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The Walking Bathroom
Artist: Erin Bennett BanksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95It’s Halloween and Amayah doesn’t have a costume to wear to school. She dressed as a ghost for the last three years in a row, witches are overdone, and fairies are not her style. She wants to be something different, something creative, something no one else in the world has ever been in the history of Halloween.
A sweet story of standing out and fitting in, The Walking Bathroom is the newest book from award-winning author and spoken-word poet Shauntay Grant (Up Home). With fun, vibrant artwork from Erin Bennett Banks (Change of Heart), this imaginative tale is bound to inspire some unique costumes and become a Halloween favourite!
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The Last Canadian Knight
$27.95From a small-town law office in Nova Scotia to the pressure-cooker boardrooms of London, England, where he was Margaret Thatcher’s “privatization ace,” lawyer and businessman Sir Graham Day has earned an international reputation as a tough-minded but charming negotiator.
After a rocky educational start in Halifax, Day found his motivation at Dalhousie Law School and established the contacts and experiences that would guide him through the world of global business. With an impressive resume including troubleshooting roles for large companies (Canadian Pacific Limited, British Shipbuilders, Cadbury Schweppes) around the world, often during controversial times, Day solidified his position as an internationally sought-after change-maker.
In The Last Canadian Knight, award-winning business journalist Gordon Pitts chronicles Day’s meteoric rise and explores the lessons Day gleaned from a lifetime spent in and out of the world’s boardrooms.
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Nova Scotia from the Air
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95In this brilliant follow-up to the bestselling Then & Now, award-winning photographer Len Wagg again takes readers back through time. Aerial landscapes shot in dazzling colour from Louisbourg to Church Point are contrasted with black-and-white photos from the Nova Scotia Archives collection. Readers will see high rises where there were once open fields; stark vistas filled in with residences and windmills. In some side-by-side pairings, the change is startling; in others, subtle.
Nova Scotia from the Air is both a photo book and an historical study. Wagg flew over towns and landmarks from one end of the province to the other, recreating scenes from archival photos dating back to the 1930s. This remarkable collection of then-and-now images shows both the growth and the decline of this province by the sea. The 100 photographs evoke nostalgia and surprise.
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Noble Goals, Dedicated Doctors The Story of Dalhousie Medical School
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$39.95Dalhousie Medical School celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2018. This is the story of the noble goals of a handful of dedicated doctors who came together at a physician’s office to plan a medical school. They outlined a curriculum, assigned teaching roles, successfully applied to be a medical faculty of Dalhousie College, and began teaching the first class of twelve students. It was not an easy journey, one complicated over the years by war, politics, and natural disaster. In this richly detailed book, Dr. Jock Murray, a former dean of the medical school, looks at the struggles and errors, as well as the triumphs of the school. Filled with over 75 historic photos and dozens of informative sidebars, though aimed primarily at former students and faculty, Noble Goals, Dedicated Doctors is an accessible narrative that will appeal to anyone interested in the storied institution’s vast history.
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Looking For Bootstraps Economic Development in the Maritimes
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95In 2006, award-winning author Donald Savoie wrote a seminal book on economic development in the Maritimes: Visiting Grandchildren. His plans were “to exit the field with this book.” A decade later, he marks his return to that subject with Looking for Bootstraps. Concerned about the region’s future, he sought to explore and explain the reasons behind its lack of economic development. The result will spark a much-needed debate about the future of the Maritime provinces.
Drawing on his past involvement in regional development (senior policy advisor to former minister of DREE; involvement in establishment of ACOA) and on his earlier work, Savoie brings a fresh perspective to an age-old problem and ask the tough questions: Why has the Maritime region not developed as well as other Canadian regions, and what can we do about it?
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Portia White A Portrait in Words
Artist: Lara MartinaPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95George Elliott Clarke brings his lyrical brilliance to this personal story, an ode to his great-aunt, the internationally celebrated opera contralto Portia White. From her early years in Halifax to her performance before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1964, the trailblazing, music-filled life of White is celebrated in this stirring tribute, with illustrations from artist Lara Martina.
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A Giant Man from a Tiny Town A Story of Angus MacAskill
Artist: Christopher HoytPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95When Angus MacAskill was still just a boy, he began to grow…and grow…and…grow! Known far and wide as the Cape Breton Giant, Angus was loved by his neighbours as much for his beautiful singing voice as for his renowned strength. But as much as Angus loved his little town of St. Ann’s, Cape Breton, he decided to leave and seek fortune and adventure.
