Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Parrsboro is a Canadian
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...
town located in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The name Cumberland was applied by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton to the captured Fort Beauséjour on June 18, 1755 in honour of the third son of King George II, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, victor at...
, 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...
.
The town is known for its port
Parrsboro Harbour
Parrsboro Harbour is a Canadian harbour located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the north shore of the Minas Basin at its western boundary, the harbour is fed by several fresh water sources:* Farrell River...
on the Minas Basin
Minas Basin
The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
, the Ship's Company Theatre
Ship's Company Theatre
The Ship's Company Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.Founded in 1984 by Michael Fuller and Mary Vingoe, the Ship's Company Theatre is an acclaimed and innovative professional company that features productions of Canadian works, with an emphasis on new works...
productions and the Fundy Geological Museum
Fundy Geological Museum
The Fundy Geological Museum is a geological museum in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. It first opened in 1993. It has received over 300,000 visitors since it opened, averaging more than 21,000 per year. The museum is part of the Nova Scotia Museum system....
.
History
Prior to the arrival of EuropeanEuropean ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlers, Parrsboro was a portage point for Mikmaq travellers along the Minas Basin and Cumberland County river systems. The native inhabitants called the region "Awokum," meaning a 'short-cut' or 'passing-over point.'
The first European settlers were the Acadians in 1670 at the western mouth of the Parrsboro Harbour
Parrsboro Harbour
Parrsboro Harbour is a Canadian harbour located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the north shore of the Minas Basin at its western boundary, the harbour is fed by several fresh water sources:* Farrell River...
, near Partridge Island. After they were expelled in 1755, they were replaced by settlers from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. The centre of settlement gradually shifted from Partridge Island to the head of the harbour as the harbour and surrounding mills grew. The settlement, at first named Mill Village, was renamed Parrsboro in honour of Nova Scotia Governor John Parr
John Parr (governor)
Col. John Parr Parr was born in Dublin, Ireland as part of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy that had settled on the island during the 17th century and attended Trinity High School...
in 1784, and the town was incorporated on July 15, 1889.
Economy, Nova Scotia
Economy is an unincorporated rural community situated along the north shore of the Minas Basin/Cobequid Bay, at approximately 45°23'N, 63°54'W, in Colchester County, Nova Scotia...
to Advocate collectively known as the "Parrsboro Shore
Parrsboro Shore
The Parrsboro Shore is an area of Cumberland County, Nova Scotia consisting of the shoreline communities west of the town of Parrsboro. The Parrsboro Shore is generally defined as stretching along the Bay of Fundy from the town of Parrsboro westward around Cape Chignecto as far as Apple River...
". The town became a port of registry in 1850 for over 115 locally built schooners as well as giant square riggers, culminating in the largest, the ship Glooscap
Glooscap (ship)
Glooscap was an full-rigged sailing ship built in 1891 at Spencer's Island, Nova Scotia in the Minas Basin of the Bay of Fundy. The ship was named after Glooscap, the spiritual hero figure of the Mi'kmaq people. Glooscap was the culmination of several decades of large-scale ship building in the...
in 1891. In its peak years of the 1890s, over 1646 ships arrived and departed annually.
The Springhill and Parrsboro Railway began service to the town from the coal mining town of Springhill
Springhill, Nova Scotia
-Coal mining:The first industrial coal mining in the area took place in the 1870s after a rail connection was built by the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal and Railway Company to the newly completed Intercolonial Railway at neighbouring Springhill Junction....
on July 1, 1877; Parrsboro became a coal shipping port for the Springhill mines, primarily serving Saint John, New Brunswick
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...
. Railway service to Parrsboro was abandoned on June 14, 1958, following several years of declining shipments, several months before the 1958 mining disaster
Springhill mining disaster
The term Springhill mining disaster can refer to any of three separate Canadian mining disasters which occurred in 1891, 1956, and 1958 in different mines within the Springhill coalfield, near the town of Springhill in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia....
.
Throughout the late 19th century and first four decades of the twentieth century, Parrsboro saw daily ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service across the Minas Basin
Minas Basin
The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
to the Annapolis Valley
Annapolis Valley
The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy.-Geography:...
ports of Kingsport and Wolfville
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Wolfville is a small town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. As of 2006, the population was 3,772....
. The 13th and final vessel in this service, operated by the Dominion Atlantic Railway
Dominion Atlantic Railway
The Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley....
, was the MV Kipawo
MV Kipawo
MV Kipawo is a historic Canadian passenger and freight ferry.Kipawo was launched on December 5, 1924, by the St. John Drydock & Shipbuilding Co., the first ship ever built by that yard, for the Dominion Atlantic Railway and commissioned into service on April 1, 1926...
, which is now permanently beached at Parrsboro and incorporated into the Ship's Company Theatre performance centre.
