Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Antigonish (/ˌæntɪɡəˈnɪʃ/;[2] Scottish Gaelic: Am Baile Mòr, pronounced [am ˈpalə ˈmuːɾ]) is a town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous Highland games outside Scotland. It is approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Halifax, the provincial capital.

"Antigonish" redirects here. For other uses, see Antigonish (disambiguation).
Antigonish

Gaelic: Am Baile Mòr
Town
St. Ninian's Cathedral
Seal
Coat of arms
Antigonish
Location of Antigonish in Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 45°37′N 61°59′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceNova Scotia
CountyAntigonish County
Founded1784
IncorporatedJanuary 9, 1889
Government
 • TypeTown Council
 • MayorLaurie Boucher
 • Governing BodyAntigonish Town Council
 • MLARandy Delorey (Liberal)
 • MPSean Fraser (L)
Area
 (2016)[1]
 • Town5.01 km2 (1.93 sq mi)
 • Urban
5.49 km2 (2.12 sq mi)
Highest elevation
34 m (112 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 • Town4,364
 • Density871.7/km2 (2,258/sq mi)
 • Urban
5,002
 • Urban density910/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Antigonisher
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (ADT)
Canadian Postal code
B2G
Area code(s)902
Telephone Exchanges318 735 863 867 870 872 948 968 971
Median household income, 2000 (all households)$41,773
NTS Map011F12
GNBC CodeCAATB
Websitewww.townofantigonish.ca
Places in Nova Scotia

History

Antigonish had been the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coastal community prior to European settlement.[3] The original definition of the name has been lost as the Mi'kmaq language has undergone many revisions over the last two centuries. The first European settlement took place in 1784 when Lt. Colonel Timothy Hierlihy of the Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment received a large land grant surrounding Antigonish Harbour.[4] Hierlihy and his party founded the Dorchester settlement, named for Sir Guy Carleton, who was Governor General of Canada and subsequently Lord Dorchester. Shortly after, Sgt Nathan Pushee of the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment settled at Chedabucto (present-day Guysborough), eventually establishing present-day Amherst, Nova Scotia.[5] In 1796 another settler, with the assistance of a First Nations guide, blazed a trail from Antigonish Harbour to Brown's Mountain, using the shortest route. This trail became a guide for travellers and eventually evolved into a winding Main Street. By the late 1820s, Dorchester was commonly referred to as Antigonish. In 1852, a newspaper, The Casket, began publication. It was recently purchased by Bounty Print in 2015.[6]

St. Francis Xavier University was established in Antigonish in 1855, having been founded in 1853 in Arichat, Cape Breton and originally called the College of East Bay after East Bay, Nova Scotia where an earlier institution had once existed (1824–1829). St.F.X. was originally a Catholic seminary and was granted full university powers in 1866 by an act of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. The town is also the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish.

The first hospital in Antigonish opened on June 10, 1906.

Antigonish is notable for having a social movement named for it, the Antigonish Movement, launched from St. Francis Xavier University in the 1920s by local priests and educators including Moses Coady and Jimmy Tompkins.

Demographics
Historical populations
YearPop.±%
19011,838—    
19111,787−2.8%
19211,746−2.3%
19311,784+2.2%
19412,157+20.9%
19513,196+48.2%
19563,592+12.4%
19614,344+20.9%
YearPop.±%
19815,205+19.8%
19865,291+1.7%
19914,924−6.9%
19964,860−1.3%
20014,754−2.2%
20064,236−10.9%
20114,524+6.8%
20164,364−3.5%
[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Antigonish recorded a population of 4,364 living in 1,997 of its 2,596 total private dwellings, a change of -3.5% from its 2011 population of 4,524. With a land area of 5.01 km2 (1.93 sq mi), it had a population density of 871.1/km2 (2,256.0/sq mi) in 2016.[1]

Economy

Antigonish is a service centre for the surrounding region that includes Antigonish and Guysborough Counties and many local businesses are based in the service sector. There are no major industrial operations located in the town or county. The workforce is primarily white collar with the largest employers being St. Martha's Regional Hospital and St. Francis Xavier University. Until 2011, Antigonish accommodated Canada Post's National Philatelic Centre, which provided mail-order services for worldwide collectors of Canadian stamps.

Highway 104 Twinning

In 2005, the provincial government approved the twinning of Highway 104 from Addington Forks Road easterly 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to Taylor Road.[14] In 2017, the provincial government announced that a further 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Sutherlands River to Antigonish would be twinned, thus creating an uninterrupted four-lane highway network from Halifax to Antigonish. The project is expected to be completed by the early to mid 2020s, without the creation of tolls.[15]

2004–06 building boom

The Antigonish area experienced great deal of economic growth and retail development between 2004 and 2006 when the retail landscape of the town and county changed significantly. Much of the growth took place in the Post Road area, just outside town. Atlantic Superstore, Walmart, and Central (now Kent) constructed new stores while the former Atlantic SuperValue, also located in this area, was redeveloped as a Staples Business Depot.

Other areas also saw growth. In June 2005, Shoppers Drug Mart opened a new store downtown while the NSLC opened a new store attached to the existing Sobeys store, located next to mall.

A multi-unit retail annex was constructed at the local shopping mall in the spring of 2006. This complex houses a new Cleve's sporting goods store, and other businesses and services. The mall area also saw the construction of a Boston Pizza restaurant which opened in late 2006. The new A&W restaurant that opened in February 2007, could also be considered part of the building boom as construction began in late 2006.

Education
St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Canada.

St. Francis Xavier University is located in Antigonish. St. Francis Xavier has 4,267 full-time students and 500 part-time students. It was named as the best primarily undergraduate university in Canada by Maclean's magazine for five consecutive years (2002–2006). St. Francis Xavier is also well known for the X-Ring and the Coady International Institute.

