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Authority record
Bell, F.H., 1855-1940
Person · 1855-1940

Francis Hugh Bell was born 6 August 1855 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he later became a barrister. He married M. Leila Steede (1862-1933) of Hamilton, Bermuda. They had at least two children, a daughter Barbara and a son, Hugh. Bell was a member of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and closely involved with the Marblehead to Halifax races. Frank H. Bell died in 1940.

Halifax (N.S.). City Council
Corporate body

The 1841 Act to Incorporate the Town of Halifax vests the City Council with “the administration of the fiscal, prudential, and municipal affairs and the government of the said City.” In other words, the Council had the responsibility of exercising all powers vested in the corporation of the City. These functions were taken over the the Halifax Regional Council, when Halifax Regional Municipality was created on April 1, 1996.

A fuller administrative history is available through HRM Archives.

Dartmouth (N.S.)
Corporate body

A settlement was founded at Dartmouth, N.S. in 1750. The community continued to grow and in April 1873 it was incorporated as a town. In 1961 it annexed several of its suburban areas and became a city, by An Act Relating to the City of Dartmouth, Statutes of Nova Scotia. In 1996 Dartmouth became part of the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Fulton, Charles, 1896-1924
Person

Charles Russell Fulton (1896-1924) was the first Halifax police officer to be killed on duty. He was shot by gang leader Lewis Bevis during the investigation of an armed robbery. He had been a police officer for four years and had been married to Ada Pearl Hartling for three years. His widow was responsible for forming this collection.

Corporate body · 1879 - 1996

The 1879 Act of Incorporation called for the County to incorporate as a municipality according to the new Municipal system and to create a Municipal Council that would exercise the powers of the Municipality . The council had the power to make, and alter rules and regulations required for the conduct and good order of their proceedings, and such by-laws touching any matters within their authority as they may judge proper. Councillors were elected for a 1-year term until 1892, when the term became 3 years. Councillors elected a Warden from amongst themselves at the first meeting of a new Council.According to the 1926 By-laws, the Municipality held their annual meeting on the fourth Wednesday in February, but over time the Council held its annual meeting anytime between February and April. These sessions took place over a number of multi-day meetings. Council could also provide for a fixed number of other regular meetings. In 1958, By-Law Number 2, the Municipal Council By-law called for only 4 regular meetings, which increased to 12 regular meetings in 1972, and then by 1979 increased to 24 meetings. Special meetings were held when necessary for the dispatch of business when called by the warden after he was requested to do so by not less than one-third of the councillors. All meetings were open and public.

The last meeting of the County Council was held March 26, 1996; the Municipality was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality on April 1, 1996.

Corporate body · 1961 - 1996

By An Act Relating to the City of Dartmouth, Statutes of Nova Scotia, assented March 13, 1961, Dartmouth became a City. The City of Dartmouth continued to be a body corporate, retaining the Town's existing by-laws, resolutions, pension, superannuation, insurance and benefit plans as well as its existing Council Members and executive and administrative officials.

Two aldermen were elected from each of seven wards; half of them elected each year, for a two year term. The Mayor is elected at large for a two year term. The last meeting of City Council was held on March 26, 1996; amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality on April 1, 1996. A complete list of Mayors and councillors and a fuller administrative history are available at HRM Archives.

Corporate body · 1873 - 1961

The Dartmouth Town Council governed the incorporated Town of Dartmouth. In 1873 Council consisted of a Warden and six Councillors who were residents of the Town's three wards and who were elected by the rate-payers. The Warden was elected for one year by all Wards. The Warden presided at all meetings and was head of the Council and Chief Executive Officer of the town. As of December 1888 however, the name of the position of Warden was changed to Mayor.

Council Meetings were held quarterly, but the Warden could call special meetings as often as necessary. There was also to be an annual meeting of the rate-payers of the town where the audited accounts of the year could be produced and Council, through the Warden, would report to the meeting the state and condition of the Town. The rate-payers at these meetings would, by majority vote, affirm any extraordinary expenditure required for the year. After the meeting, the Council would then pass a by-law at their next meeting imposing a rate to meet the expenditure.

