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The Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) is a voluntary professional organization established in 1965 to represent psychology in Nova Scotia. The Association was instrumental in promoting passage of the Psychologists Act and a continuing role in nominating members to the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP), establishing the Board's code of ethics standards of professional functions, the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia has been active in the public forum, monitoring contemporary social issues and speaking out in the interest of the public good. APNS does not investigate complaints of unprofessional conduct of incompetence on the part of Registered Psychologists. This is one of the roles of NSBEP.

The Association of Outdoor Nova Scotians was founded in 1976. Its aims were to distribute information on education, industry and research related to the out of doors; to promote ecology conservation and the wise use of our natural resources, to encourage the exchange of information between regional, national and international groups with similar interests of hiking, camping and other outdoor activities, and to promote awareness of environmental issues. The organization ended in approximately 1983.

Ashburn Golf and Country Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a members-only private club for recreation, began in 1896 under the name Halifax Golf Club. They leased land from the Studley Grounds and rented a house on Le Marchant Street to act as a club house. Officially formed as the Halifax Golf and Country Club in 1922, their first permanent 18-hole golf course was designed by architect Stanley Thompson in 1922 on 142 acre site close to the city. In 1952 the name was changed to Ashburn Golf and Country Club. When a public highway was being built through part of the golf course in 1958, the Club purchased a 600 acre site near Kinsac Lake in Fall River NS. The new course was designed and built by Geoffrey Cornish, a Canadian Golf Hall-of-Fame member, in 1968 and officially opened in 1970. The Club has hosted many provincial and national championships including Crown Life Pro-Am, Cunningham Trophy, Captain’s Cup, the Mixed Lettuce Bowl, the Fall Classic, and Web.com Tours. As of 2024, Ashburn operates 2 golf courses, the “Old Ashburn” and the New.

Ernest Howard Armstrong was born 27 July 1864 in North Kingston, N.S. and educated at Acadia University and Dalhousie University law school. He practiced law in Weymouth and was editor of the Weymouth Free Press before moving to Yarmouth in 1892. He was elected town councillor of Yarmouth in 1900 and served as MLA for Yarmouth County, 1906-1920, and Shelburne County, 1920-1925. He was premier of Nova Scotia and minister of public works and mines, 1923-1925. Following defeat of the Liberal government in 1925, Armstrong was appointed judge of the county court of Lunenburg, Queens, and Shelburne. He died 15 February 1946.

The Halifax Ladies' College was incorporated in connection with the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1887 (Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1881 c. 91). Its first home was the mansion on Pleasant Street which had been built for Richard John Uniacke Jr. about 1821, on a site now occupied by the Sir John Thompson Building. The college remained in its original home until 1940, when the building became a hostel for servicemen. Halifax Ladies' College then relocated to "Armbrae" on Oxford Street, which had been built as a twin to the Dalhousie University President's Lodge. Armbrae was demolished in 1963 to make way for a new brick structure, which has been the college's home since 1964. The original 1887 statute establishing the college was superseded by An Act to Incorporate the Governors of the Halifax Ladies' College and Conservatory of Music (SNS 1921 c. 167). The College and Conservatory remained legally joined until 1952, when the 1921 Act was amended to dissolve the union of the two institutions (SNS 1952 c. 117). In 1979, the Halifax Ladies' College became co-educational. In 1980 the name of the institution was officially changed to Armbrae Academy.

Lawyer, politician, and judge Samuel George William Archibald was born at Truro, N.S. on 5 February 1777, son of Samuel and Rachel (Duncan) Archibald. He was raised by his grandfather until the age of fifteen when he left for Massachusetts to study at Haverhill and Andover Academies followed by Glasgow, Scotland. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1805 and served as solicitor general, 1826-1831, attorney general, 1831-1838, advocate general in the Court of Vice-Admiralty, 1831-1841, and master of the rolls and judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty, 1841-1846. He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1806-1841. Archibald married his first wife Elizabeth (Dickson) in 1802. They had fifteen children, nine of whom survived to adulthood. After Elizabeth died in 1830, Archibald married widow Joanna Brodley in 1832. He died at Halifax on 28 January 1846.