With heartfelt text from critically acclaimed author Tom Ryan and meticulously researched and joyful illustrations from Christopher Hoyt (A is for Adventure), A Giant Man from a Tiny Town tells the story of a remarkable man who travelled the world performing for crowds, but never stopped longing to return to the place he loved the best: his Cape Breton home.
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A Halifax Time-Travelling Tune
Artist: Marijke SimonsPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Grandma closed the piano lid. “I love singing those old tunes with you.
I wish you could have seen the Halifax I once knew.”This dreamy and whimsical story follows a young child who travels back in time to 1950s Halifax with a whimsical tune. Follow the pair through Point Pleasant Park, the Public Gardens, Spring Garden Road, Citadel Hill, and other historic Halifax landmarks, showing off all the sights and sounds of the city. With lively text from Governor General’s Literary Award finalist Jan Coates and vivid illustrations of mid-century Halifax by Marijke Simons, A Halifax Time-Travelling Tune is bound to conjure more than a few bedtime singalongs.
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Truth and Honour The Death of Richard Oland and the Trial of Dennis Oland
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Truth and Honour explores the 2011 murder of Saint John businessman Richard Oland, of the prominent family that owns Moosehead Breweries, the ensuing police investigation and the arrest, trial, and conviction of the victim’s son, Dennis Oland, for second degree murder.
Oland’s trial would be the most publicized in New Brunswick history. What the trial judge called “a family tragedy of Shakespearian proportions,” this reallife murder mystery included adultery, family dysfunction, largely circumstantial evidence, allegations of police incompetence, a high-powered legal defence, and a verdict that shocked the community.
Today, the Oland family maintains Dennis Oland’s innocence. Author Greg Marquis, a professor of Canadian history at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, leads readers through the case, from the discovery of the crime to the conviction and sentencing of the defendant. Offering multiple perspectives, Truth and Honour explores this question: was Dennis Oland responsible for the death of his father?
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The Flying Squirrel Stowaways From Halifax to Boston
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95It’s wintertime in Nova Scotia and two flying squirrels are busy exploring the woods around their spruce-tree home. After a busy night of playing and gliding and snacking, they’re ready to settle down and sleep all day.
But humans have other plans: the tree is cut down and packed onto a truck bound for Boston, Massachusetts. Turns out their new home has been chosen as Halifax’s annual thank-you gift, the Boston Christmas Tree. The little squirrels have no idea they’re about to embark on a journey across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Maine on the way to Boston. Will the accidental stowaways be discovered? And what awaits them in their new American home?
From the author and illustrator of Jigs and Reels comes a vibrantly illustrated, fun holiday story about curiosity, adventure, and making a new home.
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If You Could Wear My Sneakers
Artist: Darcia LabrossePublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95A Sheree Fitch classic, the Silver Birch and Hackmatack Award-winning children’s picture book about children’s rights, If You Could Wear My Sneakers, is now available for a new generation of young readers. A series of humorous poems, paired with timeless illustrations, interprets 15 of the 54 articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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The Little Book of Ontario
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95In The Little Book of Ontario, George Fischer captures the crystal clear lakes, sprawling forests, and glittering skylines of the Heartland Province. From the Great Lakes to the Canadian Shield, Fischer takes readers on a visual journey, with nearly 80 stunning full-colour photographs, across Ontario’s graceful waterfalls, flowing rivers, rustic buildings, rolling farmlands, and vibrant cities. In this popular, travel-sized format, the newest offering in the Little Book series shows Ontario’s people, towns, and landscapes through every season.
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Not My Party The rise and fall of Canadian Tories, from Robert Stanfield to Stephen Harper
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$34.95This outspoken, timely book by former Mulroney Cabinet Minister Tom McMillan indicts Stephen Harper for destroying the historic Canadian Conservative Party while prime minister and party leader, accusing him of turning a force for progressive Canadian values into an American Republican style vehicle for right-wing ideologues. Lamenting Harper’s hyperpartisan “cult of personality” politics, McMillan argues the Conservative Party is no longer the enlightened national institution founded by Sir John A. Macdonald and nurtured by successive Tory leaders until the 2003 Reform/Canadian Alliance Party merger.