In 1948, District 28 of the Municipality of the County of Halifax was amalgamated into the Town and became a new, fourth ward. Council composition changed accordingly - with two councillors elected for each ward plus the Mayor for two year terms, Council was then composed of 9 members. This remained the composition of Council up until and beyond the time when the Town was incorporated as a City in 1961.

Halifax (N.S.)
Corporate body

In 1749 the first settlers arrived in Halifax to found a town which could provide an adequate base for the British military on the north-Atlantic coast. Prior to incorporation in 1841, civic administration was in the hands of governors and magistrates appointed by Britain, and justices of the peace who managed local affairs and performed legal duties in meetings referred to as general or quarter-sessions. Although the system had at times drawn heavy criticism, an elected system of local governance didn’t emerge until an act was passed in 1841 to incorporate the city. The act vested administration of municipal affairs in a council consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and twelve common councilmen. Stephen Binney became Halifax’s first mayor. From 1841 thru 1996 the civic administration of the city underwent many changes, for example, the office of common councilmen was dissolved shortly after incorporation, the number of wards and councillors fluctuated, as did the method of selecting a mayor. On 1 April 1996, city governance underwent the most significant change since incorporation, when the City of Halifax amalgamated with the City of Dartmouth, the Municipality of the County of Halifax, and the Town of Bedford to form Halifax Regional Municipality. A complete list of the mayors of Halifax prior to 1996 is available in H. Millard Wright’s One Region Many Leaders. Bibliography “Municipal Facts, Figures, and History - The History of Municipal Government in Nova Scotia,” Government of Nova Scotia, http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/info/history/originHIST1.asp (accessed November 24, 2006).Wright, H. Millard. One Region Many Leaders. Halifax: Halifax Regional Municipality, 2002. c. 1, p. 1.

Bedford (N.S.). Town Council
Corporate body · 1979 - 1996

Although the Act to Incorporate the Town of Bedford was not assented to until December 28, 1979, the Council of the Town of Bedford started to perform their duties of office effective November 14, 1979. According to the Towns Act, the Council exercised all jurisdiction, power and authority which, but for the incorporation of the town, might have been exercised by the municipal council of the County of Halifax. Council consisted of the mayor and six councillors, all elected at large (no wards) for a term of three years. Quorum at Town Council was four members, including the Chair. Meetings were called by the Mayor as often as he or she deemed necessary. Special meetings could be called upon the request of three members of Council. Emergency meetings could be called by the Mayor on short notice when necessary, but no business could be transacted at these meetings save the business indicated by the notice of the meeting. The Mayor presided as Chairman for all meetings, or the Deputy Mayor or some other member chosen, if the Mayor was absent. In Bedford, the Chairman had a right to vote. In the event of a tied vote, the motion was deemed to have been lost. The last meeting of Council was held March 29, 1996; the Town was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality on April 1, 1996. See “a complete list of elected officials.":https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/municipal-archives/source-guides/elected-officials-list

Halifax (N.S.: County)
Corporate body

The boundaries of Halifax County were established in 1759 and were much larger than what became known as Halifax County, as Sydney, Pictou and Colchester Counties were removed. The Halifax County Court of General Sessions of the Peace oversaw local administration until the 1879 County Incorporation Act replaced it with an eleted municipal council. Council consisted of one representative for each county district, thirty-one at the time. A warden was then elected from amongst the councillors, by the councillors, to serve as chief executive officer of the council. The number of councillors changed throughout the years to reflect changes in district boundaries. On 1 April 1996, the Municipality of the County of Halifax amalgamated with the City of Halifax, the City of Dartmouth, and the Town of Bedford to form Halifax Regional Municipality. Colonel J.W. Laurie from Waverley was the county’s first warden. For a complete list of the county’s wardens, and biographical information pertaining to them, see http://www.halifax.ca/council/mayor/FormerMayors.html#County.