Canso, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
For the headland, see Cape Canso
.
Canso is a small Canadian
town in Guysborough County
, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia
, next to Chedabucto Bay
. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia
. The British construction of a fort in the village (1720), was instrumental in contributing to Dummer's War
(1722–1725). The town is of national historic importance because it was one of only two British settlements in Nova Scotia prior to the establishment of Halifax (1749). Canso played a key role in the defeat of Louisbourg. Today, the town attracts people internationally for the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival
.
Acadian Governor Razill built a fortified post, Fort Saint-Francois at Canso with Nicholas Le Creux, Sieur du Breuil as lieutenant.
(1715), the Mi'kmaq raided the station and burned it to the ground. In response, on 17-24 September 1718, Southback led a raid on Canso and Chedabucto (present-day community of Guysborough) in what became known as the Squirrel Affair. Southack laid siege for three days to Fort St. Louis at Chedabucto, which was defended primarily by Acadians. There were approximately 300 Acadians in the area.
On board the HMS Squirrel, Southack killed numerous Acadians and imprisoned others. On September 18, British marines landed on Lasconde's Grave and seized the entrance to Chedabucto Harbour. The following day the HMS Squirrel landed troops at Salmon River who then proceeded to the rear of the village. The HMS Squirrel made its first attempt to enter the harbour but was beaten back by the Acadian cannon fire from the fort. Later in the day the village was captured by the land troops. On September 20 the HMS Squirrel made a second, and successful, attempt to enter the harbour. Once in the harbor, the ship fired upon the fort.
On September 23, Southack pillaged and burned the village. The pillaged goods were then loaded onto several French ships that had been captured in the harbor. The following day, September 24, Southack released the Acadian prisoners onto the Canso Islands without any provisions or clothing. Others fled to Isle Madame and Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
. He seized two French ships, and encouraged Governor of Nova Scotia Richard Philipps
to fortify Canso.
.
In the Fall of 1720, the New Englanders built a fort named Fort Phillips, after the Governor of Nova Scotia Richard Phillips
. Construction of such a permanent facility was a violation of long-standing agreements between the Mi'kmaq and the fishermen. This significant violation helped precipate Dummer's War
.
In 1721, Governor of Massachusetts took proprietarial attitude toward the Canso fisheries and sent the HMS Seahorse to patrol the waters off Nova Scotia. With the arrival of British troops, the Mi'kmaq discouraged from attacking until the following year. The HMS Seahorse was replaced in 1721 by a New England vessel, the William Augustus under the command of Southack.
, in July 1722, the Mi'kmaq and some Abenakis began a major offensive against New England fishermen and traders in an attempt to blockade the Nova Scotia capital of Annapolis Royal
. Natives captured eighteen trading vessels in the Bay of Fundy and an additional eighteen New England fishing schooners between Cape Sable and Canso. As a result, the New England Governor declared war on the Mi'kmaq which lasted three years.
The ship William Augustus led ships from Canso to protect the fisheries, which resulted in the battle at Jeddore Harbour, Nova Scotia
. Only five native bodies were recovered from the battle and the New Englanders decapitated the corpses and set the severed heads on pikes surrounding Canso's new fort.
, the French destroyed the flourishing fishing village during the Raid on Canso
(1744).
. General Sir William Pepperell arrived at Canso, Nova Scotia, with four thousand and seventy troops, April 4, 1745, and, in three weeks was joined by Commodore Warren, with four ships from England.
, in August of 1749, Lieutenant Joseph Gorham was at Canso and his party was attacked by Mi'kmaq. They seized his vessel and took twenty prisoners and carried them off to Louisbourg. Three English and seven Mi'kmaq were killed.
, Canso was subject to numerous raids by American Privateers. George Washington
's Marblehead Regiment raided Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 17 November 1775 and three days later, they raided Canso Harbor.
- the Father of the American Navy. The privateer sailed on the USS Providence
and destroyed fifteen vessels, and damaged much property on shore. There he recruited men to fill the vacancies created by manning his prizes, burned a British fishing schooner, sank a second, and captured a third besides a shallop which he used as a tender. Jones then pillaged the community of Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
and Arichat, Nova Scotia
on Isle Madame, Nova Scotia and then returned to Boston.
On 22 November, John Paul Jones returned to Canso in the USS Alfred
. Boats from the ship raided the community, his crews burned a transport bound for Canada with provisions and a warehouse full of whale oil, besides capturing a small schooner. Captain Jones then went on to present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia
to free Americans imprisoned in the British coalmines.
