Club History
Compiled by Michael Peach

The Nova Scotia Stamp Club has been in existence for over 90 years in its current organization. Organized philately in Nova Scotia, however, is recorded back to the 1880s with the existence of the then Nova Scotia Philatelic Association. During the period 1865-77 the center of philately in Canada was Saint John, New Brunswick, with many philatelic journals being published. In the early 1880s the philatelic leadership in Canada passed to Halifax. Henry Hechler had started his business as a stamp dealer in the 1870s. There are advertisements from at least ten Halifax dealers in the Halifax Philatelist (1887-89), most of whom were active in the Nova Scotia Philatelic Association.

Minutes of the association meetings were recorded in the Halifax Philatelist from Jan 1887 to the last issue (Volume 3, number 7) in July 1889. The secretary and editor of the club was a prominent Nova Scotia philatelist and later Postmaster of Halifax, Donald A. King (1864-1934). Although originally meeting monthly, it was resolved in March 1888 to have two meetings per month, which was still being reported in the June 1889 edition.

The Canadian Philatelic Association (precursor to the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada) formed at a meeting in Richmond Hall on 19 September 1887. A list of officers, published in the January 1889 issue of the Halifax Philatelist, included a number of prominent Nova Scotian philatelists. Henry Hechler (1853-1928) of Halifax was by then the second president; Alvan J. Craig of Pictou, N.S., who had previously been president of the N.S.P.A., was the first vice-president for Nova Scotia, and succeeded Hechler as the third president. Harrison L. Hart of Halifax was the treasurer of both the associations and was later (1891-2) reported to be vice-president of the C.P.A. The February 1889 issue includes F.C. Kaye of Halifax on the executive committee. Donald King of Halifax became secretary in April 1889.

In September 1888 the Halifax Philatelist had become the official journal of the Canadian Philatelic Association when the publication of the Toronto Philatelic Journal was suspended. The Dominion Philatelist, which started publication in January 1889, replaced the Halifax Philatelist as the official organ of the Canadian Philatelic Association.

During the late 19th century other short lived philatelic journals were published in Nova Scotia: The Canadian Stamp and Coin Journal (1888-9), Halifax; The Maritime Philatelist (1891), Yarmouth, The Nova Scotian Philatelist (1893-94), Amherst, as well as stamp related publications The Useful Instructor (1887), Halifax and Young Canada (1887), Neil's Harbour.

NOVAPEX

The club hosts a yearly stamp bourse and exhibition - NOVAPEX.  In 2004, for the first time in nearly forty years, the 76th Convention of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) was hosted by NSSC and based on that success national level shows were held at Halifax in 2006, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2022, and the Royal was held again in 2014. The NS Stamp Club, Chapter 50, is a founding member of RPSC. Many national and international class exhibitors have had their roots in the Club. In 2008, NS Stamp Club hosted the BNAPS Annual Convention (BNAPEX) in 2008 and 2023.

The club is now in a regular cycle of regional and national shows on opposite years.

Palmares of shows since 2005 can be found on the main web page.

Who can join?  Anyone 16 years and older who wishes to promote the hobby of collecting, studying, exchanging and acquiring philatelic items and stamps.

Annual Dues: Dues are payable from July 1 to June 30 and are reviewed yearly by the Club Executive.

The dues are as follows:
      Canada            CAD $ 15.00 per person - or - CAD $ 22.50 per couple
      United States   USD $ 20.00 per person
      International     USD $ 25.00 per person

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Club Library

The most recent compilation (April 2018) of Library holdings can be viewed in the Club Library   document.

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