Samuel George William Archibald (1777-1846) of Truro, N.S. was a lawyer, politician, and judge. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia bar in 1805 and served as solicitor general, 1826-1831, attorney general, 1831-1838, advocate general in the Court of Vice-Admiralty, 1831-1841, and master of the rolls and judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty, 1841-1846. He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1806-1841. Archibald married his first wife Elizabeth (Dickson) in 1802. They had fifteen children, nine of whom survived to adulthood: Charles Dickson (1802-1868), John Duncan (1804-1830), Edward Mortimer (1810-1884), Mary (1814-1838), Thomas Dickson (1817-1875), Samson Salter Blowers (1819-1893), Peter Suther (b. 1820), William George (b. 1822), and Robert Dickson (b. 1828). Four of the sons entered the legal profession: Charles was a barrister, businessman, and MLA, 1826-1830, and later moved to England as a magistrate; Edward was attorney-general of Newfoundland, ca. 1842-1855, and later British consul-general at New York, knighted in 1882; Thomas practiced law in England until his appointment to the Queen's bench in 1873; and Peter Suther was a barrister and colonel in the militia. Samson was a businessman in Sydney. Their mother Elizabeth died in 1830 and S.G.W. married widow Joanna Brodley in 1832.

The grand jury was one of the institutions of customary law whose existence, although amended and altered by provincial legislation, was based on practice established in England. The Annapolis County Grand Jury was established when the county was created in 1759. The grand jury was chosen by lot from lists of qualified property owners prepared by a committee of the Court of General Sessions. Sitting for a year, the jury nominated individuals for the Sessions to consider for appointment to local offices; prepared financial estimates for county government; inspected the accounts of expenditures; determined the annual road work and the establishment of new roads; and claimed the right make presentations to the Sessions on topics of public interest. The grand jury also acted in a judicial capacity to determine whether sufficient evidence existed for an accused to be placed on trial by the Supreme Court. Half of the grand jury, or 12 of the 24, were required to concur, otherwise no bill was returned and the criminal case did not proceed to trial. In 1879 the advent of elective municipal government ended the administrative function of the grand jury. Although terms of jurors, their numbers, qualifications and method of appointment changed over time, the judicial function persisted until 1979 when amendments to the Jury Act abolished the grand jury

Prior to 1879 local government in Nova Scotia was the responsibility of the appointed Court of General Sessions of the Peace, which was composed of all those who held commissions as justices of the peace within a particular county. The Annapolis County Court of General Sessions of the Peace began with the creation of the county in 1759. Meeting two or more times a year, the court had both administrative and judicial functions. It was empowered to appoint local officials, who had been nominated by the Grand Jury; levy county and poor rates; exercise control over roads, bridges, prisons, hospitals, and other public works; regulate animals, weeds, fires, taverns, and the inland fisheries and perform other duties assigned by statute. It could also sit as a court of justice, with limited criminal jurisdiction, using the Grand and Petit Jury system from England. The Grand Jury decided whether a charge should proceed to trial. The Petit Jury decided on an accused’s guilt or innocence. Jury members were selected by lot from a list of male residents who either owned land or held a minimum amount of personal wealth. In 1800 Annapolis County was divided into eastern and western districts and the Court of General Sessions was required to sit twice a year in each district. In 1837 the Western District became Digby County and was subsequently under the jurisdiction of its own court. The passage of the County Incorporation Act in 1879 replaced the administrative functions of the Court of General Sessions with an elected municipal council. Its judicial function was assumed by the Supreme Court on County Circuit.

Although legislation was passed in 1758 regulating the process of probate the Governor, through his Surrogate General, retained exclusive power over the appointment of judges of probate and the creation of courts of probate as outlined in the carious instructions to governors regarding the appointment of local officers of the courts. Until additional legislation in 1842 local officers had little guidance in determining what they were to do beyond attempting to make analogies to the Ecclesiastical Courts of England. Today's Annapolis County Court of Probate originated with the appointment of Jonathan Hoar as Judge of Probate for the County in 1767. In 1810 Elkanah Morton was appointed Judge for the Western District of the County which became Digby County in 1837. With the 1897 amendments to the Probate Act uniformity in record keeping emerged as retiring Judges were replaced with full time registrars of probate and the County Court assumed the judicial function. In Annapolis County Jacob Owen was the last Judge of Probate electing in 1912 to continue in office but as Registrar. In 1900 the Revised Statute edition of the Probate Act added many forms which provided additional uniformity to the process.

