| Mahone Bay | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Fog in the harbour | |
| Motto: "A Treasure Since 1754" | |
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Mahone Bay
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| Municipality | Lunenburg County |
| Founded | 1754 |
| Incorporated | March 31, 1919 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | C. Joseph Feeney |
| • MLA | Pam Birdsall (NDP) |
| • MP | Gerald Keddy (C) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.13 km2 (1.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0 - 24 m (-79 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 904 |
| • Density | 288.9/km2 (748.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
| Postal code span | B0J |
| Area code(s) | 902 |
| Telephone Exchanges | 521, 624, 627 |
| Median household income (2005) | $36,374 |
| Total private dwellings | 5,876 |
| NTS Map | |
| GNBC Code | |
| Website | Town of Mahone Bay |
Mahone Bay (2006 pop.: 904) is a town located on the northwest shore of Mahone Bay along the South Shore of Nova Scotia in Lunenburg County.
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Mahone Bay was first settled in 1754 during Father Le Loutre's War. The first to arrive were those who lived in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and had farm lots throughout the peninsula, including Mahone Bay. The people who settled on the Lunenburg Peninsula, including the present-day village of Mahone Bay, were foreign protestants who were German, Swiss, and Montbéliardais settlers.[1]
During the French and Indian War (which included the Expulsion of the Acadians), there were nine Native and Acadian (Catholic) raids against the protestant settlers on the Lunenburg Peninsula. The French, Acadians and natives were resisting the British control over Nova Scotia and Acadia. One such raid – the Raid on Lunenburg (1756) – happened just off the shores of Mahone Bay on present-day Covey Island and [John] Rous Island.
Another raid happened on 24 August 1758 in the village of Mahone Bay, when eight Mi'kmaq attacked the family homes of Lay and Brant. While they killed three people in the raid, the Mi'kmaq were unsuccessful in taking their scalps, which was the common practice for payment from the French.[2]
During the War of 1812, the American Privateer Young Teazer was trapped off the shores of Mahone Bay by the HMS Hogue (1811). To avoid capture, a crew member of the Young Teazer destroyed his own ship, killing most of the crew.[3]
The town is also known for a history of wooden boat building, it was the main industry of Mahone Bay in its earlier years. The Settler's Museum explains and shows this history in detail.
The view across the harbour of its three prominent churches (St James Anglican; Lutheran; and United) has become an iconic image of Nova Scotia, frequently photographed and featured on postcards and calendars.[4] The town is filled with upscale shops and restaurants which almost universally are designed to appeal to the tourist trade, and sometimes shut down during the winter months. The town also has a plastics factory.