Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 The Shelburne County Museum | |
|
782 | |
| Access Routes |  Trunk 3 |
| Website | www |
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada.
History
Shelburne lies at the southwest corner of Nova Scotia, at roughly the same latitude as
The first settlers arrived in the Shelburne region around 13,000 years ago. The Mi'kmaq First Nations travelled by canoe along the Roseway River, setting up encampments along the shores in summer. Mi'kmaq residents referred to Shelburne's sheltered harbour as Logumkeegan or Sogumkeagum. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s, the territory of Mi'kma'ki was divided into seven districts, each led by a District Chief.
The displacement of the Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaq communities consists of a long and painful history including the introduction of European diseases in the 1500s, the occupation of unceded land, as well as removal of Indigenous children from their homes in the 20th century through the Sixties Scoop and Residential School program. Nova Scotia eventually set aside 26,000 acres as reserve land owned by the Canadian Government.
Indigenous communities continue to inhabit Shelburne and surrounding communities, and the Acadia First Nation has opened a sub-office office in Shelburne to serve off-reserve members in this region.
When European settlers arrived in Shelburne, they followed Indigenous Mi'kmaq routes to fish, hunt and trap. Initial foreign explorers included fishermen from Spain, Portugal, and France. Following the arrival of Samuel de Champlain, French settlers began to arrive in Nova Scotia between 1632 and 1653, with some forming the fishing settlement of Port Razoir in Shelburne. Ownership of these Acadian colonies moved between French and English rule until the War of Spanish Succession ended in 1713, turning Nova Scotian Acadians over to the British.
Following the Acadians' repeated refusal to fight the French, the British Governor and Nova Scotia council began to deport the Acadians of Grand Pre and Port Royal in 1755. Some families took refuge in the Cape Sable region (comprising Yarmouth and Shelburne) until this community, too, was sent into exile between 1756 and 1759.
During this period, homes and communities were destroyed and burned, and Acadian families were separated and forcibly moved throughout the American colonies or into Europe. Many of Shelburne County's Acadian residents landed in Massachusetts, and throughout the Grand Derangement some were imprisoned, some died at sea, others fled to Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or sought shelter with Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaq communities. By 1764, small groups of Acadians were allowed to return-and most reside today within the Maritimes.
In 1783, 10,000 enslaved persons (a fifth of the United States' black population) fought alongside British soldiers in the American Revolution-promised freedom in return. Departing from New York, many Loyalists relocated to Nova Scotia at the end of the war, with 5,000 arriving in Shelburne Harbour in the first wave. About 1,500
By 1784, the population of Port Roseway (now the Town of Shelburne) reached 10,000-larger than Halifax or Montreal, and housing some of New York's wealthiest families. With this growth, industries began to develop including cod and whale fishing, and lumber and timber trades. But tensions were soon on the upswing, with Nova Scotian slave owners feeling threatened by the presence of these freed Black Loyalists, and white refugees frustrated at trying to compete for work, unwilling to accept such low compensations.
On July 26, 1784, a mob of white Loyalists settlers stormed the home of a black preacher in Shelburne armed with hooks and chains stolen from harboured ships, inciting North America's first race riot. Only one person was ever charged in connection with these riots, and the event is considered reflective of the broader racist prejudices encountered by Black Loyalists throughout Nova Scotia for the years to come.
In 1786 the first ship was built on Shelburne's harbour. Commissary Island (once holding rations dispensed to Loyalists) and Black's Brook became shipyards, leading the way for many other builders. In the 19th century, the river was repurposed for log driving, with temporary dams constructed along the stream. This wealth didn't last long though, and the Shelburne economy quickly began to decline.
Many Black Loyalists settled elsewhere across the province, and in 1791, at least half of Birchtown's residents agreed to depart for a new colony in Sierra Leone. The agricultural prospects in Shelburne were weak, and transportation links to the rest of the province were limited, leading to an eventual decline. By the 1820s, the population of Shelburne declined to 300.
Another period of immigration began in 1818 when a mass of Welsh immigrants founded the first Welsh settlement in Canada, along the west side of the river in what is now Welshtown.
