Showing 1765 results

Authority record
Karrel, Curdis
Person · 1921 - 1944

Curdis Karrel was born on May 20, 1921 (May 24, 1921) in New Waterford, Nova Scotia to Morris Karrel (d. 1941) and Sarah Alterman. He had three brothers, Benjamin Karrel, Israel Karrel, and Sam Karrel, as well as two sisters, Yuddis Lily Shimelman and Ada Ruth Karrel (d. 1931). The family was settled at 19 Whitney Avenue in Sydney, Nova Scotia by 1942 and were active members of the Jewish community in Whitney Pier. As a boy and young man Curdis attended Central School and Sydney Academy in Sydney and he went to Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick from 1939 to 1941. Between 1941 and 1942 he worked as a clerk for Canadian Car & Foundry in Amherst, Nova Scotia.

On August 10, 1942, Curdis enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Moncton, New Brunswick. He had previously tried to enlist, in April 1941, but a sickness in his family and the death of his father, kept him from the air force at that time. His service number was R174894 and he held the rank of Sergeant. He was trained as an air bomber with one teacher writing of him, “A splendid youngster who should be heard from. Keen, bright and intelligent. Enthusiastic about the service…cheerful at all times.”

At 10:15 pm on July 28, 1944, Curdis and members of his crew took off for an operation over Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft and its crew were never heard from again, with their date of death recorded as July 29, 1944. In November 1944, Sergeant Curdis Karrel was posthumously promoted to Pilot Officer (at which point his service number became J88620). In 1948, the crew was found buried in Hohenaspe, Germany when they were removed to Kiel British War Cemetery.

MacKay, Daniel J.
Person · ?-1921

Daniel J. MacKay was the son of John and Jane (MacDonald) MacKay of Port Hood, Nova Scotia. He married and had (at least) six children: Josephine, J. Campbell, Elizabeth, Alphonsus, Mary Campbell and Colin. He served as Inverness County Court Clerk and Postmaster from 1901 until his death in 1921.

MacDonald, John Archy
Person

John Archy MacDonald was born at Washabuckt, N.S., the son of Allan and Sarah (MacNeil) MacDonald. He married Mary Agnes MacKinnon and the couple had eleven children: Leonard, Mary, Joseph Allan, Sylvester, Mildred, Hector, Cecilia, Collette, Martin, Leo and Christina. MacDonald operated a general store at Iona, Nova Scotia. During World War I, he served as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Army and prior to the war he served in the local militia. He represented the district of Iona on the Municipal Council of the County of Victoria for many years. In 1929 he removed to Dartmouth and in 1934 to Halifax. MacDonald was a member of the Canadian Martyr's Parish and of the Holy Name Society. He was also Chairman of the Mother's Allowance Commission until his death.

MacIntyre, Archie
Person

Archie MacIntyre was born 23 May 1903, the son of Archie and Elizabeth (Wilson) MacIntyre. He married Catherine MacDonald in 1933 and they had at least one child, Joan. MacIntyre was a coal miner and in his retirement did a considerable amount of work educating children about early coal mining conditions.

Gastaldi, Giacomo
Person · 1500-1566

Gastaldi was an Italian cartographer, astronomer and engineer of the 16th century. He began his career as an engineer, and from about 1544 he turned his attention to mapmaking, and his work represents several important turning points in cartographic development.

Kendall, Helen
Person · 1892-1985

Helen Kendall, the daughter of the late Lieutenant Governor Doctor H. E. Kendall and Ida (Burchell) Kendall, was born in Sydney in 1892. She was a graduate of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal and served at that hospital and as a trainer in Romania. During World War 1 and World War 2, Miss Kendall was a Nursing Sister and served overseas. She died at the age of 93 on December 4, 1985.

MacMillan, James
Person

James MacMillan was born in 1915 in Sydney. He was employed at the Sydney Post Office for many years and was in the military service during World War II. Following his retirement from the Post Office, he was Curator at St. Patrick's Museum, Sydney, until his death in 1981.

Ridgway, Allan
Person

Allan Ridgway was born in Manchester, England, and moved to North Sydney, Cape Breton, in 1920. A veteran of World War 1, Ridgway married Frances Dodd of Bridgeport and worked as the Manager of the North Sydney Branch of Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. for more than 40 years.

Mann, Stella
Person · 1900-1992

Stella Hilchie Mann (1900-1992) of Gabarus, was the daughter of Captain Stephen and Mrs. Naomi (Grant) Hilchey. She married G. Fred Mann in 1920, and they had five children. Mrs. Mann has spent her life researching the history and families of Gabarus, and has produced five booklets dealing with the history of the village. The papers are rich in material relating to the families of southeastern Cape Breton.

