Pictou, Nova Scotia
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- Pictou redirects here, for the defunct federal riding, see Pictou (electoral district)
Pictou is a small town on the northern coast of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is primarily a tourism-based town, and a large portion of its inhabitants trace their roots to Scotland. It is the site where some of the earliest Scottish settlers arrived in North America, and the town's slogan is "The Birthplace of New Scotland"; They arrived on September 15, 1773, on the Hector.
According to the Canada 2001 Census:
| Population: | 3,875 (-3.7% from 1996) |
| Land area: | 7.94 km² |
| Population density: | 488.0 people/km² |
| Median age: | 41.0 (males: 39.4, females: 42.1) |
| Total private dwellings: | 1,658 |
| Mean household income: | $32,797 |
Contents |
[edit] Notable Pictonians
- Sir William Dawson: was born in Pictou in the year 1820. He resided in Pictou until 1840, when he travelled to Scotland to garner higher education from the University of Edinburgh. In 1855, after moving back to Pictou for some amount of time, he moved to Montreal, Quebec, on a request to become the principal of McGill University. He held this position until around the end of the 19th century.
- Dr. Thomas McCulloch: was a Presbyterian minister from Renfrewshire, Scotland and founder of Pictou Academy. He went on to establish Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
[edit] Pictou Academy
Pictou Academy is a High School located in Pictou, Nova Scotia. In 1803, Dr. Thomas McCulloch arrived in Pictou on his way to a ministering job in Prince 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". Over the ensuing several years, there was considerable fighting between Dr. Thomas McCulloch and Nova Scotia's provincial government. Finally, the Reverend saw his dream become reality, when in 1816, 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 which was open to people of every race and denomination.
Between 1816 and the present, Pictou Academy has been in four separate buildings. The Academy 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 the two new "superschools", Northumberland Regional High School, and North Nova Education Centre, for their education. The only exception to this is Pictou Academy, which continues to stay open.
[edit] Important dates
The Hector Festival, celebrating the arrival of settlers to Nova Scotia on the Hector takes place in August. In July, the Lobster Carnival takes place, and an amusement park is set up. The Lobster Carnival is a yearly event celebrating the end of the fishing season and has been a town festival since 1934.
[edit] Places to go
Among the main tourist attractions of Pictou is the Hector. The boat that is on display is not actually the Hector, but a replica, which was completed quite recently. The Hector is docked at the Hector Heritage Quay, an interpretive centre that includes a Company Store, a carpentry shop, a blacksmith shop and an artist's studio.
Nearby on the waterfront is a picturesque marina and boardwalk. Water taxis and boat tours are available from downtown Pictou. Pictou is also a five minute drive from the ferry that runs between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Being near the water, there are a number of beaches near Pictou, most notably the Caribou Provincial Park and the Waterside Beach Provincial Park.
Another attraction close to the waterfront is the Grohman Knives factory, which claims to be the only manufacturer of hand-made knives in Canada.
[edit] External links
- Official website of the Town of Pictou
- Grohman Knives
- Avinova.ca - Aerial pictures of Pictou and surrounding area.
| Image:Flag of Nova Scotia.svg | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|
| Counties | Annapolis - Antigonish - Cape Breton - Colchester - Cumberland - Digby - Guysborough - Halifax - Hants - Inverness - Kings - Lunenburg - Pictou - Queens - Richmond - Shelburne - Victoria - Yarmouth |
| Regional Municipalities | Cape Breton - Halifax - Queens |
| Incorporated Towns | Amherst - Annapolis Royal - Antigonish - Berwick - Bridgetown - Bridgewater - Canso - Clark's Harbour - Digby - Hantsport - Kentville - Lockeport - Lunenburg - Mahone Bay - Middleton - Mulgrave - New Glasgow - Oxford - Parrsboro - Pictou - Port Hawkesbury - Shelburne - Springhill - Stellarton - Stewiacke - Trenton - Truro - Westville - Windsor - Wolfville - Yarmouth |
| Other Communities | Bedford - Bible Hill - Cole Harbour - Dartmouth - Dominion - Eastern Passage - Fall River - Glace Bay - Greenwood - Halifax (former city) - Liverpool - Louisbourg - Lower Sackville - New Minas - New Waterford - North Sydney - Sydney - Sydney Mines - Weymouth |
