Preserving Heritage
while Promoting Community
The Malagash Area Heritage Association is pleased operate a dedicated space to highlight the history and stories of Magnificent Malagash.
About Us
The Malagash Area Heritage Association is an organization of volunteers dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Malagash area. The Malagash Salt Miners' Museum is its primary project, filled with artifacts and pieces of the past.
Since its inception in the mid 1990’s, a group of historically minded residents from the Malagash area have operated the museum and maintained the collection of artifacts to retain the history of Malagash and the Salt Mine that operated here. The Malagash Area Heritage Association (MAHA), which operates the museum, has been a society since October 18, 1993. During the summer of 1994, the initial displays were open to the public on the mezzanine level at the Jost winery, as a trial run to test out public interest. Encouraged by the response, the Association found the space in the basement level of the original Miner’s Union Hall and opened the museum to the public for the summer of 1995.
The museum displays have been lovingly donated or loaned to provide a much needed tie to the local history as living memory fades. Over the years, the dedicated work of our curators, assistant curators and summer students has allowed the stories to live on.
Mission Statement
1) To collect, conserve, and exhibit materials related to the Malagash Salt Mine, the first rock salt mine in the former British Empire, throughout its 41 years of operation, together with contextual artifacts related to the community's heritage and lifestyle, past and present.
2) To establish and operate a local museum for the preservation and exhibition of the above materials, and to maintain the monument which commemorates the mine.
3) Preserve the artifacts and tell the stories of Malagash's history as it relates to fishing, farming, industry, home life, and schools.
4) Motto: Preserve Heritage while Promoting Community.
Community Focus
Another mission of the Historical Association is foster community fellowship and camaraderie.
The Association owns and is the custodian of Johnson Park (including the outdoor stage), land surrounding the community hall, and the Salt Mine Monument.
We also strive to engage the community in social activism, cultural and historical events, organizer of Malagash Festival Day, fund raising activities, and food back drives.