Nova Scotia Archives

What's New


19 March 2024

27,000 records on-the-way for your family research!

The 2024-batch of historical vital statistics are currently being prepared for our website. Birth records from 1923, marriages from 1948 and deaths from 1973 are being transferred from the Office of Vital Statistics, with scanning and standard indexing underway.


08 February 2024

William Hall, VC

William Hall, VC (1827-1904) was the first Black person, the first Nova Scotian, and the third Canadian to receive the British Empire’s highest award for bravery, the Victoria Cross. Records included document commemorations of Hall and the search for his missing medals by Rear Admiral Hugh F. Pullen and others.


01 February 2024

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Documenting the Heritage of African Nova Scotians

On August 1st 2021 Nova Scotia formally recognized Emancipation Day, the day named to commemorate the anniversary of British parliament abolishing slavery across its empire in 1834, freeing about 800,000 enslaved people of African descent throughout its British colonies. Recognizing the existence of slavery in Nova Scotia’s past, how it shaped centuries of our history, and its continued resonance today is vital.


05 January 2024

The Gazette, Glace Bay

The Gazette, Glace Bay, "Nova Scotia's Independent Newspaper" began as a daily in 1904. Published by the Gazette Publishing Company, its manager in 1909 was John Byrenton, who was replaced in 1923 by A.D. MacNeil. The Nova Scotia Archives is the only known repository with issues from 1937 to 1947 (NOTE 1937-1938 online now). In August 1942 The Gazette was purchased by the coal miner's union and rebranded as the first newspaper in Canada to be "owned by the people for the people". Its editorial pages committed to telling the people's side of the story supporting the labour movements and Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).


15 August 2023

Helen Creighton: Folklife

500 audio reels and 3000 photographs taken by pioneer folklorist Helen Creighton have now been digitized and added to the existing online resource exploring her life and career. Taken between 1914 and 1951, these images cut a wide geographic path from small communities throughout Nova Scotia to Toronto, Trinidad and Mexico, and reveal a life filled with family, friends and meaningful work.


07 June 2023

J.A. Irvine

John Irvine was an enthusiastic amateur photographer, active in the period ca. 1895 to ca. 1905. His views of Halifax and several nearby communities (Fall River, Purcell Cove, Waverley), plus the area around Annapolis Royal (Bear River, Clementsport, Granville Ferry, Smiths Cove) include buildings, street-scapes, picnics, camping and outdoor activities, railways, farm scenes and informal portraits.


               

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