Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Cape Sable Island, locally referred to as Cape Island, is a small Canadian
island located at the southernmost point of the Nova Scotia peninsula
. Sometimes confused with Sable Island
. Historically, the Argyle, Nova Scotia
region was known as Cape Sable and encompassed a much larger area than simply the island it does today. It extended from Cape Negro
(Baccaro) through Chebogue
.
The island is situated in Shelburne County south of Barrington Head, separated from the mainland by the narrow strait
of Barrington Passage, but has been connected since 1949 by a causeway
. The largest community on the island is the town of Clark's Harbour, Nova Scotia
. Other communities are listed below. At the extreme southern tip is Cape Sable.
who named it Beusablom, meaning "Sandy Bay".
were first settled by the Acadians who migrated from Port Royal, Nova Scotia
in 1620. The French governor of Acadia, Charles de la Tour
, colonized Cap de Sable giving it the present name, meaning Sandy Cape. La Tour built up a strong post at Cap de Sable beginning in 1623, called Fort Lomeron in honour of David Lomeron who was his agent in France. (The fur trading post called Fort Lomeron was later renamed Fort La Tour although identified as Fort Saint-Louis in the writings of Samuel de Champlain.) Here he carried on a sizable trade in furs with the Mi'kmaq and farmed the land.
During the Anglo-French War (1627–1629) , under Charles 1, by 1629 the Kirkes
took Quebec City
, Sir James Stewart of Killeith, Lord Ochiltree
planted a colony on Cape Breton Island
at Baleine
, and Alexander’s son, William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
established the first incarnation of “New Scotland”
at Port Royal, Nova Scotia
. This set of British triumphs in what had otherwise been a disastrous war was not destined to last. Charles 1’s hast to make peace with France on the terms most beneficial to him meant that the new North American gains would be bargained away in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1632)
. There were three battles in Nova Scotia during the colonization of Scots: one at Saint John
; another battle at Balene
, Cape Breton; and one on Cape Sable Island.
. The battle lasted two days. Claude was forced to withdraw in humiliation to Port Royal.
As a result, La Tour appealed to the King of France for assistance and was appointed lieutenant-general in Acadia in 1631.
By 1641, La Tour lost Cape Sable Island, Pentagouet (Castine, Maine
), and Port Royal, Nova Scotia
to Governor of Acadia Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
de Charnisay.
La Tour retired to Cap de Sable with his third wife Jeanne Motin, wed in 1653, and died in 1666.
, there were numerous attacks on New England fishing vessels. As an important landfall and base for seasonal New England fishing vessels working the rich fishing banks of Southwestern Nova Scotia, Cape Sable attracted several waves of pirate attacks in the Golden Age of Piracy
. Pirates Ned Low and John Phillips
raided fishing vessels off Cape Sable and Phillips met his death off the Cape in 1723.
happened in 1710. Over the next forty-five years the Acadians refused to sign an unconditional oath of allegiance to Britain. During this time period Acadians participated in various militia operations against the British and maintained vital supply lines to the French Fortress of Louisbourg and Fort Beausejour. The Acadians and Mi'kmaq from Cape Sable Island raided the protestants at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia numerous times.
During the French and Indian War
, the British sought to neutralize any military threat Acadians posed and to interrupt the vital supply lines Acadians provided to Louisbourg by deporting Acadians from Acadia. In April 1756, Major Preble and his New England troops, on their return to Boston, raided a settlement near Port La Tour
and captured 72 men, women and children.
In the late summer of 1758, the British launched three large offensives against the Acadians. One was the St. John River Campaign
, another was the Petitcodiac River Campaign
, and the other was against the Acadians at Cape Sable Island. Major Henry Fletcher led the 35th regiment and a company of Joseph Gorham's Rangers to Cape Sable Island. He cordoned off the cape and sent his men through it. One hundred Acadians and Father Jean Baptistee de Gray surrendered, while about 130 Acadians and seven Mi'kmaq escaped. The Acadian prisoners were taken to Georges Island in Halifax Harbour.
