7.3. Researching Written Records
Sources of Information

Information on where and how to contact the organizations listed below are contained in the section Where to Go For Help.

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The local library might have a "clipping" file that deals with the history of your area. Books on local history might contain valuable information and pictures that will make the past come alive. Ask the librarian for help.

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Your local newspaper probably has an "archive" which contains copies of all past issues where you might find more detail on events, such as major construction projects, that have shaped the history of your stream or river. Ask the editor for help.
Most of the sources listed in this manual are eager to provide historical information to you or your group. Don't be shy about consulting them.

Checking old newspapers, magazines, books, etc. can bring forward a wealth of information about your watercourse.

This is an ideal research project for junior or senior high school students and fits well with many curriculum areas. Classes may want to work together to produce a "book" on the local history of the watercourse. Talk to teachers about assigning these research projects.
- Local natural history or fishing clubs may have club records that will be of use. This might include statistics on bird counts or number of fish caught. Provincial groups such as the Nova Scotia Salmon Association also may have valuable information.

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Local or head offices of the Nova Scotia Department Agriculture and Fisheries and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada might be able to provide you with scientific information on the stream, including its fish stocks both past and present.

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The Nova Scotia Government Archives may contain more information on road-building, log-drives etc.

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The Nova Scotia Museum or a local museum/historical site such as Ross Farm or Sherbrooke Village is worth contacting. Many historical sites pride themselves on finding out as much information as they can about local land-use patterns.

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Superintendents and interpreters at National Parks (Cape Breton Highlands and Kejimekujik) and historical sites (such as Louisbourg ) collect information, photos, and maps of the past.

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The Nova Scotia Government has produced a two-volume book called The Natural History of Nova Scotia which may help your general scientific understanding of the area. You can obtain these books at your local library or through the Government Bookstore in Halifax.

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The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation may have old road maps of the area. Compare these old maps to current ones to see how road patterns have changed.

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The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health both have an interest in and information on water. Both departments may be able to provide you with useful information.

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Check with all institutions in your area. Use your imagination and check with everyone! Military bases, hospitals, industries and other institutions in your area may have records about water that even governments are not aware of. It's quite possible for you to discover resources and information that would be of great use to those who manage our watercourses. You might find valuable information in the most unlikely place.

Remember that gathering all of this written information together has never been done before! This part of the project, combined with the oral history research, can add to the body of scientific knowledge. By carrying out this research, community-based groups have a very important role to play in helping us to understand the watercourses in our province.