Seal Island, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Seal Island is an island
on the outermost extreme of Southwestern Nova Scotia
, Canada
, and is the southernmost point of land of Nova Scotia. It is located in Municipalité Argyle Municipality in Yarmouth County. It is approximately 2.7 miles long and 0.5 miles wide. It is the biggest of a group of five islands which extend north for 7.5 miles. It is the southernmost place in Nova Scotia
.
's first ocean liner
s.
The Seal Island settlement eventually contained two small villages, The East Side and The West Side. They shared a post office, church and a lobster cannery. Year round habitation ceased in 1990 but both villages host summer residents, most of whom are families who once lived on the island. The West Side village is used by fishermen and bird watchers who bunk in the old cookhouse above the government wharf and has seen recent growth in the form of new sheds and fishermen's houses. The East Side has lost its wharf but retains a church used for a seasonal service. It is home to the Seal Island Lighthouse which is the oldest wooden lighthouse
in Nova Scotia and one of the oldest in Canada. The lighthouse was de-staffed in 1990. Lack of maintenance and poor ventilation of the lighthouse by the Canadian Coast Guard
have raised fears about the condition of the historic structure.
There is a local legend of a ghost from a shipwreck in 1891, the SS Ottawa. A stewardess named Annie Lindsey was believed drowned when her lifeboat overturned. She was buried beside the East End church where her grave marker can still be seen today. but some believe that when the coffin was later disinterred, it showed evidence that she was buried alive. Her spirit is said to haunt the Seal Island villages to this day.
A replica of the Seal Island Lighthouse can be seen in Barrington, Nova Scotia
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
on the outermost extreme of Southwestern 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...
, Canada
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...
, and is the southernmost point of land of Nova Scotia. It is located in Municipalité Argyle Municipality in Yarmouth County. It is approximately 2.7 miles long and 0.5 miles wide. It is the biggest of a group of five islands which extend north for 7.5 miles. It is the southernmost place in 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...
.
History
The island was settled in 1823 by two families from the Barrington area, the Hitchens and the Crowells. They used the island as a fishing base and provided shelter to survivors of the many ships wrecked at the island and on nearby reefs. A campaign led by Mary Hitchens resulted in the construction of a lighthouse in 1831 which still stands, one of the oldest wooden lighthouses in Canada. Seal Island lightkeepers continued to rescue many shipwreck victims, most notably in 1843 when they saved all the crew and passengers of RMS Columbia, one of Samuel CunardSamuel Cunard
Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet was a British shipping magnate, born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line...
's first ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s.
The Seal Island settlement eventually contained two small villages, The East Side and The West Side. They shared a post office, church and a lobster cannery. Year round habitation ceased in 1990 but both villages host summer residents, most of whom are families who once lived on the island. The West Side village is used by fishermen and bird watchers who bunk in the old cookhouse above the government wharf and has seen recent growth in the form of new sheds and fishermen's houses. The East Side has lost its wharf but retains a church used for a seasonal service. It is home to the Seal Island Lighthouse which is the oldest wooden lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Nova Scotia and one of the oldest in Canada. The lighthouse was de-staffed in 1990. Lack of maintenance and poor ventilation of the lighthouse by the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
have raised fears about the condition of the historic structure.
There is a local legend of a ghost from a shipwreck in 1891, the SS Ottawa. A stewardess named Annie Lindsey was believed drowned when her lifeboat overturned. She was buried beside the East End church where her grave marker can still be seen today. but some believe that when the coffin was later disinterred, it showed evidence that she was buried alive. Her spirit is said to haunt the Seal Island villages to this day.
A replica of the Seal Island Lighthouse can be seen in Barrington, Nova Scotia
Barrington, Nova Scotia
Barrington is a municipal district in western Shelburne County, Nova Scotia.Barrington forms the southernmost part of the province and contains Cape Sable, the eastern boundary between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine.- Demographics :...
.