Wood, Weldon Wood
Person · 1881-1966

Dr. Weldon Patton was born in Roslin, Nova Scotia, in 1881. After graduating from Dalhousie's School of Medicine in 1908, he practised in Newfoundland and numerous locations in Cape Breton, including Glace Bay, Broughton, Dominion, and Port Morien. Patton contributed to the war effort both by serving as a doctor during World War 1, and by tending to disabled soldiers after their return from war. He died in Port Morien in 1966.

MacNeill, Mary Belle
Person · 1888-1976

Mary Belle MacNeill was born in Ingonish, Cape Breton, on May 9, 1888. A graduate of St. Joseph's School of Nursing, Mary Belle was keen to offer her abilities after the outbreak of World War 1. She enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps on February 24, 1915, and served with the 6th Canadian General Hospital unit. After the war, she continued to serve in the Armed Forces and would later serve in World War 2. Mary Belle was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for her thirty years of service. She died at Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax, on August 9, 1976.

Reid, William
Person

Dr. William Reid joined the staff of Xavier Junior College in 1953 as Professor of Physics. He served as President of the University College of Cape Breton during 1983-1989.

Gillis, Allan J.
Person · June 9, 1942 - January 29, 2016

Allan J. Gillis was born in Montreal and attended school in Creignish in the 1940s. Mr. Gillis lived in Ottawa, ON and was an accomplished musician, bagpiper, and composer. He was a former member of the City of Montreal Pipe Band.

Cameron, John Allan
Person · 1938-2006

John Allan Cameron was born in Glencoe Station, Inverness County, in 1938, a nephew of the great composer and fiddler, Dan R. MacDonald. A graduate of St. F. X. University, he became a professional musician in 1968 and his career has brought him international acclaim.

MacNeil, James A.
Person · 1869-1939

The author of the work (who remains anonymous on the text) James MacNeil (1869-1939) known in Gaelic as Seumas Beag Dhòmhnuill Mhurchaidh, originally hailed Irish Vale. MacNeil was the producer of Teachdaire nan Gàidheal a Gaelic newspaper that ran from 1925-1935. He campaigned tirelessly for the development of literary resources in Gaelic and the inclusion of Gaelic as a subject in the school system.

MacQuarrie, Gordon F.
Person · 1897-1965

Gordon F. MacQuarrie was a well-known violinist, bagpiper and composer from Southwest Margaree.

Abbass, John
Person · 1923-2007

John Jobe "Johnny" Abbass held the title of president of Abbass Studios. He went on to own and operate Econo Colour camera stores throughout the Maritimes. A prominent businessman and member of the local community, he served as vice president of the Professional Photographers Association of Canada and was involved with the Progressive Conservative Party and the Rotary Club of Sydney. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for outstanding contributions to his community. After his retirement from the business, his sons Blaise and John took over the Studios.

Donovan, Kenneth J.
Person

Ken Donovan is now a retired historian with Parks Canada, Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site (1976-2011). He is immediate past President of the Old Sydney Society, a non-profit organization that operated four museums in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. http://independent.academia.edu/KENDONOVAN

Dr. Norma Jean Coon
Person · 1936-11-05 - 2012-03-20

Norma Jean Coon (nee. Rempe) was born in Oklahoma City in 1936. She moved to Toledo to attend nursing school at Mercy College, and graduated in 1958. From there she moved to San Diego and obtained her BA in Psychology from the University of San Diego. She received her MA and PhD from the Pacific School of Psychology. She worked as a RN and Psychologist in San Diego for 30 years.

deRoche, Dr. John
Person · 1947-10 -29

Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the oldest of 3 brothers. Graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1968 with a degree in social sciences. Attended grad school in St. Louis, Missouri, 1970. Taught anthropology and sociology at UCCB/CBU from 1972 until retirement.

MacKinnon, Mary Jane
Person

A music teacher out of her home, Mary Jane played violin, piano, and mandolin.

Cameron, Daniel
Person · 1915-1916

Daniel Cameron was the mayor of the Town of Glace Bay from 1915 to 1916.

O'Neil, A.L.
Person · 1918-1919

A.L. O'Neil was the mayor of the town of Glace Bay from 1918 until 1919.

