Pictou | |
|---|---|
 Pictou | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: Birthplace of New Scotland | |
| Motto: "As constant as the northern star" | |
  Pictou Location of Pictou | |
| Coordinates:45°40′53″N62°42′43″W / 45.68139°N 62.71194°W /45.68139; -62.71194 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| Municipality | Pictou County |
| Founded | 1767[3] |
| Incorporated | Apr 30, 1873 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jim Ryan |
| • Governing Body | Pictou Town Council |
| • MLA | Marco MacLeod(PC) |
| • MP | Sean Fraser(L) |
| Area (2021)[4] | |
• Total | 7.99 km2 (3.08 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,107 |
| • Density | 388.7/km2 (1,007/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Pictonian |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (ADT) |
| Postal code | B0K |
| Area code | 902 |
| Telephone Exchange | 485 |
| Median Earnings* | $55,600 |
| NTS Map | 11E10New Glasgow |
| GNBC Code | CBDPK |
| Website | www |
| |
Pictou (/ˈpɪktoʊ/PIK-toh;Canadian Gaelic:Baile Phiogto[5]Mi'kmaq:Piktuk[6]) is a town inPictou County, in theCanadian province ofNova Scotia. Located on the north shore ofPictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km (6 miles) north of the larger town ofNew Glasgow.
Once an active shipping port and theshire town of the county, today Pictou is primarily a local service centre for surrounding rural communities and the primary tourist destination in this region of Nova Scotia.
The name Pictou derives from theMi'kmaq namePiktuk, meaning "explosive place", a reference to the river of pitch that was found in the area,[7] or perhaps frommethane bubbling up from coal seams below the harbour. The surrounding region formed one part of the Mi'kmaw districtEpekwitk aq Piktuk, one of the seven districts ofMi'kma'ki.
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Pictou had been the location of an annualMi'kmaq summer coastal community prior to European settlement.[8] Pictou was part of the Epekwitk aq PiktukMi'kmaq District, which included present-dayPrince Edward Island and Pictou.
The town of Pictou was a receiving point for manyScottish immigrants moving to a new home in northern Nova Scotia andCape Breton Island following theHighland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The first wave of immigrants arrived on September 15, 1773, on theHector. While there were a significant number of Scottish people settled in other parts of Nova Scotia at the time Pictou was settled, the town's tourism slogan is "The Birthplace ofNew Scotland", which is based on being the first primarily made up Scottish immigrants and the shipHector being recognized as the first immigrant ship to sail directly from Scotland to what is now Canada.[9] Pictou today contains many important examples of stone housing constructed by those early generations of Scottish immigrant, which have clear connections to architectural styles and design in Scotland itself.[10]
When theHector arrived, there were already a few families in Pictou that had arrived on theBetsy six years earlier. The town has an indirect connection to Scottish settlement inNew Zealand; the ReverendNorman McLeod emigrated to Pictou from Scotland some years after theHector but eventually re-settled with his parishioners atSt. Ann's onCape Breton Island. He later encouraged his parishioners to move toWaipu where there are still many descendants from Pictou and St. Ann's.
During theAmerican Revolution, in November 1777 at Pictou, American privateers from Machias captured the shipMolly, under the command of CaptainWilliam Lowden. Local residentWellwood Waugh was implicated in the raid on Pictou and was forced to move toTatamagouche, Nova Scotia. He became a prominent inhabitant and Waugh River is named after him.[11][12]
In 1812Sir Hector Maclean (the7th Baronet of Morvern and 23rd Chief of theClan Maclean) emigrated to Pictou fromGlensanda and Kingairloch in Scotland with almost the entire population of 500.[13][14][15] Sir Hector is buried in the cemetery at Pictou.[15]
During the latter part of the 19th century, Pictou's industrial sector gained strength. TheIntercolonial Railway was built to the town on a spur from theStellarton-Oxford Junction "Short Line". Shipbuilding increased through the 19th century, particularly with the increase incoal being shipped from Pictou Landing, Abercrombie and the East River of Pictou. A number of shipyards have been continuously established in the town since this period. A notable shipbuilding accomplishment was the speedy construction of 24Park ship freighters by the newly createdPictou Shipyard in World War II. After the war the shipyard continued operation building many fishing trawlers and ferries. The port's cargo activity increased after the nearby Scott Maritimes pulp mill opened in Abercrombie in 1965. CN Rail abandoned its service to the town in the late 1980s but other transportation – includingHighway 106 (theTrans-Canada Highway) – opened in the 1970s to provide alternatives.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 3,403 | — |
| 1891 | 2,998 | −11.9% |
| 1901 | 3,235 | +7.9% |
| 1911 | 3,179 | −1.7% |
| 1921 | 2,988 | −6.0% |
| 1931 | 3,152 | +5.5% |
| 1941 | 3,069 | −2.6% |
| 1951 | 4,259 | +38.8% |
| 1956 | 4,564 | +7.2% |
| 1961 | 4,534 | −0.7% |
| 1981 | 4,621 | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 4,413 | −4.5% |
| 1991 | 4,134 | −6.3% |
| 1996 | 4,022 | −2.7% |
| 2001 | 3,875 | −3.7% |
| 2006 | 3,813 | −1.6% |
| 2011 | 3,437 | −9.9% |
| 2016 | 3,186 | −7.3% |
| 2021 | 3,107 | −2.5% |
| [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] | ||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Pictou had a population of3,107 living in1,452 of its1,600 total private dwellings, a change of-2.5% from its 2016 population of3,186. With a land area of 7.99 km2 (3.08 sq mi), it had a population density of388.9/km2 (1,007.1/sq mi) in 2021.[23]
Pictou Academy is the town's high school and was founded in 1803 by Dr.Thomas McCulloch, who was travelling to his new clergy posting onPrince Edward Island. He was convinced to stay the winter and ended up remaining in Pictou for much longer. Disappointed by the lack of education among Pictonians, Dr. McCulloch decided to start a "college". There was considerable argument between Dr. Thomas McCulloch and Nova Scotia's provincial government for funding however it finally became a reality in 1816 when the Pictou Academy was incorporated. The province of Nova Scotia would not let it be named a "college," as such, but it was a school of higher education (senior matriculation) which was open to people of every race and denomination.
