Showing 1310 results

Chebucto Community Net is Eastern Canada's oldest running independent Internet Service Provider, which continues to run as a non-profit, community-run ISP dedicated to providing public access to the tools of communication. Originally called the Chebucto FreeNet, and operating on a Sparc 2 loaned by Dalhousie University, it began operating as a text-based host in late October 1993; on 16 June 1994, the name was changed to Chebucto Community Net (CCN).

On 7 June 2013 CNN completed the first phase of its Manors Project, a plan to provide high-speed wireless Internet access to public-run, low-income seniors housing. Joseph Howe Manor and H.P. MacKeen Manor were the first examples of non-profit home high-speed Internet access in Eastern Canada and the first multi-dwelling residences in the Maritimes with full wifi access.

In addition to its wireless service, CCN provides affordable dialup Internet access and supports free, text-based terminal Internet access. It provides low-cost or free communication tools and a home for the websites of dozens of community groups, information resources, neighbourhood organizations and small businesses.

Chebucto Community Net is run entirely by volunteers, including a volunteer board of directors, with the support of community partners including Dalhousie University Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Dalhousie Computing and Information Services; Halifax Regional Library; Nova Scotia Department of Technology & Science Secretariat; Human Resources and Development Canada; and Industry Canada.

The Nova Scotian Institute of Science was founded in 1862 as a direct descendant of the Halifax Mechanics’ Institute (1831–1860) and the Halifax Literary and Scientific Society (1839–1862). It is one of the oldest learned societies in Canada. The Institute was incorporated by an act of the Nova Scotia Legislature in 1890, the Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia in 1967, and received its first grant from the Legislature in 1867.

The Institute provides a meeting place for scientists and those interested in science and publishes The Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. The Institute's library was established in 1864 and is now housed in the Killam Library at Dalhousie University. It holds a number of periodical titles not available elsewhere in Canada.

Launched in 1978 by Bob Atkinson, John Bell, and Alain Chabot as an outgrowth of the Dalhousie University School of Library Service's Halycon I, the Halcon Science Fiction Society was a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Science Fiction and Fantasy in the Atlantic Canada region. The Society held yearly conferences in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the 1970s-1980s.

After laying dormant for a number of years, it was revived in 2010 and renamed Hal-Con. The convention is now being held at the World Trade and Convention Centre and Scotiabank Centre in downtown Halifax. Notable Guests of Honour and Toastmasters included A.E. Van Vogt, Spider and Jeanne Robinson, Robert Sheckley, Gordon R. Dickson, Galad Elfandsson and Ben Bova.

The Atlantic Federation of Students was formed in January 1975, as a union of students from 12 Atlantic universities and colleges. Internal and external conflicts led to its disbanding. Student councils in Newfoundland and New Brunswick withdrew from the Federation in 1978. On November 9, 1978, student representatives from 11 Nova Scotia post-secondary institutions met in Halifax to found a provincial organization to replace the AFS.

The AFS had links with the National Union of Students (NUS), which emerged in 1972 from the previous Canadian Union of Students (CUS), formed in the late 1920s. It also had ties to other Canadian student organizations, such as the Ontario Federation of Students (OFS) and L'Association Nationale des Etudiants du Quebec.

N. & M. SMITH LIMITED

Nathaniel and Martin Smith were brothers, originally from Yankeetown, Hammonds Plains, Halifax County. Descendants of British Empire Loyalists from Maryland, they moved to Halifax, Nathaniel around 1865 and Martin following in 1870, to attend to growing business interests, establishing a branch cooperage and forming N. & M. Smith Limited.

Martin Smith died in 1889 at age 54. In 1904 the section of the Halifax waterfront with N. & M. Smith wharves and buildings – Lower Water Street between Sackville and Prince Streets – was completely destroyed by fire. This property was rebuilt, and N. & M. Smith Limited returned to it in 1905; however, in the interim they purchased and used a property on Upper Water Street known as Cronan Wharf, which was later leased and subsequently sold.