Forbes, McK. E.
Person · 1920-1921

E. McK. Forbes was the mayor of the town of Glace Bay from 1920-1921.

Robson, Wanda Eloise
Person · 1926-2022

Wanda Eloise Robson (née Wanda Davis) was born December 16, 1926, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as one of fifteen children born to James Albert Davis and Gwendolyn Irene Davis. She attended Sir Charles Tupper School, Alexandra School, Bloomfield Junior High School, and graduated from Queen Elizabeth High School. Upon graduating high school, she began working as a lab assistant for the Federal Fisheries department in Halifax. She had three children, Stephen Neal, Jeff Neal, and Gordon Neal, and raised them as a single mother until she married Joe Robson in 1971. The couple moved to North Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1975. In 2004, Wanda completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at the University College of Cape Breton (UCCB, now Cape Breton University(CBU)). Wanda experienced racial discrimination throughout her life and after graduating with her BA, became an activist, speaking about being a Black Nova Scotian and telling her sister, Viola Desmond's, story. Robson's work led to Viola Desmond’s posthumous pardon in 2010 and she created a lasting legacy for herself and her sister. In 2010, Robson published Sister to Courage: Stories from the World of Viola Desmond, Canada's Rosa Parks, which recounted the courage and ambition of Viola Desmond and the Davis family. Due to her work, Wanda received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from CBU in 2012. She died in Sydney, Nova Scotia on February 6, 2022.

McKeen, William
Person · 1789-1865

Hon. William McKeen was born in Truro in 1789. Shortly after marrying his first wife, Elizabeth MacDougall in 1811, he moved to Mabou where he owned and operated substantial farming, contracting, and mercantile operations. He was the first Custos Rotulorum and the first legislative councillor for Inverness County. He died at Mabou in 1865. At the time of his death he left behind his second wife, Christena Smith and a family of 24 from his two marriages.

Morgan, Robert James
Person · 1938-2011

Robert James (Bob) Morgan is remembered for his outstanding contributions to the archival community, the heritage sector and the scholarly field of local history, particularly the history of Cape Breton Island. In all Bob’s involvements he brought a joyful enthusiasm and genuine respect for the opinions of others. He loved to conduct research and Bob shared freely that research in the classroom, with researchers in the archives and the community through his many public lectures and publications.

Born and raised in Windsor Ontario, Bob received his BA Honours in History and English from the University of Windsor in 1961. Following graduation Bob travelled to Cape Breton in 1962 to take up a lecturing position at Xavier College in Sydney, Nova Scotia. For the next four years he resided in Sydney and taught Canadian history and political science at the new College.

It was during this time Bob became involved with a small but action-oriented group of individuals keen to save an aging and derelict stone church in the North End of Sydney. The church eventually became known as St. Patrick’s Church Museum and the group formed themselves into the Old Sydney Society in 1966. The Old Sydney Society has grown from its initial incarnation of one church museum to include the operation of the Centre for Heritage and Science in the historic Lyceum Building, the Jost House Museum and Cossit House Museum all situated in Nova Scotia’s only designated historic district – Sydney’s North End. Their success continues today as the Old Sydney Society is in its 46 th year.

Bob, through his involvement as a founding and continuing member of the Old Sydney Society, held executive positions numerous times and continued to work toward a thriving heritage community in the area. He volunteered with the Sydney Steel Museum as well as the Lyceum Heritage Society, offered advice to forming societies and advocated on behalf of archives and museums to municipal, provincial and federal government departments as a means to enhance ones engagement with their community. He believed that archives and museums were foundational to responsible citizenship; one must know the history of their community, the struggles and the successes.

Bob’s early teaching and community involvement led him to further his education. Bob obtained his MA in Canadian History from Queen’s University in 1964. It was during his graduate studies at Queen’s that Bob met his future wife Barbara (Babs) MacKinnon a native of Inverness Cape Breton.

Following the completion of his MA Bob worked with the Public Archives of Canada in Ottawa. It was here Bob learned to be an archivist and he developed an interest in the colonial period of Cape Breton history. Bob continued his studies in History and completed his Ph.D. at Ottawa University. In 1971 he was offered the position of Senior Historian at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park where he worked for the next five years.

Working as the Senior Historian from 1971-1976 Bob helped to shape the interpretation of the largest historic reconstruction site in North America. Bob’s keen interest in social history meant he brought the lives of these early settlers, citizens and militia to life and encouraged Cape Bretoners, Nova Scotians and Canadians to know and engage in their past.

In 1976, following the tragic loss of Sr. Margaret Beaton, College of Cape Breton Principal Fr. MacLennan invited Bob to join the history faculty and become the Director of the Beaton Institute archives. During his time as Director, Bob transformed the archives into a research centre out of which has grown the wealth of regional and Cape Breton studies research and programming which is evident at Cape Breton University today. Bob remained with the University for 26 years and in 1990 was appointed Cape Breton University’s first Dean of Research and Development.

