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84-572: Pictou ( / ˈ p ɪ k t oʊ / PIK -toh ; Canadian Gaelic : Baile Phiogto ) is a town in Pictou County , in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia . Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour , the town is approximately 10 km (6 miles) north of the larger town of New Glasgow . Once an active shipping port and the shire town of the county, today Pictou is primarily a local service centre for surrounding rural communities and

168-402: A bullock for the winter consumption; the farm or estate supplies them with abundance of butter , cheese, etc., etc. Their houses are small but comfortable, having a ground floor and garret, with regular chimney and glass windows. The appearance of the people is at all times respectable, but I was delighted at seeing them at church on a Sunday; the men clothed in good English cloth, and many of

252-579: A colony at the forks of the Red River , in what would become Manitoba . With the help of his employee and friend, Archibald McDonald , Selkirk sent over 70 Scottish settlers, many of whom spoke only Gaelic, and had them establish a small farming colony there. The settlement soon attracted local First Nations groups, resulting in an unprecedented interaction of Scottish ( Lowland , Highland , and Orcadian ), English , Cree , French , Ojibwe , Saulteaux , and Métis traditions all in close contact. In

336-586: A triple expansion steam engine and a single screw propeller . Fort ships were ships transferred to the British government and the Park ships were those employed by the Canadian government, both had the similar design. Park ships were named after local and National Parks of Canada . A few Park ships were launched as "Camp ships", named after Canada military camps , but were quickly renamed after Parks. Jasper Park

420-614: A Gaelic-speaking Presbyterian minister from Orwell , Queen's County , Prince Edward Island , published a small, vanity press booklet titled, An Cuimhneachain: Òrain Céilidh Gàidheal Cheap Breatuinn agus Eilean-an-Phrionnsa ("The Remembrance: Céilidh Songs of the Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island Gaels") in Quincy, Massachusetts . Due to Rev. Lamont's pamphlet, the most complete versions survive of

504-504: A change of -2.5% from its 2016 population of 3,186 . With a land area of 7.99 km (3.08 sq mi), it had a population density of 388.9/km (1,007.1/sq mi) in 2021. Pictou Academy is the town's high school and was founded in 1803 by Dr. Thomas McCulloch, who was travelling to his new clergy posting on Prince Edward Island . He was convinced to stay the winter and ended up remaining in Pictou for much longer. Disappointed by

588-713: A considerably greater casualty rate than almost every branch of the armed services and suffered great hardship. Seamen were aged from fourteen through to their late seventies. The lost are remembered in The Royal Canadian Naval Ships Memorial Monument in Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Ontario . The shipbuilding program was not easy to implement as Canada had only four operational shipyards with nine berths in 1940. By 1943, there were six additional shipyards and

672-746: A few kilometres outside of Pictou, where the Hector landed. Three naval vessels have been named for Pictou, two Royal Navy schooners during the War of 1812 (see: HMS  Pictou ), and HMCS Pictou , a Flower -class corvette that served in the Atlantic during World War II . 45°40′53″N 62°42′43″W  /  45.68139°N 62.71194°W  / 45.68139; -62.71194  ( Pictou Nova Scotia ) Canadian Gaelic Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scotia from 1773, with

756-641: A homesteader in Cape Breton and in Antigonish County . The most prolific emigre poet was John MacLean of Caolas , Tiree , the former Chief Bard to the 15th Chief of Clan MacLean of Coll , who emigrated with his family to Nova Scotia in 1819. MacLean, whom Robert Dunbar once dubbed, "perhaps the most important of all the poets who emigrated during the main period of Gaelic overseas emigration", composed one of his most famous song-poems, Òran do dh' Aimearaga ("A Song to America"), which

840-678: A marina and small boardwalk that connects to the Trans-Canada Trail . The historic Intercolonial Railway station (pictured above) on the waterfront has been restored and connects to the waterfront by the old customs house. There are several monuments around the town, including the Hector Settler in Market Square, the No. 2 Construction Battalion monuments on the waterfront, and the cenotaph on Church Street. The war cenotaph

924-591: A merchant fleet to help replace the lost vessels and to administer the movement of materiel . This was part of a coordinated Allied effort that saw the construction of British, American and Canadian merchant ships using a common class of vessel known as the North Sands class (named after a beach near the J. L Thompson yard on the River Wear ). Over the next three years, the company ordered approximately 160 bulk cargo ships and 20 tankers that would all fly

