Nova Scotia
Archives

The Provincial Newspaper Collection held at the Nova Scotia Archives includes over 750 titles, from the Halifax Gazette, 23 March 1752 to, in some cases, recent issues of a community newspaper. In addition to haphazard and very incomplete notices for births, marriages and deaths, newspapers can be a fascinating souce of community history for genealogical research.

The Nova Scotia Historical Newspapers available on this website, provides a small but growing selection of digitized newspapers from the Provincial Collection.

Also, a searchable database provides access information about the microfilmed portion of the Provincial Newspaper Collection held at the Nova Scotia Archives.

Otherwise, researchers must work onsite at the Nova Scotia Archives, using original paper copies or microfilmed issues. See Hours and Location to plan a visit.

Several special guides are available onsite for genealogical researchers looking for family information in newspapers:

• Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, many volumes of vital statistics from Halifax/Nova Scotia newspapers, 1769-1860
• L. Shirley McCormick, 'Vital Statistics from The Presbyterian Witness'; 4 volumes, 1848-1908.
• Ruth & Ross Burgess, 'Marriage & Death Notices from Methodist Newspapers of the Atlantic Provinces'; 7 volumes 1828-1864.
• 'Index to Vital Statistics in the Christian Messenger' (Baptist newspaper); 1837-1846 (microfilm 8472) and 1847-1858 (microfilm 8471).
• Wayne Macvicar, 'Vital Statistics from Cape Breton Newspapers and Sydney Post Record'; multiple volumes 1901-1922, 1935-1956.
• 'Index to Obituaries in the Halifax Newspaper The Chronicle-Herald'; 1961-January 1999 and 1999-2004.