Chéticamp, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Chéticamp is a fishing
community on the Cabot Trail
on the west coast of Cape Breton Island
, Nova Scotia
at the western entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park
. The downtown area overlooks a large bay, into which the Chéticamp River
flows, that is protected from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
by Chéticamp Island. Having a number of public facilities it performs a service function for the northernmost part of Inverness County
. The community has almost 4,000 residents, a large number of whom are Acadian
s and speak French natively, as well as English. Together with its smaller neighbour, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine
, Chéticamp makes up the largest Francophone
enclave on Cape Breton Island. The 2001 population was 3,145 people.
The French spelling of the town's name went through several variations including Ochatisia (1660), Ochatis (1689), Chétican, Chéticamps (1725) and Chétifcamp (1803). The current spelling appeared for the first time on 3 May 1815, in the writings of the missionary Antoine Manseau. In French, the name has been pronounced successively Le Chady, Le Grand Chady, Le Chady Grand, Île de Chedegan and finally, the current version, Chatican (ʃatikɑ̃). Chéticamp is usually pronounced phonetically in French outside of the area.
The name does not always take the acute accent
on the e in English (i.e., "Cheticamp").
A village in western Nova Scotia, Saint Alphonse de Clare, was originally called Chéticamp de Clare. Its name was changed to avoid confusion for postal delivery.
, a merchant from the island of Jersey
, and is considered one of the Acadian capitals of the world. In the years following the Great Expulsion many Acadians came to this area. The first permanent settlers, the families of Pierre Bois and Joseph Richard, arrived in 1782. The settlement was established in 1785 by a grant of land to the 14 original settlers. Today Chéticamp, which is at the entrance of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park
, is a popular tourist spot.
mine which operated off and on until the Second World War, the main industry in Chéticamp historically has been fishing. As fish stocks have declined, tourism has taken on more importance and is the largest industry at this time. Unfortunately the tourism industry has not been the success that many forecasted.
The tourism industry is based on the scenery found in the coastal village at the entrance of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park
. Chéticamp has also attempted to cash in on its traditional rug hookers
("tapis hookers"), Acadian music and food, with mixed results, and nowhere near the success that was once envisioned. Activities for visitors include whale watching
. They also host an International Dance Festival, and La fête nationale de l'Acadie
(August 15).
The Northern Inverness Recreational Association also manages the local golf course. is considered part of "Cape Breton's Fabulous Foursome" and is renowned for the beautiful views and many rabbits.
Chéticamp extends itself for four kilometres along the Cabot Trail. One kilometre northeast is Petit Étang
, then further east is La Prairie. South of La Prairie is Le Platin and Belle-Marche. Even further south is Pointe-à-la-Croix (Point Cross). From Main street Chéticamp, you can view the typical Chéticamp houses. The church of Saint-Pierre is unique and rich in Acadian history.
The Université Sainte-Anne
has a campus in Saint-Joseph-du-Moine
. Many fisherman travel from Chéticamp to the Magdalen Islands
, which are also Acadian, even though they are part of Quebec.
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
community on the Cabot Trail
Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island....
on the west coast of 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....
, Nova Scotia
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 the western entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park is located on northern Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. One-third of the Cabot Trail passes through the park featuring spectacular ocean and mountain views. The park was the first National Park in the Atlantic provinces of Canada and covers an...
. The downtown area overlooks a large bay, into which the Chéticamp River
Chéticamp River
The Chéticamp River is a river on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, located at the western entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park.The river flows from Chéticamp Lake in the Cape Breton Highlands into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence at the village of Chéticamp, Nova Scotia...
flows, that is protected from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
by Chéticamp Island. Having a number of public facilities it performs a service function for the northernmost part of Inverness County
Inverness County, Nova Scotia
Inverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its territory is almost contiguous with the Municipality of Inverness County, which only excludes the town of Port Hawkesbury and First Nation reserves.-History:...
. The community has almost 4,000 residents, a large number of whom are Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
s and speak French natively, as well as English. Together with its smaller neighbour, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine
Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, Nova Scotia
Saint-Joseph-du-Moine is a village situated on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia along the scenic Cabot Trail close to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park...
, Chéticamp makes up the largest Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
enclave on Cape Breton Island. The 2001 population was 3,145 people.