The original business of a cooperage expanded to the export of salted fish and the import of fishery salt. N. & M. Smith underwent voluntary liquidation in about 1915; Martin Smith’s widow and two sons Howard H. and Albert Martin (“Bert”) retained the premises. A.M. Smith Company Limited was formed in 1917, and in 1920 the company became incorporated and known as A.M. Smith and Company Limited.

A.M. SMITH AND COMPANY

Howard H. Smith died in the early 1920s and his interest in the company was acquired by his brother, Albert Martin Smith. Albert Martin’s sons Albert Martin Smith, Jr. (“Ad”) and Fletcher S. Smith entered the company business after graduating from Dalhousie University in 1929, the third generation of brothers to do so. Upon declaration of war, A.M. Smith, Jr., a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, entered active service and spent eighteen months on a Canadian destroyer before being transferred to Halifax as a Staff Officer in the Executive Branch, with the rank of Commander. A. Martin Smith, son of “Ad,” was also in the business for a year or so, before leaving to establish his own law practice. Ad Smith died in 1970.

Under the management of Ad Smith and Fletcher S. Smith, the company embraced three main departments – Export, Import, and Domestic. The Smiths were the largest exporters of dry and picked salted fish products in the Maritime Provinces, benefiting from the science of the Atlantic Fisheries Experimental Station which adjoined the plant. Smith’s specialized in pickled mackerel and herring, which was sold in national and international markets.

The Import Department dealt in Fishery Salt, of which A.M. Smith and Company was the largest importer in Eastern Canada, bringing in cargo lots from world production centers. The Domestic Department was responsible for the creation of the “Sea-Nymph” brand of boneless codfish, and later kippered herring, which put bulk salt fish back on grocer’s shelves. The “Sea-Nymph” brand was packed by Smith Canneries, associates of A.M. Smith and Company.

By 1970, A.M. Smith and Company was almost wholly dependent on Newfoundland for supplies such as salted cod. Subsequently, when the Federal Salt Fish Act (Bill C175) was passed, and resulted in the creation of a state-owned company with a complete monopoly over all phases of the cured fish business, A.M. Smith and Company became redundant. The government refused to compensate redundant firms, and thus A.M. Smith and Company Limited were obliged to discontinue their waterfront business, and their property was sold on November 15, 1973. Fletcher S. Smith died in 1987.

The area formerly occupied by A.M. Smith and Company is now part of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on Lower Water Street, Halifax, NS.

ACADIA FISHERIES

Acadia Fisheries had a plant at Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, where it was for a time the largest employer in the area, with over 400 people on staff. The company purchased the Old Loggie Fish Plant in 1952, and used it as a base for the harvesting and processing of fish. The plant burned to the ground in the 1970s and was not rebuilt. The company was associated with A.M. Smith and Co.

SMITH CANNERIES

Smith Canneries existed with virtually the same shareholders and directorate as A.M. Smith and Company, but with canning operations principally confined to Prince Edward Island. Fish for the plant was caught off the coast of Prince Edward Island, and subsequently packed under the “Sea-Nymph” brand, which included herring, salt herring, Dutch-style herring, mackerel, codfish, boneless salt cod, and ling. Smith Canneries also has use of the “Sea Nymph 1” dragger, a ship operated by A.M. Smith and Company for the salted and fresh fish trade.

The Ocean Production Enhancement Network (OPEN) was one of fifteen networks of Centres of Excellence funded in 1990 by Industry Science and Technology Canada. Network participants included scientists from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Laval University, Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Quebec at Rimouski, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Three of Canada's largest seafood companies also participated in the network: National Sea Products, Clearwater Fine Foods, and Fishery Products International.

The goal of the network's research program was to investigate the processes which control the survival, growth, reproduction, and distribution of fish and shellfish. The research program was primarily focused on two species, the sea scallop (Placopectin magellanicus) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), which were chosen in consultation with the network's industrial partners. The twenty-nine projects which form the research program involved both laboratory and field studies. OPEN differed from other large scale oceanographic and fisheries research initiatives because it addresses questions of fundamental long-term interest to the fishing industry.