In a crisp, conversational tone, McMillan contrasts this new brand of Conservatism with Robert Stanfield’s 1960s/70s “politics of thoughtfulness,” assessing the impact of Stanfield’s legacy on successive Conservative leaders. He urges Conservative progressives to reclaim their party from right-wing extremists and revive its commitment to nation building and national unity; to re-brand itself, once again, as Progressive Conservative.
A fascinating political memoir from a longtime Conservative Party insider, Not My Party explores the evolution-or devolution-of Canada’s Conservative Party, how backroom party politics operates, and political leaders succeed or fail.
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Simon Spatz From Holocaust to Halifax, A Story of Survival and Success
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Former journalism professor Michael Cobdon tells the remarkable story of Nova Scotia business magnate Simon Spatz, who survived the Holocaust, immigrated to Canada at middle-age with no knowledge of English, and developed a multi-million-dollar real estate firm.
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The Wine Lover’s Guide to Atlantic Canada
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$37.95Whether it’s racking up international awards or attracting tourists to the east coast in droves, the world has taken notice of Atlantic Canada’s wine. The Wine Lover’s Guide to Atlantic Canada is the definitive guide to region, through the blueberry-wine empire of Newfoundland and Labrador, to the isolated terroir of Prince Edward Island, the lush river vineyards of New Brunswick, and the rich coastal and valley wines of Nova Scotia.
In engaging, accessible text, sommelier-journalists Moira Peters and Craig Pinhey explore the history, climate, and industry of wine-making distinct to each Atlantic province, showcasing the various grape varietals, styles, and influences of this eclectic wine region. Features profiles of over thirty Atlantic wineries, sidebars, terroir maps, and is accented with over 75 stunning images from sommelier-photographer Jessica Emin.
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Then and Now
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Wallace MacAskill (1887-1956) is one of Nova Scotia’s foremost photographers, lauded for his portraits of seascapes, sailing and fishing ships, and picturesque landscapes. In this remarkable collection of then and now photographs, Len Wagg follows in the footsteps of 50 of MacAskill’s best shots, recreating them in colour contemporary portraits. Through side-by-side comparisons, readers see how much has changed, and how much has remarkably remained the same. Included are urban streetscapes, important events and monuments, and spectacular scenery from around the province, Halifax to Louisbourg, Chester to Pictou. The 100 photographs in this book are captioned with short anecdotes conveying the significance of the images and the process of finding the location for some of MacAskill’s original work. Includes a foreword from Garry Shutlack.
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The Little Book of Newfoundland and Labrador
Photographer: John SylvesterPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95In The Little Book of Newfoundland and Labrador, photographer John Sylvester beautifully captures the quintessential fishing villages, magnificent natural landscapes, and stunning array of wildlife that “The Rock” is famous for.
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Sea Glass Summer
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95A gentle, lyrical story about Molly, who, after moving far away, yearns to be back on the beach with her Gram, searching for sea glass. Vibrantly illustrated, this picture book explores the powerful lure of the ocean, and the meaningful treasures within.
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Cyrus Eaton Champion for Peace
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Award-winning artist Richard Rudnicki uses vibrant imagery and accessible text to tell the true story of Nobel Peace Prize-winning billionaire Cyrus Eaton. From Eaton’s roots in rural Pugwash, Nova Scotia, the book introduces a new generation to the industrious pacifist who helped make the world a safer place.
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Little Book of Sea and Soul
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Lifelong seaside gardener Denise Adams shares 70 ocean-inspired reflections, each paired with an original photograph, in this unique gift book.
Musings on coastal life include both tender and humorous observations that will appeal to seadogs and landlubbers alike. Highlighted by Adams’s stunning photographs of Atlantic seascapes, The Little Book of Sea and Soul invites quiet contemplation. Dive into it boldly or comb it carefully, either way you’ll discover beauty and wisdom in these gentle seaside gems. A perfect gift for the ocean lover in your life.
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Fire in the Belly How Purdy Crawford rescued Canada, and changed the way we do business
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Purdy Crawford’s name is synonymous with Canadian business and law. But even after education at Mount Allison and Harvard, Purdy arrived on Toronto’s Bay Street as an outsider, the son of a coal miner from tiny Five Islands, Nova Scotia. So how did young Purdy ascend so quickly and so far to become one of Canada’s top lawyers and best-known business mentors? In this biography of Purdy, bestselling business writer Gordon Pitts begins with the moment in 2007 when Crawford was enlisted by some of the country’s leading corporate officials to stave off financial market catastrophe. The book describes the role Crawford has played in mentoring several of Canada’s brightest economic thinkers, and his contribution to changing the way business was done in the boardroom, particularly in opening the door for women. Includes a photo insert of highlights from Purdy’s professional career and private life.