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1008-781: A poem describing his first winter there survives. Anna NicGillìosa emigrated from Morar to Glengarry County, Ontario in 1786 and a Gaelic poem in praise of her new home also survives. Lord Selkirk 's settler Calum Bàn MacMhannain , alias Malcolm Buchanan, left behind the song-poem Òran an Imrich ("The Song of Emigration"), which describes his 1803 voyage from the Isle of Skye to Belfast , Prince Edward Island and his impressions of his new home as Eilean an Àigh ("The Island of Prosperity"). Ailean a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill (Allan The Ridge MacDonald) emigrated with his family from Ach nan Comhaichean, Glen Spean , Lochaber to Mabou , Nova Scotia in 1816 and composed many works of Gaelic poetry as

1092-505: A seasonal vehicle-pedestrian ferry service to Prince Edward Island ; there is also a pedestrian-only ferry that operates seasonally to Pictou Island . Several beaches are located near Pictou Town, most notably Caribou Provincial Park and Waterside Beach Provincial Park. The Jitney Trail also starts at the waterfront. The former train route has been converted into a paved and gravel walkway for pedestrians and runs from Pictou to Oxford, Nova Scotia . The trail also connects to Brown's Point, just

1176-478: A tha thu, seann leannan?" Gun do shìn mi mo làmh dhi, 's thug mi dha dhe na crathadh. ... Fhreagair ise gu nàimhdeil: "You're a Scotchman I reckon. I don't know your Gaelic, Perhaps you are from Cape Breton." I welcomed her with affection: "How are you old sweetheart?" I held out my hand, But she ignored it. ... She answered haughtily: "You're a Scotchman I reckon. I don't know your Gaelic, Perhaps you are from Cape Breton." With

1260-826: A total of 38 berths. These were all private shipyards located across Canada - on the East Coast at Pictou and Saint John , in Montreal , Sorel and Lauzon on the St. Lawrence River , at Collingwood on Georgian Bay , and Victoria , Vancouver and Prince Rupert on the Pacific Coast. Only the yards at Montreal, Saint John, Victoria and Collingwood had existed before the war. By 1945, there were 57,000 men and women employed in building or repairing merchant ships in Canada and several thousand more were employed building ships for

1344-690: A weekly, but reduced its frequency to biweekly over time. Later, during the 1920s, several new Scottish Gaelic-language newspapers launched, including the Teachdaire nan Gàidheal ( lit.   ' The Messenger of the Gaels ' ), which included Gaelic-language lessons; the United Church -affiliated An Solus Iùil ( lit.   ' The Guiding Light ' ); and MacKinnon's later endeavor, Fear na Cèilidh ( lit.   ' The Entertainer ' ). In 1917, Rev. Murdoch Lamont (1865–1927),

1428-516: Is also known as A Choille Ghruamach ("The Gloomy Forest"), after emigrating from Scotland to Canada. The poem has since been collected and recorded from seanchaithe in both Scotland and the New World. According to Michael Newton, however, A' Choille Ghruamach , which is, "an expression of disappointment and regret", ended upon becoming, "so well established in the emigrant repertoire that it easily eclipses his later songs taking delight in

1512-689: Is believed to have been spoken by more than 200,000 British North Americans at that time. A large population who spoke the related Irish immigrated to Scots Gaelic communities and to Irish settlements in Newfoundland . In Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton and Glengarry there were large areas of Gaelic unilingualism, and communities of Gaelic-speakers had established themselves in northeastern Nova Scotia (around Pictou and Antigonish ); in Glengarry, Stormont, Grey, and Bruce Counties in Ontario; in

1596-616: Is closely related to modern Irish . The Canadian branch is a close cousin of the Irish language in Newfoundland . At its peak in the mid-19th century, there were as many as 200,000 speakers of Scottish Gaelic and Newfoundland Irish together, making it the third-most-spoken European language in Canada after English and French . In Atlantic Canada today, there are approximately 2,000 speakers, mainly in Nova Scotia. In terms of

1680-539: Is traditionally sung after scoring a touchdown in football matches. The university's team is nicknamed the Golden Gaels . The Gaelic character of Nova Scotia has influenced that province's industry and traditions. Glen Breton Rare , produced in Cape Breton, is one of the very few single malt whiskies to be made outside Scotland. Gaelic settlers in Nova Scotia adapted the popular Highland winter sport of shinty ( Scottish Gaelic : camanachd, iomain ), which