The Technical University of Nova Scotia was founded as the Nova Scotia Technical College (NSTC) on 25 April 1907. In 1978 it was re-named the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS), and in 1997 it amalgamated with Dalhousie University, temporarily becoming DalTech, a separate college within Dalhousie.

The school was established through the Technical Education Act to fill the province's need for a degree-granting technical college to offer the final two years of engineering study; Acadia, Dalhousie, the University of King's College and Mount Alison already had fledgling programs offering two-year diplomas. Over time, other Atlantic universities joined these associate institutions. The provincial government funded NSTC's operation until 1963, when the Board of Governors became responsible for the college's finances.

Under the direction of Frederick Henry Sexton, the first principal, classes began in September 1909 in a new building on former military land on Spring Garden Road obtained from the federal government in exchange for the inclusion of military instruction in the college's curriculum. Both faculty and students were directly involved in both world wars, and compulsory military training was discontinued in 1945.

NSTC initially offered courses in civil, electrical, mechanical and mining engineering. In 1947, coinciding with F.H. Sexton's retirement, the Technical College Act transferred the responsibility of technical education from the college's principal to the provincial education department. Chemical and metallurgical engineering were added to the curriculum in 1947, geological engineering in 1964, and industrial engineering in 1965. Atlantic Canada's first School of Architecture was established in 1961 and the School of Computer Science in 1982. MEng degrees began being offered in the 1950s and a PhD programme was established in 1962.

In 1978 the college's name changed to the Technical University of Nova Scotia, after 40 years of lobbying to circumvent its confusion with the Nova Scotia Institute of Technology and the Nova Scotia Teachers’ College and to end the institution’s identity as a "college." In 1986 an Advisory Board was put in place to ensure liaison between what was now the Technical University of Nova Scotia and its associate universities. TUNS's mission was articulated as contributing to the development of Nova Scotia though high quality education, research, and community and industry collaboration in architecture, computer science and engineering.

Provincial pressure to amalgamate TUNS and Dalhousie brought about the Dalhousie-Technical University Amalgamation Act in April 1997. TUNS became DalTech (Dalhousie Polytechnic of Nova Scotia) and existed as a constituent college within Dalhousie until early 2000. DalTech offered courses in the Faculties of Engineering, Computer Science and Architecture and the associated buildings were re-named the Sexton Campus in honour of NSAC's first principal. The campus had expanded over the years from the original building on Spring Garden Road to encompass much of the large block bounded by Spring Garden Road, Barrington, Morris and Queen streets.

On March 24, 2003 Fisheries and Oceans Canada received a proposal from Bilcon of Nova Scotia for the construction of a 152-hectare basalt quarry, processing facility and marine shipping terminal at White’s Point, approximately 35 km southwest of Digby, Nova Scotia, along the shores of the Bay of Fundy.

A joint federal-provincial review panel for the Whites Point Quarry and Marine Terminal Project was announced on November 5, 2004. The three-member panel consisted of Dr. Bob Fournier, Dr. Jill Grant, and Dr. Gunter Muecke. On March 31, 2005 the panel released final guidelines for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which would provide direction to Bilcon in preparing a statement of the project's anticipated environmental impact.

The joint panel review provided the report to the Ministers on October 22, 2007. The Ministers released the report on October 23, 2007.

After consideration of the report, the Minister of Environment and Labour announced on November 20, 2007 that the project posed unacceptable risk to the environment and to the community. The application to establish Whites Point Quarry and Marine Terminal was not approved.

Upstart Theatre originated with Tom Regan, who wanted to establish a Halifax theatre dedicated to producing plays previously unseen in the Halifax area. The first step to achieving his goal was the founding of Dark Night, a play-reading group, with Martin Surrette, L.H. Paris, and Sharon Kline. In 1988 Regan, Paris, and Kline were joined by Iris Quinn, Lynn Ostergaard, Pamela Robinson, Moira Dann, David Renton and Deborah Allen as the founding members of Upstart Theatre. Sten Eirik and Jennifer Hogan joined the group shortly thereafter. Upstart Theatre was self-supporting with assistance from provincial government grants and local donations, and was run primarily by volunteers.

