About Us

The Association of Health Sciences Archives and Museums of Nova Scotia (AHSAMNS) evolved from the “Save the Archives Committee” of the Victoria General Hospital (VGH) School of Nursing Alumni. Started in September 2009, this committee began formulating plans to find a home for the VGH Nursing Alumni Archives which is housed in the Bethune building next to the VGH. The committee, chaired by Gloria Stephens, consisted of Joyce Baxter, Maxine Young, Iris Shea, Madeleine McNeil and Barbara Way.

In September 2010, Dr. Ed Kinley, Capital District Health Authority (now Nova Scotia Health), joined the committee followed by Dr. Allan Marble, Medical History Society of Nova Scotia. As the committee progressed a Business Plan was submitted to Dr. Tom Marrie, then Dean of Medicine at Dalhousie University, asking for space in the proposed Collaborative Health Education building.

At this point the committee name changed to the Association of Health Sciences Archives and Museums of Nova Scotia (AHSAMNS) and a Steering committee formed with Dr. Ed Kinley as chair. The committee consisted of two representatives of each of the three Founding organizations:

VGH School of Nursing Alumni: Iris Shea, RN retired; Gloria Stephens, President, RN retired.

Medical History Society of Nova Scotia: Dr. Allan Marble, Chair; Dr. Carl Abbott, member

Capital District Health Authority: Dr. Ed Kinley, Chair; Brian LeBlanc, member.

In April, 2011 the name of the organization was registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. Charity status was received from Canada Revenue Agency, April 1, 2012. 

A mandate was developed:  "To preserve the history of health sciences in Nova Scotia and to secure space for artifacts and archival records already gathered, such as the VGH School of Nursing Alumni Archives and the Medical Historical Society of Nova Scotia Archives. The preservation will be made through nostalgic memories, writings and viewing medical artifacts of the past."

Ed Kinley resigned as chair in July 2013 and Gloria Stephens became president, continuing in this role until June 2022.  Allan Marble commenced as president in June 2022.

AHSAMNS evolved beyond its founders by adding board members with the following associations: IWK Health Centre (2012), pharmacy (2012), Nova Scotia Dental Association (2012), archivist (2015), and curator - advisory (2019). 

AHSAMNS’s efforts to protect and preserve Nova Scotia’s rich and interesting health sciences history was highlighted on October 24, 2017 in the Nova Scotia Legislature: http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/proceedings/hansard/c98/house_17oct24/#HPage1592

We are fortunate to have been awarded HRM Community grants in 2020, 2021 and 2022. These grants have allowed us to hire professionals to help us create our strategic plan, photograph some of our artifacts and develop this website.

The story of our search for a home is told in this news article: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lcMubMAg_zIk9XtPCNldQA4hIuGriT-7/view 

Past Directors: Ed Kinley, Alex Gillis, Peter Twohig, Jock Murray, Oskar Sykora, Sandra Bauld, Barbara Keddy, Sonia Salisbury, Charlene Day, Dora Stinson, Carl Abbott, Martin Hubley, Des Leddin, Penny Logan.