About the League
NSMBWD (Nova Scotia Monarchs – Women’s Division) is a baseball league based in Halifax, Nova Scotia that welcomes players of all skill levels and backgrounds, creating space to enjoy the game recreationally while embracing the spirit of competition.
Our regular season runs from early June to late September and has one game every weekend, excluding holiday weekends.
The league provides training and casual opportunities in the form of indoor spring training, open baseball practices and a spare list for casual players. At the end of the season we host a Test Drive game as a low-pressure opportunity to play with members of the league and others wanting to try out the game.
Our mission
To build an inclusive, women-centred recreational baseball league in Nova Scotia where women and gender-diverse players of all backgrounds can play, grow, and belong. We aim to create a safe, respectful, and joyful space to enjoy the game whether it’s competitively or casually, while building community and expanding access to baseball.
Our vision
A future where women-centred and gender-diverse baseball thrives across Nova Scotia, with accessible opportunities to play, lead, and belong at every level. We aim to foster a culture where players are empowered, connections are lasting, and everyone is seen, valued, and celebrated in the game.
Meet our Founder and GM
Across the diamond at Robert Lenihan, the energy on the field tells the story of Jen Donaldson’s vision brought to life. She’s helped build a space where women can return to the game, grow in it, and feel they belong. Since 2023, that vision has become a thriving, welcoming community for players of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Herstory
From early women’s teams in the 19th century to trailblazers who played, coached, and officiated in spaces that often tried to exclude them, women have always been part of baseball’s story. Their participation has persisted despite limited access, social expectations, and longstanding beliefs about who “belongs” on the diamond.
In Nova Scotia, that history is personal. Many of us grew up playing on boys teams or being steered toward, or required to switch to softball, with few options to keep playing baseball into adulthood. Our league exists to change that: to create space for women-centred and gender diverse players to play, reconnect with the game, and ensure that the next generation sees a future in baseball at every age.
We celebrate the progress that’s been made and the pioneers who made it possible through decades of persistence, while helping carry that momentum forward here at home. As opportunities continue to grow, we’re proud to be part of a wider movement that keeps opening doors at every level of the sport
We’re especially excited to cheer on the broader milestones like the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural 2026 season, another powerful signal that women’s baseball is not only back in the spotlight, but building a future with real pathways to play.
This league would not have been possible without the generous support of Gary Foran and Eric Anthony from the Nova Scotia Monarchs Baseball League.
Behind the scenes, they helped our GM Jen get things off the ground, by providing fully stocked team gear bags, always giving an ear to listen to our growing pains, and giving sound advice and emotional support along the way. Having nothing to gain from doing so, these gentlemen stepped up when no one else would, to give the women of Nova Scotia the same opportunity they have, to play the game we all love.
They made the dreams of more than 60 women come true in 2023 and more as the years go on! Our gratitude is beyond measure.