The Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Select Committee on Tourism was established by Resolution #486 passed in the Legislature on 16 May 1985. The Select Committee was made up of 11 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) plus the Minister for Tourism with Dr. R. Colin D. Stewart, MLA for Colchester-South, appointed chair. A smaller, 5-member Steering Committee was formed from this group, supported by Joan Kelly from the Office of the Speaker, as Secretary (Administrative Professional). Its mandate was to study the tourism industry in Nova Scotia and make recommendations on its development and promotion. They listened to 20 presentations from tourism stakeholders, examined the work of the earlier Select Committee on Tourism (chaired by Brian Young, 1982-1984) and submitted an interim report in May 1986. The final report was tabled in the House of Assembly on 22 April 1987 and the Select Committee disbanded.
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission was created by legislation in 1967. It attained substantially its present mandate two years later, when amendments to the Human Rights Act subsumed the previously separate Human Rights Commission Act. The mandate of the commission is to enforce and administer the Human Rights Act by investigating complaints of human rights violations and offering programs of public information and education regarding affirmative action and race relations. The act generally prohibits discrimination on any ground. The commission is headed by a director of human rights, who is chief executive officer and ex officio commissioner and has the status of a deputy minister. The commission is governed by commissioners appointed by the Cabinet and have the power to initiate formal inquiries, determine whether discrimination has occurred and, if so, what remedies may apply. In 1985 the ethnic services (race relations) division of the Department of Education was transferred to the Human Rights Commission and a coordinator of race relations appointed.
The Nova Scotia Minister’s Task Force on the Status of Women was initiated in April 1975 by the Government of Nova Scotia (NS). Mairi Macdonald was appointed chairperson with 7 women members appointed as co-commissioners. Their mandate was to study the federal Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada (1970) report regarding implementation of its recommendations falling under provincial jurisdiction; to report on the legal, social, and political status of women in Nova Scotia and make recommendations for improving their lives. It held small-group meetings with nearly 2000 women, conducted 29 public hearings, and 60 “work sessions”, and received 300 written submissions. Topics addressed included women’s work inside and outside the home, childcare, the need for external supports, their physical and mental health, learning opportunities, and responsibilities and rights under the Law. The Task Force submitted its final report containing 95 recommendations for change to Allan Sullivan, Attorney-General and NS Minister for Human Rights Commission, on March 31, 1976 and then disbanded.
The Industrial Loan Board (ILB) was created in April 1951 to make recommendations to cabinet on loans to businesses and industries in Nova Scotia. Starting in 1944 the government had provided loans to hotels, small industries, and fishery workers. The board was created in an attempt to consolidate the programs and provide advice on individual applications. It was intended that the board would assume the duties of the Fishermen's Loan Board. However, that body continued to exist. In 1971, the Industrial Loan Board was superseded by the Nova Scotia Resources Development Board.
The Inferior Court of Common Pleas, County of Annapolis, commenced on 22 August 1761 with commissions appointing judges and instructing them to follow the procedure used by the Inferior Court at Halifax. Cases were to be heard by a bench of three or more judges, who were not required to have legal training and who were generally the senior justices of the peace for the county. The court's jurisdiction was civil and cases were often heard in connection with the Court of General Sessions meetings at Annapolis. In 1800 legislation allowed the Inferior Court to divide its sittings between Digby and Annapolis. The court's structure was adjusted in 1823 and 1824 to require a legally trained first judge, who would receive an annual stipend, to attend each case and sit as part of the bench.To facilitate this, the province was divided into districts, with Annapolis and Shelburne Counties sharing a stipendiary judge and forming the court's western district. In 1837 Digby became a separate county with its own Inferior Court. The gradual expansion of the court's jurisdiction and the increased circuit presence of the Supreme Court made it appear as if there were two courts with the same jurisdiction. In 1841 the Inferior Court was abolished and the remaining cases were transferred to the Supreme Court.
Until 1972, Nova Scotia government information services were delivered by a variety of successive departments. Legislation in 1972 established the Nova Scotia Communications and Information Centre. In 1981 the centre became a division of the Department of Government Services. In November 1987, Nova Scotia Information Service again became a separate agency, with a mandate to facilitate the flow of communication between government and the public and to promote Nova Scotia nationally and internationally. In 1992, Nova Scotia Information Service became a division of the Department of Supply and Services.
