The County Courts were established in 1874 by an act that divided Nova Scotia into judicial districts, each presided over by a judge appointed federally pursuant to the Constitution Act of 1867. Of the seven districts, comprehending all eighteen counties, District Number One comprised Halifax County; District Number Two: Lunenburg, Shelburne, and Queens counties; District Number Three: Annapolis, Digby, and Yarmouth counties; District Number Four: Kings, Hants, and Colchester counties; District Number Five: Pictou and Cumberland counties; District Number Six: Inverness, Antigonish, and Guysborough counties; and District Number Seven: Cape Breton, Victoria, and Richmond counties. The new County Courts divested the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia of some of its original civil jurisdiction, which it had exclusively exercised since the statutory abolition in 1841 of the Inferior Courts of Common Pleas (county/district/township). The County Courts heard actions for debt not exceeding $400, tort actions for damages not exceeding $200, and appeals from the summary judgments of magistrates. Legislation in 1889 conferred a limited criminal jurisdiction on County Court judges, subject to a right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Education Act of 1864 established the Council of Public Instruction to administer schools in Nova Scotia. The council, consisting of members of the Executive Council, appointed the Superintendent of Education as secretary. The council's powers included regulation and superintendence of the Normal School (Nova Scotia Teachers College), appointment of inspectors, regulation of grants for provincial examiners and libraries, regulation and supervision of boards of school commissioners, designation of holidays, prescription of textbooks, appointment of Provincial Board of Examiners, issuance of teachers' licences and preparation and promulgation of school law (education regulations). In 1949 the responsibilities of the Council of Public Instruction were transferred to the minister of education.
The Council of Twelve, which served as an advisory board to the Governor, was constituted by Royal Instructions and met for the first time at Annapolis Royal in April 1720. From 1720 to 1758 the Council exercised legislative as well as executive power. From 1758 to 1837 the Council served as the upper chamber of Nova Scotia's unicameral legislature, when the House of Assembly was in session. In 1830 judges were excluded from the Council and it was afterwards enlarged from twelve to fifteen members. In 1838 the Council became two separate and independent bodies - the Executive Council and the Legislative Council.
The Nova Scotia Communications and Information Centre was established by legislation in 1972. The centre provided a centralized information service for all government departments, agencies, boards and commissions; the dissemination, communication, and transmission of information products within and outside the public service; an enquiry service for the general public covering government policies, programs, and services; information outlets making available government publications and information; and advice on the development of communications hardware systems. In 1980, the centre became the information services division of the newly created Department of Government Services.
The office of Commissioner of Public Records, responsible for "examining, preserving and arranging ancient records and documents illustrative of the history and progress of society in this Province" was created by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Gaspard Le Marchant on 29 May 1857. The office lapsed on the death of its first and only incumbent, Thomas Beamish Akins, in 1891. In May 1899 Premier G.H. Murray, in his capacity as Provincial Secretary, responsible for preserving "the archives, registers and records of the Government and Province...," appointed the curator of the Provincial Museum, Harry Piers, deputy keeper of the public records, in indirect succession to Akins. The post of deputy keeper endured until February 1931, when it was superseded by that of archivist of Nova Scotia (Provincial Archivist).
In order to promote settlement in Nova Scotia, Governor Edward Cornwallis was directed in 1749 to make fee simple or absolute possession of land grants tax free for the first three years; thereafter an annual rent was to be paid. Later laws changed the regulations relating to the size of grants, quit rents, and taxation, and, at times, the sale of land took the place of free grants. In 1749 Charles Morris was appointed the first Surveyor General to administer the granting of land. The Surveyor General was responsible for surveying of the boundary lines of land grants, roads, and other lands and the preparation of maps and plans. Deputy surveyors were appointed for each district or county. In 1827 a Commissioner of Crown Lands was appointed to oversee the sale of crown land and in 1851 the commissioner absorbed the position of Surveyor General. A separate Commissioner of Crown Lands for Cape Breton existed until 1847, reporting directly to the Provincial Secretary. In 1877 the Attorney General became ex officio Commissioner of Crown Lands. In 1926 the Department of Lands and Forests was created, and the functions of the commissioner were transferred to the new department.