En route to the St. John River Campaign
in September 1758, Moncton sent Major Roger Morris, in command of two men-of-war and transport ships with 325 soldiers, to deport more Acadians. On October 28, his troops sent the women and children to Georges Island. The men were kept behind and forced to work with troops to destroy their village. On October 31, they were also sent to Halifax. In the spring of 1759, Joseph Gorham and his rangers arrived to take prisoner the remaining 151 Acadians. They reached Georges Island with them on June 29.
from Cape Cod and nearby Nantucket Island. The waters off southwestern Nova Scotia had been well known to them since the days of French settlement in the early 17th century. While the tides of the Gulf of Maine may have brought a few exploring fishermen from Nantucket to the island, it was an entirely different tide that spawned the eventual permanent English settlement—a political tide.
Many Cape New Englanders took advantage of the offer of 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land to each male adult who would leave his home and live on those vacated lands in Atlantic Canada. Cape Sable Island was well known to Cape Cod fishermen and they moved north in 1760 to take advantage of a new life. The Cape Sable settlement soon became, and remains today, an important base for inshore fisheries. It is famous as the birthplace of the Cape Islander
fishing boat, a motor fishing boat which emerged about 1905. Ferry service provided transportation to the island in the early 20th century. A causeway
was eventually constructed for pedestrian and automobile traffic, opening on August 5, 1949. Today the lobster
fishery is the island's biggest industry.
, on September 4, 1778, the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
, under the command of Ranald MacKinnon, was in the Raid of Cape Sable Island. American Privateers were threatening Cape Sable Island when the 94th Regiment arrived; they surprised the ship in the night and destroyed it. For his aggressive action, McKinnon was praised highly by Brigadier General Eyre Massey. In response, one of his friends, Captain MacDonald, wrote to Major John Small, "McKinnon was embarrassed by the praise of the General and requested it not be inserted in the record since he only did his duty."
s and hurricanes which occur periodically. Cape Sable Island is also prone to bouts of thick fog. Over the years the Cape's storms, and the close proximity of the island to shipping routes, has led to a substantial number of shipwrecks. The most tragic was the wreck of the SS Hungarian in February 1860 with the loss of over 200 lives. A lighthouse
was established at the tip of Cape Sable in the next year.
settled in Centreville, Michael Swim at Swims Point in Clark’s Harbour, Newell families in Newellton, Daniel Vinton at Daniel’s Head in South Side, Ross families at Stoney Island – many of these surnames remain very common today. The Archelaus Smith Museum (1896) in Centreville, Nova Scotia is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
destination, being an important migratory
stopping point for birds such as the Atlantic Brant
and Piping Plover
. It is this unique climate, its abundant tidal marshes and the island's geographical location on the north-south flight path of numerous migratory water fowl that has given it the international designation as an Important Birding Area (IBA). The annual Brant Geese fly-by during March and April is developing into a local birding event. The tens of thousands of Brant make their spectacular fly by at dusk after spending the day feeding in local marshes. They spend the night bobbing in the Atlantic to the east of the island.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
island located at the southernmost point of the Nova Scotia peninsula
Nova Scotia peninsula
The Nova Scotia peninsula is a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of North America.-Location:The Nova Scotia peninsula is part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada and is connected to the neighbouring province of New Brunswick through the Isthmus of Chignecto...
. Sometimes confused with Sable Island
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
. Historically, the Argyle, Nova Scotia
Argyle, Nova Scotia
Argyle is a municipal district in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.The district occupies the eastern portion of the county and is one of three municipal units - the other two being the town of Yarmouth and the Yarmouth municipal district.-History:...
region was known as Cape Sable and encompassed a much larger area than simply the island it does today. It extended from Cape Negro
Cape Negro, Nova Scotia
Cape Negro is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington Municipal District of Shelburne County. Cape Sable, Nova Scotia and Cape Negro were first settled by the French who migrated from Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1720....
(Baccaro) through Chebogue
Chebogue, Nova Scotia
Chebogue is a small fishing village located in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Farming and fishing are the two main resources in the area.-History:...
.
The island is situated in Shelburne County south of Barrington Head, separated from the mainland by the narrow strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
of Barrington Passage, but has been connected since 1949 by a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
. The largest community on the island is the town of Clark's Harbour, Nova Scotia
Clark's Harbour, Nova Scotia
Clark's Harbour is a town on Cape Sable Island in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County. The main industry is lobster fishing. The community is noted as the birthplace of the Cape Islander fishing boat...
. Other communities are listed below. At the extreme southern tip is Cape Sable.
History
Cape Sable Island was inhabited by the Mi'kmaq who knew it as Kespoogwitk meaning "land's end". It was first charted by explorers from PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
who named it Beusablom, meaning "Sandy Bay".
