Halifax Regional Municipality has changed the boundaries of the historic Black community of Beechville, N.S., to better reflect its initial size after years of advocacy by residents.

Beechville was first settled by Black refugees who escaped slavery in the United States during the War of 1812. Many of the refugees had fought for the British in the war and were given roughly 1,200 hectares of land near the Northwest Arm for their service. 

Municipal staff previously said the area originally known …