Shelburne was incorporated as a town in 1907. Shelburne's historic waterfront has attracted film productions, with many remaining buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Shelburne County Museum, Christ Church, and Ross-Thomson House. Fishing is still a primary industry in the Town of Shelburne, and other local industries include lumber, fish processing, barrel manufacturing, granite monuments, and marine supplies. While ship building is no longer a major employer, visitors can visit the J C Williams Dory Shop to witness construction methods of the late 19th century.
Port Razoir, Cape/Port Roseway, Shelburne
The first Europeans to make a settlement on these shores were the French Acadians. They set up a small fishing settlement known as Port Razoir in the late 17th century, named after the harbour's resemblance to an open razor. Early European settlers had small subsistence farms, but most of the inhabitants' income from that time to the present has been derived from the sea. The Acadian fishing settlement was abandoned after repeated raids from New England colonists during Queen Anne's War in 1705, in which five Acadians were taken prisoner, and again in 1708.[4][5]
On May 14, 1715, New England naval commander
.jpg)
New England fishermen knew Shelburne as "Port Roseway" and frequently used the outer harbour for seasonal shelter and repairs. Pirate
American Revolution
In the spring of 1783, more than 5,000 settlers arrived on the shores of Shelburne Harbour from
The Black Loyalists, a large group of enslaved African Americans who escaped their masters to British lines and were promised freedom, were evacuated and transported by British forces to Shelburne Harbour at the same time. They founded
In the fall of 1783, a second wave of settlers arrived in Shelburne. The community was settled by Loyalists soldiers of the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment. By 1784, the population of this new community is estimated to have been 17,000, making it the fourth-largest city in North America.[9] But, initial hopes were short-lived; the settlement suffered from a lack of viable agricultural land, poor inland transportation links, and too few pioneers who knew how to develop frontier property. These problems curtailed its economic growth. The population fell sharply by the 1790s, leaving many abandoned buildings. However, the remaining residents gradually developed the harbour potential as a fishing and shipbuilding centre.
In 1792 more than 1,000 Black Loyalists from across Nova Scotia accepted a British offer to resettle in Freetown (current Sierra Leone), a newly founded British colony in West Africa. They became the core of an ethnic group that became known as Krios (for Creoles), which included numerous black poor of London (many of them also African Americans resettled after the American Revolution), formerly enslaved persons resettled from Jamaica, and persons liberated from illegal trading ships after Britain and the United States prohibited the Atlantic slave trade.
Shipbuilding
In May 1945, following Germany's surrender,
Buildings
Many of Shelburne's buildings date back to Loyalist times. The Shelburne County Museum is a restored home built in 1787 by David Nairn, a cooper from Scotland. The present-day Christ Church (Anglican) is on the site of the original building of the same name, which was designed by Loyalist Isaac Hildreth and consecrated by Bishop Charles Inglis in 1790. The original structure was destroyed by fire in 1971. Tottie's Store is thought to have been built by John Tottie about the year 1800. At each corner of the intersection of Water Street and George Street, sit dwellings that were built in 1783.
In 1787, government distribution of provisions to the new settlers was terminated. As the settlement was not yet self-supporting, many settlers put their houses up for sale or abandoned them. They left for England, New Brunswick, Upper Canada, and the United States. About half the population of African Americans left, many going to the new colony of Freetown in West Africa (now Sierra Leone). By the 1820s, the population of Shelburne had dwindled to about 300.
Present day
Shelburne was incorporated as a town on April 4, 1907. Some descendants of the first-generation immigrant Loyalists still live in the area today.
Fishing remains the primary industry with approximately 9.5 million pounds of fish passing through the port annually. Other economic activities include tourism, aquaculture, fish processing, and the manufacture of barrels, granite monuments, and marine supplies.
In late 2011, Irving was awarded the largest-ever government shipbuilding contract, valued at approximately $35 billion. This is chiefly for work at their Halifax Shipyard, but some work is expected to be done at the Shelburne yard over the 30-year term of the contract.
Cooke Aquaculture chose Shelburne as a site for a
The area is served by a weekly newspaper, The Tri-County Vanguard out of Yarmouth, a large online news operation, radio stations east and west of the town and CBC radio from Halifax, and the regional version of The Chronicle Herald.
Previous local newspapers included The Coast Guard, published in a building at the same intersection where newspapers were to have been published starting in 1784. Prior ones include the General Advertiser, the Port Roseway Gazetteer and Shelburne Advertiser, and the American Gazette.