French Colony
Cape Sable and Cape Negro, Nova ScotiaCape Negro, Nova Scotia
Cape Negro is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington Municipal District of Shelburne County. Cape Sable, Nova Scotia and Cape Negro were first settled by the French who migrated from Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1720....
were first settled by the Acadians who migrated from Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
in 1620. The French governor of Acadia, Charles de la Tour
Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour
Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour, the French King's appointed Governor of Acadia from 1631–1642 and again from 1653–1657, was born in France in 1593 and died at Cap de Sable in 1666...
, colonized Cap de Sable giving it the present name, meaning Sandy Cape. La Tour built up a strong post at Cap de Sable beginning in 1623, called Fort Lomeron in honour of David Lomeron who was his agent in France. (The fur trading post called Fort Lomeron was later renamed Fort La Tour although identified as Fort Saint-Louis in the writings of Samuel de Champlain.) Here he carried on a sizable trade in furs with the Mi'kmaq and farmed the land.
During the Anglo-French War (1627–1629) , under Charles 1, by 1629 the Kirkes
David Kirke
Sir David Kirke was an adventurer, colonizer and governor for the king of England. Kirke was the son of Gervase Kirke, a wealthy London-based Scottish merchant, who had married a Huguenot woman, Elizabeth Goudon, and was raised in Dieppe, in Normandy.In 1627 Kirke's father and several London...
took Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Sir James Stewart of Killeith, Lord Ochiltree
Lord Ochiltree
Lord Ochiltree of Lord Stuart of Ochiltree was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. In 1542 Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Avondale exchanged the lordship of Avondale with Sir James Hamilton for the lordship of Ochiltrie and by Act of Parliament was ordained to be styled Lord Stuart of Ochiltrie...
planted a colony on Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
at Baleine
Baleine, Nova Scotia
Baleine is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton Island...
, and Alexander’s son, William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
William Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
established the first incarnation of “New Scotland”
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
at Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
. This set of British triumphs in what had otherwise been a disastrous war was not destined to last. Charles 1’s hast to make peace with France on the terms most beneficial to him meant that the new North American gains would be bargained away in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1632)
Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1632)
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was signed on March 29, 1632. It returned New France to French control after the English had seized it in 1629. It also provided France with compensation for goods seized during the capture of New France....
. There were three battles in Nova Scotia during the colonization of Scots: one at Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
; another battle at Balene
Baleine, Nova Scotia
Baleine is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton Island...
, Cape Breton; and one on Cape Sable Island.
Siege of 1630
In 1627, as a result of these Scottish victories, Cape Sable was the only major French holding in North America. There was a battle between Charles and his father at Fort St. Louis (See National Historic Site - Fort St. Louis), the latter supporting the Scottish who had taken Port Royal, Nova ScotiaPort Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
. The battle lasted two days. Claude was forced to withdraw in humiliation to Port Royal.
As a result, La Tour appealed to the King of France for assistance and was appointed lieutenant-general in Acadia in 1631.
By 1641, La Tour lost Cape Sable Island, Pentagouet (Castine, Maine
Castine, Maine
Castine is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States and was once the capital of Acadia . The population was 1,343 at the 2000 census. Castine is the home of Maine Maritime Academy, a four-year institution that graduates officers and engineers for the United States Merchant Marine and marine...
), and Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
to Governor of Acadia Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay was a pioneer of European settlement in North America and Governor of Acadia .-Biography:D'Aulnay was a member of the French nobility who was at various times a sea captain, a lieutenant in the French navy to his cousin Isaac de Razilly, and Governor of Acadia...
de Charnisay.
La Tour retired to Cap de Sable with his third wife Jeanne Motin, wed in 1653, and died in 1666.
Dummer's War
During Dummer's WarDummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, there were numerous attacks on New England fishing vessels. As an important landfall and base for seasonal New England fishing vessels working the rich fishing banks of Southwestern Nova Scotia, Cape Sable attracted several waves of pirate attacks in the Golden Age of Piracy
Golden Age of Piracy
The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation given to one or more outbursts of piracy in maritime history of the early modern period. In its broadest accepted definition, the Golden Age of Piracy spans from the 1650s to the 1730s and covers three separate outbursts of piracy:the buccaneering...