, an annual event held around the Canada Day weekend. This event attracts over 10,000 visitors, who enjoy music from all over the world on seven different stages over the 3 days.
Each year, during the second week of August, a regatta is held within the town. This week-long event includes boat races, a mid-way, parade, seaman's memorial, hootenannies as well as various activities for the youth. The regatta draws many previous generations of the town to serve the purpose of a Come Home week. Each year, the regatta has a theme which is reflected in the parade, with 2009's being The Circus Comes to Town.
. The southern limit of the bay is at Cape Canso
, a headland approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of the town.
Canso Harbour is protected by the Canso Islands, a small archipelago
lying immediately north and east of the mainland, with Durells Island, Piscataqui Island, George Island, and Grassy Island being the largest.
Canso is the southeastern terminus of Trunk 16, an important secondary highway in Antigonish
and Guysborough
counties.
As the town is situated on the end of a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, Canso frequently experiences fog
, particularly during the warmer summer months when continental air temperatures collide with cooler ocean temperatures offshore.
Links
Cape Canso
This article is about the headland. For the town, see Canso, Nova Scotia.Cape Canso is a headland located at the eastern extremity of the Nova Scotia peninsula in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia....
.
Canso is a small 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 in Guysborough County
Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
Guysborough County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Taking its name from the Township of Guysborough, which was named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Guysborough County was created when Sydney County was divided in 1836.In 1840, the Township of St. Mary's, in Guysborough...
, on the north-eastern tip of mainland 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...
, next to Chedabucto Bay
Chedabucto Bay
Chedabucto Bay is a large bay on the eastern coast of mainland Nova Scotia between the Atlantic Ocean and the Strait of Canso next to Guysborough County...
. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
. The British construction of a fort in the village (1720), was instrumental in contributing to Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
(1722–1725). The town is of national historic importance because it was one of only two British settlements in Nova Scotia prior to the establishment of Halifax (1749). Canso played a key role in the defeat of Louisbourg. Today, the town attracts people internationally for the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival
Stan Rogers Folk Festival
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, informally known as Stanfest, is an annual three-day music festival held in Canso, Nova Scotia.Established in 1997 in honour of the late Canadian folk singer and songwriter Stan Rogers, the festival bills itself as "an international festival of songwriters",...
.
History
Since the 16th century, Canso has been a strategically important fishery base. It is said that the harbour of Canso was frequented by European fur traders and fishermen within a dozen years of the arrival of Columbus in America, and an attempt at settlement was made here as early as 1518.Acadian Governor Razill built a fortified post, Fort Saint-Francois at Canso with Nicholas Le Creux, Sieur du Breuil as lieutenant.
Raid on Canso (1718) - The Squirrel Affair
Shortly after Southack established himself at Shelburne, Nova ScotiaShelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
(1715), the Mi'kmaq raided the station and burned it to the ground. In response, on 17-24 September 1718, Southback led a raid on Canso and Chedabucto (present-day community of Guysborough) in what became known as the Squirrel Affair. Southack laid siege for three days to Fort St. Louis at Chedabucto, which was defended primarily by Acadians. There were approximately 300 Acadians in the area.
On board the HMS Squirrel, Southack killed numerous Acadians and imprisoned others. On September 18, British marines landed on Lasconde's Grave and seized the entrance to Chedabucto Harbour. The following day the HMS Squirrel landed troops at Salmon River who then proceeded to the rear of the village. The HMS Squirrel made its first attempt to enter the harbour but was beaten back by the Acadian cannon fire from the fort. Later in the day the village was captured by the land troops. On September 20 the HMS Squirrel made a second, and successful, attempt to enter the harbour. Once in the harbor, the ship fired upon the fort.
On September 23, Southack pillaged and burned the village. The pillaged goods were then loaded onto several French ships that had been captured in the harbor. The following day, September 24, Southack released the Acadian prisoners onto the Canso Islands without any provisions or clothing. Others fled to Isle Madame and Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
Petit-de-Grat is a small Acadian community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Richmond County on Petit-de-Grat Island. The community was first populated by French fisher men in 1718 after they arrived from Canso, Nova Scotia having survived a raid by New Englanders...
. He seized two French ships, and encouraged Governor of Nova Scotia Richard Philipps
Richard Philipps
General Richard Philipps was said to have been in the employ of William III as a young man and for his service gained the rank of Captain in the British army. He served at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and made the rank of Lt. Col. in 1712.In 1717 he was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia by...
to fortify Canso.
