Shelburne, Nova Scotia
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Shelburne is a town located in southwestern
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, Canada.


History

Shelburne lies at the southwest corner of Nova Scotia, at roughly the same latitude as
Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
, in the United States. The
Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...
call the large and well-sheltered harbour ''Logumkeegan'' or ''Sogumkeagum.'' The first settlers arrived in the Shelburne region around 13,000 years ago. The Mi'kmaq First Nations travelled by canoe along the Roseway River, setting up encampments along the shores in summer. Mi'kmaq residents referred to Shelburne's sheltered harbour as Logumkeegan or Sogumkeagum. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s, the territory of Mi'kma'ki was divided into seven districts, each led by a District Chief. The displacement of the Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaq communities consists of a long and painful history including the introduction of European diseases in the 1500s, the occupation of unceded land, as well as removal of Indigenous children from their homes in the 20th century through the Sixties Scoop and Residential School program. Nova Scotia eventually set aside 26,000 acres as reserve land owned by the Canadian Government. Indigenous communities continue to inhabit Shelburne and surrounding communities, and the Acadia First Nation has opened a sub-office office in Shelburne to serve off-reserve members in this region. When European settlers arrived in Shelburne, they followed Indigenous Mi'kmaq routes to fish, hunt and trap. Initial foreign explorers included fishermen from Spain, Portugal, and France. Following the arrival of Samuel de Champlain, French settlers began to arrive in Nova Scotia between 1632 and 1653, with some forming the fishing settlement of Port Razoir in Shelburne. Ownership of these Acadian colonies moved between French and English rule until the War of Spanish Succession ended in 1713, turning Nova Scotian Acadians over to the British. Following the Acadians' repeated refusal to fight the French, the British Governor and Nova Scotia council began to deport the Acadians of Grand Pre and Port Royal in 1755. Some families took refuge in the Cape Sable region (comprising Yarmouth and Shelburne) until this community, too, was sent into exile between 1756 and 1759. During this period, homes and communities were destroyed and burned, and Acadian families were separated and forcibly moved throughout the American colonies or into Europe. Many of Shelburne County's Acadian residents landed in Massachusetts, and throughout the Grand Derangement some were imprisoned, some died at sea, others fled to Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or sought shelter with Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaq communities. By 1764, small groups of Acadians were allowed to return-and most reside today within the Maritimes. In 1783, 10,000 enslaved persons (a fifth of the United States' black population) fought alongside British soldiers in the American Revolution-promised freedom in return. Departing from New York, many Loyalists relocated to Nova Scotia at the end of the war, with 5,000 arriving in Shelburne Harbour in the first wave. About 1,500
Black Loyalists Black Loyalists were people of African descent who sided with Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. In particular, the term referred to men enslaved by Patriot (American Revolution), Patriots who served ...
settled in Shelburne County and Birchtown, to the west, became the largest community of free black people anywhere in North America. Upon arrival, Black Loyalists waited for land grants from the British authorities that were delayed, smaller, and in worse locations than their white counterparts. Many Black Loyalists were forced into indentured servitude, little different from the conditions they had escaped; some were kidnapped and sold back into slavery further south. By 1784, the population of Port Roseway (now the Town of Shelburne) reached 10,000-larger than Halifax or Montreal, and housing some of New York's wealthiest families. With this growth, industries began to develop including cod and whale fishing, and lumber and timber trades. But tensions were soon on the upswing, with Nova Scotian slave owners feeling threatened by the presence of these freed Black Loyalists, and white refugees frustrated at trying to compete for work, unwilling to accept such low compensations. On July 26, 1784, a mob of white Loyalists settlers stormed the home of a black preacher in Shelburne armed with hooks and chains stolen from harboured ships, inciting North America's first race riot. Only one person was ever charged in connection with these riots, and the event is considered reflective of the broader racist prejudices encountered by Black Loyalists throughout Nova Scotia for the years to come. In 1786 the first ship was built on Shelburne's harbour. Commissary Island (once holding rations dispensed to Loyalists) and Black's Brook became shipyards, leading the way for many other builders. In the 19th century, the river was repurposed for log driving, with temporary dams constructed along the stream. This wealth didn't last long though, and the Shelburne economy quickly began to decline. Many Black Loyalists settled elsewhere across the province, and in 1791, at least half of Birchtown's residents agreed to depart for a new colony in Sierra Leone. The agricultural prospects in Shelburne were weak, and transportation links to the rest of the province were limited, leading to an eventual decline. By the 1820s, the population of Shelburne declined to 300. Another period of immigration began in 1818 when a mass of Welsh immigrants founded the first Welsh settlement in Canada, along the west side of the river in what is now Welshtown. Shelburne was incorporated as a town in 1907. Shelburne's historic waterfront has attracted film productions, with many remaining buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Shelburne County Museum, Christ Church, and Ross-Thomson House. Fishing is still a primary industry in the Town of Shelburne, and other local industries include lumber, fish processing, barrel manufacturing, granite monuments, and marine supplies. While ship building is no longer a major employer, visitors can visit the J C Williams Dory Shop to witness construction methods of the late 19th century.