. Pirates Ned Low and John Phillips
John Phillips (pirate)
John Phillips was an English pirate captain. He started his piratical career in 1721 under Thomas Anstis, and stole his own pirate vessel in 1723. He died in a surprise attack by his own prisoners...
raided fishing vessels off Cape Sable and Phillips met his death off the Cape in 1723.
French and Indian War
The British Conquest of AcadiaSiege of Port Royal (1710)
The Siege of Port Royal , also known as the Conquest of Acadia, was conducted by British regular and provincial forces under the command of Francis Nicholson against a French Acadian garrison under the command of Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, at the Acadian capital, Port Royal...
happened in 1710. Over the next forty-five years the Acadians refused to sign an unconditional oath of allegiance to Britain. During this time period Acadians participated in various militia operations against the British and maintained vital supply lines to the French Fortress of Louisbourg and Fort Beausejour. The Acadians and Mi'kmaq from Cape Sable Island raided the protestants at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia numerous times.
During the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, the British sought to neutralize any military threat Acadians posed and to interrupt the vital supply lines Acadians provided to Louisbourg by deporting Acadians from Acadia. In April 1756, Major Preble and his New England troops, on their return to Boston, raided a settlement near Port La Tour
Port La Tour, Nova Scotia
Port La Tour is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington Municipal District of Shelburne County.The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada erroneously assert that Fort Saint Louis is located at Port La Tour. The fort at Port La Tour was Fort Lomeron . ...
and captured 72 men, women and children.
In the late summer of 1758, the British launched three large offensives against the Acadians. One was the St. John River Campaign
St. John River Campaign
The St. John River Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when Colonel Robert Monckton led a force of 1150 British soldiers to destroy the Acadian settlements along the banks of the Saint John River until they reached the largest village of Sainte-Anne des Pays-Bas in February 1759...
, another was the Petitcodiac River Campaign
Petitcodiac River Campaign
The Petitcodiac River Campaign was a series of British military operations from June to November 1758, during the French and Indian War, to deport the Acadians that either lived along the Petitcodiac River or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations, such as the Ile Saint-Jean...
, and the other was against the Acadians at Cape Sable Island. Major Henry Fletcher led the 35th regiment and a company of Joseph Gorham's Rangers to Cape Sable Island. He cordoned off the cape and sent his men through it. One hundred Acadians and Father Jean Baptistee de Gray surrendered, while about 130 Acadians and seven Mi'kmaq escaped. The Acadian prisoners were taken to Georges Island in Halifax Harbour.
En route to the St. John River Campaign
St. John River Campaign
The St. John River Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when Colonel Robert Monckton led a force of 1150 British soldiers to destroy the Acadian settlements along the banks of the Saint John River until they reached the largest village of Sainte-Anne des Pays-Bas in February 1759...
in September 1758, Moncton sent Major Roger Morris, in command of two men-of-war and transport ships with 325 soldiers, to deport more Acadians. On October 28, his troops sent the women and children to Georges Island. The men were kept behind and forced to work with troops to destroy their village. On October 31, they were also sent to Halifax. In the spring of 1759, Joseph Gorham and his rangers arrived to take prisoner the remaining 151 Acadians. They reached Georges Island with them on June 29.
New England Planters
Following the Acadian Expulsion in the 1750s, the island was settled by the New England PlantersNew England Planters
The New England Planters were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, to settle lands left vacant by the Bay of Fundy Campaign of the Acadian Expulsion...
from Cape Cod and nearby Nantucket Island. The waters off southwestern Nova Scotia had been well known to them since the days of French settlement in the early 17th century. While the tides of the Gulf of Maine may have brought a few exploring fishermen from Nantucket to the island, it was an entirely different tide that spawned the eventual permanent English settlement—a political tide.
Many Cape New Englanders took advantage of the offer of 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land to each male adult who would leave his home and live on those vacated lands in Atlantic Canada. Cape Sable Island was well known to Cape Cod fishermen and they moved north in 1760 to take advantage of a new life. The Cape Sable settlement soon became, and remains today, an important base for inshore fisheries. It is famous as the birthplace of the Cape Islander
Cape Islander
A Cape Island style fishing boat is an inshore motor fishing boat found across Atlantic Canada having a single keeled flat bottom at the stern and more rounded towards the bow. A Cape Island style boat is famous for its large step up to the bow....
fishing boat, a motor fishing boat which emerged about 1905. Ferry service provided transportation to the island in the early 20th century. A causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
was eventually constructed for pedestrian and automobile traffic, opening on August 5, 1949. Today the lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
fishery is the island's biggest industry.
