Early Arrival
Many people think the arrival of Columbus marked the start of European efforts to explore and settle North America. Yet Prince Henry Sinclair of Orkney landed on the shores of Nova Scotia, near what is now Guysborough Harbour, in 1398 almost 100 years before Columbus! Overlooking breathtaking vistas, a monument at the Boylston Provincial Park commemorates his historic voyage.

Fossil Finds
Arisaig was the first site settled by the Scottish around Antigonish, and is home to fascinating fossils that predate these settlers by about four million years. Youll find these fossils in the sedimentary rock along the shores of Arisaig Provincial Park, along with interpretive displays that tell you how the fossils formed, and what to look for as you stroll along the well-groomed trails.

Fortified by Fish
By the early 1600s, attempts were underway to establish permanent settlements throughout Antigonish and the Eastern Shore. Most were driven by the abundance of fish in our waters. One of the first settlements was Canso, a French fishing base founded in 1605. The early history of Canso, and the key role it played in the settlement of North America, is documented through audio-video presentations at the Canso Islands National Historic Site, and displays at the Whitman House Museum.

Another French fishing base, Guysborough was founded in 1636 by Nicholas Denys to take advantage of the Harbours close proximity to the Atlantic fishing grounds and Mikmaq trade routes. The Guysborough Waterfront retains much of the communitys early charm and character and much of the communitys rich and colourful history has been preserved at the Old Court House Museum.

Perhaps the best example of what life was like for the average fishermans family in the early 20th century is the Fishermans Life Museum at Jeddore Oyster Pond. It was once home to a fisherman, his wife and their 13 daughters. For a more modern glimpse of our fishery, visit the Fraser Mills Fish Hatchery in Antigonish, where brown and rainbow trout and salmon are raised to stock the provinces lakes and ponds.

Lumber Towns
As settlers went further out to sea in search of fish, faster boats were needed to prevent the catch from spoiling on the return trip. Many communities developed prosperous shipbuilding and lumber industries, thanks to the provinces thick, rich forests. Lumber certainly brought prosperity to Sheet Harbour, which was home to Canadas first sulphite mill. Built in 1885, the mill is commemorated with a monument at the Eastern Shore Wildlife Clubhouse along the East River. The importance of the lumber industry to the community is also reflected in the displays at the MacPhee House Community Museum, an informative glimpse of life in rural Nova Scotia in the days before plastic.

Porters Lake was also home to successful shipbuilding and lumber industries. Each winter, settlers harvested the dense inland forests, sending timber for masts, spars and ships down the lake to be bound onto rafts and rowed to Halifax Harbour. The stories of these settlers, and the long-standing ties between the community and the surrounding wilderness, are preserved at the Old Hall Wilderness Heritage Centre.

The Acadian Legacy
Its a story immortalized in Longfellows beloved poem Evangeline. In 1755, the English imprisoned or exiled the Acadians mostly the descendants of French settlers who were living throughout Nova Scotia. Such was their love for the land that many chose to return, and you can trace their culture and heritage in villages across Antigonish, primarily around St. Georges Bay. Cemetery headstones suggest that the Acadians arrived in the community of Pomquet as early as 1740, Havre Boucher in 1755 and in Tracadie in 1768, but the names and the languages of the people who live here make it clear that their heritage endures. Some of this heritage is on display at Chez Deslauriers in Pomquet, a cultural centre that also features a lovely tearoom.

There are also a number of Acadian villages along the Eastern Shore, particularly Larrys River, Charlos Cove, Port Felix and Chezzetcook. These three Tor Bay communities were established in the 1770s when Acadians petitioned the government for the right to settle this region. Traditionally farmers, the Acadians found this new land so rocky that they began harvesting the seas for lobster, cod and mackerel. So strong was their devotion to the region that they turned down an offer from Bishop Plessis of Quebec in 1815 to join the Acadians who had settled in Arichat. Closer to Halifax, communities like Grand Desert and West Chezzetcook further exemplify how the Acadians contributed to the history and culture of our province. St. Anselms Church and its graveyard are of particular note for the headstones carved in French, as is the Acadian House Museum in West Chezzetcook for its informative displays.

