Peggy`s Cove Lighthouse Canada. Photo By MaxFalconJJT – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Peggy’s Cove Area 


 

A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet with a narrow, restricted entrance. Peggy’s Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia’s Halifax Regional Municipality.  

There are over 150 lighthouses on Nova Scotia’s vast coastline. The most famous one is Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. It is one of the most popular, most photographed tourist spots in Canada.  

Peggy’s Cove is famed for its picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic.  

Here are 10 fascinating facts about Peggy’s Cove. 

1. Peggy’s Cove Has a Small Population 

Peggy’s Cove is located southwest of the Downtown Halifax district, on the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay. In the early 1900s, the population peaked at about 300 people. 

The community supported a schoolhouse, church, general store, lobster cannery, and boats of all sizes that were nestled in the cove. Currently, the small fishing village has a small population of about 30 all-year-round residents.  

Its proximity to Halifax makes it easily accessible to millions of tourists who flock to Peggy’s Cove. They eagerly take memorable photographs and enjoy beautiful ocean views and magnificent sunsets.  

The scenery is beautiful which makes artists and photographers flock to Peggy’s Cove. Over the years, as roads improved so did the number of tourists. 

Today the population is smaller but Peggy’s Cove remains an active fishing village and a favorite tourist destination. 

2. Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse Served as The Post Office 

Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. One of the world’s most photographed lighthouse. Photo By Sukanta Goswami – Wikimedia Commons

This was the first lighthouse to be built in Peggy’s Cove in 1868. It was made of wood and had a beacon on the roof standing 15 meters high.  

The structure was later replaced in 1914 with a concrete one that still maintained its original octagon shape. The keeper used to light a kerosene lamp that was magnified by a reflector.  

It created a red beacon light at sundown and this marked the eastern entrance to St. Margaret’s Bay. In 1954, the lighthouse was damaged and removed by Hurricane Edna.  

It was later automated in 1958, changing the red light to white and then green in the 1970s. In 2007, the light was switched to white to conform to world standards.  

The lighthouse also served as a post office until November 2009. The lighthouse attracts millions of tourists every year. 

3. Peggy’s Cove Was Given to 6 German Families 

Quiet day at Peggy’s Cove. Photo By William B. Wikimedia Commons

There are two theories about how this area was named. One theory is that explorer Samuel De Champlain named the area after his mum Margaret whose nickname was Peggy.  

The other version is that a young shipwreck lone survivor swam to shore and was rescued by locals who named her Peggy of the cove. 

In 1811, the Province of Nova Scotia issued a land grant of more than 800 acres (320 ha) to six families of German descent. The settlers relied on fishing, farming, and livestock keeping. 

4. Fish Export Was the Main Hustle  

Peggy’s Cove’s residents generated an income from selling fish overseas. The fishermen caught different groundfish like haddock, halibut, cod, and Pollock. The fish would be thoroughly cleaned, split, and salted, then shipped overseas.  

Two centuries later, the fish population decreased, and the fishermen faced tough times, with some moving to new areas. Some chose to remain in Peggy’s Cove, and their families still fish to this day, catching lobster, tuna, and mackerel. 

Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community.   

5. Strange Hurricane Juan Hit the Village in 2003 

In the midnight hours of September 2003, a series of waves hit the shores of Peggy’s Cove, flooding the village due to Hurricane Juan.  

Villagers were astonished by the waves crashing into the town from the east, which was strange because the village harbor is exposed only to the west.  

The waves were as high as 300 to 400 meters, rising over a low 5-meter ridge. Eyewitnesses say the wall of water was 4 to 5 feet tall, flowing across the road into the harbor, damaging a garage, and causing extremely high-water levels and wind currents.   

6. An Airplane Crashed in This Area 

Swissair Flight 111 Memorial Site at Peggy’s Cove. Photo By Dennis Jarvis – Wikimedia Commons

On 2nd September 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed into St. Margaret’s Bay approximately eight kilometers (five miles) southwest of Peggy’s Cove. All the 229 passengers and crew on board lost their lives. 

Volunteers of privately owned fishing boats were the first responders at the crash site. Following the crash, many families and media came to Peggy’s Cove to see the crash site. A memorial site was built to commemorate the victims of the crash.   

7. There is a Museum in Ivan Fraser’s Home 

Ivan Fraser is an artist and photographer who painted a beautiful mural of Peggy’s Cove. His works of art attract curious tourists and he conducts guided tours in his museum home.  

He has interesting and unique art pieces with exciting painting techniques. He authored the book ‘Peggy of the Cove’ a book about the sole survivor of a shipwreck who Peggy’s Cove was believed to be named after. 

8. There is also an Art Gallery in Penny’s Cove 

Fisherman’s Monument by William E. deGarthe Photo By Dennis Jarvis – Wikimedia Commons

William De Garthe was a Finnish-born sculptor and artist who lived in Peggy’s Cove. William began a ten-year project in the 1970s to sculpt the “lasting monument to Nova Scotia fishermen” on a 100 feet granite behind his home.  

He invited one of his students to help him with the sculpture, working on it together for five years. William died in 1983 when the project was about 80% complete.  

The marvelous work of art portrays thirty-two fishermen, their wives, and children enveloped by the wings of the guardian angel St. Elmo. Peggy’s (shipwreck survivor) image is also featured in the sculpture.  

He passed down the sculpture to the province of Nova Scotia. The sculptor invites thousands of tourists who also come to view his paintings in his former home, which was converted into an art gallery. 

9. Peggy’s Cove Has New Owners 

A family from Toronto purchased six historic buildings in Peggy’s Cove. The buildings include cottages, a schoolhouse, and businesses.  

They intend to repair and preserve the authenticity of the buildings. The owners want to reinvest the proceeds from the businesses back into the community through programs and initiatives. 

10. Peggy Cove’s Has Danger Zones 

The Warning Sign at Peggy’s Cove Photo By Christine Rondeau – Wikimedia Commons

Unfortunately, many people have lost their lives to rouge waves. The strong waves sweep up people to the sea. Tourists are advised to be extra cautious of the rocky coastline and unpredictable, dangerous waves that splash on the rocks at any time.  

Several casualties have lost their lives by standing too close to the black rocks, slipping from the edge, and being carried away by unpredictable waves.  

Tourists should pay attention to the warning signs erected in different danger zones. 

 

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