Tracing a century of its evolution, this chronicle outlines the mental health movement in Nova Scotia. Charting the Canadian Mental Health Association and its antecedent organizations, this account illustrates how these groups constituted a major force in the campaign to improve the prospects of people living with mental illness. The movement is depicted in three stages--from seeking to protect mentally compromised people, through befriending those struggling with mental disabilities and speaking out against discrimination, and finally, to advocating for the rights of consumers and respecting their need to speak on their own behalf. This journey through social policy focuses on those who fought institutionalization and indifference with compassion and dedication. The result is a history not only of a particular organization but also of a society's approach toward some of its most vulnerable constituents.

For more than two and a half centuries Halifax has experienced both war and peace, growing from a frontier outpost to one of Canada's most appealing and forward-looking cities.
For many years the fate of the city was determined by the rivalries among Britain, France, and the United States: conflict meant prosperity for Halifax in 1812 and again during the U.S. Civil War. During the Victorian era Halifax enjoyed lively commerce and manufacturing and an active and progressive social and cultural life. The early decades of the twentieth century, punctuated by economic depression, world war and the devastation of the 1917 Explosion, were difficult for the city. It was not until the 1960s that Halifax started to prosper again, its growth fuelled by government policies and trends favouring urbanization.
"Halifax: The First 250 Years" brings together extensive research into the diversity of the city's development with more than 300 illustrations, many in colour, providing a vivid portrait of the city and its diverse residents through the years.