Shining a Light on Atlantic Canadian History

In Atlantic Canada, history doesn’t always arrive with fanfare. More often, it lingers quietly in family stories, community landmarks and overlooked archives, waiting for someone to bring it forward. This year, with support from the John Bragg Award for Atlantic Canada, three organizations are doing just that: illuminating the lives and legacies of individuals whose contributions have influenced these provinces’ cultural landscape.

In Halifax, the Association of Nova Scotia Museums (ANSM) is helping bring a hero into focus. Dr. Clement Ligoure was many things: physician, editor, activist. The first Black doctor in Halifax, he treated hundreds of patients in the wake of the 1917 explosion — many of whom had been turned away from white hospitals. Ligoure ran a private clinic out of his home, working around the clock in the days that followed the disaster.

Ligoure was also the editor of The Atlantic Advocate, Canada’s first African- Canadian newsmagazine, where he wrote about race, citizenship and justice. Now, through a province-wide initiative led by the ANSM, Ligoure’s contributions will be brought into classrooms, museums and conversations about Black history in Canada.

In Bouctouche, N.B., a new interpretive space at Le Pays de la Sagouine will focus on the life and legacy of Antonine Maillet, one of the most influential literary voices in Acadian history. With her 1971 novel La Sagouine, Maillet helped bring the Acadian experience into the literary mainstream, capturing the rhythms and realities of a culture that had long awaited fuller recognition.

Her stories didn’t just reflect Acadian identity, they also helped shape it, giving language and visibility to generations of readers. The new space will explore Maillet’s impact as a writer and cultural advocate, situating her work within the wider story of Acadian revival in the 20th century.

Finally, in Clare, N.S., the Association Sainte-Marie héritage et développement is creating a multimedia exhibition to celebrate Léo Melanson, the master carpenter who led the construction of Église Sainte-Marie –– the tallest wooden church in North America. This project uses oral history, digital storytelling and 3D documentation to allow visitors to explore the tools, techniques and lives of the 1,500 Acadian volunteers who built the church between 1903 and 1905.

Each initiative has received $50,000 through the John Bragg Award, launched in 2023 by the River Philip Foundation and administered by Canada’s National History Society. The award supports community-led efforts that preserve and share the stories of Atlantic Canadians who have shaped their communities in lasting ways.