Presbyterianism has deep roots in the agricultural communities of the St. Mary’s River valley, settled largely by emigrant Scots in the initial decades of the nineteenth century. The tradition of Presbyterianism in the St. Mary’s region stems from…

The Beaton Institute, and its predecessor Cape Bretoniana, has served as the regional archives for Cape Breton Island/Unama’ki for over six decades. The Beaton Institute collects and preserves the social, economic, political, and cultural history of…

William Samuel Wagner was born in Upper LaHave, Nova Scotia, on November 5, 1820. His great grandfather, Phillippus Wager (b. 1707), came over from Germany in 1751 with many other German immigrants to settle in what would be known as Lunenburg. They…

"At last the big egg opened. ‘Pip! pip!’ said the young one, scrambling out; he was very big and ugly." – Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling When I mention that I work at the Sutherland Steam Mill invariably, I get a blank look. Then I…

The jail was built in 1862 and used until 1969. The jailer and his family lived on one side of the house, both upstairs and down. On the other side of the house were five jail cells – three downstairs and two upstairs. The cells were lined with…

In the early 1800s, many of the remote new settlements along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia were bereft of any religious influence other than the occasional visiting missionary or clergyman. Roads were virtually non-existent, other than paths…

Sherbrooke Court House was built in 1858 on land purchased from the John and Samuel Cumminger, who owned Cumminger Brothers’ General Store. The courthouse was designed in the Greek Revival style with large fluted columns at the front, much like many…

The Black community on Sand Hill was established more than 100 years before Amherst was incorporated in 1889. The sprawling five-kilometer community overlooks beautiful downtown Amherst and encompasses streets such as Albion, Poplar, East Pleasant,…

Like other parts of Cape Breton, Glace Bay has a strong legacy in mining. According to the Cape Breton Miners’ Museum, by 1873 there were eight coal companies operating in Cape Breton. To operate the mines, many companies enlisted labourers from…

The Schoolhouse in Sherbrooke Village was built in 1867 according to plans issued by a report by the Provincial Superintendent of Education. Before the schoolhouse opened, students were taught from people’s homes. The first teacher in Sherbrooke was…