On 19 October 1962 Premier Robert Stanfield announced the creation of the Interdepartmental Committee on Human Rights. Chaired by the Premier, the other members of the committee were the Ministers of Education and Labour, and the Deputy Ministers of Public Health, Public Welfare, Labour, and Education as well as the Chairman of the Nova Scotia Housing Commission. The committee was charged with giving immediate attention to the problems of Blacks in Nova Scotia, reviewing existing provincial services and legal responsibilities in respect to all minority groups, and making recommendations to improve race relations in the province and generally promoting freedom of equality and opportunity. Following a report by C.R. Brookbank in 1967 on the Organization and administration of the human rights program of the province of Nova Scotia, the committee directed the creation of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Throughout its existence the committee was chaired by the Premier with F. R. MacKinnon, the Deputy Minister of Public Welfare, as its secretary.
The Interdepartmental Committee on the Status of Women was formed in 1975 and constituted under the authority of the minister responsible for the status of women. The committee began operations in 1976 with seventeen members representing government departments with special responsibility for women's issues. It had a mandate to study provincial and federal government policies relating to women. By 1979 it included a representative from every department and selected agencies. The committee made recommendations to the minister on matters dealing with or affecting the status of women, existing and proposed legislation, existing or proposed government policies and practices, composition of the committee, and matters referred to it by the minister. In 1988 the Women's Directorate was created to maintain the committee and act as its secretariat. The committee was renamed the Interdepartmental Committee on Women's Issues in 1992.
The Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival Association had its genesis In 1935 when a committee of music educators, who aimed to provide young musicians with the opportunity to pursue their craft at on broader level, organized a competitive music festival in Halifax. At first the festival was primarily a project of the Kiwanis Clubs in Halifax, but later it expanded to involve thousands of participants per year, and to encompass a dozen separate venues, requiring the services of fifteen expert adjudicators. In order to organize and produce the festival and to encourage and support music performance and education in all disciplines, the Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival Association was formed. It was incorporated in 2000. While the festival is its main project, the Association also offers non-competitive classes at all levels. Through its affiliation with both the Provincial and National Federations of Music Festivals, the Association offers young performers the opportunity to compete locally, provincially and nationally. For advanced participants who perform at a higher level, the Association also provides the prestigious Rose Bowl Competition.
In 1972 Nova Scotia enacted a Labour Standards Code replacing a more limited Vacation Pay Act. The Code, created under the Labour Standards Act, provided a framework for government to set employment standards in situations where collective agreements did not apply. The Code covers employee protection, vacation pay, holidays with pay, industrial standards, minimum wage, equal pay for equal work, pregnancy leave and parental leave, bereavement leave and court leave, hours of work, employment of children, termination of employment and protection of pay. Under the Act, a Director of Labour Standards, within the Labour Department, acted as the initial investigator and adjudicator of complaints with the Labour Standards Tribunal having the power to respond to appeals from decisions and awards of the Director. The Tribunal had three members, all appointed by Order-in-Council and could hear appeals individually as lone arbitrators or collectively as a panel of three. In 2010 the functions of the Tribunal were transferred to the integrated Labour Board and the Labour Standards Tribunal was abolished.
The Nova Scotia Law Reform Advisory Commission was created in 1969 to advise the Attorney General on statute law revisions. The Commission acted in response to requests from the Attorney General and, in general, would review statutes, recommend revisions and issue reports based upon its findings. The Commission was replaced by an independent Law Reform Commission in 1991.
From 1758 to 1837 the members of His Majesty's Council acted as the upper house pro tem of Nova Scotia's unicameral legislature. In February 1838, by royal letters patent, a separate and distinct Legislative Council was established as an appointive second chamber - the provincial senate. The Legislative Council was abolished in 1928, since when Nova Scotia has again had a unicameral legislature.
In 1973 the Western Counties Regional Library staff formed a "Committee for a Nova Scotia Library Association." On 11 February 1973 a meeting was held at the Halifax County Regional Library to discuss the feasibility of establishing an association. It was felt that an association was needed, especially to meet the needs of non-professional staff. The first official meetings of the association took place in Yarmouth between 29 September and 1 October 1973. The Nova Scotia Library Association was officially incorporated on 5 April 1974. The mandate of the Association is to promote and facilitate, through practical means, the exchange of ideas, problems and solutions among people concerned with library service at all levels and in all geographic areas of Nova Scotia.