Through his position at the Beaton Institute Bob became an advocate of Nova Scotia’s growing community archives and museum movement. In 1982 Bob chaired the first organizational meeting of what would become the Council of Nova Scotia Archives (CNSA). He then served as the CNSA’s first president from 1983-1985. Bob left his mark on the Nova Scotia archival community, laying a strong foundation for other archivists to build upon.

Bob’s contribution was also felt nationally as he was a founding member of the National Archival Appraisal Board and in 1976 served as Vice-President. In 1979 Bob was the Atlantic Canada representative for the Archives Committee of SSHRCC which during his term investigated the reform of the national archival system. Bob also served as President of the Association of Canadian Archivists from 1985-1986.

Dr. Morgan’s publications are indeed a lasting contribution to the scholarly fields of history, public history and regional studies. Bob published 4 books focusing on the history of Cape Breton Island including Rise Again! The Story of Cape Breton Island Volume 1 and Volume 2; Perseverance: The Story of Cape Breton’s University College (1952-2002); and Early Cape Breton: From Founding to Famine. Dr. Morgan also published in various journals on the history of 18th century Louisbourg, historical biographies, the Loyalist founding and early history of Sydney.

During his life Bob was committed to his wife Babs, Cape Breton Island, teaching, heritage, research and writing, and his garden. It is in Robert J Morgan’s honour the series Cape Bretoniana is established and through his legacy this Grant-in-Aid Program is possible.

Boardmore, Harry
Person · 1931-2013

Harry Boardmore grew up in Longton, Staffordshire in the English Black Country. His initial interest in acting and drama was born out of trips to the local cinema with his grandmother as a child. In the 1950s, he attended the College of St. Mark and St. John in London where he pursued studies in speech and drama preparing for a career as a teacher. In the 1960s, Harry made his way across the Atlantic to Canada; he began teaching at Duncan MacMillan High School in the rural eastern shore community of Sheet Harbour, which is where he met Elizabeth 'Liz' MacDonald. Harry and Liz married and moved to Sydney to teach at Xavier College in 1966. The original plan was to come to the Junior College for two years and then be transferred to Antigonish, but Harry said, "there was something in the air... and we hated to leave." Liz and Harry established the Xavier College Drama Society and early productions and drama festivals took place on the top floor of the Lyceum in Sydney, which became the Xavier College Theatre. When the new College of Cape Breton campus opened in 1979, the drama society and theatre moved to its new permanent home at the Playhouse. In 1990, it was renamed the Boardmore Playhouse in honour of Liz and Harry Boardmore, for their unwavering dedication to the development of community theatre in Cape Breton. Harry was a faculty member at the University College of Cape Breton, teaching English and overseeing theatrical productions. He directed 64 plays during his tenure, and was credited for bringing contemporary and experimental theatre and voices to the stage. Harry Boardmore passed away in Bolivia in April of 2013 at the age of 82.

Gillis, Ronald
Person · 1868 -1942

Ronald Gillis ,of Boularderie, wrote many articles and letters exposing the evil influences of Communism. He was a school teacher, Gaelic scholar, sailor and prospector in the Klondike. Papers include a file of his correspondence on topics relating to communism, politics, and personal affairs. «

Rosemary McCormack
Person

Rosemary was born in Daliburgh on the island of South Uist. Her father was a doctor from Perth, Scotland, and her mother was a Currie from South Uist. A native speaker of Gaelic, she traveled to Cape Breton in the early 70s and began the island's Gaelic speakers. For years, she hosted a program on CBC radio entitled MacTalla nan Eilein (Island Echoes). Hutchinson married Brian McCormack and settled in Iona where they established the Gaelic consulting and information business, B & R Heritage Enterprises. Through this, Brian and Rosemary were able to host many language learning sessions and release tapes which feature Nova Scotia Gaelic singers. They relocated to Alberta in the late 1990s.

MacLeod, Malcolm R.
Person · 1877-?

Malcolm Roderick MacLeod was born and raised in Sterling, near Framboise. He was the son of Roderick MacLeod of Framboise and Christina MacLeod of Grand River. He worked for many years as a salesman, selling cream separators and tombstones. Later in life, he moved into Sydney and found great popularity as a Gaelic singer, recording songs for the Celtic label. MacLeod was also a regular on Cotter's Saturday Night and winner of many of the recently Gaelic College Mods. After moving to industrial Cape Breton, MacLeod quickly began to acquire music produced in Scotland and adopted much of the Scottish Mod's classicized, Victorian style of performance that was popular in some Gaelic circles in the early 1900, especially in urban areas of Cape Breton. Gaels in rural Cape Breton, still for the most part, adhered to community and cultural aesthetics.
The following is a link to a picture of the cast of Cotter's Saturday Night. MacLeod is secod from the left in the back row: https://beatoninstitute.com/g957n