Parrsboro, Nova Scotia

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Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
Main Street Parrsboro
Logo
Motto: Parrsboro 'Rocks'
Location of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 45°24′21″N 64°19′33″W / 45.40583, -64.32583
Country	Canada
Province	Nova Scotia
Municipality	Cumberland County
Founded	1670
Incorporated	July 15, 1889
Government
- Mayor	Doug Robinson
- Governing Body	Parrsboro Town Council
Area
- Total	14.88 km² (5.7 sq mi)
Elevation	0-47 m (0-155 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	1,401
- Density	94.1/km² (243.7/sq mi)
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
Postal code	B0M 1S0
Area code(s)	902
Telephone Exchange	254
Median Earnings*	$14,519+
NTS Map	021H08
GNBC Code	CBCYW
*Median household income, 2000 ($) (all households) Part of a series about Places in Nova Scotia
Website: http://www.town.parrsboro.ns.ca/

Parrsboro (2006 population: 1,401) is a Canadian town located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.

The town is known for its port on the Minas Basin, the Ship's Company Theatre productions and the Fundy Geological Museum.

[edit] History

Prior to the arrival of European settlers, Parrsboro was a portage point for Mikmaq travellers along the Minas Basin and Cumberland County river systems. The native inhabitants called the region "Awokum," meaning a 'short-cut' or 'passing-over point.'^[1]

The first European settlers were the Acadians in 1670 at the western mouth of the Parrsboro Harbour, near Partridge Island.^[2] After they were expelled in 1755, they were replaced by settlers from New England.^[3] The old settlement, Mill Village, was renamed Parrsboro in honour of Nova Scotia Governor John Parr in 1784, and the town was incorporated on July 15, 1889.^[4]

The Springhill and Parrsboro Railway began service to the town from the coal mining town of Springhill on July 1, 1877; Parrsboro became a coal shipping port for the Springhill mines, primarily serving Saint John, New Brunswick. Railway service to Parrsboro was abandoned on June 14, 1958, following several years of declining shipments, several months before the 1958 mining disaster.^[5]

Throughout the late 19th century and first four decades of the twentieth century, Parrsboro saw daily ferry service across the Minas Basin to the Annapolis Valley ports of Kingsport and Wolfville. The 13th and final vessel in this service, operated by the Dominion Atlantic Railway, was the MV Kipawo, which is now permanently beached at Parrsboro and incorporated into the Ship's Company Theatre performance centre.^[6]

A Handley Page V/1500 named Atlantic made a forced landing in Parrsboro July 5, 1919. When the starboard engine failed the pilot, Major Brackley saw the lights of the town during the night and landed. After three months, the aircraft was repaired and departed for Greenport, New York, Parrsboro's sister town.^[7] The local Air Cadet Squadron, 689 Handley Page, is named after this event.

On April 10, 1984, Parrsboro resident Eldon George located the world's smallest dinosaur footprints at Wasson's Bluff, a cliff to the east of Parrsboro Harbour. The prints are now on display at the Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop and Museum, owned by George. ^[8]

[edit] Town features

Former Parrsboro Customs House, locally referred to as the "Old Post Office." It is a traditional meeting place of local youth.

As with much of rural Nova Scotia, the primary industry in Parrsboro is tourism. The town is known for its seasonal theatre productions, fossil and rockhounding attractions, museums and high tides. The coastline around Parrsboro is abundant with cliffs that contain fossils of prehistoric animals and plants. Many of these collectibles are visible in local museums.

Of the three museums in Parrsboro, two are dedicated to geological history. The Fundy Geological Museum, located along the eastern shore of Parrsboro Harbour,^[9] and the Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop and Museum, along the western shore,^[10] display many unearthed discoveries and provide information on the history of the region's landscape.

The third museum is the Ottawa House. It was built 1775 but contains evidence of Acadian construction as well as several additions. Located along the western coast of Parrsboro Harbour, near Partridge Island, it occupies the original town site and is near the legendary landing site of Henry Sinclair, 1397, and the factual site of Samuel de Champlain, 1607. It was the summer home of Father of Confederation Sir Charles Tupper, 1860s, and was named in honour of the Confederation of Canada. A major focus is Parrsboro's shipbuilding history and the museum has many artifacts that date to the Age of Sail.^[11]

Other town features include local churches, a library, a primary and secondary school, and a radio station, Parrsboro Community Radio on 99.1 FM.

[edit] Economy

Although Parrsboro has a flourishing tourism industry and several small businesses, the town - common to many maritime communities is economically struggling. The decline of wooden shipbuilding dealt a severe blow to the local economy, along with neighbouring communities such as Port Greville and Shulie. The town also suffered from the depletion of local forests and the closing of the Springhill coal mines which ended coal shipments. A further blow was the relocation of the Trans-Canada Highway, which once ran through the centre of town but was relocated in the 1960s to the Wentworth Valley.

However a number of businesses have remained consistent and sustainable. In addition to a number of small fishing operators and mills in the area, the town is also the base of several large blueberry operations and is home to Parrsboro Metal Fabricators, a firm which has found a successfully niche in producing home heating oil tanks for the region. Small businesses in or near Parrsboro include a supermarket, a Tim Hortons, a Home Hardware, an Irving Oil gas station, a convenience store, a golf course, a skating arena and a tavern. There are many accommodations and restaurants in Parrsboro due to the large tourist attraction.^[12]

In 2006, a British Columbia based board game manufacturer Headz Gamez announced that it was relocating 1,500 manufacturing jobs from its facilities in China to Parrsboro. Promises of manufacturing facilities, employee housing and recreation facilities were made. The project, however, was canceled later that year after the CEO sold off his personal company stock and resigned his position. The company declared bankruptcy in early 2007.^[13]

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2001 Canadian Census, 99 percent of the population speak English only and 100 percent of the population is white. Protestant residents compose 73 percent of the population and Catholic citizens make up the other 27 percent.^[14]

[edit] Parrsboro's Sister Cities

• Greenport, New York, USA.
• Blue Lake, California, USA.^[15]

[edit] External links

• Town of Parrsboro
• Google map of Parrsboro
• Official Site of the Ship's Company Theatre
• Parrsboro Fossil Site
• Fundy Geological Museum
• Central Nova Tourist Association - official website

[edit] References

• Parrsboro Centennial Book Committee. Heritage Homes and History of Parrsboro. Halifax, NS: McCurdy Printing and Typesetting, 1988.

		Lakelands on Trunk 2		v • d • e
	Kirkhill on Route		New Prospect on Trunk 2
		Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
	West Bay	Minas Basin	Greenhill