The story of Nova Scotia’s inland communities begins with the Mi’kmaq, who established traditional gathering places in the heart of Mi’kma’ki. Through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European settlers, British Loyalists, and former soldiers were among those who also took on the challenges of developing Nova Scotia’s inland communities. Some places struggled to survive, but many thrived. Today, Nova Scotia’s most successful communities live on because entrepreneurs have adapted to changing circumstances—and all of Nova Scotia’s inland communities have stories to tell. With the help of more than thirty historical photos, trusted historian Joan Dawson takes us through the stories of the many Indigenous, Acadian, European, and African Nova Scotian communities in inland Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia’s Historic Inland Communities also explores the rivers, roads, and railways that led to the development of those communities—and the industries that were central to their success.

Joan Dawson is a member of the Lunenburg County Historical Society, the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Archaeology Society, and the Antiquarian Club of Halifax, and she is a fellow of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society. She has written many articles on maps and local history, co-authored Historic LaHave River Valley, and authored Nova Scotia's Historic Rivers, Nova Scotia's Lost Highways, The Mapmaker's Eye, and The Mapmakers' Legacy. Joan lives in Halifax.

Joan Dawson's profile page