A historic building in Halifax is being torn down, and four others are at risk, but The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia is fighting to get them heritage status, to prevent that from happening.

They are on Robie, Williams and North Streets.

According to Trust Chair Andrea Arbic, demolition on the Williams Street property has already begun.

The Trust had tried to stop it from happening by requesting an emergency meeting of the Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) earlier in the week but did not hear back.

Arbic said residents made a petition to the committee to urge a quick review of the heritage application in order to give the city legal right to stop the tear down.

However, Arbic said, the Trust was concerned that the HAC was not aware they could expedite the heritage status process.

“We have historic buildings under threat and the Trust’s concern is that almost 90 per cent of the pre-1878 buildings on the peninsula are gone,” explained Arbic. “We’re looking at being sort of well underway toward the same situation happening with post-1978 buildings, if the city isn’t able to act more quickly to protect them.”

She told us Monday that she will be very disappointed if the building comes down but residents are not standing idly by.

“They have seven as of [Monday], seven have submitted applications to designate their own houses because they want to keep their streetscape intact,” said Arbic.

She said, enough is enough.

“We’re tired of losing our heritage buildings. It’s not a choice between heritage and housing or heritage and transportation. We just need to try harder. We need to have greater aspirations.”

In an email to our newsroom the city said all applications will go through the standard process to be reviewed by council in accordance with the Heritage Property Act.