Mary Elizabeth (Annand) Cooley (1928-2017), political campaign manager and long-time volunteer with the J.W. Logan Chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E.), married Donald Leonard Cooley (1926-2008) in Halifax circa 1949. “Mary Lib” was born in 1928, the daughter of Frederick W. Annand Jr. (1891-1957) and his second wife Mary A. Dickinson (b. ca1897), who could trace their ancestry back to William Annand (1808-1887) and his second wife Martha Tupper, publisher of newspapers the Novascotian and the Morning Chronicle, premier of Nova Scotia from 1867 to 1875, Agent General for Canada in London 1875-1879 and Agent General for Nova Scotia in London 1885 until his death in 1887. William’s son Charles Annand (b. ca1841) also earned his living as a publisher, was appointed Queen’s Printer for Nova Scotia in 1875. He petitioned the Government for crown land in 1885 and leased a gold mine in Queens County in 1886. Charles Annand married and had a son Frederick William (b. ca1864) who married Charlotte S. Dickie (b. ca1866) in August 1887 in Kings County and earned his living as a farmer. Their son Frederick William Annand Jr., became an insurance broker and married Mary A. Dickinson on September 18, 1926.

Donald Leonard Cooley (1926-2008), a watchmaker and jeweler, was born in 1926 to Charles Leonard Cooley (1887-1960) and Winnifred M. Nicoll (1885-1961). He began his career in 1946 working in his father’s and uncle’s business, Cooley Brothers Jewelers Ltd. of Halifax, NS. He later worked for Webster China and Gifts, and Cooley Jewelers. With his wife, Mary Elizabeth Annand, they raised 5 children. Donald’s father, Charles L. Cooley, was born in London, United Kingdom and apprenticed in the watch, clock and jewelry business from 1903 to 1906, then immigrated to Canada in 1912. When Charles’ younger brother Robert W. Cooley (1890-1964) arrived in Halifax ca1914, they formed Cooley Brothers Jewelers Ltd.

The New Glasgow Unit (Division 1) of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (which included Port Morien, Cape Breton) was organized on 4 August 1913, with a Ladies Auxiliary being formed in 1914. Its stated purpose was "to promote the 'Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity' of its members and [to] preserve the spirit of Irish Nationality". Consequently, membership was confined exclusively to Roman Catholics of Irish descent or birth. The National Hibernian was the Order's official publication; Saint Patrick's Day was observed as the national holiday.

The Ancient Order of Foresters began in 1834, but its origins lie in a much older society called the Royal Foresters formed in the 18th century. In 1813, the Royal Foresters began to establish subsidiary Courts (branches) and the concept of an affiliated Order of Friendly Societies was born. The order was established in Nova Scotia in 1900 and functioned until 1929 when it disbanded, having only 31 members remaining.

Paul Amberman was born of Dutch origin in the colony of New York in 1745. In 1771 he married Mary Ditmires (born 3 February 1746), the daughter of Douwe Ditmires. The Amberman family came to Annapolis Royal in June 1783 as Loyalists. Their family included three children: Mary (born 1773, married George Vrome in 1803), Paul Amberman, Jr. (born 1775), and Douwe (born 1779, married Rebecca Gilliatt). Mary Amberman, wife of Paul Sr., died in 1805 and was buried in St. Edward's cemetery in Clementsport. Paul Amberman died in 1811. From all accounts he must have been a wealthy man when he came to Granville, as he purchased several lots of land from Robert and Jane Young, formerly of New York. One of his acquisitions was land originally granted to Benjamin Rumsey in 1764, which Amberman purchased from Peter Ryerson in 1784. This property stayed in the Amberman family until 1964, when it was purchased by Robert Pallen Patterson who renamed it “North Hills.” Upon his death in 1974 the property was bequeathed to the Province of Nova Scotia and is now part of the Nova Scotia Museum complex.

William Bruce Almon was born in Halifax on 23 September 1875, the second son of Dr. Thomas Ritchie Almon(1843-1901) and his wife Frances (Egan) (1845-1942). He was a professional soldier and served in various locations in Canada with the Royal Canadian Artillery before the First World War. He married Mary Hill Dickey in Halifax on 30 November 1908 and they had two daughters. During the First World War he was in command of artillery formations in Halifax before going abroad with the Canadian expedition to Russia. After his retirement from the military he served for 23 years as the Aide-de-camp for Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia. He died on 31 August 1961 in Halifax and was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Fairview.

Mather Byles Almon, merchant, banker, politician, and philanthropist, was born in 1796 at Halifax, the son of William James and Rebecca (Byles) Almon. In 1825 he married Sophia Pryor; the couple had fourteen children. In 1832 M.B. Almon helped establish the Bank of Nova Scotia and became its president in 1837. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1843 to 1866, governor of Dalhousie University, 1842-1848 and Kings College, 1869-1871, and involved in many Protestant charitable societies in Halifax.