On 20 March 1980 the Commission to Review the Police Act and Regulations was appointed by the Attorney General, the Hon. Harry W. How. The Commission’s mandate was to hold a public inquiry into the Nova Scotia Police Act and Regulations of 1974, to receive and consider submissions from municipalities, associations and individual stakeholders, and to report its findings and make recommendations for changes to the Act or Regulations to the Attorney General. Chief Judge Nathan Green was appointed Commissioner and David W. Richey (or Ritcey), Barrister, acted as Counsel to the Commission. The Commission began public hearings in various municipalities throughout the province beginning on 17 April and ending on October 16, 1980. The Commission submitted its final report to the Attorney General on 20 March 1981 and then disbanded.
The Nova Scotia Commission of Inquiry on Uranium, also known as the Uranium Inquiry--Nova Scotia, was created by Order-in-Council #82-200 dated February 9, 1982. Judge Robert J. McCleave of Halifax was appointed sole commissioner. His mandate was to assess implications relating to the exploitation of uranium and uranium resources in Nova Scotia, and to determine measures which should be taken with respect to this resource in the future. The Commission held 44 informal public meetings across the province from April 2 to October 8, 1982 (Stage 1 of the Inquiry) and 2 formal public hearings in Halifax on March 4 and 18, 1983 (Stage 2). They accepted written submissions (briefs) from all interested parties. Commissioner McCleave visited woodlands near New Ross to inspect trespass damage caused during uranium exploration, visited Millett Brook the site of uranium exploration by the Kidd Creek Company, and travelled to Bancroft, ON site of a closed small uranium mine. He also attended a meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Ottawa in 1983 discussing trends in regulations. Research material about uranium extraction and use was also collected. Commissioner McCleave submitted his final report to the Lieutenant-Governor of NS on January 30, 1985 and then disbanded.
The Nova Scotia Commission of Inquiry into Membership and Representation on the Metropolitan Authority of Halifax, Dartmouth, and the Municipality of the County of Halifax was created by Order-in-Council #83-360 on March 29, 1983. Mr. I.W. Akerley was appointed sole commissioner until ill health forced him to resign. In his place, Mr. R.B. MacDonald, Queen’s Counsel lawyer in Halifax, was appointed commissioner. The Commission was initiated when Bedford became a new town within Halifax County and applied for membership in the Metropolitan Authority, a statutory body created by an Act of the Legislature in 1978. The Commission’s mandate was to make recommendations to the Executive Council on the most suitable form of representation for Bedford within the Metropolitan Authority. The Commission held public hearings in Halifax May 17, 18 and June 8, 1983. They received written submissions (briefs) from current members of the Metropolitan Authority, interested citizens, and the town of Bedford. The final report was submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs on August 10, 1983 and the Commission disbanded.
The Nova Scotia Commission of Inquiry Appointed to Investigate Matters Concerning the Expropriation of Lands of Lewis Miller & Co. Ltd. by the Nova Scotia Power Commission, a government agency, was created by Order in Council on March 3, 1933. It was created in order to resolve the disagreement between the company and the Power Commission on a fair compensation amount to be paid. Justice William F. Carroll, judge on the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, was appointed chairperson along with A. Handfield Whitman, merchant in Halifax, and Daniel J. Purtill, lumberman of Halifax as co-commissioners. Its mandate was to determine the amount of compensation owed by the Nova Scotia Government to Lewis Miller & Co. Ltd, lumber mill, for the expropriation of their land at Saint Margaret’s Bay in 1921-1927. The Commission of Inquiry reviewed documentary evidence and held 5 days of hearings in Halifax from April 11 to 25, 1933. The commissioners could not agree on a final amount. Judge Carroll and Mr. Purtill submitted their report to Government on June 14, 1933. Mr. Whitman submitted his contrary opinion on June 12, 1933. The Government accepted the majority opinion and passed an Order in Council on July 7, 1933 authorizing payment to Lewis Miller & Company Ltd.
The Nova Scotia Commission Appointed to Inquire into and Concerning the Boundary Line Between the Counties of Cumberland and Colchester was created by Order-in-Council dated January 14, 1954. Justice J.L. Ilsley, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, was appointed chairperson with Justice W.L. Hall, and Justice Vincent C. MacDonald, judges of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, appointed as co-commissioners. Arthur L. Thurlow, lawyer of Bridgewater, was appointed Counsel for the Commission. Its mandate was to determine the boundary line between Cumberland and Colchester Counties at a disputed section along the Harrington River near the town of Parrsboro. The Commission had a survey conducted of the river and surrounding lands by Department of Lands and Forests employee Joseph Archibald, in July and August 1956. Public hearings were held on February 28, April 3, 1956 and June 18, 1957 in Halifax and written submissions from interested individuals and corporations were accepted. The Commission submitted its report to Premier Robert L. Stanfield on January 8, 1959 and then disbanded.
