Popular Stories

The most shared, liked, and downright viral Backyard History stories on social media — check out what everyone’s talking about!

Showing stories in 1 category – clear categories

The Story Behind ‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’

‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’ is a Maritimes anthem that has been performed by everyone from Stan Rogers to Stompin' Tom Connors; from Anne Murray…

June 22, 2026

1900s Nova Scotia Women Long Read Popular

Clara Dennis Comes Home to Confront Her Halifax Explosion Legacy

Here we see Clara Dennis during her solo Nova Scotia roadtrip that formed the backbone of her internatsional bestselling book "Down In Nova Scotia."…

December 2, 2025

1900s Nova Scotia Women Long Read Popular

Malobiannah and The Destroyer: The Heroine of Grand Falls

Grand Falls name in Wəlastəkwey is Chik-un-ik’-a-bik, which means “The Destroyer.” The name refers back to the story of a young woman named Malobiannah,…

April 29, 2025

1600s and Before War Women Long Read Popular

Helen Creighton and the Lost Songs of The Maritimes

Celebrated folklorist Helen Creighton (seated far left, with her high-tech portable recorder) spent her life documenting Nova Scotian songs. In the early 1950s, she…

January 14, 2025

1900s Bay of Fundy Forgotten Ruins Women Long Read Popular

The REAL Klondike Kate

A Tale of Two Kates: Catherine Ryan (left) would be one of the first women to arrive to the Yukon in the Gold Rush.…

May 23, 2023

1900s Women Long Read Popular

“Oh My God. We’re Saved By A Girl.” Teenager Saves Sailors At Sea

Bertha Boyd, who in 1882 at the age of 19 rescued sailors in a storm. Photo courtesy of the St. Croix Historical Society In…

August 12, 2022

1800s Women Long Read Popular

The Last Of The Beothuk

Shanawdithit. The photo is from Library and Archives Canada. It is thought to be her, though it’s not entirely sure. The painter was either…

September 8, 2021

1600s and Before Newfoundland War Women Long Read Popular

Sarah Emma Edmonds: The Woman Who Fought the Civil War

Sarah Emma Edmonds (as a woman) A lone New Brunswick woman lies buried with full military honours among the other veterans of the American…

July 18, 2021

1800s Bay of Fundy War Women Long Read Popular

Drinking In The Maritimes

Artist William Hogarth made a career out of critiquing drinking in his paintings and etchings in the 1700s. (William Hogarth, Beer Street, 1750–51) It…

February 24, 2021

1600s and Before 1700s 1800s 1900s Moncton Nova Scotia PEI Rum Runners Women Long Read Popular