In its first season, Upstart offered Lynn Ostergaard’s Moving Day and George Boyd’s Gideon’s Blues. The company was praised for tackling thought-provoking material. Although the company was artistically acclaimed, financial problems plagued it from the start. This, combined with the loss of venue in 1991, caused the theatre to cancel its 1991/1992 season. Although it was able to produce Betty Lambert’s Under the Skin in the fall of 1992, it was officially dissolved in September 1993.

Chester Playhouse has been a home to the performing arts since it was built in 1938 in Chester, Nova Scotia, by Ken Corkum and Eric Redden. Its first tenant, the Keneric Theatre, operated for thirty years as a cinema, and the building was first used for live performances in 1963, when the Chester Jesters began the first of five summer seasons.

The building was purchased and renovated in the 1970s by Leo and Dora Velleman, who renamed it the Leading Wind Theatre as a home for Canadian Puppet Festivals (CPF). Managed by a board of directors, CPF was a non-profit organization that hosted workshops and puppet productions including The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. After the Vellemans retired in 1983 CPF merged with Mermaid Theatre.

Chester Theatre Council (CTC) was founded in 1984 to preserve the Leading Wind Theatre. CTC originally sponsored touring productions, but in 1987 leased the building as a venue for the first Chester Theatre Festival. That same year, Christopher Ondaatje purchased the theatre and leased it to the council and the name was changed to Chester Playhouse. The Ondaatje family donated the playhouse to the CTC in 1992 and in 1993 the theatre underwent an extensive renovation. In 1999 fundraising for a second wave of improvements began. These renovations were completed in two phases, which resulted in new dressing rooms, workshop space, green room and lobby, and an updated electrical system.

The Chester Playhouse is owned and operated by a volunteer board of directors, drawn from the community, who provide strategic leadership to guide the direction of the theatre. The theatre is managed by the Chester Playhouse Society, which is mandated to source, present and promote live theatre, music performance, film and other cultural experiences, and educational and participatory opportunities for youth and adults. To support this, the society seeks to sustainably equip, operate and maintain the Chester Playhouse and has hosted both touring companies and other performers; provided a venue for local performing arts groups, including the Chester Drama Society, the Chester Ballet School, and the Chester Brass Band; hosted workshops for all ages; established the Chester Theatre School program and the Chester Theatre Festival; and allowed the space to be used for local meetings.

Registered in 1978 as Mulgrave Road Co-operative Theatre, the company's origins date back to 1976, with the creation of "The Mulgrave Road Show," co-written and performed by Robbie O’Neill, Michael Fahey, Gay Hauser and Wendell Smith. The play explored the issues faced by a community in decline. Mulgrave, located on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia across from Cape Breton Island, had experienced a sustained recession after the 1954 construction of the Canso Causeway.

Mulgrave Road Theatre has a mandate to develop, produce and promote a theatrical experience that resonates with Atlantic Canadians. The company has made a significant contribution to the growth of Canadian theatre and the development of Atlantic Canadian artists, having produced dozens of original scripts, many of which have been performed on stages across the country and beyond

MRT also plays a leading role in ground-breaking community development projects; using theatre as a medium to address critical social issues that affect the region. MRT is committed to equity and inclusion throughout its organization and demonstrates this in its programming, outreach, and people.

Mulgrave productions are developed through commissions, playwrights-in-residence, on-site and distance dramaturgy, and work-shopping. In the beginning, scripts were largely collective creations, such as "Business of Living," which was written by 18 Atlantic playwrights. Other notable productions included "I’m Assuming I’m Right" (Frank MacDonald), "From Fogarty’s Cove" (Ric Knowles), "Battle Fatigue" (Jenny Munday), "Marion Bridge" (Daniel MacIvor), and "Caribou" (Michael Melski). Two or three productions are mounted each year. In addition to its touring company, Mulgrave offers a youth program called ROADies.

Mulgrave Road Theatre has a governing board made up of professionals and community members. It is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, the Nova Scotia Theatre Alliance, and Arts Cape Breton.

