Nova Scotia Archives is a governmental

archival An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials, in any medium, or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organ ...

institution serving the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. The archives acquires, preserves and makes available the province's documentary heritage – recorded information of provincial significance created or accumulated by government and the private sector over the last 300 years. The idea for a provincial archives and a Provincial Archivist first took root on April 30, 1857 when a resolution was put forward in the Legislative Assembly (moved by

Joseph Howe Joseph Howe (December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, public servant, and poet. Howe is often ranked as one of Nova Scotia's most admired politicians and his considerable skills as a journalist and writer h ...

, and seconded by James W. Johnston), making it the first provincial archives in Canada.

Thomas Beamish Akins Thomas Beamish Akins (February 1, 1809 – May 6, 1891) was a Canadian lawyer, historian, archivist, and author who was appointed Nova Scotia's first Commissioner of Public Records from 1857 until his death in 1891. He was designated a Person of N ...

, a lawyer, historian, archivist, and author, was appointed Nova Scotia's first Commissioner of Public Records from 1857 until his death in 1891. Dal Cobb Chase Building

In 1931, the Nova Scotia Archives became the first provincial archives in Canada to have a purpose-built building. The Chase Building, designed by Andrew R. Cobb, still exists and is now home to the Math department of

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

. The current Public Archives Building, designed by Keith L. Graham, opened in 1980 to provide additional vault space and allow for the storage of all archival records under one roof. The department itself was formerly known as the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and was renamed Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management in 1997 after it assumed responsibility of government record-keeping. The former name is still used in certain applications, such as at the agency's headquarters at

Robie Street Robie Street is a north-south artery that runs for 7 km in the Halifax Peninsula area of the Halifax Regional Municipality from Memorial Drive in the North End to Gorsebrook Avenue in the South End. The street and provincial road has in most pl ...

and University Avenue in Halifax. It is a Division of the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage. In 2011, the archives' official name changed to the Nova Scotia Archives. Public Archives of Nova Scotia entrance

The Nova Scotia Archives continues to digitize large parts of its collections for viewing on their website. Their website contains approximately 70 virtual exhibits and databases, and features thousands of archival photos and documents. Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics, the Nova Scotia Archives'

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

website, contains birth, death, and marriage records from 1763 to 1958 with new accruals being added every year.Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Release Policy
/ref> The Nova Scotia Archives is the home of the

Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society The Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society is a historical society in Halifax, Nova Scotia that was founded in 1878 and is the third oldest in Canada (The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec is the first, founded in 1824, followed by the York P ...

References

External links

Nova Scotia Archives Online

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics
{{coord, 44.637568, -63.585965, type:landmark_region:CA-NS, display=title 1929 establishments in Nova Scotia

Archives An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials, in any medium, or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organ ...

History of Nova Scotia Archives in Nova Scotia