Port Razoir, Cape/Port Roseway, Shelburne

The first Europeans to make a settlement on these shores were the French
Acadians The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French colonial empire, French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern Americ ...
. They set up a small fishing settlement known as Port Razoir in the late 17th century, named after the harbour's resemblance to an open
razor A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors. While the razor has been in existence since be ...
. Early European settlers had small subsistence farms, but most of the inhabitants' income from that time to the present has been derived from the sea. The Acadian fishing settlement was abandoned after repeated raids from
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
colonists during
Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) or the Third Indian War was one in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Gr ...
in 1705, in which five Acadians were taken prisoner, and again in 1708. On May 14, 1715, New England naval commander Cyprian Southack attempted to create a permanent fishing station at a place he named "Cape Roseway" (now known as Shelburne). Shortly after he set up a base, in July 1715 the Mi'kmaq raided the station and burned it to the ground. In response, Southack led a raid on Canso, Nova Scotia (1718) and encouraged Governor Phillips to fortify Canso. New England fishermen knew Shelburne as "Port Roseway" and frequently used the outer harbour for seasonal shelter and repairs. Pirate Ned Low raided the New England fishing fleet at Shelburne Harbour in 1723, capturing 13 ships and taking Philip Ashton captive. After the forced expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, there were no European settlers for several decades. Alexander McNutt attempted to start a settlement in 1765 but was not successful.


American Revolution

In the spring of 1783, more than 5,000 settlers arrived on the shores of Shelburne Harbour from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
and the Middle Colonies of the
Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America. The Thirteen C ...
. These settlers were
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
(referred to later in Canada as
United Empire Loyalists United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Quebec and Governor General, governor ...
), Anglo-American colonists who had opposed the
Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
and remained loyal to Britain. The Crown offered them free land, tools, and provisions as compensation to lure them to settle in this relatively undeveloped area. Four hundred families associated to form a town at Port Roseway, which Governor John Parr renamed Shelburne later that year, after
Lord Shelburne William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (2 May 17377 May 1805), known as the Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Anglo-Irish Whig statesman who was the first home secr ...
, the British
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
. This group was led by the Port Roseway Associates, who had formed while still in New York and petitioned Governor Parr for the land. The Black Loyalists, a large group of enslaved African Americans who escaped their masters to British lines and were promised freedom, were evacuated and transported by British forces to Shelburne Harbour at the same time. They founded Birchtown to the west of Shelburne. It became North America's largest free black settlement. But the Black Loyalists had to endure long waits before receiving land, were granted less than the whites, and faced discrimination from other colonists, including some who had even taken enslaved people with them to Canada. In July 1784 some of the white Loyalists conducted the Shelburne Riots against the African Americans. In the fall of 1783, a second wave of settlers arrived in Shelburne. The community was settled by Loyalists soldiers of the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment. By 1784, the population of this new community is estimated to have been 17,000, making it the fourth-largest city in North America. But, initial hopes were short-lived; the settlement suffered from a lack of viable agricultural land, poor inland transportation links, and too few pioneers who knew how to develop frontier property. These problems curtailed its economic growth. The population fell sharply by the 1790s, leaving many abandoned buildings. However, the remaining residents gradually developed the harbour potential as a
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
and
shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
centre. In 1792 more than 1,000 Black Loyalists from across Nova Scotia accepted a British offer to resettle in
Freetown Freetown () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, e ...
(current
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
), a newly founded British colony in West Africa. They became the core of an ethnic group that became known as Krios (for Creoles), which included numerous black poor of London (many of them also African Americans resettled after the American Revolution), formerly enslaved persons resettled from
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, and persons liberated from illegal trading ships after Britain and the United States prohibited the
Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...
.


Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
is a historically significant industry in the area. The first vessel launched at Shelburne was the 181-ton ''Roseway'', built for MacLean and Bogle in 1786. Commissary Island, now a
peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
, was the area from which supplies of
flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...
,
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
, and
salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
were dispensed to the Loyalists by the Commissary General, Mr. Brinley. Later, this area became the shipyard of Joseph McGill. The Cox family also built their own ships and conducted extensive
international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...
. The former MacKay shipyard was located in Shelburne at Black's Brook.
Donald McKay Donald McKay (September 4, 1810 – September 20, 1880) was a Nova Scotian-born American designer and shipbuilder, builder of sailing ships, famed for his record-setting extreme clippers. Early life McKay was born in Jordan Falls, Shelburne ...
, famous in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
for the
clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. The term was also retrospectively applied to the Baltimore clipper, which originated in the late 18th century. Clippers were generally narrow for their len ...
s which he built at
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, began his shipbuilding career in Shelburne. He was born at Jordan Falls in 1810 and left the area at the age of 16 to apprentice in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. Led by master shipbuilders such as Amos Pentz and James Havelock Harding, Shelburne shipyards built many fishing schooners in the banks fishing era, as well as a notable research yacht inspired by fishing schooners, the schooner ''Blue Dolphin'' in 1926. In May 1945, following Germany's surrender, U-889 surrendered to the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
at Shelburne, Nova Scotia.


Buildings

Many of Shelburne's buildings date back to Loyalist times. The Shelburne County Museum is a restored home built in 1787 by David Nairn, a cooper from
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. The present-day Christ Church (Anglican) is on the site of the original building of the same name, which was designed by Loyalist Isaac Hildreth and consecrated by Bishop Charles Inglis in 1790. The original structure was destroyed by fire in 1971. Tottie's Store is thought to have been built by John Tottie about the year 1800. At each corner of the intersection of Water Street and George Street, sit dwellings that were built in 1783. In 1787, government distribution of provisions to the new settlers was terminated. As the settlement was not yet self-supporting, many settlers put their houses up for sale or abandoned them. They left for
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
,
Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...
, and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. About half the population of African Americans left, many going to the new colony of
Freetown Freetown () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, e ...
in West Africa (now Sierra Leone). By the 1820s, the population of Shelburne had dwindled to about 300.


