Nova Scotia: the birthplace of parliamentary democracy

On October 2, 1758, the Nova Scotia House of Assembly met for the first time in a modest wooden building at the corner of Argyle and Buckingham streets in Halifax.

It was an assembly of twenty-two men, some of whom were from as far away as Britain, Germany, and New England, who came together to deliberate as a parliament on questions affecting the land in which they lived.

It was a modest beginning with the majority of citizens denied the vote. But it was an important beginning nonetheless. It was the first elected assembly of its kind in what is now Canada.

As the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, as well as the birthplace of freedom of the press and responsible government in our country, Nova Scotia's pioneering role in shaping our nation's democratic institutions has helped secure the rights and freedoms Canadians today embrace.

It's a story Nova Scotians can be proud of and all Canadians should celebrate. The Democracy 250 project in 2008 brought attention to Nova Scotia's important contributions to today's democratic freedoms. The project launched special events to engage youth and brought together a collection of resources to mark the anniversary of democracy in Canada.

Resources to learn more about our history:

• Short History of Elections and Voting in Nova Scotia, 1758-2006
  by Brian Cuthbertson PhD, Historical Researcher
• List of Acts passed by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Relating to the Franchise by Year with References
• Judicial Independence and Democracy in Nova Scotia
  by Dr. Philip Girard, Professor of Law, History, and Canadian Studies, Dalhousie University
• Nova Scotia's Representative Assembly, 1758: A Historical Perspective
  by Dr. John Reid, Professor, Department of History, Saint Mary's University
• The Provincial Election of 1758: The First Vote in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
  by Kenneth S. Paulsen, Ph.D.