Recent Stories
Samuel Champlain in Acadie
Samuel de Champlain is well-known for helping establish a French colony at Québec. What many may not know is that he spent over three years in the French colony of Acadie, which once included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and…
LaHave, Capital of New France
In early September 1632, the Mi’kmaq who lived along the Pijinuiskaq (the LaHave River) must have been astonished to see two big wooden ships sailing through the narrows between what is now known as Kraut Point and LaHave. They anchored, and 200…
Judge Mather Byles DesBrisay (1828-1900)
Mather Byles DesBrisay was born in Chester, Lunenburg County, on March 19, 1828 to Lucretia Woodward and Thomas Belcher DesBrisay, M.D. He studied law at Dalhousie University and was admitted to the bar in 1851, practicing his profession in Halifax…
The Orangemen War Memorial in Wentworth Park, Sydney
War Memorials are located in communities around Nova Scotia, but none are like the one in Wentworth Park in Sydney, Cape Breton. The monument is very impressive, standing well over three metres high, and is inscribed with the names of 61 Nova…
Father Charles Aucoin (1911-1999)
Born in Chéticamp in 1911, the late Father Charles Aucoin completed his grade 11 at Our Lady of Annunciation (now NDA) school in Chéticamp before pursuing his post-secondary education at Collège Sainte-Anne (now Université Sainte-Anne) in…
The Tragic Storm of 1944
On the night of December 28, 1944, a severe storm and tidal wave swept the coast of Inverness County. The storm had a great impact on the Port Hood area. Much fishing equipment was destroyed including wharves and breakwaters.
H.A. Smith & Sons on…
Featured Stories
Frank E. Garber (1877-1964)
Frank Elam Garber was born in Newcombville in 1877 to Emanuel and Mary Eliza (Hebb) Garber. From a young age, Frank Garber showed artistic abilities as seen in his early charcoal self-portrait, a…
Studley Quoit Club
The game of quoits is recorded as having been played as early as 1762 on McNabs Island by British settlers – the earliest recorded use of the island for recreation. In addition to quoits, McNabs…
Parsons Ocean Power Plant
"Clean Energy" is a term often used to describe wind and solar power. But in 1921, another method of "Clean Energy" called "wave power" was being talked about in Halifax. Newspapers reported that a…
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Historic Dalhousie Buildings
12 Locations ~ Curated by Historic Nova Scotia Team with research support from Dalhousie University ArchivesVanguards: 150 Years of Remarkable Nova Scotians
12 Locations ~ Curated by the Nova Scotia MuseumHalifax's 'Urban Renewal' in the 1960s
7 Locations ~ Curated by The Historic Nova Scotia TeamHistoric Halifax for the Holidays
6 Locations ~ Curated by The Historic Nova Scotia TeamWomen of Nova Scotia
24 Locations ~ Curated by The Historic Nova Scotia TeamHistoric Nova Scotia
A project by Historic Nova ScotiaHistoric Nova Scotia is a free app that allows you to explore Nova Scotia’s rich history. Developed by a number of cultural heritage organizations in Nova Scotia, Historic Nova Scotia is a mobile application that provides an interpretive view of many aspects of the region’s history. Each point on the interactive GPS-enabled map includes historical information about the site along with historic images and other digital resources from Nova Scotia’s cultural heritage organizations. Read more About Us