Waverley Heritage Museum
2463 Rocky Lake Drive B2R 1S5 Halifax, NS, Canada

Douglas Seldon Mitchell is the other young man honoured by Waverley Memorial school. He served as a Warrant Officer, Class II in the RCAF during the Second World War. He went missing on May 13, 1943 while on mission in Europe. He was declared dead 2 months later. He was 21 years old and left behind his parents and brother. Today we remember all the people who have lost their lives to war. Their loss and sacrifice remind us that it is our responsibility to work for a better, kinder, more peaceful world so no one ever loses a child to war again. "There is still work for broken hearts to do."

Often left out from Remembrance Day, Black soldiers served in the First World War despite the prejudiced practices of the Canadian military. One of the only parts of the military open to Black Canadians was the segregated, non-combat No. 2. Construction Battalion. Pictured is Isaac Boyd. Unfortunately we know little about him other than he was a soldier and a relative of the Wyse family, long time residents of Waverley. This November, we remember those who sacrificed so much for a country that discriminated against them.

As of today, the Waverley Heritage Museum will be closed to comply with the new Covid-19 restrictions. Thank you to everyone who visited us this year, in person and online. We hope you all stay safe and well at home!

More than just soldiers were affected by war. Annie Skerry Horne was one of over 2000 nursing sisters from Canada who went to serve in Europe during the First World War. Their efforts to help the wounded required sacrifice and was an important part of the war. Her diary is now part of our museum's collection. It most recounts her voyage to Europe by boat. An excerpt from March 15th, 1917: "50 Canadian nurses sleep in the same ward. All they talk about at night is being torpedoed. Some are very nervous while others don't mind it. At 3 pm a sub was seen in a distant by everyone on board"

The museum will be closed tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone!

In honour of Remembrance Day, we are looking at some of the people from Waverley affected by war. Leo Clayton Skerry is one of two young men for whom Waverley Memorial School is named. He served as a Flight Sergeant in the RCAF during the Second World War. He died in Germany on October 9, 1943 at the age of 28. He left behind his parents, his brothers, and his wife.

The museum will be closing early today at 3 pm

Happy Halloween! Another interesting Victorian tradition surrounding death was the taking of post-mortem photographs. At the beginning of the Victorian Era, in the late 1830s, deguerrotype photography was invented, but it was still too expensive for most families. Important life stages were perfect photo opportunities, and once again, death was one of those occasions. The bodies of the deceased would be laid out on a bed, in their coffin, propped in a chair and photograp...hed as a token of their death. The bereaved families wanted to keep a memory of their lost loved one. The photos were most commonly taken of children and infants. Sometimes these photos were given out with the invitations to the funeral as well. Another way to remember a loved one who had passed away was to incorporate a lock of their hair into a piece of jewelry. Often an inscription such as in memoriam or Remember was included with the name of the deceased and their date of death. Today, some are disturbed by these practices. Creepy or beautiful. What do you think? See more