Mabou, Nova Scotia

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St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Mabou. For years, many photographers, artists and musicians have been inspired by this beautiful place.

Mabou is a small Canadian rural community located in Inverness County on the west coast of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. The population in 2001 was 1,289 residents.^[1]

The name Mabou is thought to derive from Mi'kmaq name "Malabo", shortened from "Malabokek", meaning "place where two rivers meet" (the Mabou and Southwest Mabou rivers).

The village is renowned for its hospitality, beauty and cultural strength.

The community is located at the head of an inlet off the Gulf of St. Lawrence named "Mabou Harbour" and is surrounded by low mountains which are part of the Creignish Hills. During the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century Mabou's primary economic activity was underground coal mining with several collieries located in the surrounding area. A railway was constructed from the Strait of Canso to haul coal, and transport ships would dock in Mabou Harbour to be loaded.

Mining activity ceased following World War II and the railway was abandoned during the late 1980s. Today Mabou is primarily a fishing port for a small fleet of lobster boats. It also hosts a high school serving central Inverness County. It is also a very strong community with many farms.

The Rankin Family, a renowned group of singers-songwriters, and the Premier of Nova Scotia, Rodney MacDonald, all hail from Mabou.