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Nova Scotia

INTRODUCTION

Nova Scotia, with it's snowy mountains and rock-edged shores, is a beautiful place that you will want to visit again and again.

Home of Oak Island, the supposed site of buried pirate treasure, Nova Scotia has been visited by treasure hunters for decades. Many have gone bankrupt trying to locate this buried treasure, to no avail. An artifical beach created to flood any drilling that goes below the water table is just one of the problems treasure hunters face.

Oak Island is closed to the public, though tours are run through the Oak Island Tourism Society (http://www.oakislandsociety.ca/) periodically throughout the year.

HISTORY

Nova Scotia was first inhabited by the First Nations peoples known as the Mi’kmaq. English explorer John Cabot landed here in 1497, but the region would be claimed for France by Jacques Cartier in thee 1530s.

In 1604 French settlers founded Acadia, which at the time covered all of the maritime provinces and parts of eastern Quebec. Relations with the Mi’kmaq were prosperous, and when the French King Henry IV called settlers home in 1607, the First Nations tribe guarded the colony.

In 1620, Scottish, English and Irish settlers began to enjoy the territory, which was renamed Nova Scotia in 1621. By 1624 the French had regained control. The fight would continue for decades, and by the end of the 17th century, Nova Scotia was under the control of British colonists, during King William’s War. France regained power as a measure of the peace treaty signed in 1697, but the fight was not over.

The land was taken once again in the early 1700s, and British sovereignty was secured with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. French colonists were given the option of declaring allegiance to Britain or leave the area. By the mid-18th century, France and Britain were once again at war over Nova Scotia, and Britain decided to secure dominance with an influx of settlers.

The township of Halifax was founded in 1749 as a fishing port and military base. Dartmouth was added in 1750.

The Historic Sambro Island Lighthouse was built in 1758 at the mouth of Halifax Harbor, and played an important role defense of the region. Today, the Canadian National Historic Site is the oldest operating lighthouse in North America.

In 1785, the town of Sydney was founded.

After the French were finally defeated, British colonists ordered the Acadian settlers deported to the American colonies. Through the 1800s, however, more Scottish settlers arrived, and largely outnumbered British residents. According to British rule, however, Scottish settlers were forbidden to wear Scottish dress or speak their native language. During the American Revolution, Nova Scotian Highlanders found themselves fighting alongside the British armies, and gained considerable freedom in Nova Scotia. Their influence can be seen in the culture to this day.

The town of Halifax became the City of Halifax in 1842, and the city began to grow. So much so that in 1848, the British Empire granted Nova Scotia responsible government.

In 1853, Nova Scotia founded the provincial railway. The railway served the province well, and when the American Civil War broke out in 1861, Nova Scotians, especially those in Halifax, saw a huge boost to the economy through the sale of supplies to both sides.

In July of 1867, Nova Scotia became the third province to join the Canadian Confederation, sparking anti-confederation sentiment in many settlers. By 1875, anti-confederation movement was squashed.

In 1873, Dartmouth was large enough to be incorporated into a town. The historic town hall was built in 1877.

Over the next few decades, into the 20th century, steel production became a driving force in local economy. The largest steel plant in the world was built in Sydney, and the city grew.

Halifax Harbor served an important role in the First World War, both as a strategic port and supplier of military resources.

Tragedy struck in 1917, when two ships carrying munitions collided in Halifax Harbor, sparking the largest man made explosion before the atomic bomb. Debris was scattered over five kilometers, and thousands were killed or injured. Tourists to Halifax are encouraged to visit the old church in the downtown, which was struck by a steel rod from one of the ships. The rod is still in the wall.

The Post war years were difficult, with many left unemployed and homeless as a result of the explosion. Times would not turn around until the Second World War, when the strategic location of Halifax Harbor served the defense of Britain during the German air strikes of the Battle of Britain.

The Cold War saw further revenues spent on building a modern navy, and Nova Scotia continued to serve as an important military base. After the Cold War ended, and through the years leading to the 21st century, Nova Scotia’s prominence as a shipping port secured its economic future.

The industrial sector remains strong, and the province is enjoying a renewed interest in tourism. Nova Scotia maintains a natural beauty that has attracted residents as famous as Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Many of Bell’s most important discoveries were made while living in Nova Scotia, and his estate, now called Beinn Bhreagh, is an important and popular national historic site.

Nova Scotia’s unique cultural heritage is largely influenced by its Scottish settlers, and produces a flavor unlike any in North America. Scottish roots are particularly evident in the arts and entertainment.