Heritage Day is a time to celebrate important contributions to Nova Scotia and our cultural heritage.
Each year the title rotates and we will celebrate a different notable person, event or place. Last year we remembered Viola Desmond- who in 1946 challenged segregation. We encourage you to read more about Desmond here.
This year we recognize the Hon. Joseph Howe- a fierce and beloved Nova Scotian self-taught journalist and politician.
Considered an incredible orator and Nova Scotian patriot, Howe has greatly shaped not only Nova Scotia- but Canada as well. By age 23 Howe had purchased the Novascotian and turned it into Nova Scotia’s most prominent newspaper. Controversial and influential- the Novascotian also brought unwanted legal attention to Howe. He published an anonymous letter where the writer attacked local Halifax politicians and police, stating that they were stealing public money. Immediately, Howe was charged with seditious libel. During the trial, Howe passionately provided truths and evidence to support his cause.
Many believe that his passion for presenting truth no matter the cost lead to his acquittal- a huge success for free press in Canada. (You can read more about the trial and read Howe’s defense here. An interesting read!)
The masthead of the Novascotian as seen in 1858. Borrowed from the Nova Scotia Archives.
“The press of Nova Scotia is Free.”
-The Hon. Joseph Howe
Not everything Howe wrote about was controversial. With a thirst for knowledge, Howe traveled across the province meeting Nova Scotians and sharing their stories. He also consistently reported on debates in the House of Assembly. He used his newspaper to help Nova Scotians pay attention to local politics.
Despite not being fond of ‘party politics’, Howe had a long and colourful political career beginning in 1836. He was noted for saying that he only wanted to belong to one party- ‘The Party of Nova Scotia.” He ran on a platform based on ‘responsible government.’
He even formed a coalition with the Conservative leader at the time to push his mandate forward.
View the time-line for ‘Responsible Government’ here. Plus, we’ve included a video of the Heritage Minute on ‘Responsible Government’ at the end of this post.
Interesting Fact:
Halifax notable, John Haliburton despised Howe’s views in the Novascotian so much that in 1840 he challenged Howe to a duel. (Yes, you heard that right. A duel.) It happened in Point Pleasant Park! Haliburton missed Howe and in turn Howe fired his gun upwards.
An even more interesting fact:
Haliburton was the son of the judge who tried Howe’s seditious libel trial.
Representing Nova Scotians Full-Time
In 1841 Howe decided to pursue politics full time and sold off the Novascotian. It was this year that Howe became the Speaker of the House of Assembly- a position he kept until resigning in 1843. In 1843 Howe saw the breakdown of his coalition and the first responsible government in Canada was formed. At this point Howe held the position of Provincial Secretary until 1853 when he became the Chief Commissioner of Railways. He dreamed of a railway clear across Nova Scotia. Unfortunately he was unable to complete the project beyond Halifax to Windsor and Truro.
Howe lost the next election to Sir Charles Tupper and didn’t get reelected until 1860 where he came Provincial Secretary again. At this point Howe became Premier of the province until 1863 when became Imperial Fisheries Commissioner.
In 1869 Howe joined the Canadian Cabinet as President of the Council. At this point, Howe had a play in Manitoba’s entry into Confederation as a secretary of state for the provinces.
The Hon. Joseph Howe’s final political position was in 1873 as Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, Howe only served for three weeks before he passed away at age 68.