Between 1816 and the present, Pictou Academy has been in four separate buildings. The school was moved from its original building to a new site, while the second and third buildings both burned down. There were Academy graduates from every year since it was incorporated, excluding the years between several of its different buildings.
At the start of the school year of 2003–2004, all high schools in Pictou County were closed, and their students began to go to the two new "superschools",Northumberland Regional High School, andNorth Nova Education Centre, for their education. The only exception to this is Pictou Academy, which continues to operate.
The town operates a small library andC@P site.
ThePictou Lobster Carnival takes place annually in early July at the old train station, and the waterfront. The Lobster Carnival is a yearly event celebrating the end of the fishing season and has been celebrated since 1934. The carnival includes a midway, 'Rock the Lobster' concerts, a pageant, breakfasts, a car show, fireworks, a beer garden, crate runs, hauling/net cutting contests, boat races, and lobster dinners.[24] As of 2024, it is the longest-running active lobster festival inNorth America. It draws thousands to the town annually for the event.
The town also used to host a large celebration forShip Hector Festival in August. This ended in the early 2010s, although there are stillNew Scotland Days celebrations in September. The celebrations centre on the shipHector and include a Celtic church service and a descendants reunion.[25]
In 2023, for the250th Anniversary of the landing of the Ship Hector, the town received federal and provincial funding to support a three-month long celebration.[26] The main celebrations consisted of evening concerts on a waterfront stage, a daily vendor market, the rededication of theNo. 2 Construction Battalion monument, the church service, descendants reunion, theVoyage musical about theHector, and a visits from theGovernor General of Canada and theLieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. The headliners for the concerts includedAshley MacIsaac,Cassie & Maggie,Terra Spencer,Mary Beth Carty, Ray Stewart,Amelia Parker,Christina Martin,Jud Gunning,Steve MacIntyre,Morgan Toney,Darren McMullen,Rachel Davis,Rum Ragged,Terry Kelly,DeeDee Austin, and theBarra MacNeils.
The primary tourist attraction in Pictou is the waterfront along Pictou Harbour. During the 1990s–2000s, industrial land on the Pictou waterfront was redeveloped with the centrepiece being construction of the replica tall shipHector. Now completed, the ship is docked each summer at theHector Heritage Quay, an interpretive centre that includes three floors of exhibits, as well as access to the floating replica. From 2020 to 2024. Next door to the Hector Heritage Quay is theNorthumberland Fisheries Museum, Lobster Hatchery, and Lighthouse Museum.
Grohmann Knives Ltd., the only knife manufacturing factory in Canada, are the sole producers of the historic D.H. Russell Belt Knives and Grohmann Kitchen Knives for over 50 years. Free factory tours of the plant are offered to the public on Water Street.
TheMcCulloch House Museum on the edge of downtown offers an archives and research centre and a nineteenth-century house museum.
Besides the museum aspect of the McCulloch House, the 19th century home once belonged to Rev. Dr.Thomas McCulloch. It is one of many examples of centuries-old houses in Pictou. The downtown is home to several 'Scottish' designed buildings that include locally sourced sandstone and five-sided dormers.[27] A book dedicated to the history of each old home and building is available at the museum.
The waterfront redevelopment also features a marina and small boardwalk that connects to theTrans-Canada Trail. The historicIntercolonial Railway station (pictured above) on the waterfront has been restored and connects to the waterfront by the old customs house.
There are several monuments around the town, including the Hector Settler in Market Square, theNo. 2 Construction Battalion monuments on the waterfront, and the cenotaph on Church Street. The war cenotaph was sculpted by the renownedGeorge Hill.
Boat Tours through Discover the Strait are available, offering various trips to see the harbour and the wildlife in theNorthumberland Strait. The waterfront is also home to a marine and cruise ship docks, allowing boat-bound tourists to dock.
Pictou is 5 kilometres south of the port ofCaribou whereNorthumberland Ferries Limited operates a seasonal vehicle-pedestrian ferry service toPrince Edward Island; there is also a pedestrian-only ferry that operates seasonally toPictou Island. Several beaches are located near Pictou, most notably Caribou Provincial Park and Waterside Beach Provincial Park. The Jitney Trail also starts at the waterfront. The former train route has been converted into a paved and gravel walkway for pedestrians and runs from Pictou toOxford, Nova Scotia. The trail also connects to Brown's Point, just a few kilometres outside of Pictou, where theHector landed.
Three naval vessels have been named for Pictou, twoRoyal Navy schooners during theWar of 1812 (see:HMS Pictou), andHMCSPictou, aFlower-class corvette that served in the Atlantic duringWorld War II.
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45°40′53″N62°42′43″W / 45.68139°N 62.71194°W /45.68139; -62.71194 (Pictou Nova Scotia)
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