1764-476: The maide-crochaidh ('hanging stick') if caught speaking Gaelic. Job opportunities for unilingual Gaels were few and restricted to the dwindling Gaelic-communities, compelling most into the mines or the fishery . Many saw English fluency as the key to success, and for the first time in Canadian history Gaelic-speaking parents were teaching their children to speak English en masse. The sudden stop of Gaelic language acquisition , caused by shame and prejudice,

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1848-723: The Hector . While there were a significant number of Scottish people settled in other parts of Nova Scotia at the time Pictou was settled, the town's tourism slogan is "The Birthplace of New Scotland ", which is based on being the first primarily made up Scottish immigrants and the ship Hector being recognized as the first immigrant ship to sail directly from Scotland to what is now Canada. Pictou today contains many important examples of stone housing constructed by those early generations of Scottish immigrant, which have clear connections to architectural styles and design in Scotland itself. When

1932-623: The American Revolution , in November 1777 at Pictou, American privateers from Machias captured the ship Molly , under the command of Captain William Lowden . Local resident Wellwood Waugh was implicated in the raid on Pictou and was forced to move to Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia . He became a prominent inhabitant and Waugh River is named after him. In 1812 Sir Hector Maclean (the 7th Baronet of Morvern and 23rd Chief of

2016-558: The British Merchant Navy under a lend-lease agreement. Built to the same design but designed to burn oil instead of coal, these vessels were known as Fort ships, and they took their names from forts. Notable ships of this type included Fort Cataraqui , Fort Rosalie , and Fort Charlotte . Like many of the Fort ships, Fort Charlotte was launched as a Park. The hull of the Park ships were riveted, not welded. After

2100-474: The Canadian flag . Ships at 10,000 tons deadweight were known as Park class. 43 smaller vessels, at a nominal 4,700 tons, were at first designated Grey class but were later called Park ships as well and were commonly known as the 4700 tonner Park ships. All the Park ships were powered by coal driven steam engines. All but two vessels launched were named for federal, provincial or municipal parks in Canada. Some were armed with bow guns and anti- torpedo nets. Two of

2184-527: The Clan Maclean ) emigrated to Pictou from Glensanda and Kingairloch in Scotland with almost the entire population of 500. Sir Hector is buried in the cemetery at Pictou. During the latter part of the 19th century, Pictou's industrial sector gained strength. The Intercolonial Railway was built to the town on a spur from the Stellarton - Oxford Junction "Short Line". Shipbuilding increased through

2268-765: The Codroy Valley of Newfoundland; in Winnipeg, Manitoba ; and Eastern Quebec . In 1890, Thomas Robert McInnes , an independent Senator from British Columbia (born Lake Ainslie , Cape Breton Island) tabled a bill entitled "An Act to Provide for the Use of Gaelic in Official Proceedings." He cited the ten Scottish and eight Irish senators who spoke Gaelic, and 32 members of the House of Commons of Canada who spoke either Scottish Gaelic or Irish. The bill

2352-678: The Eastern Townships of Quebec , Atlantic Canada is the only area in North America where Scottish Gaelic continues to be spoken as a community language, especially in Cape Breton. Even there the use of the language is precarious and its survival is being fought for. Even so, the Canadian Gàidhealtachd communities have contributed many great figures to the history of Scottish Gaelic literature , including Ailean a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill and John MacLean during

2436-579: The Eastern Townships of Quebec . Following an 1814 visit from Scotland to the settlement in Glengarry County, Ontario , Dr. D. MacPherson wrote, "You might travel over the whole of the County and by far the greater part of Stormont , without hearing anything spoken except the good Gaelic. Every family, even of the lowest order, has a landed property of 200 acres... However poor the family (but indeed there are none that can be called so) they kill

2520-690: The Hector arrived, there were already a few families in Pictou that had arrived on the Betsy six years earlier. The town has an indirect connection to Scottish settlement in New Zealand ; the Reverend Norman McLeod emigrated to Pictou from Scotland some years after the Hector but eventually re-settled with his parishioners at St. Ann's on Cape Breton Island . He later encouraged his parishioners to move to Waipu where there are still many descendants from Pictou and St. Ann's. During

