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'Parrsboro' is a town located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. As of 2001, the population is 1,529. The town is known for its Ship's Company Theatre productions and the Fundy Geological Museum.

Contents

History

Town features

Economy

See also

External links

Notes

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 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]

Town features

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, an example of Acadian construction built c1775. Located along the western coast of Parrsboro Harbour, near Partridge Island, it is near the debated 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. The museum is dedicated to Parrsboro's shipbuilding history and has many artifacts that date to the Age of Sail.^[11]
Other town features include local churches, a library and a primary and secondary school.

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.
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. Local industries include blueberry harvesting, forestry, contracting, limited fishing and a metal industry.^[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]

See also

Glooscap

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

Notes

1. Public Archives of Nova Scotia C@P Site - Place-Names and Places of Nova Scotia
2. Ottawa House By-The-Sea Museum - Acadian Presence
3. Ottawa House By-The-Sea Museum – New England Planters
4. Parrsboro Nova Scotia History
5. Parrsboro Historical Trivia Timeline
6. Kipawo
7. The Handley Page, Parrsboro, N.S., Introduction
8. Tim Fedak
9. Fundy Geological Museum, Nova Scotia - Home
10. The Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop and Museum
11. Ottawa House By-The-Sea Museum - Home
12. Business Directory, Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
13. Headz Gamez files for bankruptcy

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