French settlement at Port Royal, Nova Scotia, from a map by Marc Lescarbot, 1609. (See Confederation’s Opponents.) The battle over Confederation was fought in the newspapers as well as in the legislature. Look at that first map, it appears that essentially all of the English-speaking colonies did join, with the exception of Hudson Bay (which was not contiguous with the rest, and probably required continual support from England at that time), and Nova Scotia (which as recently as 1710 had been French as well). Advocates for Confederation argued that joining the new country would provide greater security against possible American expansionism. One of the key elements of Nova Scotia's low cost of living is the affordable housing. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The delegates now needed to agree on the actual terms of the proposed union. A game of see-saw (fickeness exibited by the Maritime Provinces). What is the world’s largest archipelago? After deciding that discussion of Maritime Union could wait, it was agreed to hear the Canadian proposals regarding a larger union. The Nova Scotia members were the same, except that John William Ritchie replaced Robert Dickey -- who had expressed last-minute doubts about the Québec agreement's financial terms. The large potential of offshore gas reserves and an expanding technology-based industrial sector augured well for the future of the province, as did the tourism industry. Under the Reciprocity Treaty (1854) between the Canadian colonies and the United States, the north-south flow of commerce and Nova Scotia’s normal market and supply source in New England seemed secure. Tupper's government also had a comfortable majority in the legislature that would vote on the proposals; he anticipated no difficulty in passing them. Animal life includes such game species as deer and moose and, among the birds, partridge, pheasant, and duck. The sea-based economy of the region, combined with Halifax's function as a garrison city and its relative isolation from the Canadas, helped to forge a close relationship with Great Britain. And, most importantly, a national railway linking the Atlantic colonies to Ontario and Quebec would be built and largely paid for by the new federal government. The French retained Cape Breton Island, where they built the powerful fortress of Louisbourg, which the English attempted to counter by the founding in 1749 of Halifax as the new administrative and military centre of their colony. However, increasing difficulties posed by border security and the high cost of gasoline led to a decline in the number of American tourists visiting the province. (See Repeal Movement.) Currently nicknamed "Canada’s Festival Province," the name Nova Scotia originates from Latin. Nova Scotia, Canadian province located on the eastern seaboard of North America, one of the four original provinces that constituted the Dominion of Canada in 1867. "The Happy Pair" (John A. Macdonald and Joseph Howe). After the conference, delegates took a tour of the Canadas, stopping at Montréal, Ottawa, Kingston, Belleville and Toronto. The British Colonist declared: “The days of isolation and dwarf-hood (See Nova Scotia: The Cradle of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy.). Having failed at every turn to take Nova Scotia out of Canada, Howe decided he could do more to help his province by working inside the federal government. In a few pockets where clastic sedimentary rock, mostly sandstone, underlies the soil—as in the Annapolis Valley, along parts of the Northumberland Strait, and at Cobequid Bay—the land supports orchards and field crops. Map: Canada, 1867© Natural Resources Canada. All Rights Reserved. In, Tattrie, Jon , "Nova Scotia and Confederation". The average price to purchase a house in the Halifax area is only $281,000, while a similar sized home in some of Canada's other major cities can be expected to cost up to twice that amount. In contrast to the pages-long editorial written by George Brown for the Globe, the Eastern Chronicle & Pictou County Advocate featured mocking birth, marriage and death notices in protest of Confederation. In the town of Yarmouth, some buildings were draped in black cloth in protest. Charles Tupper, as leader of the Nova Scotia delegation, was surprised to meet opposition to the Québec Resolutions when he and the other delegates returned home. These descendants formed a major part of the life and development of Nova Scotia and continued to stay in the province through successive generations. – T.E.D. were committed to making the colony part of Confederation, despite popular opposition. They included Premier Charles Tupper, Opposition Leader Adams George Archibald, Opposition Upper House Member Jonathan McCully, Government Upper House Member Robert Dickey, and Attorney General William Henry. As Christopher Moore states, Nova Scotians felt no particular compulsion for constitutional reform; many others found the financial parts of the agreement completely unacceptable. During both of the 20th-century World Wars, Halifax played a key role in the transportation of men and supplies to Europe; the city experienced unprecedented prosperity as a result. Nova Scotia before the time of the Confederation debates was a prosperous colony of approximately 350,000 people, spread around the coastline and throughout the Annapolis Valley. The colony was one of the first to be given responsible government, in 1848. In Nova Scotia the visitors, after landing at Windsor, proceeded to Halifax, where they stopped for several days. Early Scottish Settlers . The political fate of the delegates varied. Nova Scotia was one of Canada's original provinces, having Pop. Settlement patterns and demographic trends, Manufacturing, services, labour, and taxation. More than 1,500 Haligonians were killed. Currently nicknamed "Canada’s Festival Province," the name Nova Scotia originates from Latin. Conferences of 1864A brief overview of the meetings in Charlottetown and Québec in which political leaders discussed the terms of a potential union of the colonies in British North America. With his legislative majority, he was able to ignore the increasing agitation to put the matter to a vote before trying to pass it. Most Nova Scotians lived in prosperous shipping, shipbuilding and farming communities. Tattrie, Jon . In this effort they were moderately successful. (See Intercolonial Railway. Nearly nine-tenths of Nova Scotia’s landmass is unsuitable for agriculture. Nova Scotia: The Cradle of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy. Atlantic Canada’s Historical Writing Today: No Howe?An article about the enduring legacy of Nova Scotia politician Joseph Howe. The kinship between Scotland and Canada is incredibly strong, and Scottish cultural influence is evident throughout the province. NovaScotia.com, 2017. Despite his best efforts, however, Tupper was unable to introduce any changes before the agreement received royal assent. At first, while acting as Imperial Fisheries Commissioner, he was obliged to denounce the resolutions anonymously in a series of newspaper articles called the "Botheration Letters." Located on the far southeastern coast of the country, it is one of only three Canadian maritime provinces. About one-quarter of the woodland is held as crown, or public, land. The late 19th century witnessed the extensive industrialization of parts of Nova Scotia, but in general the early 20th century saw the consolidation of financial and industrial power in Montreal and Toronto. At the Québec Conference  --  where a union in the spirit of the discussions held at Charlottetown was to be formed  --  the Nova Scotia delegates were the same gentlemen who had attended the first conference. Nova Scotian response was varied, ranging from wholehearted support to harsh criticism. The most important lowlands lie along the Bay of Fundy and the Minas Basin in the southwest and along the Northumberland Strait. Quebec and London Conferences — include Charles Tupper, Nova Scotia, Canadian province located on the eastern seaboard of North America, one of the four original provinces (along with New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec) that constituted the Dominion of Canada in 1867. A thick cloud of smoke billowing over Halifax and nearby towns, such as Africville, in Nova Scotia, Canada, after a munitions ship exploded in the Halifax Harbour on December 6, 1917.