Nova Scotia Archives

Before I even get to my review of the good olé Archives, I need to claim bragging rights on nabbing the FTR (first to review) AND hitting my 400^th review. So if I accomplish nothing else today, at least I have that.
The Archives. Easily one of the coolest social media accounts to follow in Atlantic Canada, always a lovely area of town to visit with its wide streets and beautiful trees, and often overlooked because people don’t really understand why they’d ever go to visit.
I was the same until I started work on a creative writing project focusing on a piece of land with a long history out toward Wellington. I was hoping to contrast my modern day experiences there with stories from its previous residents which, at the time, I was likely going to have to make up. Lo and behold, my Indiana Jones-​style journey took me from one historian to the next, chasing a rumoured series of handwritten journals maintained for over a hundred years by the family who immigrated from Europe to settle on that exact spot. Where could I find them? The Archives, of course!
I went, I found, and I sat almost shaking with disbelief that anyone is just allowed to sit down and flip through such incredible records of the past. I was able to snap photos, make notes in my own journals, and visit over and over until the project was complete — and then once after to pay some tortured artist’s respects.
Outside of my very specific find, this building is a hotbed of history ranging from photos and maps to personal family histories and encounters. In fact, they probably have so much tucked away within their walls that we could all be surprised by what we’d find!
Parking is usually pretty easy, front desk staff are helpful at getting you set up with a visitor’s pass, and free to visit (from what I remember but I could be wrong…) for whatever purpose brings you in.
One star withheld only because it’s not exactly easy to navigate unless you know what you’re doing and as a result the incredibly knowledgeable staff are also highly sought-​after by every other visitor. Unlike waiting for staff as they find a different size for someone at a store, giving good customer service at the Archives certainly takes time so you need to be up for a bit of a wait as you jockey to find what you’re looking for. Not a complaint — but just something to keep in mind!