Raid on Canso (1720)
On August 7, 1720, 60-75 Mi'kmaq joined French Fishermen from Petit de Grats and attacked the fortification as it was being built. The Mi'kmaq killed three men, wounded four, and caused significant damage. The New Englanders took 21 prisoners which they transported to Annapolis Royal. This raid on Canso was significant because of the involvement of the Mi'kmaq and was significant in leading to Dummer's WarDummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
.
In the Fall of 1720, the New Englanders built a fort named Fort Phillips, after the Governor of Nova Scotia Richard Phillips
Richard Phillips
Richard Phillips may refer to*Richard Phillips , artist from the United States*Richard Phillips , captain of the MV Maersk Alabama taken hostage by Somali pirates in April 2009...
. Construction of such a permanent facility was a violation of long-standing agreements between the Mi'kmaq and the fishermen. This significant violation helped precipate Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
.
In 1721, Governor of Massachusetts took proprietarial attitude toward the Canso fisheries and sent the HMS Seahorse to patrol the waters off Nova Scotia. With the arrival of British troops, the Mi'kmaq discouraged from attacking until the following year. The HMS Seahorse was replaced in 1721 by a New England vessel, the William Augustus under the command of Southack.
Raid on Canso (1722)
In the lead up to Dummer's WarDummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, in July 1722, the Mi'kmaq and some Abenakis began a major offensive against New England fishermen and traders in an attempt to blockade the Nova Scotia capital of Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
. Natives captured eighteen trading vessels in the Bay of Fundy and an additional eighteen New England fishing schooners between Cape Sable and Canso. As a result, the New England Governor declared war on the Mi'kmaq which lasted three years.
The ship William Augustus led ships from Canso to protect the fisheries, which resulted in the battle at Jeddore Harbour, Nova Scotia
Battle at Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour)
The Battle at Winnepang occurred during Dummer's War when New England forces attacked Mi’kmaq at present day Jeddore Harbour, Nova Scotia. The naval battle was part of a campaign ordered by Governor Phillips to retrieve over 82 New England prisoners taken by the Mi'kmaq in fishing vessels off...
. Only five native bodies were recovered from the battle and the New Englanders decapitated the corpses and set the severed heads on pikes surrounding Canso's new fort.
Raid on Canso (1723)
On 23 July 1723, the village was raided again by the Mi'kmaq and they killed three men, a woman and a child. In this same year, the New Englanders built a twelve gun blockhouse to guard the village and fishery.Raid on Canso (1725)
In 1725, sixty Abenakis and Mi'kmaq launch another attack on Canso, destroying two houses and killing six people.Raid on Canso (1744)
At the outbreak of King George's WarKing George's War
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession . It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia...
, the French destroyed the flourishing fishing village during the Raid on Canso
Raid on Canso
The Raid on Canso was an attack by French forces from Louisbourg on the British outpost of Canso, Nova Scotia shortly after war declarations opened King George's War. The French raid was intended to boost morale, secure Louisbourg's supply lines with the surrounding Acadian settlements, and deprive...
(1744).
Siege of Louisbourg
A year later, the village Canso was used as a staging area for the Siege of Louisbourg (1745)Siege of Louisbourg (1745)
The Siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Île-Royale during the War of the Austrian Succession, known as King George's War in the British colonies.Although the Fortress of...
. General Sir William Pepperell arrived at Canso, Nova Scotia, with four thousand and seventy troops, April 4, 1745, and, in three weeks was joined by Commodore Warren, with four ships from England.
Raid on Canso (1749)
During Father Le Loutre's WarFather Le Loutre's War
Father Le Loutre’s War , also known as the Indian War, the Micmac War and the Anglo-Micmac War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the British and New England colonists were led by British Officer Charles...
, in August of 1749, Lieutenant Joseph Gorham was at Canso and his party was attacked by Mi'kmaq. They seized his vessel and took twenty prisoners and carried them off to Louisbourg. Three English and seven Mi'kmaq were killed.
Attack at Canso (1753)
On February 21, 1753, 9 Mi'kmaq in canoes attacked an English vessel which had a crew of four at near-by Country Harbour, Nova Scotia. The Mi'kmaq killed two English men and took two others captive for six weeks. After seven weeks in captivity, on April 8, the two English men killed six Mi'kmaq and managed to escape. In response, on the night of April 21 the Mi'kmaq attacked another English schooner in a naval battle between Outique Island and Isle Madame in which the Mi'kmaq attacked an English schooner. There were nine English men and one Acadian who was the pilot. The Mi'kmaq killed the English and let the Acadian off at Port Toulouse, where the Mi'kmaq sank the schooner after looting it.Expulsion of the Acadians
During the Expulsion of the Acadians the famous ship the Duke William was in port for almost a month awaiting passage to France (1758). While in port the vessel narrowly escaped a raid by Mi'kmaq.Raid on Canso (1775)
During the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Canso was subject to numerous raids by American Privateers. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's Marblehead Regiment raided Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 17 November 1775 and three days later, they raided Canso Harbor.