From 1719 to 1786 the Lieutenant Governor served as deputy to the Governor and acted as chief executive during the Governor's absence or indisposition. The office of Lieutenant Governor was made redundant in 1786, when the Governor's rank was reduced to that of Lieutenant Governor, which it has remained ever since.
In 1895 the government of Nova Scotia amended the law respecting coroners to provide for the appointment of a licensed medical practitioner as the medical examiner for the City of Halifax and the Town of Dartmouth. The medical examiner was empowered to determine the deceased's identity and the time and method of death and to file a report with the Halifax County clerk of the crown and the appropriate stipendiary magistrate. The magistrate could then convene an inquiry and hear testimony if it was deemed necessary. In 1896 the act was amended to extend jurisdiction to include deaths occurring on the grounds of the Nova Scotia Hospital which at that time was beyond the Dartmouth municipal boundary.
On 22 March 1753, Governor P.T. Hopson proclaimed the establishment of a militia in Nova Scotia. The first Militia Act was passed in 1758. In 1775, another Militia Act was passed which gave the Governor (and others) the authority to enlist volunteers. The act also covered the drafting of men by ballot for active service, penalties for non-compliance, pay, and deductions for clothing and supplies. The act was again revised in 1795 and 1821. By 1834 the militia totalled forty-one battalions. In 1859 the volunteer militia movement began and thirty volunteer companies were organized and officially recognized by 1860. By this time, however, it was clear that the provincial militia was ineffective as a professional military force. A special militia court was convened in 1865 and deliberated on measures to improve the militia. Two years later the Dominion of Canada assumed general responsibility for militia and defence.
The Nova Scotia Minister’s Commission to Investigate Manor Securities Ltd., Canadian Alumina Corp., Marpic Explorations Ltd., and Peninsula Securities Ltd. was created by the Minister in charge of Administration of the Securities Act on December 24, 1957. T. H. Coffin, Queens Counsel lawyer in Halifax, was appointed Special Representative to the Minister under Section 19(1) of the Securities Act (Chapter 261 of Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia 1954). Donald A. Kerr was appointed as Counsel for the Commission, and Mr. Gordon E. Hayman and Mr. A. Irvine Barrow were appointed auditors. A surprise audit was begun on December 27, 1957. Hearings were conducted January 6, 1958, February 3,4, 9, March 26, July 31, and October 1, 8, 1959. A questionnaire was sent to clients of Manor Securities Ltd.. The Final Report and the Confidential Report were submitted to the Minister on February 1, 1960 by T.H. Coffin and the Commission disbanded.
The Nova Scotia Ministers’ Task Force on the Film and Video Industry was created by a Memorandum to Policy Board in June 1983 as a joint task force of 3 Departments: Development, Transportation, and Culture, Recreation and Fitness. It was created in response to a proposal from the Atlantic Independent Film and Video Association (AIFVA) for a study of the film industry in Nova Scotia. The Task Force comprised 7 members – 3 from the film industry and 3 members from government – with Elizabeth Hanson, businesswoman in Dartmouth, appointed chairperson. Their mandate was to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the film and video industry in NS; examine the present and potential economic impacts; review the effects on industry of current production, distribution, and exhibition arrangements; analyze the effects of government policies and regulations; determine the national and international market outlook; and recommend policy and programs to develop the industry. The Task Force conducted research, met with major stakeholders, conducted 3 days of public hearings in Halifax, and received 23 written submissions. They presented their report of 34 recommendations to the Ministers on June 20, 1984 and then disbanded.