2604-528: The Hudson's Bay Company was given exclusive trading rights to all North American lands draining into Hudson Bay – about 3.9 million km (1.5 million sq mi – an area larger than India). Many of the traders who came in the later 18th and 19th centuries were Gaelic speakers from the Scottish Highlands who brought their language to the interior. Those who intermarried with

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2688-751: The Nova Scotia Gaelic College at St Ann's in 1939. St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish has a Celtic Studies department with Gaelic-speaking faculty members, and is the only such university department outside Scotland to offer four full years of Scottish Gaelic instruction. Eòin Boidhdeach of Antigonish published the monthly Gaelic magazine An Cuairtear Òg Gaelach ( lit.   ' The Gaelic Tourist ' ) around 1851. The world's longest-running Gaelic periodical, Mac-Talla ( lit.   ' The Echo ' ),

2772-784: The oral poetry composed in Gaelic upon Prince Edward Island . Despite the long history of Gaels and their language and culture in Canada, the Gaelic speech population started to decline after 1850. This drop was a result of prejudice (both from outside, and from within the Gaelic community itself), aggressive dissuasion in school and government, and the perceived prestige of English. Gaelic has faced widespread prejudice in Great Britain for generations, and those feelings were easily transposed to British North America . The fact that Gaelic had not received official status in its homeland made it easier for Canadian legislators to disregard

2856-559: The 1840s, Toronto Anglican priest John Black was sent to preach to the settlement, but "his lack of the Gaelic was at first a grievous disappointment" to parishioners. With continuing immigration the population of Scots colonists grew to more than 300, but by the 1860s the French–Métis outnumbered the Scots, and tensions between the two groups would prove a major factor in the ensuing Red River Rebellion . The continuing association between

2940-427: The 18th century, and to a much lesser extent the provinces of New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador (especially the Codroy Valley ), Manitoba and Alberta . Gaelic-speaking poets in communities across Canada have produced a large and significant branch of Scottish Gaelic literature comparable to that of Scotland itself. In 1621, King James VI of Scotland allowed privateer William Alexander to establish

3024-793: The 1990s–2000s, industrial land on the Pictou Town waterfront was redeveloped with the centrepiece being construction of the replica tall ship Hector . Now completed, the ship is docked each summer at the Hector Heritage Quay , an interpretive centre that includes three floors of exhibits, as well as access to the floating replica. From 2020 to 2024. Next door to the Hector Heritage Quay is the Northumberland Fisheries Museum , Lobster Hatchery, and Lighthouse Museum. Grohmann Knives Ltd. ,

3108-627: The 19th century, particularly with the increase in coal being shipped from Pictou Landing, Abercrombie and the East River of Pictou. A number of shipyards have been continuously established in the town since this period. A notable shipbuilding accomplishment was the speedy construction of 24 Park ship freighters by the newly created Pictou Shipyard in World War II. After the war the shipyard continued operation building many fishing trawlers and ferries. The port's cargo activity increased after

3192-579: The Gaelic communities in Nova Scotia and their prosperity." In the Highlands and Islands , MacLean is commonly known as "The Poet to the Laird of Coll" ( Bàrd Thighearna Chola ) or as "John, son of Allan" ( Iain mac Ailein ). In Nova Scotia, he is known colloquially today as, "The Bard MacLean" ( Am Bàrd MacGilleain ) or as "The Barney's River Poet" ( Bàrd Abhainn Bhàrnaidh ), after MacLean's original family homestead in Pictou County, Nova Scotia . With

3276-475: The McCulloch House, the 19th century home once belonged to Rev. Dr. Thomas McCulloch . It is one of many examples of centuries-old houses in Pictou. The downtown is home to several 'Scottish' designed buildings that include locally sourced sandstone and five-sided dormers. A book dedicated to the history of each old home and building is available at the museum. The waterfront redevelopment also features

3360-687: The Park ships were lost to natural hazards and four were lost due to enemy action. One, Avondale Park , built at the Pictou Shipyard in Pictou, Nova Scotia was one of two Allied ships destroyed by enemy action in the North Sea in the last hour of the war in Europe on 7 May 1945. At the same time, Canada produced 90 additional vessels for the American government which were turned over to