Present day

Shelburne was incorporated as a town on April 4, 1907. Some descendants of the first-generation immigrant Loyalists still live in the area today. Fishing remains the primary industry with approximately 9.5 million pounds of fish passing through the port annually. Other economic activities include tourism,
aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...
, fish processing, and the manufacture of
barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...
s,
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
monuments, and marine supplies. In late 2011, Irving was awarded the largest-ever government shipbuilding contract, valued at approximately $35 billion. This is chiefly for work at their Halifax Shipyard, but some work is expected to be done at the Shelburne yard over the 30-year term of the contract. Cooke Aquaculture chose Shelburne as a site for a
salmon farming The aquaculture of salmonids is the farming and harvesting of salmonid fish under controlled conditions for both commercial and recreational purposes. Salmonids (particularly salmon and rainbow trout), along with carp and tilapia, are the three ...
operation. Plans are to increase the number of farms in the area to eight or more and construct a fish processing plant employing 350 people. In February 2012, the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA; ) is a regulatory agency that is dedicated to the safeguarding of food, plants, and animals (FPA) in Canada, thus enhancing the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. The age ...
quarantined one site due to a suspected outbreak of infectious salmon anemia (ISA). The area is served by a weekly newspaper, ''The Tri-County Vanguard'' out of Yarmouth, a large online news operation, radio stations east and west of the town and CBC radio from Halifax, and the regional version of ''
The Chronicle Herald ''The Chronicle Herald'' is a broadsheet newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, owned by Postmedia Network. History Early years Founded in 1874 as ''The Morning Herald'', the paper quickly became one of Halifax's main newspapers. The same ...
''. Previous local newspapers included ''The Coast Guard'', published in a building at the same intersection where newspapers were to have been published starting in 1784. Prior ones include the ''General Advertiser'', the ''Port Roseway Gazetteer'' and ''Shelburne Advertiser'', and the ''American Gazette''. On October 19, 2024, Stanley “Tanny” Jacklin was elected mayor, becoming the town’s first mayor of Black descent.


Climate

Shelburne has a
warm-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfb'') that is similar to many locations in southern Nova Scotia and coastal locations of northern New England. Due to its coastal location and the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean, Shelburne's climate is relatively temperate without major extremes in temperature. Winters are wet and cold, with snow, freezing rain, and rain frequent from mid-December to the end of March. Despite this, average Maximum temperatures averages above every month of the year, unusual for any location in Eastern Canada. Snow is common in the winter months; however, it rarely accumulates on the ground for extended periods of time. Snowstorms often change through freezing rain and then rain, thus melting accumulated snow. Following a winter storm, the air often turns clear but cold. Spring is cool and frequently damp, while summer features heavy morning fogs in June and early July, usually followed by clear, warm days until the end of September. Autumn weather features pleasant days and cool nights, which can extend well into November. Due to the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean, autumn weather can often extend into late November or early December. Snowfall that lies on the ground is uncommon until January and Shelburne are susceptible to strong coastal storms called
Nor'easters A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low-p ...
, which bring heavy rains, pounding surf and damaging winds. These can occur from mid-autumn to spring. Shelburne is also susceptible to
hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
, which can occasionally affect the area from August to October.


Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Shelburne had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.


Environmental hazards

In 1946 the Morvan Road Landfill was established in the Patterson's Division of the Town of Shelburne, in direct proximity to the African Nova Scotian community living in the south-end of town. The roots of these communities were established after the 1776
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
which forced the relocation and settlement of
Black Loyalist Black Loyalists were people of African descent who sided with Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. In particular, the term referred to men enslaved by Patriots who served on the Loyalist side because of the Crown's guarantee of fr ...
s to Canadian lands. The placement of this
landfill A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...
in direct proximity to minority communities represents an issue of
environmental racism Environmental racism, ecological racism, or ecological apartheid is a form of racism leading to negative environmental outcomes such as landfills, Incineration, incinerators, and hazardous waste disposal disproportionately impacting Community ...
, especially when these communities face disproportionate effects to these hazards and have less political power to fight against the issue. The landfill was used for various types of waste including industrial, medical, and residential. The burning of waste over decades created ample amounts of air pollution which were breathed in by surrounding communities, raising major health concerns. This directly affected the quality of life for these communities as the burning of the waste gave off wretched smells causing the inability to breathe, unable to go outside, needing to change their clothes multiple times, and unable to perform daily acts. Considering the waste dump was uphill of residential homes, run-off from waste would contaminate water resources used by the community. This again raised concerns regarding the health of citizens, questions surrounding increased carcinogens, and cancerous death rates within the community. The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (the ENRICH Project), conducted research within the community to display that waste dumps are disproportionately located in African Nova Scotian and
Miꞌkmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...
communities throughout Nova Scotia which have been highlighted as examples of environmental racism in Nova Scotia. They found evidence that these communities suffer from increased rates of cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other chronic diseases. The collaboration of the ENRICH Project with local communities sparked ideas of creating a grassroots movement amongst community members. They founded the South End Environmental Injustice Society (SEED), a nonprofit community initiative that represents a response to establishment of the landfill near the African Nova Scotian and low-income community in Shelburne. SEED allowed members of the community to express their concerns regarding the Morvan Road Landfill, forming partnerships to address these issues. Further raising awareness about health concerns, they conducted research to determine the link between cancer rates within the African Nova Scotian communities in the south end. Their community map discovered the higher prevalence of cancer amongst African men in comparison to the general community, pushing them to discover why the proximity impacts both physical and mental health concerns. SEED collaborated with the ENRICH project to conduct research on the water quality, in search of contaminants that might explain the increased cancer rates. This collaboration not only provided statistical evidence but allowed their voices to be heard at a government level. After the completion of inspections in June 2016, they closed the dump to waste outside of community disposal. SEED, along with other community members, continued their efforts after concern of the landfill still affecting community health, eventually leading to the closure of the landfill in December 2016. This has since moved toward combating "environmental racism" in Canada as a whole, leading to the establishment of Bill C-230.


