Berlin Wall still stirs controversy – in Nova Scotia

• A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

A small town in Nova Scotia is home to a significant piece of world history, but Truro doesn’t publicize its historical treasure because of a simmering dispute.

Six large slabs of the Berlin Wall stand in an empty lot on Truro’s Main Street. The section of the infamous barrier was brought here by a local entrepreneur, Martin Young, who purchased it on a trip to Germany during the wall’s dismantling at the end of the cold war.

Major cities around the globe boast sections of the concrete line that divided East from West, incorporating them into museums or prominent outdoor spaces. Truro’s section has been stored in a Chrysler dealer’s vacant lot because the town has never agreed on a proper way of displaying it. Some residents want the wall moved to a nearby cold war museum, but Mr. Young’s permission is needed for any changes and he’s been indisposed – serving time in jail on unrelated charges.