October 9, 2025

Dear members of Nova Scotia Women’s History Society and all those interested in our work,

The Nova Scotia Women’s History Society is beginning a new mandate of our board for 2025-2026, so we would like to update the membership and encourage members to become involved in our work. Any interested in being part of our upcoming projects or joining our board, we encourage to reach out via our email, nswomenshistory@gmail.com .

First, with sorry hearts but deep gratitude, we bid farewell, but not “goodbye,” to Dr. Lynn Jones, who steps back from the Board after six years. Our bylaws, wisely, limit terms of service on the board to six consecutive years, so it is time for Lynn to take a well-deserved break. We’ll miss her! Sandi Steward, PhD candidate with the University of New Brunswick, based in Halifax, and with a strong interest in public history, has joined our board as a new member-at-large. There are positions open on the board for another member-at-large and Vice Chair, for any who would like to offer to serve. We welcome members from diverse backgrounds, a dedication to women’s history is the only requirement to serve. 

Lynn leaves on a very high note, as our project to celebrate Truro African-Nova Scotian women educators, which she spearheaded, is now installed and was beautifully celebrated at the warmest gathering on a cold windy day last May. The details of that are on this website. We are proud to report that our Truro Women Educators project was named to the 2025 shortlist for the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming. It is truly an honour to be recognized among the wonderful projects in public history happening across Canada. 

The Society has donated the original portraits of the four educators, created by Letitia Fraser, to the Mount St. Vincent University Art Gallery. There will be an exhibit of these portraits in the Upper Gallery of the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery from late November 2025 until January of 2026. Please contact the gallery for details and don’t miss the chance to see these works beautifully displayed. The artwork of Truro native Bruce Wood, which depicts iconic Zion Baptist Church organist Vera Clyke is now with the Zion Baptist Church in Truro. 

Our first Community Fund recipients will be chosen this fall, details are on this website. Applications are open until the end of October. Our fund committee will be hard at work evaluating applications with the goal of announcing recipients before Christmas! Our next AGM will have presentations of the work we are funding. We plan to keep this fund going for years to come. 

I would like to thank all who have supported our work and invite any interested in getting more involved through Board or committee work, to contact us through the website email.

Anne Marie

Anne Marie Lane Jonah
Chair, Nova Scotia Women’s History Society