3444-592: The Selkirk colonists and surrounding First Nations groups evolved into a unique contact language . Used primarily by the Anglo– and Scots–Métis traders, the " Red River Dialect " or Bungi was a mixture of Gaelic and English with many terms borrowed from the local native languages. Whether the dialect was a trade pidgin or a fully developed mixed language is unknown. Today the Scots–Métis have largely been absorbed by

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3528-522: The arrival of the ship Hector and continuing until the 1850s. Gaelic has been spoken since then in Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island and on the northeastern mainland of the province. Scottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages and the Canadian dialects have their origins in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland . The parent language developed out of Middle Irish and

3612-615: The audience immediately erupted into loud cheers. Park ship Park ships were merchant steamships constructed for Canada ’s Merchant Navy during the Second World War . Park ships and Fort ships (built in Canada for operation by the British) were the Canadian equivalent of the American Liberty ships . All three shared a similar design by J.L. Thompson and Sons of Sunderland , England. Fort ships had

3696-723: The brutality of the evictions was later submitted anonymously to Pàdraig MacNeacail, the editor of the column in Canadian Gaelic in which the poem was later published in the Nova Scotia newspaper The Casket . The poem, which is believed to draw upon eyewitness accounts, is believed to be the only Gaelic-language source relating to the evictions in Glencalvie. By 1850, Gaelic was the third most-common mother tongue in British North America after English and French (when excluding Indigenous languages), and

3780-573: The civilian crews trained to aid in passing ammunition and loading. The American ships carried Naval Armed Guard gunners. Merchant seamen crewed the merchant ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II literally enabling the country to defend itself. In doing this they sustained

3864-529: The concerns of domestic speakers. Legislators questioned why "privileges should be asked for Highland Scotchmen in [the Canadian Parliament] that are not asked for in their own country". Politicians who themselves spoke the language held opinions that would today be considered misinformed; Lunenburg Senator Henry Kaulback , in response to Thomas Robert McInnes 's Gaelic bill, described the language as only "well suited to poetry and fairy tales". The belief that certain languages had inherent strengths and weaknesses

3948-406: The concerts included Ashley MacIsaac , Cassie & Maggie , Terra Spencer , Mary Beth Carty , Ray Stewart, Amelia Parker , Christina Martin , Jud Gunning , Steve MacIntyre , Morgan Toney , Darren McMullen , Rachel Davis , Rum Ragged , Terry Kelly , DeeDee Austin , and the Barra MacNeils . The primary tourist attraction in Pictou Town is the waterfront along Pictou Town Harbour. During

4032-572: The days of early settlement and Lewis MacKinnon, whose Canadian Gaelic poetry was awarded the Bardic Crown ( Scottish Gaelic : Crùn na Bàrdachd ) by An Comunn Gàidhealach at the 2011 Royal National Mòd at Stornoway , Isle of Lewis . The Gaelic cultural identity community is a part of Nova Scotia's diverse peoples and communities. Thousands of Nova Scotians attend Gaelic-related activities and events annually including: language workshops and immersions, milling frolics, square dances, fiddle and piping sessions, concerts and festivals. Up until about

4116-407: The end of the American War of Independence , immigrants newly arrived from Scotland were joined in Canada by so-called " United Empire Loyalist " refugees fleeing persecution and the seizure of their land claims by American Patriots . These settlers arrived on a mass scale at the arable lands of British North America , with large numbers settling in Glengarry County in present-day Ontario, and in

4200-415: The first Scottish colony overseas . The group of Highlanders – all of whom were Gaelic-speaking – were settled at what is presently known as Port Royal , on the western shore of Nova Scotia. Within a year the colony had failed. Subsequent attempts to relaunch it were cancelled when in 1631 the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye returned Nova Scotia to French rule. Almost a half-century later, in 1670,

4284-556: The first Gaelic-language books printed in Canada, all of which were Presbyterian religious books, were published at Pictou, Nova Scotia and Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island in 1832. The first Gaelic language books published in Toronto and Montreal, which were also Presbyterian religious books, appeared between 1835 and 1836. The first Catholic religious books published in the Gaelic-language were printed at Pictou in 1836. In 1812, Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk obtained 300,000 square kilometres (120,000 sq mi) to build