A Handley Page V/1500
Handley Page V/1500
-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Bowyer, Chaz. Handley Page Bombers of the First World War. Bourne End, Bucks, UK:Aston Publications, 1992. ISBN 0-946627-68-1.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an...
named Atlantic made a forced landing in Parrsboro July 5, 1919. When the starboard engine failed the pilot, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Brackley saw the lights of the town during the night and landed. After three months, the aircraft was repaired and departed for Greenport
Greenport, Suffolk County, New York
Greenport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on the north fork of Long Island. The population was 2,048 at the 2000 census....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Parrsboro's sister town. The local Air Cadet
Royal Canadian Air Cadets
Royal Canadian Air Cadets is a Canadian national youth program for persons aged 12 to 18. It is administered by the Canadian Forces and funded through the Department of National Defence with additional support from the civilian Air Cadet League of Canada...
Squadron, 689 Handley Page, is named after this event.
On April 10, 1984, Parrsboro resident Eldon George located the world's smallest dinosaur footprints at Wasson Bluff, a cliff to the east of Parrsboro Harbour. The prints are now on display at the Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop and Museum, owned by George.
Town features
Of the three museums in Parrsboro, two are dedicated to geological history. The Fundy Geological Museum, located along the eastern shore of Parrsboro Harbour, and the Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop and Museum, along the western shore, display many unearthed discoveries and provide information on the history of the region's landscape.
The third museum is the Ottawa House. It was built 1775 but contains evidence of Acadian construction as well as several additions. Located along the western coast of Parrsboro Harbour, near Partridge Island, it occupies the original town site and is near the legendary landing site of Henry Sinclair, 1397, and the factual site of Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
, 1607. It was the summer home of Father of Confederation Sir Charles Tupper
Charles Tupper
Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, GCMG, CB, PC was a Canadian father of Confederation: as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He later went on to serve as the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, sworn in to office on May 1, 1896, seven days after...
, 1860s, and was named in honour of the Confederation of Canada
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...
. A major focus is Parrsboro's shipbuilding history and the museum has many artifacts that date to the Age of Sail
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail was the period in which international trade and naval warfare were dominated by sailing ships, lasting from the 16th to the mid 19th century...
.
Other town features include local churches, a library, a primary and secondary
Parrsboro Regional High School
Parrsboro Regional High School also known as PRHS is a school located in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. PRHS consists of six grades- 7,8,9,10,11 and 12, with approximately 250 students and with two classes per grade; generally known as ClassA and ClassB PRHS is located adjacent to Parrsboro...
school, and a radio station, Parrsboro Community Radio
CICR-FM
Parrsboro Community Radio is a Canadian community radio station operating in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. CICR-FM broadcasts at 99.1 FM with an effective radiated power of 17 watts....
on 99.1 FM.
Economy
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
communities is economically struggling. The decline of wooden shipbuilding dealt a severe blow to the local economy, along with neighbouring communities such as Port Greville and Shulie
Shulie, Nova Scotia
Shulie is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Cumberland County .Shulie only has a population of 2 people. It rises to approximately 8 during the summer months.-References:*...
. The town also suffered from the depletion of local forests and the closing of the Springhill coal mines which ended coal shipments. A further blow was the relocation of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
, which once ran through the centre of town but was relocated in the 1960s to the Wentworth Valley.
However a number of businesses have remained consistent and sustainable. In addition to a number of small fishing operators and mills in the area, the town is also the base of several large blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
operations and is home to Parrsboro Metal Fabricators, a firm which has found a successfully niche in producing home heating oil tanks for the region. Small businesses in or near Parrsboro include a supermarket
Co-op Atlantic
Co-op Atlantic is a Canadian collectively owned consumers' cooperative. The cooperative is legally owned by its members and controlled by a board of directors. The head offices of Co-op Atlantic are located in Moncton, New Brunswick...
, a Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
, a Home Hardware
Home Hardware
Home Hardware is a privately held Canadian home improvement, construction materials, and furniture retailer. Co-founded in 1964 by Walter Hachborn and headquartered in St...
, an Irving Oil
Irving Oil
Irving Oil is a gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company. It is also one of the few energy companies in Canada to publicly support the Kyoto Accord. Irving Oil operates one large oil refinery...
gas station, a convenience store, an art gallery called The Destination Gallery [www.thedestinationgallery.com] ,a nine hole golf course, a skating arena, bottle depot and a tavern. There are many accommodations in Parrsboro due to the large tourist attraction.
In 2006, a British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
based board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
manufacturer Headz Gamez announced that it was relocating 1,500 manufacturing jobs from its facilities in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to Parrsboro. Promises of manufacturing facilities, employee housing and recreation facilities were made. The project, however, was canceled later that year after the CEO sold off his personal company stock and resigned his position. The company declared bankruptcy in early 2007.
Demographics
As of the 2001 Canadian CensusCanada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, 99 percent of the population speak English only. Protestant residents compose 73 percent of the population and Catholic citizens make up the other 27 percent.
Parrsboro's sister cities
GreenportGreenport, Suffolk County, New YorkGreenport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on the north fork of Long Island. The population was 2,048 at the 2000 census....
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA.- Blue LakeBlue Lake, CaliforniaBlue Lake is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Blue Lake is located on the Mad River northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 131 feet...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA.