Another beautiful day on the coast of Nova Scotia discovering history

A beautiful and warm day at the Fort St.  Louis dig project so, as sod is being removed from new excavation units, the canopy is up. Shade please!

The team is back this summer, building on work done in 2017 and 2018, an archaeological excavation is taking place at Fort Saint-Louis in Port La Tour, Shelburne County. Founded by Charles de la Tour, this 17th century fur trade post depicts early encounters and early trade relations between French settlers and the Mi’kmaq in the region known by the Mi’kmaq as Kespukwitk.

In April 1859, Rev. David Honeyman gave a public lecture on geology, describing the fossils and rocks at Arisaig, Nova Scotia. In his first published paper, David Honeyman reviewed the diversity of fossils he found along the scenic cliffs at Arisaig. Honeyman summarized the brachiopods, cephalopods, and crinoids, but the first fossil he mentioned was a tiny fossil starfish that he had sent to Dr. Dawson.

Hello everyone,

Make the Nova Scotia Museum your destination this March Break! Don’t miss out on a wide range of fun-filled, hands-on activities for the entire family.

Lisa Bower, Assistant Curator/Registrar, Cultural History Collection, Nova Scotia Museum

During the past year we have been exploring the impact of the Museum's first Curator, Dr. David Honeyman, and his work representing Nova Scotia at the 1862 International Exhibition in London. Today, as we celebrate the 200th birthday of John Ruskin (Born Feb. 8, 1819), it is exciting to have recently discovered a historical connection between Ruskin and the early geology collection of the Nova Scotia Museum.

Heritage Day

Mon. February 18, 2019

Celebrated the third Monday in February, Nova Scotia Heritage Day is an annual reminder of our storied past and an opportunity to honour the remarkable people, places and events that have contributed to this province’s unique heritage. The 2019 Heritage Day Honouree is Maud Lewis.

Many of our sites will be open this festive season, start a tradition and spend your holidays at a museum. Many of our seasonal sites have trails, perfect for a winter walk in the woods.

Museum of Natural History

Christmas Eve, December 24 - closed

Many of the Nova Scotia Museum sites, specifically the historical houses, are only open seasonally. However, on these dark winter days, it is not uncommon to see a light on in the windows as museum staff quietly work on projects, research, and planning for the next busy year.  This winter, the Nova Scotia Museum is exploring our research files to rediscover stories about our museums and the people they celebrate.

Here's some of the latest events from across the Nova Scotia Museum.

The Mastodon femur recently put back on display at the Museum of Natural History, was found in Middle River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This bone has a big history!

Big Sandy

The huge bone was discovered by a Alexander McRae in 1834. Alexander's nick-name was "Big Sandy". We don't know if the Mastodon was a male or female, and it was found along the banks of the river, so Big Sandy might be a good nick-name for this historic femur.

Honeyman and the Moose

Map of Antigonish County, by David Honeyman, NSIS 1(4), 1867.

During the Museum's 150th anniversary, we are taking time to learn more about the Museum's history - including Dr. David Honeyman, the first Curator of the Nova Scotia Museum. As a paleontologist and geoscientist, I am particularly interested in Honeyman's work studying and promoting the geology of Nova Scotia. There are many stories to share (stay tuned), but it seems appropriate to start with his map.

19th Century Science and Culture

As we begin the journey of #FindingHoneyman, we start with a timeline of David Honeyman - the first Curator of the Nova Scotia Museum. This timeline provides an opportunity to discover links between between life events and historical contexts.

There’s something about a birthday that ends with a “0” that prompts reflection. These milestones feel like big accomplishments, moments to look at how far we’ve come while we take a pause before embarking on the next chapter.

As we end the 2018 Fort Saint Louis field season, a big thank you is extended to all who contributed to the excavation. Heather R. of AFN was with us to the end. A natural excavator, we hope she will join us next year!

We are in the last hours of site preparations before closing everything up. Visitors pop by to have one more look at excavations.

This wall was uncovered during the public dig 4 weeks ago. As anticipated, it continues from the wall we found last year.