Canso, Nova Scotia: Difference between revisions
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* Judith Tulloch. "The New England Fisheries and the Trade at Canso: 1720-1744". ''How deep is the ocean?: historical essays on Canada's Atlantic fishery'' James E. Candow, Carol Corbin (eds) |
* Judith Tulloch. "The New England Fisheries and the Trade at Canso: 1720-1744". ''How deep is the ocean?: historical essays on Canada's Atlantic fishery'' James E. Candow, Carol Corbin (eds) |
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* Brenda Dunn, ''A History of Port-Royal/Annapolis Royal 1605-1800'', Halifax: Nimbus, 2004. |
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* Griffiths, E. From Migrant to Acadian. McGill-Queen's University Press. 2005. |
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*John Mack Faragher, ''A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from their American Homeland'' (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005). |
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*John Reid, Maurice Basque, Elizabeth Mancke, Barry Moody, Geoffrey Plank, and William Wicken. 2004.'' The 'Conquest' of Acadia, 1710: Imperial, Colonial, an Aboriginal Constructions.'' University of Toronto Press. |
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*Geoffrey Plank, An Unsettled Conquest. University of Pennsylvania. 2001 |
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Endnotes |
Endnotes |
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Revision as of 18:37, 9 November 2010
This article is about the town. For the headland, see Cape Canso.
Canso | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Canso as seen from the harbour | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Oldest Fishing Port on Mainland North America | |
| Motto(s): "Heritage, Heart & Home" | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Nova Scotia |
| County | Guysbrough County |
| Founded | 1604 |
| Incorporated | May 14, 1901 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Mayor | Frank Fraser |
| • Governing Body | Canso Town Council |
| • MLA | Jim Boudreau (NDP) |
| • MP | Rodger Cuzner (L) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 5.42 km2 (2.09 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0 - 14 m (−46 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 911 |
| • Density | 168.1/km2 (435/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (ADT) |
| Canadian Postal code | B0H 1H0 |
| Area code | 902 |
| Telephone Exchange | 366 |
| Median Earnings* | $30,502 |
| NTS Map | 011F07 |
| GNBC Code | CAGBW |
| Website | http://www.townofcanso.com |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,255 | — |
| 1991 | 1,228 | −2.2% |
| 1996 | 1,127 | −8.2% |
| 2001 | 992 | −12.0% |
| 2006 | 911 | −8.2% |
| [1] | ||
45°20′2″N 60°59′43″W / 45.33389°N 60.99528°W Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village (1720), was instrumental in contributing to Dummer's War (1722–1725). The town is of national historic importance because it was one of only two British settlements in Nova Scotia prior to the establishment of Halifax (1749). Canso played a key role in the defeat of Louisbourg. Today, the town attracts people internationally for the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival.
History
Since the 16th century, Canso has been a strategically important fishery base. It is said that the harbour of Canso was frequented by European fur traders and fishermen within a dozen years of the arrival of Columbus in America, and an attempt at settlement was made here as early as 1518.
Acadian Governor Razill built a fortified post, Fort Saint-Francois at Canso with Nicholas Le Creux, Sieru du Bruil as lieutenant.[2]
Raid on Canso (1718)
Shortly after Southback established himself at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, the Mi'kmaq raided the station and burned it to the ground. In response, Southback lead a raid on Canso, Nova Scotia (1718), seizing two French ships, and encouraged Governor of Nova Scotia Richard Philipps to fortify Canso.[3]
Raid on Canso (1720)
On August 7, 1720, 75 Mi'kmaq attacked the fortification as it was being built. The Mi'kmaq killed three men, wounded four, and caused significant damage.[4] (Also, in the Spring of 1720, Canso was raided by the famous pirate Bartholomew Roberts.)
In 1721, Governor of Massachusetts took proprietarial attitude toward the Canso fisher. With the arrival of British troops, the Mi'kmaq discouraged from attacking until the following year.[5] The British decision to build a permanent facility at Canso violated long-standing agreements between the Mi'kmaq and the fishermen, which significantly precipated the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet War.[6]
Dummer's War
Raid on Canso (1722)
In the lead up to Dummer's War, in July 1722, the Mi'kmaq and some Abenakis began a major offensive against New England fishermen and traders in an attempt to blockade the Nova Scotia capital of Annapolis Royal. Natives captured eighteen trading vessels in the Bay of Fundy in an additional eighteen New England fishing schooners between Cape Sable and Canso.[5] As a result, the New England Governor declared war on the Mi'kmaq which lasted four years.
Ships were sent from Canso to protect the fisheries, which resulted in the battle at Jeddore Harbour, Nova Scotia.[7] Only five native bodies were recovered from the battle and the New Englanders decapitated the corpses and set the severed heads on pikes surrounding Canso's new fort.[8]
Raid on Canso (1723)
In 1723, the village was raided again by the Mi'kmaq and they killed five fishermen. In this same year, the New Englanders built a twelve gun blockhouse to guard the village and fishery.[9]
King Georges War
Raid on Canso (1744)
At the outbreak of King George's War, the French destroyed the flourishing fishing village during the Raid on Canso (1744).
