Archives Launches Extensive Second World War Exhibit

Tourism, Culture and Heritage

Published Thursday, September 10, 2009

Nova Scotians can explore Halifax in wartime through a new online feature presented by the Nova Scotia Archives.

East Coast Port: Halifax in Wartime, 1939-1945 is a virtual exhibit containing over 5,800 historical photos, film clips, and print materials documenting the lives of Nova Scotians living with war. The launch coincides with the 70th anniversary of Canada's entry into the Second World War.

Quotes

“During the Second World War, residents of Halifax lived with the constant threat of danger. East Coast Port captures the lives of Haligonians before, during, and at the end of the war, so that we may not forget the sacrifices made at home and overseas.” Percy Paris, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage

“We are pleased to present the story of Halifax during those six long years. The visual material featured in East Coast Port gives anyone with Internet access an opportunity to explore the look-and-feel Halifax during wartime.” Brian Speirs, provincial archivist

Quick Facts

  • Between 1939 and 1945, no other community in Canada was more involved in, or more marked by, the events of war than Halifax. The city was the principal staging point in Canada for the war in Europe.
  • For security reasons, it was not named in radio and newspaper coverage, but was instead identified only as "an East Coast port".
  • The seven virtual exhibits showcase different aspects of the wartime city through archival material. Topics include what Halifax looked like on the eve of war, wartime censorship and convoy movements, women and families responding to the war, and entertaining the troops.
  • A separate section of online film clips includes footage of a German U-Boat being captured off Shelburne and coverage of the VE-Day Riots in Halifax.

Learn More

Media Contact

Lauren Oostveen
Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management
902-424-6073
E-mail:

Images

Dancer signing autographs at the Marcus Dance Show, Halifax Forum, 1941
Download high-res version
Famous Bedford Basin, upper end of Halifax Harbor, dramatically shows the shift from war to peace conditions of 'East Coast Port.' Here the great convoys were made up. Pictures taken from the air in 1942
Download high-res version
Tanks on the streets of Kentville, Apple Blossom Parade, June 10th, 1941
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Nova Scotia at War: Nova Scotia Delivers the Goods. Booklet published by the provincial government in 1945
Download high-res version

Videos

Silent B&W footage shot by Lionel L. Shatford during the V.E. Day Riots in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in May 1945.
Newsreel footage of German U-Boats surrendering to Canadian and American forces in the West Atlantic, including footage from off Shelburne.
This documentary examines the role played by Halifax in the Second World War, with an emphasis on the strategic importance of Halifax as a port city.