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History
Canso is an historic fishing village,
located on the eastern tip of mainland Nova
Scotia. The history of Canso is recorded as
far back as 1504, when records indicate that
vessels from France were fishing near Canso.
North American exploration literature first
mentions Canso in 1604, when DeMonts
describes the area’s lucrative fishing
banks. In 1688, Louis the 14th writes the
following “Canso is by all accounts the best
and most convenient fishery in any part of
the King’s dominion”.
For the next 400 years, the Town of Canso
played an essential role in the shaping of
modern history. In the 1700s, Canso gained
importance as both a military and trading
region mainly due to Grassy Island, a small
island near Canso. Grassy Island, which is
now part of Canso Islands National Historic
Site, played a key role in the struggle
between French and English attempts to claim
land in North America. The importance of
Canso’s role in the history of Nova Scotia
is clearly demonstrated by the fact that in
1724, a serious attempt was made to locate
the seat of provincial government in Canso.
In the 1800’s the community continued to
flourish. Of particular importance is the
presence of two transatlantic cable
companies, the Commercial Cable Company and
Western Union. The infrastructure brought to
Canso as a result of the cable companies is
still present in the community.
In 1901, the Town of Canso incorporated.
The 1900s brought many changes for the
community, with the loss of the cable
companies in the 1960s and the downturn in
the fisheries in the early 1990s. In recent
years the Town has been diversifying its
economy, mainly through building capacity in
the technology and tourism sectors. A recent
success story is the Stan Rogers Folk
Festival, which began in the mid 1990s. The
international ECMA award winning festival
brings over ten thousand visitors to the
Town annually.
In order to celebrate 400 years of
history a series of special events have been
planned. Events include: a seafood festival,
a special New Year’s celebration, a Canso
High School Reunion, re-enactment of the
historic James Cook Voyage sponsored by the
HM Bark Endeavour Foundation and staging of
an 18th century war encampment. In addition,
the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival and
Canso Regatta will be taking place. Visitors
can be assured they will experience unique
and exciting events, along with natural
beauty and Maritime hospitality when
visiting Canso.
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