Climate
Shelburne has a
| Climate data for Shelburne, NS | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) |
14 (57) |
18.3 (64.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
31.1 (88.0) |
34.5 (94.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
36.1 (97.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
15 (59) |
36.1 (97.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) |
1 (34) |
5 (41) |
10 (50) |
15.4 (59.7) |
19.9 (67.8) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.1 (73.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
9 (48) |
4.1 (39.4) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.7 (25.3) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
0.5 (32.9) |
5.2 (41.4) |
9.9 (49.8) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9 (48) |
4.6 (40.3) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
7.1 (44.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.3 (17.1) |
−8 (18) |
−4 (25) |
0.3 (32.5) |
4.4 (39.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
12.1 (53.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−5 (23) |
2.1 (35.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.8 (−9.0) |
−23.4 (−10.1) |
−24 (−11) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
0.5 (32.9) |
3.3 (37.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
−24.6 (−12.3) |
−24.6 (−12.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 151.3 (5.96) |
107.3 (4.22) |
121.5 (4.78) |
123 (4.8) |
96.3 (3.79) |
102.7 (4.04) |
105.6 (4.16) |
82.3 (3.24) |
101.9 (4.01) |
112.5 (4.43) |
132.1 (5.20) |
156.6 (6.17) |
1,393.1 (54.85) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 104.5 (4.11) |
75.5 (2.97) |
93 (3.7) |
115.1 (4.53) |
96.2 (3.79) |
102.7 (4.04) |
105.6 (4.16) |
82.3 (3.24) |
101.9 (4.01) |
110.4 (4.35) |
126.4 (4.98) |
123.3 (4.85) |
1,236.9 (48.70) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 49.6 (19.5) |
31.3 (12.3) |
26.5 (10.4) |
7.4 (2.9) |
0.1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.8) |
5.6 (2.2) |
31.7 (12.5) |
154.2 (60.7) |
| Source: climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca[10] [dead link] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1784 | 10,000 | — |
| 1901 | 1,445 | −85.5% |
2021 | 1,644 | −5.7% |
| [11][12][13][14] [15][16][17][18] | ||
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Shelburne had a population of 1,644 living in 794 of its 917 total private dwellings, a change of -5.7% from its 2016 population of 1,743. With a land area of 8.75 km2 (3.38 sq mi), it had a population density of 187.9/km2 (486.6/sq mi) in 2021.[19]
Environmental hazards
In 1946 the Morvan Road Landfill was established in the Patterson's Division of the Town of Shelburne, in direct proximity to the
The landfill was used for various types of waste including industrial, medical, and residential. The burning of waste over decades created ample amounts of air pollution which were breathed in by surrounding communities, raising major health concerns. This directly affected the quality of life for these communities as the burning of the waste gave off wretched smells causing the inability to breathe, unable to go outside, needing to change their clothes multiple times, and unable to perform daily acts. Considering the waste dump was uphill of residential homes, run-off from waste would contaminate water resources used by the community.[22] This again raised concerns regarding the health of citizens, questions surrounding increased carcinogens, and cancerous death rates within the community.
The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (the ENRICH Project), conducted research within the community to display that waste dumps are disproportionately located in African Nova Scotian and
SEED allowed members of the community to express their concerns regarding the Morvan Road Landfill, forming partnerships to address these issues. Further raising awareness about health concerns, they conducted research to determine the link between cancer rates within the African Nova Scotian communities in the south end. Their community map discovered the higher prevalence of cancer amongst African men in comparison to the general community, pushing them to discover why the proximity impacts both physical and mental health concerns.[22] SEED collaborated with the ENRICH project to conduct research on the water quality, in search of contaminants that might explain the increased cancer rates.[22] This collaboration not only provided statistical evidence but allowed their voices to be heard at a government level. After the completion of inspections in June 2016, they closed the dump to waste outside of community disposal.[22] SEED, along with other community members, continued their efforts after concern of the landfill still affecting community health, eventually leading to the closure of the landfill in December 2016.[21]
This has since moved toward combating "environmental racism" in Canada as a whole, leading to the establishment of
Film production
In 1992, Dock Street was the location for the filming of Mary Silliman's War, based on the life of Mary Silliman and depicting Fairfield, Connecticut, during the American Revolution. In 1994, Dock Street was the location of the film The Scarlet Letter, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel about Puritan New England in the mid-17th century. Some of the buildings on Dock Street still retain the grey-tone paint finishes used for the film.