Name
The name "Chéticamp" derives from the name given by the Micmac people, who still live on Cape Breton Island (but not in Chéticamp). The name is Awjátúj (Francis-Smith orthography) in the Micmac language, meaning "rarely full", presumably making reference to the mouth of Chéticamp harbor that once had a large dune that grew during low tide.The French spelling of the town's name went through several variations including Ochatisia (1660), Ochatis (1689), Chétican, Chéticamps (1725) and Chétifcamp (1803). The current spelling appeared for the first time on 3 May 1815, in the writings of the missionary Antoine Manseau. In French, the name has been pronounced successively Le Chady, Le Grand Chady, Le Chady Grand, Île de Chedegan and finally, the current version, Chatican (ʃatikɑ̃). Chéticamp is usually pronounced phonetically in French outside of the area.
The name does not always take the acute accent
Acute accent
The acute accent is a diacritic used in many modern written languages with alphabets based on the Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek scripts.-Apex:An early precursor of the acute accent was the apex, used in Latin inscriptions to mark long vowels.-Greek:...
on the e in English (i.e., "Cheticamp").
A village in western Nova Scotia, Saint Alphonse de Clare, was originally called Chéticamp de Clare. Its name was changed to avoid confusion for postal delivery.
History
Chéticamp started as a fishing station used during the summer months by Charles RobinCharles Robin
Charles Robin was an entrepreneur from the Isle of Jersey.He was born in Saint Brélade, Jersey in 1743. By 1763, he was the captain of a ship working in the Newfoundland cod trade. In 1765, with his two brothers and two others, they formed a firm which developed fishing grounds off Cape Breton...
, a merchant from the island of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, and is considered one of the Acadian capitals of the world. In the years following the Great Expulsion many Acadians came to this area. The first permanent settlers, the families of Pierre Bois and Joseph Richard, arrived in 1782. The settlement was established in 1785 by a grant of land to the 14 original settlers. Today Chéticamp, which is at the entrance of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park is located on northern Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. One-third of the Cabot Trail passes through the park featuring spectacular ocean and mountain views. The park was the first National Park in the Atlantic provinces of Canada and covers an...
, is a popular tourist spot.
Economy
Apart from an important gypsumGypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
mine which operated off and on until the Second World War, the main industry in Chéticamp historically has been fishing. As fish stocks have declined, tourism has taken on more importance and is the largest industry at this time. Unfortunately the tourism industry has not been the success that many forecasted.
The tourism industry is based on the scenery found in the coastal village at the entrance of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park is located on northern Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. One-third of the Cabot Trail passes through the park featuring spectacular ocean and mountain views. The park was the first National Park in the Atlantic provinces of Canada and covers an...
. Chéticamp has also attempted to cash in on its traditional rug hookers
Traditional rug hooking
Rug hooking is both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted in a handle for leverage...
("tapis hookers"), Acadian music and food, with mixed results, and nowhere near the success that was once envisioned. Activities for visitors include whale watching
Whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
. They also host an International Dance Festival, and La fête nationale de l'Acadie
National Acadian Day
The National Acadian Day is observed in Canada each year on August 15, celebrating the Assumption of Mary. It was during the first National Convention of the Acadians held at Memramcook, New Brunswick, in 1881 that the Acadian leaders received the mandate to set the date of this celebration.The...
(August 15).
Tourist attractions
The local beach named La Plage St. Pierre gives the locals as well as tourists a place for swimming, camping, and other recreational activities.The Northern Inverness Recreational Association also manages the local golf course. is considered part of "Cape Breton's Fabulous Foursome" and is renowned for the beautiful views and many rabbits.
Chéticamp extends itself for four kilometres along the Cabot Trail. One kilometre northeast is Petit Étang
Petit Étang, Nova Scotia
Petit Étang is a small Acadian community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Inverness County on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
, then further east is La Prairie. South of La Prairie is Le Platin and Belle-Marche. Even further south is Pointe-à-la-Croix (Point Cross). From Main street Chéticamp, you can view the typical Chéticamp houses. The church of Saint-Pierre is unique and rich in Acadian history.
The Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne is a francophone university located in the seaside town of Pointe-de-l'Église in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only French-language university in the province of Nova Scotia and is one of only two such universities in the Maritime Provinces, the other being the Université...
has a campus in Saint-Joseph-du-Moine
Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, Nova Scotia
Saint-Joseph-du-Moine is a village situated on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia along the scenic Cabot Trail close to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park...
. Many fisherman travel from Chéticamp to the Magdalen Islands
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....
, which are also Acadian, even though they are part of Quebec.
Climate
External links
- The Official Chéticamp Website
- Photographs of Cheticamp war memorial
- Cheticamp and St. Joseph du Moine website