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4368-443: The former train station. The Lobster Carnival is a yearly event celebrating the end of the fishing season and has been celebrated since 1934. The carnival includes a midway, 'Rock the Lobster' concerts, a pageant, breakfasts, a car show, fireworks, a beer garden, crate runs, hauling/net cutting contests, boat races, and lobster dinners. As of 2024, it is the longest-running active lobster festival in North America . It draws thousands to

4452-495: The increasingly Anglicized Scottish nobility began to evict Gaelic-speaking tenants en masse from their ancestral lands in order to replace them with private deer-stalking estates and herds of sheep. The first ship loaded with Hebridean colonists arrived at Île-St.-Jean (Prince Edward Island) in 1770, with later ships following in 1772, and 1774. In September 1773 a ship named The Hector landed in Pictou , Nova Scotia, with 189 settlers who departed from Loch Broom . In 1784

4536-427: The lack of education among Pictonians, Dr. McCulloch decided to start a "college". There was considerable argument between Dr. Thomas McCulloch and Nova Scotia's provincial government for funding however it finally became a reality in 1816 when the Pictou Academy was incorporated. The province of Nova Scotia would not let it be named a "college," as such, but it was a school of higher education (senior matriculation) which

4620-423: The language here I find that they already have the blas , the sound of the Gaelic even in their English. It's part of who they are, you can't just throw that away. It's in you." While performing in 2000 at the annual Cèilidh at Christmas Island , Cape Breton , Barra native and legendary Gaelic singer Flora MacNeil spread her arms wide and cried, "You are my people!" The hundreds of Canadian-born Gaels in

4704-477: The language, including the 1997 hit Hòro Ghoid thu Nighean ('Jenny Dang the Weaver'). Cape Breton fiddling is a unique tradition of Gaelic and Acadian styles, known in fiddling circles worldwide. Several Canadian schools use the "Gael" as a mascot, the most prominent being Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario . The school cheer of Queen's University is "Oilthigh na Bànrighinn a' Bhànrighinn gu bràth!" ('The Queen's College and Queen forever!'), and

4788-475: The last barrier to Scottish settlement – a law restricting land-ownership on Cape Breton Island – was repealed, and soon both PEI and Nova Scotia were predominantly Gaelic-speaking. Between 1815 and 1870, it is estimated that more than 50,000 Gaelic settlers immigrated to Nova Scotia alone. Many of them left behind poetry and other works of Scottish Gaelic literature . The poet Mìcheal Mór MacDhòmhnaill emigrated from South Uist to Cape Breton around 1775 and

4872-412: The local First Nations people passed on their language, with the effect that by the mid-18th century there existed a sizeable population of Métis traders with Scottish and aboriginal ancestry, and command of spoken Gaelic. Cape Breton remained the property of France until 1758 (although mainland Nova Scotia had belonged to Britain since 1713) when Fortress Louisbourg fell to the British, followed by

4956-517: The monthly An Cuairtear Òg Gaelach ( lit.   ' The Gaelic Tourist ' ) in Antigonish, Nova Scotia , which lasted a year before being replaced by the English-language Antigonish Casket , which initially occasional Gaelic-language material. On Cape Breton, several Gaelic-language newspapers were published in Sydney . The longest-lasting was Mac-Talla ( lit.   ' The Echo ' ), published by Jonathon G. MacKinnon  [ gd ] from 1892 to 1904. Mac-Talla began as

5040-456: The more dominant French–Métis culture, and the Bungi dialect is most likely extinct . James Gillanders of Highfield Cottage near Dingwall , was the Factor for the estate of Major Charles Robertson of Kincardine and, as his employer was then serving with the British Army in Australia , Gillanders was the person most responsible for the mass evictions staged at Glencalvie, Ross-shire in 1845. A Gaelic-language poem denouncing Gillanders for

5124-418: The nearby Scott Maritimes pulp mill opened in Abercrombie in 1965. CN Rail abandoned its service to the town in the late 1980s but other transportation – including Highway 106 (the Trans-Canada Highway ) – opened in the 1970s to provide alternatives. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Pictou had a population of 3,107 living in 1,452 of its 1,600 total private dwellings,

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5208-602: The only black speakers of Goidelic languages in Canada, were born in Cape Breton and in adulthood became friends with Rudyard Kipling , who in 1896 wrote Captains Courageous , which featured an isolated Gaelic-speaking African-Canadian cook from Cape Breton . Many English-speaking writers and artists of Scottish-Canadian ancestry have featured Canadian Gaelic in their works, among them Alistair MacLeod ( No Great Mischief ), Ann-Marie MacDonald ( Fall on Your Knees ), and D.R. MacDonald ( Cape Breton Road ). Gaelic singer Mary Jane Lamond has released several albums in