The Municipal Board was created in 1981 to consolidate appeals or decision making under a number of different statutes related primarily to property assessment, land use and local boundaries. It assumed the powers of the Provincial Planning Appeals Board which had been established under the Planning Act in 1969 to hear appeals from decisions of municipal councils regarding land use, zoning and other matters. The Municipal Board however had a wider authority hearing challenges to property assessment decisions of the Regional Assessment Appeal Courts, applications under the Shopping Centre Development Act, and approving or setting changes in boundaries for municipalities and the electoral visions used by municipalities and school boards under the Municipal Boundaries and Representation Act and the School Boards Membership Act. In 2001 all of these powers were transferred to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
The Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1908 to serve as a permanent art gallery in Halifax and to encourage art education and public interest in the visual arts. The museum acquired an extensive collection of Nova Scotian and Canadian art, but the search for a permanent home for its collections and operations was unsuccessful. In 1968 the museum was reconstituted and the deputy minister of education became an ex officio member of the board of directors. In 1975 the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts Act was repealed and the museum succeeded and replaced by the new Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
On 7 November 1959, a group of fifty-two school music teachers met in Truro to form a provincial chapter of the national Canadian Music Educators' Association. Catherine Allison served as the first president of the Nova Scotia Music Educators' Association. Its first annual meeting and conference took place in October 1960 in Milford. The purpose of the association is to promote and advance music education programs in the province and to hold conferences, meetings and exhibitions. Since 1980, NSMEA has been affiliated as a special association of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.
On Oct 14 2004 Theresa McEvoy was killed by a young offender in a car crash. The young offender had been unintentionally released from custody two days previously and a public inquiry under Mr Justice Merlin Nunn, a retired Justice of the NS Supreme Court, was commissioned by Order in Council on June 29, 2005. In January of 2006 public sessions of the Commission opened and testimony was heard from 47 witnesses, including members of the McEvoy family, the Halifax Regional Police, the Attorney General of Nova Scotia, the RCMP, two individual Crown attorneys, the Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the Halifax Regional School Board, and the young person charged in the incident. The commission examined what exactly had happened, the procedures and policies followed, the actions of law enforcement and justice officials, and why the young person was released from custody. In December of 2006 the Commission issued its report titled: Spiraling out of control: Lessons learned from a boy in trouble. The report included 34 recommendations in three core areas: youth justice administration and accountability; youth crime legislation; and prevention of youth crime in the province.
In 1989 the then minister of community services, a francophone, was assigned responsibility for reporting to the Cabinet on matters relating to Acadian Affairs. The post has generally been held by a francophone member of the Executive Council. In 1990 a director of Acadian Affairs was appointed, replacing the position of officer of Acadian Affairs established in 1985. In 2004 the French Language Services Act formally established Acadian Affairs as an office of the public service. The objects and purposes of Acadian Affairs are to ensure that the Government is aware of the needs of the Acadian and francophone community; to offer advice and support to departments, offices and agencies of Government and to Crown corporations for the purpose of developing and adopting or providing programs, policies and services that reflect the needs of the Acadian and francophone community; to serve as a central support agency for other departments for French-language services within the Government; to develop partnerships with Acadian and francophone agencies at provincial, national and international levels; to ensure that Acadian and francophone needs are addressed in the development of programs, policies and services; and to recognize the contribution of the Acadian and francophone community. In January 2011 the Office was integrated into the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage for administrative purposes, with the deputy minister becoming its chief executive officer.
The Department of Industry was established in 1939 to promote industrial development. In 1941 it was renamed Industry and Publicity, and its mandate expanded to include government public relations and tourism. In 1948 it was renamed Trade and Industry. The department was renamed Development in 1971, when responsibility for information and publicity was assigned to the new Department of Tourism. In 1987 Development was divided into two new departments: Industry, Trade and Technology and Small Business Development. In 1992 the former Department of Development was reunified and renamed Economic Development. In 1994 the department resumed responsibility for tourism and was renamed the Nova Scotia Economic Renewal Agency. In 1997 the department was renamed Economic Development and Tourism. In 1999 the department shed responsibility for tourism and was again renamed Economic Development. In 2001 the department shed responsibility for business development. In 2002 the department took over the technology and innovation responsibilities of the defunct Technology and Science Secretariat and was renamed Office of Economic Development. The office's main function is planning for economic growth. It serves as a central agency for economic policy development and planning.
The office of Toll Collector was created in 1782 by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as part of legislation to construct a toll gate on the Halifax to Windsor Road. The purpose was to collect fees from travelers in order to defray the cost of highway construction and maintenance. The Toll Collector received 10% of the total monies collected as payment. The first gate was built at a site known as Pigot’s Farm in Hants County and began operation in August 1782. James Lockhart was appointed the first Toll Collector. In October 1782 an anonymous group vandalized the gate and it ceased operation. The Government offered a £20 reward for any information about the guilty person(s) but no one was ever charged. The Government tried again in 1785 with two more toll gates but the public was so against this idea, the office and the gates were abolished after 1787.