Doctor William James “W.J.” Almon (1754-1817), British Loyalist, physician and surgeon, was the first generation of Almons to live in Nova Scotia, Canada. Born in 1754 to James Almon and Ruth (Hollywood) Almon in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, he fled to Halifax, Nova Scotia during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and in June 1776 joined the British military as a surgeon’s mate. After the War, he settled in Halifax with a private medical practice, and was appointed surgeon-general of the military there. In 1785 he married Rebecca Byles (1762-1853) daughter of Rev. Mather Byles Jr. (1735-1814), another Loyalist. Their son Dr. William Bruce “W.B.” Almon (1787-1840) was the 2nd generation of Almons in NS. He graduated from University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1809 and succeeded his father as physician and surgeon in Halifax, NS. Dr. W.B. Almon married Laleah Johnston (1789-1869) in 1814.

In 1816 the birth of Dr. W.B. and Laleah Almon’s son the Honorable Dr. William Johnston “W.J.” Almon (1816-1901) started the 3rd generation of Almons to practice medicine in Halifax. Dr. W.J. Almon was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1872, then appointed Senator in 1879. He married Elizabeth Lichtenstein Ritchie (d.1886) of Annapolis, NS in 1840. Their son Dr. Thomas Ritchie Almon (1843-1901) also became a physician in Halifax, the 4th generation of Almons to do so, and married Frances Egan (1845-1942) of Quebec.

Dr. Thomas and Frances Almon’s children made up the 5th generation of Almons. Cotton Mather Almon (1846-1883) married Ellie Dodd (d.1906) in 1873 and his younger brother Lt. Col. William Bruce “W.B.” Almon (1875-1961) became a professional soldier, served in the Royal Canadian Artillery and then was private secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor of NS for 23 years. W.B. Almon married Mary Hill Dickey of Amherst, NS in 1908.

The 6th generation were children of the 2 brothers above. Cotton and Ellie Almon had 3 children: Dr. William Bruce “Bruce” Almon (1875-1940), Susanna W.A. Almon (1877-1958), and Caroline “Rollie” Almon. Lt. Col. W.B. and Mary Almon had 2 children: Nancy (Almon) Carscallen (1916-2017) who married Henry M. Carscallen, and Laleah (Almon) Cunningham (d.1994).

John Allen was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 11 September 1771, the son of Ebenezer Allen (1738-1816) and Meribah Frazier (1743-1804), Loyalists and Sandemanian Church refugees. The family embarked for Halifax in 1776 when Boston was evacuated by the British Army. They apparently settled on the Dartmouth side of the harbour, where Ebenezer became a prominent businessman in the Woodlawn area. Ebenezer and his son Alexander Allen, along with John Stayner, purchased a tanyard property on the old Preston road in 1795. They formed the firm of “Stayner & Allens.” This partnership dissolved in 1798 and became “Stayner & Allen,” with John Stayner and John Allen as partners. The firm continued until 1816, when the property was divided and the partnership dissolved. John Allen continued the tannery on the Old Preston Road for many years. He married Sarah Stayner (1776-1861) in St. John’s Church, Preston in 1793. They had 16 children; all except two lived to adulthood. John Allen died on 12 January 1849 in Dartmouth.

Fred Allen was born in 1942 and was the foster son of Gwendolyn Poole of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He was educated at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. His began his working career at Neptune Theatre in 1963 as stage manager and set designer, and afterwards at Fortress Louisburg as head of research illustration. Next, he returned to Neptune Theatre as resident designer. He then began a year of study in Europe through a Theatre Arts Bursary, observing productions in 13 countries. His award-winning work as a designer, art director and master model builder included productions for the Nova Scotia International Tattoo, film and television productions including Buried on Sunday, Blizzard Island, Codco, and Street Cents; and designing and building the characters for the children's television series, Theodore Tugboat. Allen was also involved in the design and construction of the 65 foot tugboat "Theodore Too." His work in sculpture included Parks Canada projects 'Monument Lefebvre' in Memramcook, N.B.; 'Interaction of Cultures' for Kouchibouquac National Park; and two major installations and illustration work for the 'L'Anse Aux Meadows' World Heritage Viking Settlement in Newfoundland. He died in Truro, Nova Scotia on 6 December 2007.

