Alexander Keith's bottle likely won't be seized by government

The Nova Scotia government says it has no intention of seizing a century-old Alexander Keith's beer bottle found by a scuba diver in the Northwest Arm off Halifax last week.

Jon Crouse made the discovery after heshoved his arms into the silt on thefloor of the Atlantic Ocean.The bottle has markings that date it to between 1872 and 1890, and a cork that indicates it was bottled by the Alexander Keith's brewery.

Sean Weseloh McKeane, special places coordinator with the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, said "there's no intention to seize the bottle." That being said, he encourages Crouse to bring it to the museum so archeological staff can look at it.

"It is an interesting item and certainly we would like our curatorial staff to have a look at the bottle and examine it," said McKeane.

The law in Nova Scotia is similar to other jurisdictions. The public is not permitted to expressly search for historic objects. If one is discovered accidentally, the finders are supposed to cease excavation and notify government officials.

The law is mainly to "protect all archeological sites in the province and to protect artifacts that would be associated with those sites, and also fossils, actually, in the province," said McKeane.

What happens now?

Property developers and historians are required to obtain a permit to dig in archaeological sites. McKeane said his department has issued approximately 100 permits in the past year as more construction begins in the downtown core.

"The main point is really to emphasize to people that searching for heritage objects is not permitted without a heritage research permit," he said.

"But we do recognize that sometimes people do accidentally uncover heritage objects and really we just want to let people know if they do come across something that might be of interest to please bring it into the Nova Scotia Museum."

In terms of what would happen to the object once brought to the Nova Scotia Museum, McKeane said it's hard to comment until museum staff have had a chance to look at it.

"They would look at it, examine it, and if they determine that it was something that would be of interest to have as part of the provincial collection then we would ask that it be left with the museum," he said.

"It's in this way that people can learn about these objects, not just one individual, but for all Nova Scotians."

That solution might please Crouse, who last week said if he had to give it up, he would be interested in having the bottle placed in a museum and shared with the public.

"I don't want to go to court over a bottle," he said.