the time, including the alliances between the Mi’kmaq and the French.

Deveau stated, "Paul’s analysis ignored the wider context of the imperial wars of the period and the close alliance between the Mi’kmaq and the French in the struggle of empires." He criticized the portrayal of Cornwallis as a symbol of white supremacy, suggesting that it distorts historical facts.

Not all historians agree with Paul’s conclusions. Paul Bennett, a Canadian history textbook author, described Paul’s work as a mix of history and folklore rather than rigorous scholarship.

In recent years, protests have called for the removal of Cornwallis's name from public properties. In 2016, a municipal election led to a vote that overwhelmingly supported renaming municipal properties associated with Cornwallis. Despite surveys indicating that many residents wished to retain his name, the council moved forward with the changes.

As a result, Cornwallis Park is now known as Peace and Friendship Park, and Cornwallis Street has been renamed Nora Bernard Street, honoring a Mi’kmaw activist. The legacy of Edward Cornwallis remains a contentious topic, reflecting ongoing debates about historical memory and the impact of colonialism in Canada.