The organization originally called itself the Nova Scotia Coalition on Federal Cultural Policy when it began its activity on 19 December 1984 with Mary Sparling (1928-2011) as chairperson. Initially, the organization wanted to meet with Marcel Masse who represented the new government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to discuss cuts to funding. By the end of March 1985 the name had changed to the Nova Scotia Coalition on Arts and Culture with a renewed mandate to push for greater accountability on the part of government with respect to the Arts and Culture communities. A conference held at Mount St. Vincent University in 1986 examined the foundations of Canada's cultural policy and its beginnings in 1941, which led to the creation of the Canada Council. The work of the Coalition continued into the 1990s.
Formerly Nova Scotia Civil Liberties and Human Rights Association, the Nova Scotia Civil Liberties Association was established in January 1972 and registered under the Societies Act. As a lobby/activist group dedicated to "sustain, promote, and extend civil liberties", the association dealt with a wide range of issues including non-resident ownership of land, disability pension, and qualifications for election to municipal offices.
Until 1962 provincial elections were the responsibility of the Provincial Secretary. In 1962 a new Elections Act was passed and a Chief Electoral Officer appointed to administer it. The Chief Electoral Officer, who must be a barrister, is responsible for exercising "general direction and supervision over the administrative conduct of elections," and other functions relating to the administration of elections. The Chief Electoral Officer is ex officio member of the Election Commission.
In 1789 Bishop Charles Inglis formed the first Central Board of Agriculture in Nova Scotia. In 1818 a revived central board (the Provincial Agriculture Society) was established, largely through the efforts of John Young, with himself as secretary. The purpose of the board was to encourage the growth and extension of local agricultural societies; study local agricultural conditions; publish and distribute agricultural information; offer premiums and grants for agricultural improvement; and import and distribute high-quality seeds, livestock and machinery. By 1825, at least twenty-seven local agricultural societies had been established. The House of Assembly did not renew the board's charter in 1826; however, it established a standing committee on agriculture in 1829. A new Central Board of Agriculture was established in 1841. This board had less control over local societies and in 1845 a new Agriculture Act gave them the right to incorporate. In 1858 the board was abolished again but, through the efforts of Alexander Forrester, was restored in 1864. In 1885 the board was replaced by the Department of Agriculture (later Agriculture and Marketing).
The Board of Registration and Statistics was created by statute in 1850 and consisted of two members of the Executive Council and the Financial Secretary. Although authorized to produce an annual volume of provincial statistics and to commence a registration system of vital statistics, the board, until 1864, limited its activities to the censuses of 1851 and 1861. These censuses were undertaken throughout the British Empire and consisted of questions supplied by the Colonial Office and local authorities. Despite legislation requiring censuses every five years the board appears to have been dormant between 1851 and 1861.
The Nova Scotia Barristers' Society is the statutory body charged with the regulation of the legal profession in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Their mandate includes ensuring that lawyers deliver competent and ethical legal services in accordance with the standards set for legal professionals.
The Nova Scotia Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on Legal Aid was created in May 1975 by Allan E. Sullivan, Nova Scotia’s Attorney General. Justice W.A.D. Gunn, judge with the Province of NS, was appointed chairperson with John A. MacKenzie, Director of Social Research and Planning, and Arthur J. Mollom, Barrister at Law, as co-commissioners. The Committee’s mandate was to determine the impact of the legal aid system on low-income Nova Scotians. They also investigated methods for providing quality legal service economically and efficiently. The Committee held public hearings in May 1975 but public attendance and participation was negligible. Instead, the Committee toured the province, and met with 124 organizations representing low-income groups such as welfare organizations, family & children’s services groups, indigenous groups, legal aid societies, and housing and human rights associations. The Committee also met with individual lawyers/barristers, the Provincial Barristers’ Society and local societies, and judges. In addition, they traveled to Montreal, PQ and Toronto, ON to learn from their experiences. The Committee received 30 written submissions (briefs). Justice Gunn submitted their summary report to the Attorney General's Office on May 27, 1976, and the Advisory Committee disbanded.