Other movies made in Shelburne have been Virginia's Run and Wilby Wonderful. In 2008 an old naval station in the Shelburne area was sold to a group who planned to make more movies at a sound stage located on the station; they sold the complex for other purposes. In 2009, filming for portions of the two-part TV miniseries, Moby Dick, was carried out in Shelburne. A recreation of the Whaleman's Chapel was constructed on the waterfront and the Spouter's Inn constructed as a set in Cox's Warehouse. The series stars William Hurt as Ahab, Gillian Anderson as his wife Elizabeth, Ethan Hawke as Starbuck and Donald Sutherland as Father Mappel.
In 2014 filming for The Book of Negroes occurred on historic Dock Street, with Shelburne being featured as itself. Parts of the 2019 documentary There's Something in the Water were filmed in Shelburne.[23]
Public library
Located at 17 Glasgow Street in Shelburne, the McKay Memorial Library is one of the larger branches of the Western Counties Regional Library. It joined the Western Counties Regional Library on June 5, 1969, but it did not have a physical location in Shelburne until the first branch opened on February 15, 1970. The branch relocated to its present site on July 21, 1989.[24]
Parks
- The Islands Provincial Park is located nearby in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne.
Notable people
- Jody Holden, beach volleyball player
- Gideon White, politician and captain in the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment
See also
References
- ^ Nova Scotia Geographical Names: Shelburne[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Nova Scotia)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
- ^ Statistics Canada Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population – 100% data
- ^ "Shelburne", Place Names of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, p. 618
- ^ Penhallow, Samuel; Adams, Nathaniel; Colman, Benjamin; Dodge, W. (William) (20 June 2019). "The history of the wars of New-England with the eastern Indians". Cincinnati, Re-printed for W. Dodge, by J. Harpel – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Geoffery Plank. An Unsettled Conquest. University of Pennsylvania. 2001. p. 76=77; J.S. McLennan. Louisbourg. The Bookroom Limited. 1979. p. 64
- ^ McLennan, J.S. (1918). Louisbourg, from Its Foundation to Its Fall, 1713-1758. London: Macmillan. p. 64.
- ^ Dan Conlin, Pirates of the Atlantic: Robbery, Murder and Mayhem off the Canadian East Coast (2009) Formac Publishing, p. 35-37.
- ^ The Americans, novascotia.com. Retrieved March 14, 2011
- ^ "Environment Canada". Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "2001 Census of Canada: Nova Scotia Perspective" (PDF). Nova Scotia Department of Finance and Statistics Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1932-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1932/193201410103_p.%20103.pdf , Censuses 1871–1931
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1955-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1955/195501710145_p.%20145.pdf , Census 1941–1951
- ^ Canada, Statistics (31 March 2008). "Canada Year Book (CYB) Historical Collection" (PDF). www66.statcan.gc.ca.
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1967/196702210189_p.%20189.pdf , Census 1961
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1967/196702210189_p.%20189.pdf , Canada Year Book 1974: Censuses 1966, 1971
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1967/196702210189_p.%20189.pdf , Canada Year Book 1988: Censuses 1981, 1986
- ^ Scotia.html, Census 1991–2006
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nova Scotia". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ "Environmental Racism in Canada | the Canadian Encyclopedia".
- ^ a b c d Waldron, Ingrid; Daniel, Juliet (2021-07-08). "Environmental racism: New study investigates whether Nova Scotia dump boosted cancer rates in nearby Black community". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ S2CID 158898720. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (2019-09-19). "Toronto Film Review: 'There's Something in the Water'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
- ^ WCRL – McKay Memorial Library. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
External links
Media related to Shelburne, Nova Scotia at Wikimedia Commons
Places adjacent to Shelburne, Nova Scotia | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Subdivisions of Nova Scotia | |
|---|---|
| Counties |
|
County municipalities | |
| Regional municipalities | |
| District municipalities | |
| Towns | |
Villages | |
| Economic regions | |
| Lists | |
