The cities, towns, and villages along Nova Scotia's coastlines have witnessed battles, shipwrecks, celebrations, and tragedies. They have been home to Indigenous peoples, and have been havens for explorers, fishers, and traders. These harbour towns have provided refuge to people escaping intolerable social or political conditions, and joy to those seeking adventure, or love, or a better life. Some communities have blossomed and others have merely survived, but all evolved out of the hard work of the people who have called these seaside places home.

With twenty-five historical photos, and featuring profiles of more than fifty harbours—from the Bedford Basin to Shelburne Harbour to Cobequid Bay, Louisbourg, and Canso—Nova Scotia's Historic Harbours explores each harbour's historical significance and transports readers back in time as trusted historian Joan Dawson looks at how these communities have been shaped by the sea, and how Nova Scotia's growth has been driven by its harbours.