In The Centennial Cure, the second volume in the Studies in Atlantic Canada History series, Meaghan Elizabeth Beaton critically examines the intersection of state policy, cultural development, and commemoration in Nova Scotia during Canada’s centennial celebrations.

Beaton’s engaging and insightful analysis of four case studies­– the establishment of the Cape Breton Miners’ Museum, the construction of Halifax’s Centennial Swimming Pool, the Community Improvement Program, and the 1967 Nova Scotia Highland Games and Folk Festival­–reveals the province’s attempts to reimagine and renew public spaces. Through these case studies Beaton illuminates the myriad ways in which Nova Scotians saw themselves, in the context of modernity and ethnic identity, during the post-war years. The successes and failures of these infrastructure and cultural projects, intended to foster and develop cultural capital, reflected the socio-economic realities and dreams of local communities. The Centennial Cure shifts our focus away from the dominant studies on Expo’67 to provide a nuanced and tension filled account of how Canada’s 1967 centennial celebrations were experienced in other parts of Canada.

Meaghan Beaton is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Canadian History in the Department of History, and a faculty member with the Canadian-American Studies Program, at Western Washington University.

Meaghan Beaton's profile page

"Beaton provides an engaging text – one full of colourful characters – that explores how the worried perception that many held about Canada’s cultural poverty, the need for infrastructure, and what modernization should mean created the conditions for celebratory and "curative" centennial projects that would help direct and reflect the future of Nova Scotia’s cultural identities. Her monograph is a welcome addition to studies in Atlantic Canada, especially those focused on commemoration and tourism."

The Canadian Historical Review vol. 99 no. 3, 2018

‘Beaton does an excellent job of letting the curious reader know what became of the initiatives launched for the 1967 Centennial.’

Acadiensis, November 2017

"Most published accounts of the centennial celebrations have focused on EXPO 67 and events in Ottawa but Beaton’s solidly researched and well written book is the first to show how one province – Nova Scotia – chose to commemorate the centennial."

British Journal of Canadian Studies, vol 31 no 1