The Dark Night Theatre was established in January 1988 under the auspices of the Nova Scotia Drama League. It was a small informal group of writers, actors, and directors based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and it operated in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The mission of Dark Night Theatre was to promote interest in theatre, to develop and support writers (particularly those in Atlantic Canada), and to provide a forum for onging exchange of ideas and information.

Dark Night Theatre's primary activities involved script reading and critiquing. The group held weekly meetings each Monday at the Cunard Street Theatre, and later, the CBC Radio Room. The meetings were known as "ScripTease" and later, "Playwright's Corner." The reading series focused primarily on local theatrical works in development, but occassionally read plays of national or international significance. The group led to the creation of Upstart Theatre and had connections to the Dramatists' Cooperative of Nova Scotia.

The Women in Media Foundation, originally called The Women’s Television Network Foundation, was formed in 1995 as part of the licenses agreement with the CRTC in launching the Women’s Television Network. Funded by the cable network, the foundation aimed to develop programs to assist women in areas of broadcasting where they are underrepresented, specifically technical operation positions.

Their Mission Statement and Core Principals were “At the WTN Foundation we inspire and educate Canadian women to participate and lead in the multi-media industry. In so doing we believe In diversity, equity, creative, excellence, integrity and learning.”

The foundation offered multiple programs and workshops to promote women in media and broadcast technology fields. The Girls TV Camp offered training for pre-teen and teenage girls as television technicians. The Women’s Technical Internship offered young women experience in hands on job skills in media and broadcasting technology and the Women’s Television Network dowment, was an educational fund to assist professional women in broadcasting and media to update their technology skills. Other programs and workshops included gender equity workshops, speaking engagements, creating lesson plans in video production for teachers and a girls travelling documentary team, taking girls to educational and technology courses across Canada.

In 2001 Corus Entertainment bought the Women’s Television Network, and moved all operations from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Toronto, Ontario. The media conglomerate planned on terminating the foundation. However, the foundation put forth a proposal to continue its funding by highlighting their accomplishments, their necessity, as well as the CRTC criteria in granting a license to the cable channel in 1995. Corus Entertainment agreed to continue funding the foundation until it wound down in 2008.

The Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia, formerly known as the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, was formed in 1942 as a non-profit industry association to provide a voice for their members by representing them in dealings with the government, media, and the general public. All members have an equal say in the Association's activities. Members range from small to large seafood processors and are provided with information on topics relating to the fishing industry, including government actions and proposals. The Seafood Producers Association is affiliated with the Fisheries Council of Canada. It has no government affiliations, although they often act as industry advisors on various government committees including bilateral fisheries negotiations, government policies and regulations, over-the-side sales, and dockside grading. Along with being a liaison between members and government officials and the Fisheries Council of Canada, and providing information to their members, the Association has also prepared submissions and briefs, assisted in promotion of fish products in the United States and Canada, and provided financial support to research of the nutritional benefits of seafood.

In 1944, their name changed from Nova Scotia Fish Packers to the Fish Packers Association of the Maritimes when many processors from New Brunswick joined the Association. Their named changed back to Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association when fish packer associations were formed in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. At the annual meeting in 1980, the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association became the Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia.

Out of their office on Hollis Street, and later their office on Alderney Drive in Dartmouth, they operated their sister organizations the Canadian Atlantic Salt Fish Exporters Association, Atlantic Fishing Vessel Association, Atlantic Queen Crab Association, and Atlantic Fisheries By-Products Association. The Seafood Producers Association's secretarial staff performed the same duties for these associations.

The first meeting was held on February 17, 1942, with H.G. Connor as the president. Over the years, presidents were elected from processing companies that were members. Some presidents included A. Kerr, J.B. Morrow, D.F. Corney, William Murdoch and D.R. Bollivar. The current president is Roger C. Stirling.

