After the Great Fire of 1897, which devastated the town of Windsor, efforts began to rebuild the town and its infrastructure. Many saw the fire as an opportunity to significantly improve the buildings of the town. This is how Windsor’s Opera House…

Sister Rita Clare (1933-2017) grew up in a musical family in Sydney. As a child she attended St. Joseph's School and Holy Angels Convent. She graduated from Holy Angels High School, the school where she would teach music for thirteen years. She…

Joseph MacInnis (1890-1928) was the son of Catherine Ann (Campbell) and Ronald MacInnis. He was a talented musician, well remembered for his legendary voice. The Antigonish “Casket” referred to him as having “unusual musical attainments…While still…

La musique est un art d'agrément que l'on favorise au Collège, en dépit des difficultés financières des premières années. Avant la fondation de la Fanfare, on fait notamment venir des musiciens des paroisses pour souligner des événements importants.…

In June of 1898, the local paper of the day, Bridgewater Bulletin, announced that the Bridgewater Band was to build a bandstand. Prominent citizen, W. H. Owen (1842-1928), donated a site on his property on the eastern side of the old bridge, and…

In 1890, Bridgewater announced a company was to build a music hall. Land was purchased, and the building commenced. E. D. Davison commented, "men are framing the Music Hall, which gives employment to carpenters for the winter. Hope the investment…

According to the October 1918 issue of Busy East, the "Bridgewater Band" was organized in 1868 and was led by bandmaster Charles Jeffries. A photograph dated c. 1865 of a band in front of Robert West's store, its members with mutton chop whiskers,…

In her later years, Portia May White (1911-1968) offered this explanation for her life:"First you dream, then you put on your walking shoes." In the era in which Portia grew up, few would have imagined that the sixth child of Izie and Rev. William…

In 1936, the recently widowed Flora Marsh (nee MacQuarrie) and her family of four teenaged children moved from Sydney, Cape Breton, to Halifax. The children grew up in a household rich with music, their mother a talented pianist from a musical…

For more than four decades, Halifax music lovers enjoyed the performances of the Armdale Chorus on radio, television, and live concerts. Starting as a Rhythm Band in 1934 under the direction of Mary Dee (later Mary Dee Girroir), the Armdale Glee…