Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia

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Whycocomagh is small Canadian rural community in the province of Nova Scotia. The population in 2001 was 854 residents.^[1] It is located on the eastern edge of Inverness County in the central part of Cape Breton Island. The community sits on the northwestern shore of St. Patrick's Channel, an arm of Bras d'Or Lake. Whycocomagh is a Mi'kmaq word which means 'Head of the Waters'.

The community is bisected by the Skye River, with the Whycocomagh and We'koqma'q First Nations (a Mi'kmaq community, (pop. 624)^[2]) located west of the river, whereas the community of Whycocomagh is located east of the river and is dominated by descendants of English and Scottish settlers who came to the area in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Highway 105, the Trans-Canada Highway runs along the lake shore through the area. The beauty of Whycocomagh was noted by Alexander Graham Bell, who is known to have stated that "Whycocomagh is the Rio de Janeiro of North America" due to the picturesque island off its shores.

Whycocomagh is a small village which features several gas stations, several local restaurants and a farmer's market. The Whycocomagh Education Center, where the Whycocomagh Eco Centre is localed, also serves as an Elementary school for the surrounding area.