Thanks to partners Libraries Nova Scotia, St. Francis Xavier University, and Nova Scotia Archives, three Nova Scotia newspapers — two Gaelic and one Acadian — have been digitized and made available online.
When making the announcement on its Facebook page, Nova Scotia Archives said, “These Gaelic and Acadian newspapers build on our existing resource and give an increasingly clear view of historic Nova Scotia.”
Am Bràighe, Summer 1998, Vol. 6, No. 1, Mabou, Nova Scotia. Digital publisher: St. Francis Xavier University.
Gaelic publications
All editions of the bilingual Gaelic-English newspaper, Am Bràighe, have been scanned from 1991 to 2003, and they are available on St. Francis Xavier University’s website.
If you have Scottish roots in Nova Scotia, you should look at this newspaper for articles about the region’s history and families.
For example, on page 7 in the Summer 1998 issue, there is an article about the Mabou Pioneers: “In 1952, a remarkable genealogy book was published called Mabou Pioneers. It detailed the descendants of 21 pioneer families, most of whom emigrated from the Lochaber area of Scotland.”
Also available on the St. Francis Xavier University’s website are all existing editions of An Cuairtear Òg Gaelach / The Gaelic Tourist, or A Gaelic Collection of Miscellaneous Articles of Instructions and Entertainment, for 1851 and 1852.
This monthly publication, which is actually a magazine — devoid of any images, appears to be only in Gaelic, apart from the English title pages.
According to Nova Scotia Archives, this magazine provided information about Nova Scotia to Scottish immigrants. So, if you have Scottish Nova Scotian roots and you can read Gaelic, this magazine should interest you.
Acadian newspaper
The latest addition to the Nova Scotia Archives digitized historical newspapers collection and Libraries Nova Scotia website is the Acadian newspaper, Le Courrier de la Nouvelle Écosse, from 1937 to 2002, covering its first 66 years of operation. This newspaper was published weekly in French from Meteghan River, Digby County. It covers news of interest to Acadians and francophones across the province, particularly local news about residents.
Libraries Nova Scotia
Libraries Nova Scotia began as a collaboration of all Nova Scotia university, community college, and public libraries. Since 2009, it has sponsored a series of newspaper digitization projects, providing online access to a selection of the province’s historical and culturally diverse newspapers.