Siege of Louisbourg
A year later, the village Canso was used as a staging area for the Siege of Louisbourg (1745). General Sir William Pepperell arrived at Canso, Nova Scotia, with four thousand and seventy troops, April 4, 1745, and, in three weeks was joined by Commodore Warren, with four ships from England.
Raid on Canso (1749)
In August of 1749, Lieutenant Joseph Gorham was at Canso and his party was attacked by Mi'kmaq. They seized his vessel and took twenty prisoners and carried them off to Louisbourg. Three English and seven Mi'kmaq were killed.[10]
On February 21, 1753, 9 Mi'kmaq in canoes attacked an English vessel which had a crew of four at near-by Country Harbour, Nova Scotia. The Mi'kmaq killed two English men and took two others captive for six weeks. After seven weeks in captivity, on April 8, the two English men killed six Mi'kmaq and managed to escape.[11] In response, on the night of April 21 the Mi'kmaq attacked another English schooner in a naval battle between Outique Island and Isle Madame in which the Mi'kmaq attacked an English schooner. There were nine English men and one Acadian who was the pilot. The Mi'kmaq killed the English and let the Acadian off at Port Toulouse, where the Mi'kmaq sank the schooner after looting it.[12]
French and Indian War
Expulsion of the Acadians
During the Expulsion of the Acadians the famous ship the Duke William was in port for almost a month awaiting passage to France (1758). While in port the vessel narrowly escaped a raid by Mi'kmaq.
American Revolution
Raid on Canso (1775)
During the American Revolution, Canso was subject to numerous raids by American Privateers. George Washington's Marblehead Regiment raided Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 17 November 1775 and three days later, they raided Canso Harbor.
Raid on Canso (1779)
Again in 1779 American Privateers destroyed the Canso fisheries, worth 50,000 a year to England.[13]
Today
In a plebiscite held on July 12, 2008 residents narrowly voted to amalgamate the town with the neighbouring Municipality of the District of Guysborough. The decision to amalgamate was put off, and after review was rejected again in March 2010.[14]
Events
Canso is host to the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, an annual event held around the Canada Day weekend. This event attracts over 10,000 visitors, who enjoy music from all over the world on seven different stages over the 3 days.
Each year, during the second week of August, a regatta is held within the town. This week-long event includes boat races, a mid-way, parade, seaman's memorial, hootenannies as well as various activities for the youth. The regatta draws many previous generations of the town to serve the purpose of a Come Home week. Each year, the regatta has a theme which is reflected in the parade, with 2009's being The Circus Comes to Town.[15]
Geography
The town is located on the southern shore of Chedabucto Bay. The southern limit of the bay is at Cape Canso, a headland approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of the town.
Canso Harbour is protected by the Canso Islands, a small archipelago lying immediately north and east of the mainland, with Durells Island, Piscataqui Island, George Island, and Grassy Island being the largest.
Canso is the southeastern terminus of Trunk 16, an important secondary highway in Antigonish and Guysborough counties.
As the town is situated on the end of a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, Canso frequently experiences fog, particularly during the warmer summer months when continental air temperatures collide with cooler ocean temperatures offshore.
See also
References
Primary Texts
- Judith Tulloch. "The New England Fisheries and the Trade at Canso: 1720-1744". How deep is the ocean?: historical essays on Canada's Atlantic fishery James E. Candow, Carol Corbin (eds)
- Brenda Dunn, A History of Port-Royal/Annapolis Royal 1605-1800, Halifax: Nimbus, 2004.
- Griffiths, E. From Migrant to Acadian. McGill-Queen's University Press. 2005.
- John Mack Faragher, A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from their American Homeland (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005).
- John Reid, Maurice Basque, Elizabeth Mancke, Barry Moody, Geoffrey Plank, and William Wicken. 2004. The 'Conquest' of Acadia, 1710: Imperial, Colonial, an Aboriginal Constructions. University of Toronto Press.
- Geoffrey Plank, An Unsettled Conquest. University of Pennsylvania. 2001
Endnotes
- ^ I:\ecstats\Agency\BRIAN\census2
- ^ Brenda Dunn. A History of Port Royal, Annapolis Royal: 1605-1800. Nimbus Publishing, 2004. p. 16
- ^ Geoffery Plank. An Unsettled Conquest. University of Pennsylvania. 2001. p. 76-77.
- ^ Geoffery Plank. An Unsettled Conquest. University of Pennsylvania. 2001. p. 77; William Williamson, History of Maine. p. 101; Ruth Holmes Whithead. The Old Man Told Us. p.94
- ^ a b George Rawlyk. Cod, Louisbourg. and the Acadians. The Atlantic Region to Confederation: A History. p.114
- ^ Geoffery Plank, An Unsettled Conquest. p. 78.
- ^ Beamish Murdoch, History of Nova Scotia or Acadia, p. 399.
- ^ Geoffery Plank, An Unsettled Conquest, p. 78
- ^ Benjamin Church, p. 289; John Grenier, p. 62
- ^ Akins
- ^ Whitehead, p. , 129, 137
- ^ Whitehead, p. 137
- ^ Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Hughes states in a dispatch to Lord Germaine
- ^ http://www.guysboroughjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82:council-votes-down-amalgamation&catid=42:front-page-stories
- ^ http://www.guysboroughjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=73