Film production

In 1992, Dock Street was the location for the filming of ''Mary Silliman's War'', based on the life of Mary Silliman and depicting
Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Connecticut, Trumbull, Easton, Connecticut, Easton, Weston, Connecticut, W ...
, during the American Revolution. In 1994, Dock Street was the location of the film ''
The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a historical novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who concei ...
'', based on
Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...
's novel about Puritan New England in the mid-17th century. Some of the buildings on Dock Street still retain the grey-tone paint finishes used for the film. Other movies made in Shelburne have been '' Virginia's Run'' and '' Wilby Wonderful''. In 2008 an old naval station in the Shelburne area was sold to a group who planned to make more movies at a
sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
located on the station; they sold the complex for other purposes. In 2009, filming for portions of the two-part TV miniseries, ''
Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...
,'' was carried out in Shelburne. A recreation of the Whaleman's Chapel was constructed on the waterfront and the Spouter's Inn constructed as a set in Cox's Warehouse. The series stars William Hurt as Ahab,
Gillian Anderson Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress, writer, and activist. She is best known for her roles as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002; 2016–2018), Lily Bart in the dr ...
as his wife Elizabeth,
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...
as Starbuck and
Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024) was a Canadian actor. With a career spanning six decades, he received List of awards and nominations received by Donald Sutherland, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award ...
as Father Mappel. In 2014 filming for '' The Book of Negroes'' occurred on historic Dock Street, with Shelburne being featured as itself. Parts of the 2019 documentary '' There's Something in the Water'' were filmed in Shelburne.


Public library

Located at 17 Glasgow Street in Shelburne, the McKay Memorial Library is one of the larger branches of the
Western Counties Regional Library Western Counties Regional Library is a regional public library with 10 branches serving the counties of Digby County, Nova Scotia, Digby, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Shelburne and Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth in southwestern Nova Scoti ...
. It joined the Western Counties Regional Library on June 5, 1969, but it did not have a physical location in Shelburne until the first branch opened on February 15, 1970. The branch relocated to its present site on July 21, 1989.WCRL – McKay Memorial Library
Retrieved August 13, 2010.


Parks

*The Islands Provincial Park is located nearby in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne.


Notable people

* Jody Holden, beach volleyball player * Gideon White, politician and captain in the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment


See also

*
List of municipalities in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is the Population of Canada by province and territory, seventh-most populous provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada with 969,383 residents as of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Census of Population, and the List of Can ...
* Reids Hill


References


External links

* * {{Coord, 43, 45, 48, N, 65, 19, 25, W, name=Shelburne Nova Scotia, region:CA-NS_type:city(1879)_scale:100000, display=title 1783 establishments in Nova Scotia Populated places established in 1783 Communities in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia Towns in Nova Scotia Populated coastal places in Canada Unincorporated communities in Nova Scotia William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne