Pictou County | |
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County | |
![]() Location of Pictou County, Nova Scotia |
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Coordinates: 45°30′N 62°36′W / 45.5°N 62.6°WCoordinates: 45°30′N 62°36′W / 45.5°N 62.6°W | |
Country | ![]() |
Province | ![]() |
Towns | New Glasgow / Pictou / Stellarton / Trenton / Westville |
Established | 1835 |
Electoral Districts Federal |
Central Nova |
Provincial | Pictou Centre / Pictou East / Pictou West |
Government | |
• Type | Municipality of Pictou County |
Area[1] | |
• Land | 2,845.26 km2 (1,098.56 sq mi) |
Population (2011)[1][2] | |
• Total | 45,643 |
• Density | 16.0/km2 (41/sq mi) |
• Change 2001-06 | ![]() |
• Census Rankings - Census divisions Subdivision A Subdivision B Subdivision C - Towns New Glasgow Stellarton Pictou Westville Trenton - Reserves Fisher's Grant 24 |
6,412 (566 of 5,008) 6,103 (588 of 5,008) 9,038 (421 of 5,008) 9,455 (404 of 5,008) 4,717 (720 of 5,008) 3,813 (844 of 5,008) 3,805 (846 of 5,008) 2,741 (1,060 of 5,008) 429 (3,222 of 5,008) |
Time zone | AST (UTC−4) |
• Summer (DST) | ADT (UTC−3) |
Area code(s) | 902 |
Dwellings | 21,768 |
Median Earnings* | $43,475 CDN |
Website | county.pictou.ns.ca |
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Pictou County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It was established in 1835, and was formerly a part of Halifax County from 1759 to 1835. It had a population of 45,643 people in 2011, which represents a decline of 1.9 percent from 2006. Furthermore, its 2011 population is only 91.93% of the census population in 1991. It is the sixth most populous county in Nova Scotia.
Contents
History[edit]
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20151126071950im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/HectorPioneerByJohnWilson.jpg/220px-HectorPioneerByJohnWilson.jpg)
The origin of the name "Pictou" is obscure. Possible Mi'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, an old province in France. Nicolas Denys named the harbour La rivière de Pictou in the 1660s.[3][4][5]
Pictou was a receiving point for many Scottish immigrants moving to a new home in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island following the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Consequently, the town's slogan is "The Birthplace of New Scotland"; the first wave of immigrants is acknowledged to have arrived on September 15, 1773, on the Hector.
Geography[edit]
Pictou County includes the towns of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Pictou, Westville and Trenton.
Demographics[edit]
Population trend[6]
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Mother tongue language (2011)[7]
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Ethnic Groups (2006)[8]
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Politics[edit]
Pictou County is wholly within the federal electoral district of Central Nova. The county has been represented federally by Conservative MPs since 1957, with the exception of 1993-1997 when a Liberal MP was elected.
Pictou County is divided into three provincial electoral districts, namely Pictou Centre, Pictou East and Pictou West. All three are currently held by PC MLAs in the Nova Scotia Legislature.
The towns of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Pictou, Westville and Trenton each have their own town councils. The Municipality of Pictou County serves the remaining rural areas, including Pictou Island. Amalgamation of these six municipal units is occasionally considered.[9][10] 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.
Economy[edit]
Resource based industries include coal mining, forestry, fishing and agriculture. Manufacturing industries include Michelin Tire, Northern Pulp and Scotsburn Dairy. Convergys Inc operate a call center in New Glasgow. Tourism is an important part of the economy during the summer, and in 2006 employed 1200 people and brought 45 million dollars to the economy.[11] Rail car manufacturer Trenton Works was closed in 2007 when owners Greenbrier moved production to Mexico. There are 2,400 small and medium-sized businesses that collectively generate more than 15,000 jobs.[12]
The Pictou County Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy group that speaks as a united voice on behalf of the business community.
Transport[edit]
Two highways designated as part of the national Trans-Canada Highway system provide the only controlled-access roads in the county. They are Highway 104, which traverses the county from west to east, and Highway 106 the short north-south spur to the Northumberland Ferries Limited terminal at Caribou.
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a freight line connecting Truro to Sydney, with spurs at Stellarton and Trenton serving local industries such as Trenton Generating Station. Via Rail Canada abandoned passenger rail service in the county on January 15, 1990, following nationwide budget cuts.
Maritime Bus provide motor coach service to New Glasgow.
Northumberland Ferries Limited operates a seasonal passenger-vehicle ferry service from Caribou, Nova Scotia to Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island. A separate passenger-only ferry service is also operated seasonally from Caribou to Pictou Island.[1]
Trenton Aerodrome is a private commercial airport owned and operated by Sobeys.
Access routes[edit]
Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:[13]
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Media[edit]
Pictou County is served by the daily newspaper The News and the weekly newspaper The Advocate. The only locally based radio station is CKEC-FM, but stations in other counties and Prince Edward Island also provide coverage. A monthly sports and recreation paper is distributed monthly through the mail at no charge.[14]
Culture[edit]
There are two performance spaces in the county, the DeCoste Centre in Pictou and Glasgow Square in New Glasgow. Read By The Sea is an annual one day literary festival held in River John. The Hector Festival in Pictou each summer is a celebration of the county's Scottish heritage. New Glasgow's Art at Night is an annual one night art event in downtown New Glasgow. Many of the towns and villages host their own parades and events throughout the year.
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 in Pictou and the Museum of Industry in Stellarton.
Notable people[edit]
- Jotham Blanchard, responsible government advocate
- Mark A. Brennan, landscape painter
- Donald William Cameron, former Premier of Nova Scotia
- George Canyon, country singer
- Buddy Daye, boxer and former Sergeant-at-arms of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
- J.D. Fortune, musician,winner of the reality television show Rock Star: INXS
- Troy Gamble, former NHL goaltender, Vancouver Canucks
- John James Grant, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
- Dave Gunning, folk singer
- Art Hafey, former professional featherweight boxer who won all (65) but 8; from Stellarton[15][16]
- John Hamm, former Premier of Nova Scotia
- Simon Holmes, former premier of Nova Scotia
- Diego Klattenhoff, actor, known for roles in Homeland and The Blacklist
- Jason MacDonald, MMA fighter
- Joey MacDonald, NHL goaltender
- Lowell MacDonald, retired National Hockey League winger during the 1960s and 1970s, awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1973
- Peter MacKay, federal Conservative politician, currently serves as Minister of Justice
- Thomas McCulloch, educator
- Charlie Parker, former politician, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of Energy in the Executive Council of Nova Scotia[17]
- James Peter Robertson, posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War
- Jon Sim, professional hockey player for Eisbären Berlin in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga; NHL Stanley Cup winner
- Mike Smith, actor and musician, better known as Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys
- Frank H. Sobey, businessman and entrepreneur
- Colin White, NHL hockey player, two-time NHL Stanley Cup winner
- John Wilson, sculptor
There are claims by a Johnston family of Pictou, Nova Scotia that the Mad Trapper of Rat River was Owen Albert Johnston from Pictou County.[18]
Communities[edit]
For a list of communities in Pictou County, see List of communities.
Incorporated communities[edit]
Towns
Native reserves
Census subdivisions[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Pictou County, Nova Scotia
- ^ Statistics Canada Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data
- ^ "History of Pictou". Town of Pictou website. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
- ^ "Placenames of Pictou & Antigonish County". Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library website. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
- ^ "Pictou County Place Names and Origins". www.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
- ^ Statistics Canada: 2011 census
- ^ 2006 Statistics Canada Census Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada: Pictou County, Nova Scotia
- ^ "Research Articles". pictoucountyamalgamation.com. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ "Pictou Town Council Minutes, October 24, 2005" (PDF). Town of Pictou website. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ "About PCTA". The Pictou County Tourism Association website. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ^ "Planning vital for small businesses". The News website. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN 978-1-55368-618-7 Pages 53-54, 69-71
- ^ http://www.sports-report.ca
- ^ Bernath, Clive. "Art Hafey: Too Nice A Guy To Fight For The Title". SecondsOut.com. Knockout Entertainment Ltd. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Eisen, Lou. "The Story of Art Hafey". Fight Network. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/people/members/Charlie_Parker1/
- ^ Interview, Information Morning, CBC Radio 1, Halifax Nova Scotia, 6:20am 15 January 2009
External links[edit]
- Official Pictou County Portal
- County of Pictou website
- Photographs of historic monuments in Pictou County
- Pictou County District Planning Commission
- Pictou County Community Website
- The People of Pictou County Blog, with photographs and quotes from residents of the region
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Northumberland Strait | ![]() |
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Colchester County | ![]() |
Antigonish County | ||
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Halifax Regional Municipality | Guysborough County |
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