Raid on Cape Sable Island (1778)
During the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, on September 4, 1778, the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
, under the command of Ranald MacKinnon, was in the Raid of Cape Sable Island. American Privateers were threatening Cape Sable Island when the 94th Regiment arrived; they surprised the ship in the night and destroyed it. For his aggressive action, McKinnon was praised highly by Brigadier General Eyre Massey. In response, one of his friends, Captain MacDonald, wrote to Major John Small, "McKinnon was embarrassed by the praise of the General and requested it not be inserted in the record since he only did his duty."
Communities of Cape Sable Island
The following communities are included within the Community of Cape Sable Island:- Cape Sable Island
- CentrevilleCentreville, Shelburne, Nova ScotiaCentreville is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-External links:*...
- Clam PointClam Point, Nova ScotiaClam Point is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-References:...
- Clark's HarbourClark's Harbour, Nova ScotiaClark's Harbour is a town on Cape Sable Island in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County. The main industry is lobster fishing. The community is noted as the birthplace of the Cape Islander fishing boat...
- Lower Clarks HarbourLower Clarks Harbour, Nova ScotiaLower Clarks Harbour is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-References:...
- NewelltonNewellton, Nova ScotiaNewellton is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-External links:*...
- North East PointNorth East Point, Nova ScotiaNorth East Point is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-External links:*...
- South SideSouth Side, Nova ScotiaSouth Side is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-External links:*...
- Stoney IslandStoney Island, Nova ScotiaStoney Island is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-References:...
- The HawkThe Hawk, Nova ScotiaThe Hawk is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County. It is the most southerly community in Nova Scotia. The Hawk is sometimes confused with Port Hawkesbury Nova Scotia.-References:...
- West HeadWest Head, Nova ScotiaWest Head is a community on Cape Sable Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.-References:...
Weather
The island lies in the path of Nor'easterNor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
s and hurricanes which occur periodically. Cape Sable Island is also prone to bouts of thick fog. Over the years the Cape's storms, and the close proximity of the island to shipping routes, has led to a substantial number of shipwrecks. The most tragic was the wreck of the SS Hungarian in February 1860 with the loss of over 200 lives. A lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was established at the tip of Cape Sable in the next year.
Residents
In spite of what might seem to have been major deterrents to permanent settlement, they came and they stayed. There were shiploads of Smiths, Nickersons, Atkinsons, Crowells, Newells, Townsends, Quinlans, Rosses, Swims, Kenney's and many others; their descendants are still present some 250 years later. Archelaus SmithArchelaus Smith
Archelaus Smith , was a tanner, shoemaker and early settler of Barrington, Nova Scotia. He was born in Chatham, Massachusetts to parents Deacon Stephen Smith and Bathsheba Smith . He was christened in the Congregational Church, Chatham, Massachusetts on 23 Apr 1734...
settled in Centreville, Michael Swim at Swims Point in Clark’s Harbour, Newell families in Newellton, Daniel Vinton at Daniel’s Head in South Side, Ross families at Stoney Island – many of these surnames remain very common today. The Archelaus Smith Museum (1896) in Centreville, Nova Scotia is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Bird watching
With the ocean lapping on all sides of the island, the climate is maritime - decidedly cool in summer but winters are considerably more moderate than interior parts of the province. The island is a notable birdingBirdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
destination, being an important migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
stopping point for birds such as the Atlantic Brant
Brent Goose
The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is...
and Piping Plover
Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...
. It is this unique climate, its abundant tidal marshes and the island's geographical location on the north-south flight path of numerous migratory water fowl that has given it the international designation as an Important Birding Area (IBA). The annual Brant Geese fly-by during March and April is developing into a local birding event. The tens of thousands of Brant make their spectacular fly by at dusk after spending the day feeding in local marshes. They spend the night bobbing in the Atlantic to the east of the island.
External links
- Cape Sable Island.ca
- CapeIsland.ca - video and pictures of the island
- Canadian Topographical Maps 1:250,000: Shelburne Showing Barrington Head, Barrington Passage, Barrington Bay, Causeway, Cape Sable Island and Cape Sable in the South. Click to enlarge map