A free newspaper database will be launched on Heritage Day in Antigonish.

In a release, museum curator and StFX instructor, Dr. Barry Mackenzie, says historical issues of community newspaper, The Casket-founded in 1852- are only available mostly on microfilm.

It has taken about three years to upload and index more than 50 years’ worth of the paper, so it will be months before the entire collection is digitized.

However, they want to make it available to researchers around the world right away.

This digital resource will eventually make widely available more than a century of local news.

The Antigonish Heritage Museum will officially launch the new database at 2 p.m. on Monday, February 19th.