5292-400: The only knife manufacturing factory in Canada, are the sole producers of the historic D.H. Russell Belt Knives and Grohmann Kitchen Knives for over 50 years. Free factory tours of the plant are offered to the public on Water Street. The McCulloch House Museum on the edge of downtown offers an archives and research centre and a nineteenth-century house museum. Besides the museum aspect of

5376-446: The outbreak of World War II , the Canadian government attempted to prevent the use of Gaelic on public telecommunications systems. The government believed Gaelic was used by subversives affiliated with Ireland, a neutral country perceived to be tolerant of the Nazis . In Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton where the Gaelic language was strongest, it was actively discouraged in schools with corporal punishment . Children were beaten with

5460-420: The population dropped from a peak of 200,000 in 1850, to 80,000 in 1900, to 30,000 in 1930 and 500–1,000 today. There are no longer entire communities of Canadian Gaelic-speakers, although traces of the language and pockets of speakers are relatively commonplace on Cape Breton, and especially in traditional strongholds like Christmas Island , The North Shore , and Baddeck . A. W. R. MacKenzie founded

5544-408: The primary tourist destination in this region of Nova Scotia. The name Pictou derives from the Mi'kmaq name Piktuk , meaning "explosive place", a reference to the river of pitch that was found in the area, or perhaps from methane bubbling up from coal seams below the harbour. Pictou Town had been the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coastal community prior to European settlement. Pictou

5628-419: The rest of New France in the ensuing Battle at the Plaines d'Abraham . As a result of the conflict Highland regiments who fought for the British secured a reputation for tenacity and combat prowess. In turn the countryside itself secured a reputation among the Highlanders for its size, beauty, and wealth of natural resources. They would remember Canada when the earliest of the Highland Clearances by

5712-429: The school year of 2003–2004, all high schools in Pictou County were closed, and their students began to go to the two new "superschools", Northumberland Regional High School , and North Nova Education Centre , for their education. The only exception to this is Pictou Academy, which continues to operate. The town operates a small library and C@P site. The Pictou Lobster Carnival takes place annually in early July at

5796-746: The total number of speakers in the 2011 census, there were 7,195 total speakers of "Gaelic languages" in Canada, with 1,365 in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where the responses mainly refer to Scottish Gaelic. The 2016 Canadian census also reported that 240 residents of Nova Scotia and 15 on Prince Edward Island considered Scottish Gaelic to be their "mother tongue". The 2021 Canadian census reported 2,170 Scottish Gaelic speakers in Canada (including 425 as an L1), 635 of them living in Nova Scotia (including 65 native speakers). While there have been many distinctive Canadian dialects of Scottish Gaelic that have been spoken in other Gàidhealtachd communities, particularly in Glengarry County, Ontario and

5880-407: The town annually for the event. The town also used to host a large celebration for Ship Hector Festival in August. This ended in the early 2010s, although there are still New Scotland Days celebrations in September. The celebrations centre on the ship Hector and include a Celtic church service and a descendants reunion. In 2023, for the 250th Anniversary of the landing of the Ship Hector ,

5964-455: The town received federal and provincial funding to support a three-month long celebration. The main celebrations consisted of evening concerts on a waterfront stage, a daily vendor market, the rededication of the No. 2 Construction Battalion monument, the church service, descendants reunion, the Voyage musical about the Hector, and a visits from the Governor General of Canada and the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia . The headliners for

6048-487: The turn of the 20th century, Gaelic was widely spoken on eastern Prince Edward Island (PEI). In the 2011 Canadian Census, 10 individuals in PEI cited that their mother tongue was a Gaelic language, with over 90 claiming to speak a Gaelic language. Gaels , and their language and culture, have influenced the heritage of Glengarry County and other regions in present-day Ontario , where many Highland Scots settled commencing in

6132-399: The war, by 1948, all the Fort ships had been sold to private companies all around the world. The new owners gave the ships new names. Park ships were armed. There were merchant seamen gunners. Also many British and Canadian merchantmen naval gunners as Defensively equipped merchant ship (DEMS) . The guns were operated by Royal Navy or Royal Artillery Maritime Regiment personnel with

