Pictou County Gaelic:Siorramachd Phiogto | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: "PC" | |
 Location of Pictou County, Nova Scotia | |
| Coordinates:45°30′N62°36′W / 45.5°N 62.6°W /45.5; -62.6 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| Towns | New Glasgow /Pictou /Stellarton /Trenton /Westville |
| Established | 1835 |
| Incorporated | April 17, 1879 |
| Electoral Districts Federal | Central Nova |
| Provincial | Pictou Centre /Pictou East /Pictou West |
| Government | |
| • Type | Five town councils and one rural municipality |
| Area | |
| • Land | 2,844.10 km2 (1,098.11 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 43,657 |
| • Density | 15.4/km2 (40/sq mi) |
| • Change 2011-16 |  0.2% |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (ADT) |
| Area codes | 902, 782 |
| Dwellings | 22,525 |
| Median Earnings* | $43,475CDN |
| Website | munpict.ca |
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Pictou County is acounty in theprovince ofNova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1835, and was formerly a part ofHalifax County from 1759 to 1835. It had a population of 43,657 people in 2021, a decline of 0.2 percent from 2016. Furthermore, its 2016 population is only 88.11% of the census population in 1991. It is the sixth most populous county in Nova Scotia.
The origin of the name "Pictou" is obscure. PossibleMi'kmaq derivations include "Piktook" meaning an explosion of gas, and "Bucto" meaning fire, possibly related to the coal fields in the area. It might also be a corruption of Poictou (Poitou), a former province of France.Nicolas Denys named theharbourLa rivière de Pictou in the 1660s.[3][4][5]
The area of the modern Pictou County was a part of theMiꞌkmaq nation ofMi'kma'ki (mi'gama'gi) at the time of European contact.[6]
In the early 1600sFrance claimed the area as a part ofAcadia. By the 1760s, small French settlements existed along the coast in the eastern part of the county near the mouth of theFrench River. The largest of these was on theBig Island at Merigomish. By the conclusion of theFrench and Indian War in 1763, and theExpulsion of the Acadians, these had been abandoned.[7]: 38
Pictou came under the control ofBritain in 1763 after theFrench and Indian War. In 1765 the first British land grants were issued, including a grant to the Philadelphia Company. A number of families from that company leftPhiladelphia aboard theHope in May 1767, and arrived atPictou Harbour in June.[7]: 46–78 In 1770 there were 120 settlers living in Pictou, of whom 93 were American, 18 were Irish, five were Acadian, and two each were Scottish and English.[7]: 67
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. Consequently, the town's slogan is "The Birthplace ofNew Scotland"; the first wave of immigrants from Scotland is acknowledged to have arrived on September 15, 1773, on theHector.[7]: 81
Coal was first discovered in Pictou County in 1798. A number of different individuals and companies were involved in the nascent coal industry; however, in 1825 the majority of mining rights in Nova Scotia was obtained by theGeneral Mining Association. After surveying mines in Nova Scotia, they chose to start at theEast River of Pictou and in the summer of 1827 they began operations there. By the end of the year the first steam engine in Nova Scotia was operating atAlbion Mines.[7]: 398–401
In 1839 the first locomotive in Canada to run on iron rails, theSamson, was put into service at Albion Mines. It is the oldest surviving locomotive in Canada.
Pictou County includes the towns ofNew Glasgow,Stellarton,Pictou,Westville andTrenton. It is bounded by theNorthumberland Strait,Antigonish County,Guysborough County andColchester County.Pictou Harbour and its three rivers played a vital role in the early days of settlement, as a port of entry, a means of transport and for the export of lumber and coal.
As acensus division in the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Pictou County had a population of43,657 living in19,735 of its22,410 total private dwellings, a change of −0.2% from its 2016 population of43,748. With a land area of 2,844.1 km2 (1,098.1 sq mi), it had a population density of15.4/km2 (39.8/sq mi) in 2021.[8]
Forming the majority of the Pictou County census division, the Municipality of the County of Pictou, including its Subdivisions A, B, and C, had a population of20,676 living in9,146 of its11,026 total private dwellings, a change of −0.1% from its 2016 population of20,692. With a land area of 2,795.08 km2 (1,079.19 sq mi), it had a population density of7.4/km2 (19.2/sq mi) in 2021.[9]
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Pictou County is wholly within the federal electoral district ofCentral Nova. Since the electoral district was reformed in 2004, only two MPs have held the office. Currently, the county is representedfederally by theLiberal Party. The seat is held by Liberal MPSean Fraser, who was elected in 2015.
