Past Events

Sunday. April 26, 2026

At the lovely home of members, Denise presented the talk she recently gave to the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society. It focused on Lady Wentworth’s life as seen through the lens of her personal letters. As the wife of the Sir John Wentworth, Frances was an integral part of
Halifax society around the turn of the 19th century.


Denise has an background in history and education. She worked for over 30 years with
Parks Canada in Halifax in archaeology and heritage presentation.
Lady Frances Wentworth by John Singleton Copley, 1765.

We enjoyed a delightful cup of tea and a magnificent table of delicious edibles.

We had a delightful time celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth in 2025:

Sunday, December 14 – Lord Nelson Hotel

Jane’s Birthday Luncheon took place this year at The Arms Restaurant at the Lord Nelson Hotel, 1515 South Park Street, Halifax.

Sunday, November 30, 2025 

JASNA-Nova Scotia Annual General Meeting

Sheila and Hugh graciously agreed to host this year’s AGM at their home, we conducted this year’s meeting over Zoom for those not able to attend. 

 
 
Celebrating 250 Years of Jane Austen’s Legacy 
 
Saturday, November 15, 2025:
 
Darcy Johns and the Programme Planning committee organized a well-attended screening of the 2020 version of the movie Emma, at Halifax’s Central Library. Darcy presented a detailed description of the costumes in the movie and afterwards had an exhibition of costumes, accessories, such as reticules, along with a celebratory cake, lavender shortbreads and tea.
 
 
The JASNA-Nova Scotia  members enjoying this delightful event are left to right: Miriam Johns; Darcy Johns and Sarah Emsley. 
Members of the the public were invited to continue the celebrations commemorating the 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen and the fascinating legacy she has left to fans all over the world.
 
Sunday, August 17, 2025: 
 
Celebrating 250 Years of Jane Austen’s Legacy
 
Jane Austen loved gardens and the beauty of nature.  In 2025, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of her birth and in the beautiful Halifax historic Gardens at 4:30 p.m., with our regional member Sarah Emsley, Mistress of Ceremonies and members of our region read selected readings from her works accompanied by the ephemeral harp playing of Adria Jackson. 
 
The area in front of the bandstand was full of Austen fans and the sun shone brightly in the magnificent beauty of the plants and trees.
 
We would also like to thank the Friends of the Public Gardens for their assistance in making this event such a grand success!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 2;00 p.m.

At the home of Sheila and Hugh Kindred, in Halifax, Dr. Sarah Emsley presented her 2024 JASNA Annual General Meeting paper, “She placed her bonnet on his head and ran away: Stealing Sources and Avoiding Consequences in Jane Austen’s Fiction”.

There was a Zoom link available for this presentation and many of the region’s members attended and enjoyed the delights of the Tea table.

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