Past secretary-treasurers, executive directors, secretary-managers, assistant managers, and managers included H.P. Connor, Robert (Bob) Johnson, Roger C. Stirling, Bruce Chapman, Deborah S. Lawrence, Eric Roe, and John T. Salsbury. Some of the members of the Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia were Acadia Fisheries Ltd., Booth Fisheries Canadian Company Ltd., British Columbia Packers Ltd., Connors Brothers Ltd., Comeau's Seafoods Ltd., Karl Karlsen and Co. Ltd., Mersey Seafoods Ltd., National Sea Products, H.B. Nickerson and Sons, Snow Brothers Ltd., Swim Brothers Ltd., and United Maritime Fishermen Ltd.

The Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia is currently still active, but with fewer staff due to the decline in the fishing industry in Atlantic Canada.

The M/V "O.K. Service V" was a 144-ton wooden auxiliary vessel built in 1940 by W.C. MacKay and Sons in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. It was rebuilt in 1945. The vessel was operated by Himmelman Supply Company and O.K. Service Shipping Limited, and it was owned by various members of the Himmelman family and other shareholders.

The M/V "O.K. Service V" was used extensively as a general cargo vessel on the East coast of Canada. In later years, the vessel began carrying explosives from La Have, Nova Scotia to the Caribbean and Central and South America. The vessel was primarily Captained by Moyle Randall. Arthur D. Himmelman also acted as ship's master for some voyages.

In 1967 and 1968, the vessel was converted to a fishing longliner and used for fishing on the East coast of Canada. Poor catches and low prices in the fishing industry led the company to remove the fishing gear and overhaul the engines to try to sell the vessel. The vessel was sold to Andre H. Listhaeghe on August 19, 1970.

A. Keith and Son Limited is one of the oldest brewing companies in Canada. It was established in 1820 by Alexander Keith after he took over a brewing business from Charles Boggs. The brewery was originally located in a house on Argyle Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but a larger facility was built on Lower Water Street in 1822. In 1836, Keith expanded again, building a new brewery on Hollis Street. In 1863, Keith Hall was built adjacent to the brewery on Lower Water Street and served as Keith's private residence, eventually becoming the headquarters of Oland and Son.

Alexander Keith was mayor of Halifax, president of the Legislative Council, and held many other public offices. He was involved with numerous boards, companies, charitable organizations, and societies. He died in 1873.

In 1928 Oland and Son Limited acquired an interest in A. Keith and Son. Later, a stock offering was issued and the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Oland and Son. Oland and Son Limited maintained the A. Keith and Son brand and continued to brew Keith's products until John Labatt Limited purchased all of Oland and Son's brewing assets in 1971.

A. Keith and Son is best known for its Keith's India Pale Ale, but at different periods in the company's history it also brewed Keith's Stag's Head Stout, Keith's Bohemian Lager, and Keith's Medicinal Stout.

In 1962, Oland and Son Limited commissioned a replica of the famous schooner "Bluenose." The company's marketing and promotion activities were strictly regulated by the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission and it was eager to find acceptable ways to promote Oland products. The Oland Family were also strong promoters of economic development and maritime heritage in Nova Scotia, so the company commissioned the Bluenose II to promote its Schooner beer and to serve as a floating ambassador for the province.

Bluenose II was built by the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the same shipyard that build the original Bluenose. Smith and Rhuland consulted with Angus Walters, the captain of the Bluenose and based the design of the Bluenose II on the W.J. Roue's designs for the Bluenose. The ship's design was modified to accommodate its role as a public relations asset for the company.

The Bluenose II was launched from the ways at the Smith and Rhuland shipyard on July 24, 1963. The schooner was chartered on trips and tours around the Maritimes during the summer months and spent some winters doing charters in the Carribbean. Oland and Son frequently hosted business and industry executives, government officials, and other guests on the Bluenose II. The schooner participated in the annual Lunenburg Fisheries Exhibition and in 1967, the Bluenose II acted as the official Expo '67 host vessel for Nova Scotia.

The schooner was a resounding success as a public relations tool and a provincial ambassador, but maintenance of the ship became too costly for the company to keep up with. In 1971, the "Bluenose II" was sold to the Province of Nova Scotia by the Oland Family for one dollar. The schooner still serves as an ambassador for the province and is now operated by the Lunenburg Maritime Museum Society.