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