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Niniskamijinaqik / Ancestral Images The Mi’kmaq in Art and Photography
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95The Mi’kmaq of Atlantic Canada were here for thousands of years before the arrival of European peoples. Niniskamijinaqik / Ancestral Images: The Mi’kmaq in Art and Photography presents their unique culture and way of life through the remarkable and sometime complex lives of individuals, as depicted in artwork or photography.
The opening images in this collection were created by the Mi’kmaq themselves: portrayals of human beings carved into the rock formations of Nova Scotia. Then there are the earliest surviving European depictions of Mi’kmaq, decorations on the maps of Samuel de Champlain. Finally we see portraits of Mi’kmaw individuals, ancestors in whom we see their “humanity frozen in the stillness of a photograph,” as the writers of the book’s foreword describe.
Niniskamijinaqik / Ancestral Images includes 94 compelling pieces of art and photography, chosen from more than a thousand extant portraits in different media, that show the Mi’kmaw people. Each image is an entry point to deeply personal history, a small moment or single person transformed into vivid immediacy for the reader.
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History of Annapolis Royal Volume 2 1749-2005
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$34.95In spite of its status as capital and chief military post in Nova Scotia, Annapolis Royal in 1749 remained a small community, with its early development influenced by its origins as a military settlement. The town would continue to experience tremendous change over the next two hundred and fifty years, witnessing the commercial boom of ship and rail and then the challenges facing rural Canada due to urbanization. Through it all Annapolis Royal has remained nationally significant and quietly dignified. From the devastating fires that ravaged sections of the community and in the spirit of rebirth, Annapolis Royal has emerged as a leader in heritage preservation in Canada. A History of Annapolis Royal, 1749–2005, explores some of the main themes of the town’s story and attempts to understand how and why the town evolved as it did to become the community that it is in the early twenty-first century. The text is accented with 20 historical and contemporary photographs and illustrations and includes an index.
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Simply Modern Contemporary Design for Hooked Rugs
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$34.95With over two decades of experience as a rug-hooker, studio-owner, and teacher, celebrated fabric artist Deanne Fitzpatrick introduces readers to the possibilities of modern rug-hooking design.
Rug-hookers of all levels will find Fitzpatrick’s instructional narratives and step-by-step methods for creating everything from themed rugs to pillows to ornaments an accessible and inspirational introduction to the craft. Tips and techniques such as how to choose and dye your own materials, achieving texture and shape, transferring patterns, outlining and blending, finding inspiration, and cultivating your creative process to develop an authentic style are interspersed with passages on the author’s artistic process.
Features over 100 colour photographs of Fitzpatrick’s own projects and techniques, providing readers with reference points for turning their own experiences into gorgeous rug-hooked art.
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Mayann’s Train Ride
Artist: Tamara Thiébaux-HeikaloPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95Nine-year-old Mayann Francis and her family are travelling from their home in Cape Breton to New York City by train. Everything is exciting to young Mayann, from the beds that fold down to the stop in Montreal to visit friends. Most exciting of all is the chance to show off her brand new purse.
When the Francis family arrives in big, bustling New York City, Mayann visits with relatives, goes to the zoo, and rides the subway. She even receives a beautiful black doll, something she has never seen before. But one subway ride, she loses her beautiful purse. At first she’s heartbroken, but she just might learn a lesson that makes the whole trip worthwhile.
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Gertrude at the Beach
Artist: Dayle DodwellPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Everyone’s favourite goat, Gertrude Allawishes, is back! School is out for the summer, and Starr and her family—even Gertrude—are heading to the cottage. Starr’s mom is worried Gertrude will get into trouble. But it isn’t long before Gertrude proves she is one loyal goat and saves the day!
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Flight of the Griffons
Artist: Sydney SmithPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95In Flight of the Griffons, the sequel to The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods, we follow young Missy Bullseye as she ventures from her pirate crew’s adopted Nova Scotian home base to begin probationary work terms along the road to union-certified junking. From the deep northern woods of Ontario and Quebec to the great western prairies, Missy wanders far on a secret mission—one that turns her against her own.