Alfred J. Bell and Grant Company Limited was created on 1 January 1964 with the merger of Alfred J. Bell and Co., Ltd and Grant, Oxley & Co., Ltd. Alfred J. Bell and Grant Co. had its start about 1890 under Alfred Joseph Bell ([ca. 1853]-1919). Upon his death the business was run by Archibald Crease and later with his son, Edward F. "Ted" Crease. Grant, Oxley and Co. was established in 1892 by MacCallum Grant (1845-1928), who also served as Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia between 1916 and 1925. He was joined by Harold Oxley (1860-1935) who led the business until his death, when Eric McNeil Grant (b. 1889) became the new president. The business continues to operate as Bell and Grant Insurance to the present day, offering a full range of insurance products for consumers in Nova Scotia.

Brian Redmond Macdonald Alexander, commonly known as Ben Alexander, was born in 1904 in Richmond, Quebec, the son of George and Susan (Jenkins) Alexander. He studied forestry at the University of New Brunswick and was hired by the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forests to carry out 'cruises' (tours of inspection) on Crown Lands. By about 1932 he had left the Department to manage the MacLeod Pulp Company lands, later becoming chief forester and finally a director with the Minas Basin Pulp and Paper Company of Hantsport, Nova Scotia. He married Katharine "Kay" Durfee Clements and they had two sons: George and Christopher. Alexander's wife Kay died at Hantsport in February 1985. He died at Hantsport two months later, on 29 April 1985.

Thomas Beamish Akins was born in Halifax in 1809 and died there in 1891. A lawyer by profession, he was an antiquarian and bibliophile by vocation. In 1857 he was appointed Nova Scotia's commissioner of public records, holding the office until his death. A prolific historical author and editor, he is best known for his history of the town of Halifax and for Selections from the Public Documents of the Province of Nova Scotia (Halifax 1869).

Thomas Akin (1702-1775) and his son Stephen (1739-1827) of New England were grantees at the founding of the Township of Falmouth, N.S. in 1760. Stephen married Elizabeth King in New Jersey in 1761 and returned to Falmouth where their five children were born. Their eldest son Thomas (1762-1832) married Margaret Ott Beamish (d. 1809) and changed his surname to Akins after moving to Liverpool where he was an insurance broker and merchant. Their only child, Thomas Beamish (1809-1891), became a barrister and was appointed commissioner of public records for Nova Scotia in 1857. Captain John Stephen Akins (1796-1867), son of John (1766-1859) and Rebecca (1771-1826) and grandson of Stephen and Elizabeth, married Margaret Wilson in 1832. Their son Charles Edward (1833-1914), a farmer and orchardist, was married to Elizabeth Armstrong and had eight children. Charles' son Thomas Bernard Akins (1871-1959) participated in the organization of the Avon River Power Company Ltd. in 1923.

Ajax Hospitality Headquarters was established in 1942 and was located at 90 Spring Garden Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As the chair was Mrs. Janet E. McEuen, the organization is believed to have arisen out of the demise of the former Ajax Club, which she also chaired. The aim of the organization was to provide temporary sanctuary to men of the Royal Navy, the Fleet Air Arm and British Military Forces who armed the defensive equipment of the merchant ships. The men registered in Halifax and were sorted into groups that were sent out to smaller Nova Scotia communities. The following are the locations involved in the program and the dates they began to be active: Hantsport, (ca. 1943), Chester (August 1943), Musquodoboit Harbour (27 June 1944), Shubenacadie (6 July 1944), Sheet Harbour (23 August 1944), and Wolfville (1 January 1945). The project was also spearheaded by Financial Campaign Committee chairman, J. McGregor Stewart. They were aided further by similar financial committees in Ontario and Quebec. During 1944 the office in Halifax welcomed 25,184 visitors, according to its guest book. The operations of the organization are believed to have concluded with the end of the war in 1945.

The Ajax Club of Halifax, Nova Scotia was sponsored by the Interallied Hospitality Fund and established in August of 1940. The club's objective was to uphold the morale of servicemen, to bring warmth and joy into their lives, and help them forget the grim realities of war. The chair of the Ajax Club secured the use of the Odell House at the corner of Queen and Tobin Streets in Halifax for this purpose. The Ajax Club opened on 4 November 1940, with the official opening taking place on 14 December 1940 when Sir Gerald Campbell came from Ottawa. The club featured a library widely supported by donors and a bar that served beer to a maximum of two quarts a day. The ability to serve alcohol was considered controversial and on 23 February 1942 the license to sell alcohol was withdrawn by the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission and the club was in effect closed.