Accommodations Nova Scotia
Your Guide To Accommodations In Nova Scotia
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
In the beginning, this was Micmac land. They fished, hunted
and lived in the hills and valleys. Their warriors drove off the
French who tried to settle here in the 17th century. Legend has it
that the Indians destroyed the first settlement, and that nothing
remained intact except the Church bell.
Irish settlers came here from Prince Edward Island in 1748. They
named their village Dorchester after their commander. This
settlement was also doomed to extinction, and nothing remains of it
today except a small churchyard and a few stone foundations.
With the coming of the Scots to Pictou County, settlement spread.
The Scottish immigrants moved into the highlands. They built a
village around a network of small roads which converged where the
rivers met, and gave it a Micmac name - Antigonish - "Five Forked
Rivers of Fish."
The Scottish settlers brought with them their Gaelic language and
customs. These they have retained and nurtured through the years.
This proud heritage is celebrated annually, as it has been for over
a century, during the Antigonish Highland Games, held every July.
Originally a community event, the Highland Games has become one of
Canada's outstanding annual attractions drawing. an international
audience of thousands who enjoy the kilted massed bands, highland
dancing, piping competitions and traditional Scottish sports. The
whole town rejoices in the blaze of tartans, the swirl of the kilt,
and the skirl of the bagpipes.
Antigonish is a university town. St. Francis Xavier University was
founded in 1853. Its present student body numbers about 2,200 and
Coady International Institute enjoys a global reputation as an
institute for the study of social and economic development. Students
from 40 countries have been trained here in community development
programs.
Religion played a vital role in the lives of the pioneers who
settled here. This is evident in the churches of Antigonish. St.
Ninian's Cathedral is an outstanding example of Romanesque
architecture. Constructed of blue limestone and granite carved from
local quarries, St. Ninian's took seven years to complete. Its
facade bears the Gaelic inscription "Tigh Dhe"-House of God.
St. James United and St. Paul's Anglican churches, also of early
design. attest to the religious attitudes of the early settlers.
Antigonish offers a good choice of restaurants and accommodation,
including
motels,
bed and breakfasts and a government inspected
campground, Gift shops
display a wide selection of locally produced arts and crafts,
jewellery set with local stones, woolens, tartans, woodwork and
pottery.
The Antigonish Golf and Country Club boasts a 9 hole, 2,376 m course, less than one kilometer north of the post office.
Two tennis courts are available to the public and swimming and
boating are never tar away. Keppoch Mountain Ski Resort is only 6.5
km away.
Antigonish County is an excellent location from which to explore the
beautiful countryside and seascapes that are so typical of Nova
Scotia.