Raid on Canso (1776)
On September 22, 1776, Canso was attacked by American privateer John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
- the Father of the American Navy. The privateer sailed on the USS Providence
USS Providence (1775)
Originally chartered by the Rhode Island General Assembly as Katy, USS Providence was a sloop in the Continental Navy.-Service as Katy:...
and destroyed fifteen vessels, and damaged much property on shore. There he recruited men to fill the vacancies created by manning his prizes, burned a British fishing schooner, sank a second, and captured a third besides a shallop which he used as a tender. Jones then pillaged the community of Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
Petit-de-Grat is a small Acadian community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Richmond County on Petit-de-Grat Island. The community was first populated by French fisher men in 1718 after they arrived from Canso, Nova Scotia having survived a raid by New Englanders...
and Arichat, Nova Scotia
Arichat, Nova Scotia
The village of Arichat is one of the oldest communities in Nova Scotia, dating back to the 18th century. It is a district of Richmond County on Isle Madame....
on Isle Madame, Nova Scotia and then returned to Boston.
On 22 November, John Paul Jones returned to Canso in the USS Alfred
USS Alfred (1774)
The Alfred was a man-of-war in the Continental Navy of the United States. She was built as Black Prince, named for Edward, the Black Prince, and served as Alfred.-As Black Prince:...
. Boats from the ship raided the community, his crews burned a transport bound for Canada with provisions and a warehouse full of whale oil, besides capturing a small schooner. Captain Jones then went on to present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
to free Americans imprisoned in the British coalmines.
Raid on Canso (1779)
Again in 1779 American Privateers destroyed the Canso fisheries, worth 50,000 a year to England.Today
In a plebiscite held on July 12, 2008 residents narrowly voted to amalgamate the town with the neighbouring Municipality of the District of Guysborough. The decision to amalgamate was put off, and after review was rejected again in March 2010.Events
Canso is host to the Stan Rogers Folk FestivalStan Rogers Folk Festival
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, informally known as Stanfest, is an annual three-day music festival held in Canso, Nova Scotia.Established in 1997 in honour of the late Canadian folk singer and songwriter Stan Rogers, the festival bills itself as "an international festival of songwriters",...
, an annual event held around the Canada Day weekend. This event attracts over 10,000 visitors, who enjoy music from all over the world on seven different stages over the 3 days.
Each year, during the second week of August, a regatta is held within the town. This week-long event includes boat races, a mid-way, parade, seaman's memorial, hootenannies as well as various activities for the youth. The regatta draws many previous generations of the town to serve the purpose of a Come Home week. Each year, the regatta has a theme which is reflected in the parade, with 2009's being The Circus Comes to Town.
Geography
The town is located on the southern shore of Chedabucto BayChedabucto Bay
Chedabucto Bay is a large bay on the eastern coast of mainland Nova Scotia between the Atlantic Ocean and the Strait of Canso next to Guysborough County...
. The southern limit of the bay is at Cape Canso
Cape Canso
This article is about the headland. For the town, see Canso, Nova Scotia.Cape Canso is a headland located at the eastern extremity of the Nova Scotia peninsula in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia....
, a headland approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of the town.
Canso Harbour is protected by the Canso Islands, a small archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
lying immediately north and east of the mainland, with Durells Island, Piscataqui Island, George Island, and Grassy Island being the largest.
Canso is the southeastern terminus of Trunk 16, an important secondary highway in Antigonish
Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
Antigonish County, Nova Scotia is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in northern Nova Scotia on the Northumberland Strait and its county seat is the town of Antigonish.-History:...
and Guysborough
Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
Guysborough County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Taking its name from the Township of Guysborough, which was named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Guysborough County was created when Sydney County was divided in 1836.In 1840, the Township of St. Mary's, in Guysborough...
counties.
As the town is situated on the end of a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, Canso frequently experiences fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
, particularly during the warmer summer months when continental air temperatures collide with cooler ocean temperatures offshore.
See also
Raid on CansoRaid on Canso
The Raid on Canso was an attack by French forces from Louisbourg on the British outpost of Canso, Nova Scotia shortly after war declarations opened King George's War. The French raid was intended to boost morale, secure Louisbourg's supply lines with the surrounding Acadian settlements, and deprive...
Links