This Week in Nova Scotia History: May 4-10
4 May 1839 - Samuel Cunard of Halifax established the British and North American Royal Mail Packet Company, which later became known as the Cunard Line. He subsequently won a British government bid to carry mail to and from Liverpool, Halifax and Boston and placed four ships in operation, establishing the first regular steamship service between the continents.
Cunard’s ships were designed “for rapid conversion to troopships in case of war, a stipulation of the Admiralty contract, and were entitled to bear the title “Royal Mail Steamer,” abbreviated to R.M.S.
Cunard named the four ships: Acadia, Britannia, Caledonia and Columbia.
(For more on the life of Samuel Cunard, see Samuel Cunard Nova Scotia’s Master of the North Atlantic. John Boileau. Halifax: Formac Publishing, 2006.)
5 May 1822 - The Nova Scotia Commercial Society was the first such society formed in North America at that time, known as a Chamber of Commerce. As G.F. Butler has pointed out, “The merchants of Halifax had been prominent in the town from its foundation,” having been loosely organized since 1750. They were also active in securing a Representative Assembly in 1758.”
As historian David Sutherland noted, “The (American) Revolutionary War contributed decisively to a redefinition of Halifax’s identity. Loyalist merchants, crowding into the Nova Scotia capital early in the 1780s, became the focus of a lobby demanding implementation of a comprehensive regional development strategy, one that envisioned the Maritimes being transformed into a ‘new’ New England, playing the role of supply base and market for the British Caribbean.”
Later, an effort to formally organize the business community took place in 1804 called the Halifax Committee of Trade, which lobbied London authorities, as well as local legislators, for their interests, signalling a “growing sense of collective purpose among a mercantile elite,” that would have a major impact on Nova Scotia’s destiny. By 1822, a reorganization took place and over 150 merchants of the town became members - referred to then as “subscribers” - for 10 shillings per annum, to form the Nova Scotia Commercial Society.
From the Society’s membership, 15 were elected by ballot “to be known by the name of The Chamber of Commerce” who elected a President and various executive positions to preside and officiate at all the general monthly meetings, which were held at the Exchange Coffee House in Halifax.
The Chamber of Commerce underwent various organizational changes such that by 1854 it had practically disappeared. However, by 1866, a Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce was incorporated by the Provincial Legislature “for all persons connected with the Trade, Commerce, Mining, Manufacturing, Shipbuilding and fishing interest of the Province.” It existed until 1890 when a Board of Trade was formed, which later merged with the Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce to become the Halifax Board of Trade. It is now known as the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
(Reference: Butler, G.F. “The Early Organization and Influence of Halifax Merchants.” Collections of Nova Scotia Historical Society. 1938, pp. 1-16. And Sutherland, David. “Halifax Merchants and the Pursuit of Development, 1783-1850.” Canadian Historical Review, LIX, 1, 1978.)
6 May 1961 - The Federal Civil Service advertized Lighthouse keeper positions in the Department of Transport in Nova Scotia, that were open for “qualified male residents.”
Lightkeepers lived in exposed and sometimes dangerous environments, not just from the sea, but also from thunder and lightning. Automation began in the late 1950s and early 60s and would change the keeper's job and way of life forever. All the lighthouses in Nova Scotia are now automated and de-staffed
As the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society (nslps.com) notes, “Nova Scotia has the largest number of lights of any province in Canada, and some of the oldest, including Sambro, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the Americas.” The Society has information on its website of over 185 lighthouses, past and present.
(Reference: For more information, also see the Nova Scotia Lighthouses visit the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society at www.nslps.com where they maintain a full list of the names and locations of Nova Scotia’s lighthouses.)
7 May 1944 - News reaches Halifax that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) frigate HMCS Valleyfield was sunk just before midnight on this day by a Nazi submarine U-548 torpedoes, 80 kilometres off Cape Race, N.L., as she was making her way to St. John’s with two other Canadian frigates and two corvettes. Since she was sailing far astern of the other ships, they were unaware of the Valleyfield being sunk till much later.
One of the torpedoes that hit her split her in two and she sank in four minutes, 125 crewmen died all within the coastal shores of Newfoundland. There were 43 survivors (of which five died later). It was one of the RCN’S worst losses in home waters during the Second World War.
(Reference: A list of the men who died in the sinking of HMCS Valleyfield can be read at “For Posterity’s Sake - A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project - HMCS Valleyfield K329.” URL: bit.ly/4au1mep.)
8 May 1945 - Victory in Europe Day is declared in Berlin with the ratification of the signing of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and all her forces on land, sea and air the day before at Rheims.
When news reached Halifax, a second day of rioting occurred downtown when soldiers and seamen vandalized and looted many stores during VE-DAY celebrations.
Many stores had been ordered to close when VE-DAY was announced. This left little means to celebrate such a momentous occasion and the worst unfolded. For more background consider reading Stephen Kimber’s book Sailors, Slackers and Blind Pigs (2002).
9 May 1890 - The Dartmouth Ropework Co. of Halifax advertized in Massey’s Illustrated A Journal of News and Literature for Rural Homes, attempting to reach readers across the country, especially farmers who required rope products.
The Dartmouth Ropework Co. was founded under the family firm of William Stairs, Son and Morrow (WSS&M) in the north end of Dartmouth in 1868. The firm had specialized in ship chandlery and later saw opportunities in ropework and cordage products for ships, farmers and fishermen.
William Stairs' son, W.J. had also leveraged his family’s investments, owning shares in a fleet of 48 trading and shipping vessels, including schooners, barques, brigs and full-rigged ships, many of which had been built in Nova Scotia and required the very products the Dartmouth Ropeworks could supply.
By 1889, the Dartmouth Ropeworks plant had expanded to include 13 buildings on 10 acres of land. At its peak, the company had employed over 300 people.
(Reference: Frost, James D.. “The Stairs Fleet of Halifax: 1788-1926.” The Northern Mariner, XXII No.3 (July 2012), 283-308.)
10 May 1888 -
As early as the mid-1860s, the Boston, Halifax, Prince Edward Island Steamship Line had run a regular passenger ship service. Its successor in 1892 was the Plant Line, named after Harry Bradley Plant, whose service became associated with the term the “Boston Boat.”
Earlier in 1888, the Canada Atlantic Steamship Company was formed and had S.S. Halifax running a passenger service from Charlottetown, Port Hawkesbury, Halifax and Boston. By 1893, they merged their efforts with the Plant Line and provided a regular passenger service till 1915. Fares were as little as $10 for an overnight trip to Boston.
The New England economy was booming at that time becoming a real draw for Maritimers who went by the thousands (including this writer’s paternal grandparents) - for either seasonal employment or to put down roots and form an expatriate community. The passenger ship service became an important link back home for many Maritimers working in what they called the 'Boston states.'
(Reference: Sailstrait. “Henry Plant and The Boston Boat.” URL: bit.ly/3wfdifu. Also see Away Maritimers in Massachusetts, Ontario and Alberta (Mcgill-queen’s University Press, 1992) by Gary Burrill)