Nova Scotia and the Sea

Researchers, students, and those simply interested in our maritime heritage now have access to a new online resource containing dramatic images and artifacts depicting Nova Scotia's complex relationship with the sea.

Nova Scotia and the Sea features nine virtual exhibits, searchable databases and research guides that collectively tell the story of the province's maritime heritage over the last 400 years. More than 6,700 items have been digitized to create this online experience, including historical photographs, maps and charts, government documents, log books, personal diaries, correspondence and business records.

"Nova Scotia's culture is one that has been strongly shaped by the sea," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. "This innovative online resource reminds us of that connection, and inspires us to rediscover our maritime roots."

The new website features original material rarely seen before and now available for the first time on the Internet. Highlights include log books, digitized in their entirety, for three Nova Scotia privateer vessels active in the Napoleonic Wars; diaries and letters written by Dewis and George Spicer, master mariners and vessel owners in the Age of Sail; and a virtual tour of the province's lighthouses, featuring hundreds of photographs taken nearly a century ago.

Other highlights include paintings by marine artist William E. deGarthe and the Wallace R. MacAskill photo archives. Known as the photographer of the sea, MacAskill was active in the 1920s and '30s; his dramatic images are among the most significant photographic records that exist for the province.

"This dynamic online project enables the Nova Scotia Archives to reach out to non-traditional audiences," said Brian Speirs, the provincial archivist. "Projects like this bring archival holdings to life and encourage people of all ages to experience Nova Scotia's maritime heritage in a fresh, new way."

Funded by Canadian Heritage under the Canadian Culture Online/ Canadian Memory Fund, Nova Scotia and the Sea incorporates bilingual presentation options and curriculum-enhancement products for high school students.

The new website joins a growing collection of online resources produced by the Nova Scotia Archives, that provide Nova Scotians with direct access to their history.

Nova Scotia and the Sea is available on the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management website at www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/nsandsea .