While tracking and spying on a blacklisted crew, Missy encounters mechanical moths, an outlawed tilt-rotor airship, a mega-pipeline, and the unexpected sound of grassland drums. What she discovers along the way is that heroes can look like villains, crimes can look like profit, and heights aren’t so bad—as long as a true-hearted pirate is holding the rope. Includes 15 full-page illustrations from artist Sydney Smith.
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Halifax Regional Municipality (new)
Photographer: Donna BarnettPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95In 1880, the final Boundary lines of Halifax County were drawn –from Ecum Secum west to Hubbards, and Dutch Settlement south to the seacoast, including the provincial capital of Halifax. More Than a century later these boundaries still exist, but rather than a county, the more than two hundred communities in the area now constitute a municipality: Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). In 1996, a massive amalgamation created this Nova Scotia “super-city” -5,250 square kilometer of fishing villages, urban centres, beaches, forests and farms. Brought together in the name of efficiency and the maximization of resources, these vibrant and varied communities retain their individual charm, making HRM both a wonderfully diverse place to live and a popular place to visit. People come from near and far year-round to experience HRM’s unique blend of hospitality, tradition, and modern know-how. As the original sites of settlement and most populous areas, Halifax and Dartmouth figure prominently in the regions history, but long before county lines were drawn this was the lad of the Mi’Kmaq. Here they camped along the shores of the harbour, hunted the inland woods and paddled the waterways.
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Maritime Christmas Treasury
$29.95A collection of best-loved Maritime Christmas stories in one beautiful book for children. From the hilarious Gadzooks the Christmas Goose to the heartwarming A Christmas Dollhouse, each carefully selected story highlights another aspect of the Christmas season. Love, family, the natural world, and yes, even Christmas presents, are all celebrated in this gorgeous treasury.
Interspersed with the stories are classic poems and Christmas carols (including Bruce Nunn’s Bluenose version of “Twelve Days of Christmas”!), as well as beautiful and lively illustrations from a range of artists. A Maritime Christmas Treasury is sure to be cherished by Christmas lovers of all ages.
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From Ben Loman to the Sea (HC)
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95This is one of two unique books that delight both children and adults, combining the work of folk artist Maud Lewis with the poetry of Lance Woolaver. Each volume contains a narrative that complements the paintings; one follows the mail sleigh as it delivers Christmas packages; in the second, the reader sees through the eyes of a young man as he leaves his home, countryside, and town to go to sea.
Both titles are treasures, the first books to celebrate the life and work of Maud Lewis, Nova Scotia’s most prominent folk artist. Now brought to readers in a new format that enhances the beauty of the art of Maud Lewis.
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Seasoned Recipes and Essays from The Spiceman, Costas Halavrezos
Artist: Joanna ClosePublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Indulge in a uniquely crafted culinary history and recipe guide as Halifax’s resident “Spiceman,” Costas Halavrezos, blends genres as expertly as he does spices and leads an educational and sensory exploration. With 30 essays and 50 accompanying recipes, Seasoned demystifies domestic and familiar spices, like cloves, fennel, and paprika, and introduces readers to a whole new world of flavour, including Kaffir lime leaves, Moroccan rosebuds, and Isot Kurdish black pepper—and that’s just a taste!
Featuring facts and anecdotes, storage and preparation methods, and recipes from Halavrezos’s personal collection paired with delightful illustrations by Joanna Close, Seasoned is a fabulous resource for foodies, home-chefs, and aspiring spice connoisseurs.
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Halifax in Watercolour The Paintings of Alexander Cavalié Mercer, 1838-1842
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95British Artillery officer Alexander Cavalié Mercer is most famous in history circles for his detailed account of his experiences leading up to and including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Fewer know him as an amateur artist, but Mercer often composed what he called “souvenirs,” paintings and sketches of his postings in Europe and North America. While posted in Halifax, Mercer painted nearly 80 watercolours of the area between 1838 and 1842.
Halifax and Watercolour showcases 50 of Mercer’s best sketches, including paintings of the Citadel, the Commons, Artillery Park, Bedford Basin, Dartmouth, and the Northwest Arm. Additional photographs, maps, and historical context from author Glenn Devanney help the reader situate the site of the painting in the present-day.
