Canso

Canso, NS, incorporated as a town in 1901, population 806 (2011c), 911 (2006c). The Town of Canso is located on Chedabucto Bay, on the northeastern shore of mainland Nova Scotia. Its name derives from the MICMAC Kamsok ("the place beyond the cliffs"). Originally a seasonal camp for the Micmac, by 1604 Canso was well known to French and BASQUE sailors as a fishing and trading base. It remained a major salt-cod processing station for the French seasonal fishery throughout the 17th century. After the TREATY OF UTRECHT (1713), New England fishermen and merchants established a permanent town in the harbour and continued the profitable salt-cod trade with southern Europe and the West Indies. The British established a garrison there in 1720 following Micmac raids on the fishing stations, but it was unable to prevent the destruction of Canso by the French in 1744. The following year New England militia used the harbour as a base from which to launch their successful siege of the Fortress of LOUISBOURG.

By 1760 the community had re-established itself, but it was destroyed again during the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. After 1812, political stability brought prosperity through shipbuilding, trade and fishing.

Between 1881 and 1894 transatlantic cables were landed here, making Canso a major communications link between North America and Europe. Today the main employer is a fish processing plant with tourism increasing in importance. Each summer, the Stan ROGERS International Folk Festival draws music enthusiasts. Grassy Island National HISTORIC SITE is just offshore.

Author HEATHER MACDONALD and BIRGITTA WALLACE Revised: PETER S. McINNIS

Links to Other Sites
Transatlantic Cable Communications
Explore the development of the Transatlantic Cable, the original information highway in North America. From Library and Archives Canada.

The "conquest" of Acadia, 1710
This site offers online excerpts from "The 'conquest' of Acadia, 1710," a book about the conquest of Port-Royal by British forces in 1710. Relates to Acadian history, native studies, native rights histories, and the socio-political history of the eighteenth century.

Canso
The official website for the Town of Canso.

Canso Islands National Historic Site of Canada
The website for the Canso Islands National Historic Site of Canada, located near the Town of Canso.

Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce
The website for the Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce (APCC), formerly the Maritime Board of Trade. Formed in 1896, this organization promotes and supports business and economic development in Atlantic Canada. Click on "Chambers" for links to local Chambers of Commerce.

Nova Scotia: Community Profiles
Search for statistical profiles of communities in the Province of Nova Scotia.