The Nova Scotia Association of Architects (NSAA) was incorporated in 1932 (Statutes of Nova Scotia 1932, Chapter 15, pages 217-229). The founding members were S.P. Dumaresq, A.E. Priest, H.E. Gates, W.M. Brown and A.R. Cobb. By the end of the year the Association comprised eleven members. It is a professional organization formed to administer and direct the practice of architecture in the Province of Nova Scotia. This is achieved through keeping a register of architects licensed to practice, conducting regular administration and technical meetings, administering NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) examinations for potential members, maintaining a disciplinary committee to receive and process complaints, and assisting various governmental bodies in drafting legislation as it might affect architects, their clients, or the public.
The Advisory Council on the Status of Women was established in 1977 to advise the minister responsible for the council on matters relating to the status of women, and to bring to her attention matters of interest and concern to women. In August 1996 the council absorbed the Women's Directorate, responsible for developing legislation and government policy and programs relating to the status of women.
Notman Studio, Halifax opened in 1869, the fourth branch studio of the photographic firm established by William Notman at Montreal in 1856. Oliver M. Hill, trained in the studio, became manager in 1876. In 1885 Notman bought out The Halifax Photographic Company, also known as Millman and Ray, from W.H. Webb who had purchased it in 1880. Hill purchased Notman Studio, Halifax from William Notman's heirs after the latter's death in 1891 and operated it until his own death in 1923. Hill left instructions in his will that the studio be sold. His daughter Amy (Isabella Amelia), a partner in the studio since 1912, continued to manage it for two years after his death. His daughter (Olive) Muriel then managed it for about a year until it closed in 1925 or 1926.
Robert W. Norwood, professional photographer, was born at Hubbards, N.S. on 4 April 1905, the eldest son of Dr. Edward Norwood and Stella (Keans). He attended St. Mary's High School in Halifax and returned to Hubbards where he worked odd jobs to help support his family after his father's death in 1918. When Norwood was nineteen, he accompanied his uncle, poet and Anglican clergyman Dr. Robert Norwood, to New York. There he learned photography while working as an assistant to art and fashion photographer Edward Steichen. Norwood left Steichen's firm in 1929 and briefly joined a large photographic firm in Philadelphia before returning to Nova Scotia in 1930. He married Ruth Brownie of Ingramport at Halifax and practiced photography in Liverpool, New Glasgow and Hubbards before opening his own studio on Barrington Street in Halifax in 1938. From 1947 to 1964 he was staff photographer for the Halifax Herald. Norwood continued to do freelance photography for the newspaper and began a second career in filmmaking, producing short, scenic news, and documentary films for CBC and also on a freelance basis. In 1976 he and his wife retired to Shoreham Village near Chester, where he died on 4 November 1985.
James Paul Norrie was born on 25 April 1891 in Onslow, Nova Scotia, the son of James Henry and Annie (McDougall) Norrie. He was a dairy farmer and mining engineer who worked across Canada looking predominantly for gold. He graduated from the Nova Scotia Technical College in 1913 and began his career as a mine inspector, later working for several United States companies before finding his way to the Quebec wilderness. From 1927 to 1945, he found more mines in Canada than anyone before him. He transformed the wilderness of the Malartic region into an economically prosperous community by discovering, or helping to develop, the East Malartic, Aubelle, Croinor, Louvicourt, Norbenite and Sladen mines. His greatest success in the region was with Malartic Goldfields, which out-produced its neighbours. He also was involved with the discovery of pitchblende at Great Bear Lake, where the Eldorado uranium mine was later developed. He owned Inspiration Mining and Development Company Ltd. He died on 9 October 1945. He was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2000.
George and Susanna Nichols of Waterbury, Connecticut had three children: Ann, Mary, and George Kimberley. Ann Nichols married Rev. James Scovil of Kingston, New Brunswick. Mary Nichols married Judge Peleg Wiswall in 1803 and had one child, Mary Wiswall, who married Charles Budd, a Digby merchant, registrar of probate, and MLA. George Kimberley Nichols resided in Digby where he was a merchant dealing in general goods and hardware. He married Mary Budd, daughter of Loyalist Elisha Budd and sister of Charles Budd. George and Mary Nichols had three children: Charles, Edward Elisha Budd (1820-1893) and Mary Susannah.
Edward Elisha Budd (E.E.B.) Nichols was ordained as a minister in 1845 and served as rector of the Trinity Anglican Church, Liverpool for many years. He married his first wife, Amelia Caroline Sterns in 1861. In 1874 he married Caroline Seely Agney with whom he had two children: Mary Edith Letitia (m. Thomas Lynch of Liverpool in 1903) and George Everard Edgehill (m. Grace E. Robertson).