The elementary and secondary schools in Antigonish fall under the jurisdiction of the Strait Regional School Board. Antigonish is home to three public schools: Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School, St. Andrew Junior School and the Antigonish Education Centre.

Sports and culture

The annual Antigonish Highland Games have been held since 1863. The first games were held to raise funds for the construction of St. Ninian's Cathedral.

Notable residents

Climate

Antigonish experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The highest temperature ever recorded in Antigonish was 37.8 °C (100 °F) on 12 August 1944.[17] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −35.6 °C (−32 °F) on 19 January 1925.[18]

Climate data for Southside Antigonish Harbour, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1880–present[lower-alpha 1]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.0
(62.6)		 16.7
(62.1)		 26.0
(78.8)		 29.7
(85.5)		 34.0
(93.2)		 35.6
(96.1)		 37.2
(99.0)		 37.8
(100.0)		 34.4
(93.9)		 26.7
(80.1)		 22.2
(72.0)		 17.0
(62.6)		 37.8
(100.0)
Average high °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 3.4
(38.1)		 8.6
(47.5)		 15.6
(60.1)		 21.0
(69.8)		 25.2
(77.4)		 25.0
(77.0)		 20.9
(69.6)		 13.7
(56.7)		 8.1
(46.6)		 2.7
(36.9)		 11.9
(53.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.8
(21.6)		 −5.4
(22.3)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 3.9
(39.0)		 9.8
(49.6)		 15.1
(59.2)		 19.4
(66.9)		 19.5
(67.1)		 15.3
(59.5)		 9.1
(48.4)		 4.1
(39.4)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 6.9
(44.4)
Average low °C (°F) −10.4
(13.3)		 −10.2
(13.6)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 4.0
(39.2)		 9.2
(48.6)		 13.5
(56.3)		 13.9
(57.0)		 9.8
(49.6)		 4.4
(39.9)		 0.2
(32.4)		 −5.4
(22.3)		 1.9
(35.4)
Record low °C (°F) −35.6
(−32.1)		 −35.0
(−31.0)		 −31.1
(−24.0)		 −21.1
(−6.0)		 −11.1
(12.0)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 0.6
(33.1)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −5.6
(21.9)		 −10.0
(14.0)		 −17.8
(0.0)		 −27.2
(−17.0)		 −35.6
(−32.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 118.4
(4.66)		 85.3
(3.36)		 101.0
(3.98)		 97.7
(3.85)		 74.8
(2.94)		 85.0
(3.35)		 77.7
(3.06)		 106.9
(4.21)		 94.4
(3.72)		 127.6
(5.02)		 145.6
(5.73)		 131.7
(5.19)		 1,246.1
(49.06)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 53.0
(2.09)		 40.0
(1.57)		 66.6
(2.62)		 81.9
(3.22)		 74.6
(2.94)		 85.0
(3.35)		 77.7
(3.06)		 106.9
(4.21)		 94.4
(3.72)		 127.6
(5.02)		 130.7
(5.15)		 77.7
(3.06)		 1,016.1
(40.00)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 64.1
(25.2)		 46.6
(18.3)		 33.5
(13.2)		 15.6
(6.1)		 0.2
(0.1)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 12.6
(5.0)		 56.6
(22.3)		 229.2
(90.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 17 11 14 16 14 12 11 14 15 19 19 16 178
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 8 7 10 14 14 12 11 14 15 19 16 9 149
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 12 6 7 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 42
Source 1: Environment Canada[19][20][21][22]
Source 2: The Weather Network[23][24]
  • Main Street
  • Gaelic and English road sign
  • Antigonish Landing Wildlife Area
  • Antigonish Highland Games
  • St. Paul the Apostle Anglican Church
  • Aerial view of North-west end

See also

Notes
  1. Extreme high and low temperatures were recorded at Antigonish from December 1880 to December 1947 and again from July 1979 to December 1982, at Clydesdale from September 1990 to March 1995 and at Antigonish Harbour from January 1997 to present.

References
  1. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Nova Scotia)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  2. The Canadian Press (2017), The Canadian Press Stylebook (18th ed.), Toronto: The Canadian Press
  3. "Micmac Locations". Micmac Tribe. Access Genealogy. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. After the Raid on Charlottetown (1775), Hierlihy was the commander of the defence of Prince Edward Island (See Timothy Hierlihy and his times Archived 2018-04-09 at the Wayback Machine)
  5. http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/pushee_nathan_7E.html
  6. The Casket Archived February 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  7. , Canada Year Book 1932
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2012-01-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Canada Year Book 1955
  9. Census 1956-1961 Archived August 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-08-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Canada Year Book 1967
  11. , 1996 Census of Canada: Electronic Area Profiles
  12. , Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision
  13. , Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses
  14. "Highway 104 at Antigonish". Government of Nova Scotia. Environment. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  15. "Highway between Sutherland's River and Antigonish will be twinned without tolls". The News. SaltWire Network. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  16. General, The Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "The Governor General of Canada".
  17. "Daily Data Report for August 1944". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  18. "Daily Data Report for January 1925". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  19. "Antigonish, Nova Scotia". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  20. "Antigonish 2". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  21. "Clydesdale". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  22. "South Side Harbour". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  23. "Southside Harbour, Nova Scotia". Statistics. The Weather Network. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  24. "Jimtown". Retrieved 11 November 2016.

Sources
  • Walsh, Patrick (1989). The History of Antigonish. Antigonish, N.S.: Scotia Design Publications. p. 320. ISBN 0-920147-02-X.
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