In 1850, J. W. Dawson was appointed as the first superintendent of education for the province of Nova Scotia. During his tenure, Dawson encouraged the establishment of free schools. In 1855, Dawson’s successor, Alexander Forrester, established the Provincial Normal College in Truro, for the training of public school teachers and the standardization of school curriculum. The Free School Act of 1864, introduced by Premier Charles Tupper, created a system of free public schools throughout the province. The Education Act of 1864 assigned a school inspector to each of the 18 counties. The act also increased state funding and encouraged local taxation to support public schools, and standardized the classification and examination of students. Over the next hundred years, public school attendance registers fell under the authority of the Halifax-based office variously known as the Educational Department of Nova Scotia (-1894), the Education Department of Nova Scotia (1894-1929), the Nova Scotia Department of Education (1929-1967), and the Minister of Education (1967-). Today, the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, as it is known, is responsible for K-12 public school education throughout the province.
Emma Ellis was born on 18 June 1864 in Nova Scotia to Robert Ellis and Nancy Ryan. She was a school teacher. She participated in the Expo-Africa program through St. Andrew's United Church, in which she taught children in South Africa circa 1909. She died on 2 February 1950 in Lower Truro, NS.
The Blaikie Family lineage begins with John McKay Blaikie (1837 – 1929), prominent merchant, shipbuilder, and lumberman of the mid- to late-1800s. He and his first wife, Adelaide McLellan, had three sons and a daughter. Their sons were John Arthur Blaikie (1862 – 1938), a customs officer; Thomas David Blaikie (1864 – 1951), owner and manager of the Great Village Creamery; and Gloud Wilson Blaikie (1867 – 1930), owner and operator of the Londonderry Stove Works Co. Their daughter, Annie Blanche Blaikie (1860 - 1879), died at 19-years-old. After the death of Adelaide, John McKay married her first cousin, Melinda Gould (nee McLellan) (1842 – 1920). All three sons married and remained in the area until their deaths; only John Arthur and Gloud Wilson had children. The descendants of the Blaikie Family continued to occupy the Great Village area of Nova Scotia for over a century.
Francis (Frank) Robert Fulton was born 31 December 1927 in Truro, NS. He was the son of Norman Lester Fulton, with whom he established and co-owned Fulton's Insurance, located on Young St., Truro, NS. His brother, Don Fulton, would also become co-owner of the business. He retired from the insurance business in 1975, but continued to work as an artist. He made sculptures from ironworks and became well-known as the "Iron Man", opening shops in Truro, Pugwash, and Glenholme, NS. Frank also had a large collection of antique firearms. He died in 1985.
The Local Council of Women (LCW) were a local branch of the organization, the National Council of Women of Canada. Based in Truro, the LCW operated beginning in 1912. They advocated for many women’s rights issues as well as other social issues at the time. The LCW were very active in the community.
The Truro Residents Association was founded in 1997 to oppose the development of a "big box store" in central Truro, NS. They brought issues of concern forward to town representatives regarding building developments that would affect nearby residents. They were also involved in traffic studies, community awareness projects, and promoting community togetherness.
The Truro Art Society was established in 1969 to support artists in the Truro, NS area. It is a volunteer-run organization that sponsors exhibitions, offers workshops, and provides education to the arts community.
The Zonta Club of Truro was formed in 1980, as a chapter of Zonta International, which works to advance the status of women and children worldwide. Their primary fundraising activity was an annual craft fair, in which they raised funds to provide scholarships to local graduating students and support local organizations of a similar cause.
The Maritime Home for Girls was established on 1 September 1914 by the Protestant Churches of the Maritime Provinces as a reformatory home and training school for girls under the age of 16 who were homeless, neglected, or considered to be delinquents. In addition to a regular public school curriculum, the girls were taught home economics and religion. The Home began as a singular building, with the addition of a cottage in 1917, and another two in the 1920s. The grounds consisted of 240 acres of land, 64 of which were being cultivated in the 1940s. They also kept Holstein cows and chickens on the farm which helped to finance the Home’s operation. The centre of the campus was Ross Hall. The Home partnered with the Local Council of Women for special events, such as flower shows. After encountering financial difficulties, responsibility for the Home was taken over by the Department of Public Welfare on 1 April 1967 and it was renamed to the Nova Scotia School for Girls. The school was converted to the Nova Scotia Residential Centre, a co-educational facility for emotionally disturbed children in February 1985, resulting in the closure of the Nova Scotia School for Girls.
Harry Edgar Nelson was born on 26 May 1912 in Clifton, NS. He was a resident of Great Village, Colchester County, Nova Scotia. He married Donalda Hope MacLachlan in 1943. He was a school teacher, a member of the Colchester Historical Society, and an amateur historian. Nelson died in 1993.