Of the three banking institutions which have branches in New Glasgow, the Royal Bank of Canada, occupies an attractive two storey brick building, a picture of which appears on another page. It was erected in 1913, and is one of the most modern banking offices in this section of the Province. It is well lighted and ventilated, has a spacious lobby and with its office fixtures of fumed oak makes an attractive and inviting appearance.

The Royal Bank of Canada, known until 1901 as the Merchants Bank of Halifax, was founded in 1869. In 1910 it acquired the Union Bank of Halifax and with it the latter's branch at New Glasgow. At present it has 376 branches, a paid up capital of $12,000,000, reserve funds of $13,236,000; and total assets of over $200,000,000 placing it among the largest of Canadian banking institutions.

The Bank of Nova Scotia opened a branch in New Glasgow about fifty years ago, and since then has also established branches in Stellarton, Westville and Trenton - the three former housed in modernly equipped brick buildings. The Bank of Nova Scotia, distinguished for having a reserve fund in proportion to its paid up capital larger than that of any bank in the Dominion, and paying a dividend of 14 per cent. to its stockholders, has 189 branches throughout Canada, Newfoundland, West Indies, and the United States.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce first acquired a foothold in Nova Scotia in 1903 when it took over the business of the Halifax Banking Company, with its twenty three branches, one of which was the New Glasgow branch opened in 1867, and has at present 379 branches, with a paid up capital of $15,000,000, a reserve fund of $13,500,000, and total assets of $ 250,000,000.

All the leading Insurance Companies are represented in the district by active and responsible agents. Mr. J. H. Wilson represents the National Life of Canada doing a large life insurance, business, besides representing the London Guarantee & Accident Co., Phoenix Insurance Co. of Hartford, and the New York Underwriters Agency. Mert MacKenzie and his associates A.C. MacDonald and I.S. Goode, represent the Great West Life Assurance Co. The Sun Life is represented by Don Cameron while Fraser and Hoyt are investment and insurance brokers. S.R. Gordan specializing in fire, accident, and war risk insurance, represents a number of old country as well as Canadian and American companies, D. McCormick real estate and insurance broker is the agent for the "Queen", "Fidelity Underwriters" and "Protective Underwriters " three of the leading fire insurance companies in Canada.

New Glasgow has one semi-weekly, and a daily newspaper, Stellarton has a semi-monthly, and Westville a weekly paper. Of these publications the oldest is the Eastern Chronicle, founded as early as 1843, in the town of Pictou, and known as the "Eastern Chronicle and Pictou County Advocate." In 1866 the plant was removed to New Glasgow and the name of the paper changed to that of the "Eastern Chronicle" the first number of which was issued on January 4th of that year, giving it the distinction of being the first newspaper printed in New Glasgow. It was issued as a weekly until 1900 when it was changed to a semi-weekly, and as such it continues at present, a fearless exponent of liberal principles in Dominion politics, and judiciously independent in all local affairs.

The Enterprise, another weekly, newspaper of New Glasgow, was founded in 1888 is well edited and enjoys a growing circulation. The Free Lance, published in Westville was established in 1896, and has a circulation of nearly 4000 copies throughout Northern and Eastern Nova Scotia, while the Mining Record, a semi-monthly, published in Stellarton, is devoted primarily to the mining interests of the County in particular, and the Province in general.

The only daily newspaper in the county is the "Evening News" published in New Glasgow. It was founded in 1911. It is an eight page paper, conservative in politics, but locally backing up every movement that makes for the progress of the district. It has correspondents in all sections of the county and is filled with a large amount of up-to-date local news, in addition to the very complete telegraphic service furnished by the Associated Press.

New Glasgow has a modern theatre building in the Academy of Music, erected in 1912 by the Academy of Music Limited, of which N.W. Mason is President and Manager, Dr. Thomas Keay, Vice -President, H.B. McCulloch, Secretary and A.F. McCulloch, treasurer, which is also erecting a new moving picture theatre seating 1250 persons. The Itzit devoted exclusively to moving pictures is also building another one .The Jubilee in Stellarton, built of concrete, has a fine auditorium, while both Westville and Trenton have attractive moving picture houses.

The centre for the district's hotel business is New Glasgow. The largest hotel is the Norfolk. The Vendome and Parker are well patronized, and all the towns have moderate priced restaurants and boarding houses.

Among restaurants the Tea Rooms occupies the whole of the second floor of the Maritime building, the dining room of which seats one hundred people. Meals and lunches are furnished all hours of the day and evening until 11 o'clock. Wedding, Christmas and other cakes are made to order and all kinds of catering is accepted. Not only the appointments of the dining room, but also the character of the food and service is distinguished for a daintiness and refinement, which has attracted as patrons during the three years of its existence, the representative people of the town and community.