Pictou County is divided into three provincial electoral districts, namelyPictou Centre,Pictou East andPictou West. All three are currently held byPC MLAs in theNova Scotia Legislature.
The towns ofNew Glasgow,Stellarton,Pictou,Westville andTrenton each have their own town councils. TheMunicipality of Pictou County serves the remaining rural areas, including Pictou Island. Amalgamation of these six municipal units is occasionally considered.[14][15] Pictou County District Planning Commission provides planning, development and waste disposal services to all the communities in the county.
Pictou Landing First Nation has reserves at Pictou Landing, Fisher's Grant and Merigomish Harbour.
Resource based industries include coal mining, forestry, fishing, and agriculture. Manufacturing industries include Michelin Tire, Northern Pulp and Scotsburn Dairy. Web.Com operate a call center in New Glasgow. One of the largest employers in the area is Sobeys. The company started in Stellarton, where its headquarters is still located today.[17] Tourism is an important part of the economy during the summer. In 2006 employed 1,200 people and brought 45 million dollars to the economy.[18] Two provincially owned museums operate within the county, Stellarton's Nova Scotia Museum of Industry, and the McCulloch House Museum in Pictou. Rail car manufacturerTrenton Works was closed in 2007 when ownersGreenbrier moved production to Mexico. There are 2,400 small and medium-sized businesses that collectively generate more than 15,000 jobs.[19]
The Pictou CountyChamber of Commerce is a business advocacy group that speaks as a united voice on behalf of the business community.
Two highways designated as part of the nationalTrans-Canada Highway system provide the only controlled-access roads in the county. They areHighway 104, which traverses the county from west to east, andHighway 106 the short north–south spur to theNorthumberland Ferries Limited terminal atCaribou.
TheCape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a freight line connectingTruro toSydney, with spurs at Stellarton and Trenton serving local industries such asTrenton Generating Station.Via Rail Canada abandoned passenger rail service in the county on January 15, 1990, following nationwide budget cuts.
Maritime Bus providemotor coach service to New Glasgow.
Northumberland Ferries Limited operates a seasonal passenger-vehicle ferry service from Caribou, Nova Scotia, toWood Islands,Prince Edward Island. A separate passenger-only ferry service is also operated seasonally from Caribou toPictou Island.[20]
Trenton Aerodrome is a private commercial airport owned and operated bySobeys.
Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:[21]
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Pictou County is served by the weekly newspapersThe News andThe Pictou Advocate. Pictou County has two locally based radio station isCKEC-FM &CKEZ-FM.A sports and recreation paper is distributed monthly through the mail at no charge.[22]
There are two performance spaces in the county: the deCoste Centre in Pictou and Glasgow Square in New Glasgow. Both host local musicians and events, including the Festival of Summer Sounds series at the deCoste and the New Glasgow Riverfront Jubilee in August at the Glasgow Square.
Many of the towns and villages host their own parades and events throughout the year. Read By The Sea is an annual literary festival held in the village of River John. The New Scotland Days Festival in Pictou each September is a celebration of the county's Scottish heritage. Pictou also hosts the Lobster Carnival every July since 1934. It was voted the best festival in Canada.[23] New Glasgow's Art at Night is an annual one night art event in downtown New Glasgow. Eventide Art Hub in New Glasgow hosts an Art Gallery, Artist Studios, and a retail space for artists and musicians to sell their work.
Museums include the Northumberland Fisheries Museum, the Hector Heritage Quay, and the McCulloch House Museum in Pictou, the Pictou County Military Museum in Westville, the Carmichael House in New Glasgow, and the Museum of Industry in Stellarton.
Pictou County is also known for the regional pizza variant known asPictou County Pizza, which can be shipped to former residents living across Canada through UPS, and is available in frozen pizzas throughout the Maritimes.[24][25]
There are claims by a Johnston family ofPictou, Nova Scotia, that theMad Trapper of Rat River was Owen Albert Johnston from Pictou County.[26]
Media related toPictou County, Nova Scotia at Wikimedia CommonsPlaces adjacent to Pictou County | |
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