6216-721: The women wore the Highland plaid ." Unlike in the Gaelic-speaking settlements along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina , there was no Gaelic printing press in Canada. For this reason, in 1819, Rev. Seumas MacGriogar , the first Gaelic-speaking Presbyterian minister appointed to Nova Scotia , had to publish his collection of Christian poetry in Glasgow . Printing presses soon followed, though, and

6300-470: Was agreed to conduct the whole proceedings in the Gaelic language." From the mid-19th century to the early 1930s, several Gaelic-language newspapers were published in Canada, although the greatest concentration of such papers was in Cape Breton. From 1840 to 1841, Cuairtear nan Coillte ( lit.   ' Woodland Walk ' ) was published in Kingston, Ontario, and in 1851, Eòin Boidhdeach launched

6384-423: Was defeated 42–7. Despite the widespread disregard by government on Gaelic issues, records exist of at least one criminal trial conducted entirely in Gaelic. It was conducted "in the provincial judicial system sometime during the term (1881–1904) of Chief Justice James MacDonald of Bridgeville, Pictou County." This was only possible as all people involved happened to know the language, and thus "by common consent it

6468-406: Was open to people of every race and denomination. Between 1816 and the present, Pictou Academy has been in four separate buildings. The school was moved from its original building to a new site, while the second and third buildings both burned down. There were Academy graduates from every year since it was incorporated, excluding the years between several of its different buildings. At the start of

6552-528: Was part of the Epekwitk aq Piktuk Mi'kmaq District, which included present-day Prince Edward Island and Pictou. The town of Pictou was a receiving point for many Scottish immigrants moving to a new home in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island following the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The first wave of immigrants arrived on September 15, 1773, on

6636-599: Was printed by Jonathon G. MacKinnon for 11 years between 1892 and 1904, in Sydney . However, MacKinnon's mockery of complaints over Mac-Talla' s regular misprints and his tendency to financially guilt trip his subscribers, ultimately led local Gaelic poet Alasdair a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill to lampoon Mac-Talla and its editor in two separate works of satirical poetry : Òran Càinidh do Mhac-Talla ('A Song of Revile to Mac-Talla ') and Aoir Mhic-Talla ('The Satire of Mac-Talla '). Eòin and Seòras MacShuail, believed to be

6720-525: Was sculpted by the renowned George Hill . Boat Tours through Discover the Strait are available, offering various trips to see the harbour and the wildlife in the Northumberland Strait . The waterfront is also home to a marine and cruise ship docks, allowing boat-bound tourists to dock. Pictou Town is 5 kilometres south of the port of Caribou where Northumberland Ferries Limited operates

6804-527: Was the first Park ship lost to enemy attack, in the Indian Ocean after a torpedo attack from U-177 in the Indian Ocean , South of Durban , South Africa . The Allied merchant fleet suffered significant losses in the early years of the Battle of the Atlantic as a result of U-boat attacks. The Park Steamship Company was created by the Canadian government on April 8, 1942 to oversee construction of

6888-491: Was the immediate cause of the drastic decline in Gaelic fluency in the 20th century. According to Antigonish County Gaelic poet and politician Lewis MacKinnon, "We are just like the native peoples here, our culture is indigenous to this region. We too have suffered injustices, we too have been excluded, we too have been forgotten and ridiculed for something that is simply part of who and what we are. It's part of our human expression and that story needs to be told." Ultimately

6972-483: Was traditionally played by the Gaels upon St. Andrew's Day , Christmas Day , New Year's Day , Handsel Monday , and Candlemas , to the much colder Canadian winter climate by playing on frozen lakes while wearing ice skates . This led to the creation of the modern sport known as ice hockey . According to Margie Beaton, who emigrated from Scotland to Nova Scotia to teach the Gaelic language there in 1976, "In teaching

7056-484: Was typical in the 19th century, but has been rejected by modern linguistics . Around 1880, Am Bàrd Mac Dhiarmaid from The North Shore , wrote " An Té a Chaill a' Ghàidhlig " ( lit.   ' The Woman who Lost the Gaelic ' , also known in English as "The Yankee Girl"), a humorous song recounting the growing phenomenon of Gaels shunning their mother-tongue . Chuir mi fàilte oirr' gu càirdeil: "Dé mar

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