Situated on the southern shore of the Annapolis Basin, HMCS Cornwallis was the largest of a succession of military installations which have occupied this area for almost 400 years. Named after Edward Cornwallis, the founder of Halifax and governor of Nova Scotia from 1749 to 1752, this state-of-the-art military base was put in place in the early 1940’s to address the need for training sailors to serve in WWll. During the war years, HMCS Cornwallis was the largest naval training base in the British Commonwealth with the wartime strength of the base exceeding 11,000 officers, men and women.

Due to military downsizing, HMCS Cornwallis closed its doors in 1994. The military base that served thousands of our proud troops sat quietly and awaited its next adventure.

The groundwork for what would become the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre was laid in the fall of 1998 as part of a revitalization effort of HMCS/CFB Cornwallis. We opened our doors under the banner of Kespuwick Training Centre. Kespuwick is a Mi’kmaq term that means “where the land and water meet.” Our named changed to the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre to better reflect our industry and to increase our profile in the marketplace. Extensive renovations ensued and the former military base has been upgraded to meet today’s conference centre standards – while still maintaining our history. We are one of Atlantic Canada’s premiere meeting and learning facilities. We provide a coastal retreat where guests can reach their goals in a tranquil and invigorating setting. 

Surrounding the Annapolis Basin Conference Center is Cornwallis Park. This business park is recognized internationally as a model of innovative development and Cornwallis Park employs more civilian personnel than when it was a military base.

Even now as a conference centre, military boots still tread across our floors. We are proud to host HMCS Acadia, a sea cadet training program held every summer when upwards of one thousand sea cadets continue their journey of learning.

We are proud of our history. Today, corporate troops proudly enter our doors - where once nearly 500,000 military men and women marched.