The Celtic Connection
Commonly referred to as the Highland Heart of Nova Scotia, Antigonish was, for hundreds of years, home to the Mikmaq before European settlers began arriving. In fact, the name is Mikmaq and is said to have two meanings: the place where the branches are torn off by bears gathering beechnuts, or five forked rivers of fish. The first attempt to settle the region was made by the French in the 1650s, but the Mikmaq drove them off. Scottish settlers, fleeing the Highland Clearance, began arriving in the region in the 1770s, but it was Irish Loyalists, led by Capt. Timothy Hierlihy, that founded the first permanent settlement in the area in 1784. This settlement, known as Georgetown at the time, became the town of Antigonish.

The Gaelic heritage, literature and traditions of these settlers have profoundly shaped the culture and customs of this region. In fact, the town is home to the Antigonish Highland Games, the oldest and largest highland games outside of Scotland. Since 1863, hundreds of musicians, dancers and athletes have gathered each July for this spectacular competition and celebration of Celtic culture. That culture and heritage is also evident at the Antigonish Heritage Museum, and Saint Francis Xavier University, which is home to one of North Americas largest collections of Gaelic literature and research.

African-Canadian Heritage
Antigonish and the Eastern Shore saw a number of African-Canadian settlements in the years following the Revolutionary War. One of the most prominent was established in 1784 when loyalists settled around the present-day Lincolnville area in Guysborough County, while others settled in Preston. You can still find much of the history and legacy of these early settlements around these communities, and at museums such as the Old Court House in Guysborough County and the Black Cultural Centre in Westphal.

Gold in the Hills
If you believe the movies, you had to head far north to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But there were working gold mines throughout North America, including several located along Antigonish and the Eastern Shore. One of these mines is immortalized at the Goldenville Gold Mining Interpretive Centre. Tangier was the first gold mine to open in Nova Scotia, producing roughly 26,000 ounces of gold between 1860 and 1890. Prince Alfred, Queen Victorias son, visited the mine in 1861, an event symbolized by the communitys Prince Alfred Memorial Arch. The provinces most famous gold mine may have been the Moose River Gold Mine, the site of a 1936 cave-in that trapped three men. The Moose River Provincial Park commemorates the site where two of the men were rescued, and the Moose River Gold Mine Museum houses many fascinating artifacts of the regions mining history. Yet the best-preserved gold mining community is Sherbrooke Village, which depicts life a typical Nova Scotian village from 1860 to pre-World War I. With approximately 80 buildings, over 25 of those open to the public, it is the largest Nova Scotia Museum Site. Built on an economy of shipbuilding, lumbering and gold mining, Sherbrooke Village reflects Nova Scotia as it was during its golden age.

Harvest the Earth
While many communities around the region were built on fishing, lumber and mining, others have their roots in farming. The challenges and lifestyles of the early farming communities along Antigonish and the Eastern Shore are documented at the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum. In Lake Charlotte, you'll find Memory Lane Heritage Village, a brillantly recreated rural community from the 1940's. Almost all of the buildings were rescued from around the community, lovingly and moved to Memory Lane.

Keeping the Faith
The centrepiece for many Antigonish and Eastern Shore settlements was the church. Youll find many historic churches and religious buildings throughout the region, most of which are architectural masterpieces.

By Land, by Sea and by Air
The growth of our communities, and the resources which fueled this growth, brought more people to Antigonish and the Eastern Shore. It also led to the development of sea-based trade and travel routes. Most sailors relied on lighthouses for safe passage along our shores. The Port Bickerton Lighthouse Beach Park is home to two lighthouses a fully automated, modern lighthouse, and one from 1919, which serves as the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Interpretive Centre. And youll find a working lighthouse at Cape George that offers dramatic coastal views of St. Georges Bay from an elevation of about 1000 feet.

Eventually, rail lines provided the transportation links between settlements along Antigonish and the Eastern Shore. Most of these lines have been abandoned and are being converted into hiking and walking trails, but the importance of the railroad to the growth of our region has been exhaustively detailed at the Musquodoboit Railway Museum a converted Canadian National train station. You can also explore how Nova Scotia, and our geographic location, played a key role in the evolution of both air transportation and defence in the early part of the 20th century at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Eastern Passage.

Clear Communications
You may not know it, but in the years before wireless technology, Nova Scotias Eastern Shore played a pivotal role in communications between North America and Europe. Tor Bay was the site of the first successful transmission of messages by commercial cable in 1875, a feat commemorated by a cairn at the Tor Bay Beach Provincial Park. And Hazel Hill, near Guysborough was the gateway for an extensive underwater cable system relaying news and information. ]