Blog
Stories, insights, and community voices from Pictou County.
Pictou County's Gaelic Heritage: Music, Language, and Living Traditions
Scottish Gaelic survived in Nova Scotia long after it faded in most of Scotland itself — carried by immigrant families, preserved in church and home, and still alive today in music, festivals, and community.
The Sobey Family Story: From a Small Stellarton Shop to a National Empire
In 1907, John William Sobey started delivering meat from a small shop in Stellarton. Over four generations, that single store became Sobeys Inc. — one of Canada's largest grocery retailers.
Women Who Shaped Pictou County: Untold Stories of Strength and Leadership
Behind the recorded history of industry and immigration are the women who built the churches, staffed the schools, ran the farms, and held the communities together — often without credit or recognition.
The Pictou Lobster Carnival: 90+ Years of Community Celebration
Since 1934, the Pictou Lobster Carnival has marked the close of the spring lobster season — making it the oldest lobster festival in North America and one of Nova Scotia's most beloved annual traditions.
New Glasgow Through the Decades: From Frontier Town to Regional Hub
New Glasgow grew from a small settlement on the East River into the commercial and cultural heart of Pictou County — shaped by shipbuilding, coal, steel, and the ambitions of families whose names are still on buildings today.
The Mi'kmaq of Pictou County: The Original Stewards of Pictou Harbour
Before the Ship Hector, before the settlers, before the coal mines — the Mi'kmaq people called this place Piktuk, and their story in Pictou County goes back thousands of years.
Coal, Steel, and Community: Pictou County's Industrial Revolution
Long before the oil sands or the automotive plants, Pictou County was the industrial engine of Atlantic Canada — where the steam age arrived first and left its deepest mark.
The Ship Hector: How 189 Highlanders Became the Founders of New Scotland
On September 15, 1773, 189 Scottish Highlanders stepped ashore at Pictou Harbour — a moment that would define Nova Scotia's identity for centuries to come.