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Heading down the road to Canso

In the community of Aspen you will find the Baird's Tradesmen Museum.  Enjoy displays of fine antique tools and machinery used by craftsmen of bygone years. (coopers, wheelwrights, fitters, cobblers, woodturners, blacksmiths, weavers & leatherworkers.) Open July to October.

Off Route 7, right, at Sherbrooke, a secondary road provides an alternative route to the Country Harbour ferry along the tidal portion of the St. Mary's River to Sonora (pop. 161), 10 km (6 mi.) away. From Sonora the unpaved road travels through softwood forests to Port Hilford, where Route 211 is joined.

Old and New At Stillwater (pop. 79), 5 km (3 mi.) beyond Sherbrooke on Route 7, the Marine Drive, Route 211, right, leads to Isaac's Harbour (pop.114) through Stillwater Lake, Jordanville (pop. 60), Indian Harbour Lake (pop. 122), Port Hilford (pop. 60) and Port Bickerton (pop.282).

The village of Port Bickerton, home to the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Interperative Centre.  Enter into the magic of Nova Scotia Lighthouses in a lightkeepers home. The centre provides a wealth of information about the lighthouses of Nova Scotia and celebrates the importance of lighthouses in Nova Scotia's history. The light tower on top of the house offers a wonderful view of the sea and the community of Port Bickerton. There are also nature trails as part of the Port Bickerton Lighthouse Beach Park. Open June to September.

Follow signs to the Country Harbour ferry, 7 km (4.5 mi.) from Port Bickerton. The ferry runs every fifteen minutes. 

Off the Marine Drive, a left turn on Route 316 at Isaac's Harbour North (pop. 44) follows portions of the Country Harbour River, which empties into Country Harbour at Salsman Provincial Park, a camping and picnic area located between Stormont and Country Harbour Mines. Country Harbour is ideal for boating and saltwater sport fishing.

At Isaac's Harbour North, the Marine Drive turns right on Route 316. The Isaac's Harbour/Goldboro area was once a goldmining district in the province. Stop for a picnic at the Isaac's Harbour/Goldboro Park, which has docking facilities and a boat launch.

At Tor Bay (pop.86) is the Tor Bay Atlantic Provincial Park, with two sandy beaches and an interpretive display explaining the natural history and habitat of the area. A plaque in the parking lot commemorates the landing at Tor Bay (Faraday Station), on 15 September 1875, of the first direct commercial cable to successfully transmit messages from England to mainland North America.

Town of Canso is a small coastal community located on the eastern tip of Mainland Nova Scotia founded in 1604, Canso is home to the world famous Stan Rogers Folk Festival.(began in the mid 1990s. The international ECMA award winning festival brings over ten thousand visitors to the Town annually.)   Canso is an historic fishing village. The history of Canso is recorded as far back as 1504, when records indicate that vessels from France were fishing near Canso. North American exploration literature first mentions Canso in 1604, when DeMonts describes the area’s lucrative fishing banks. In 1688, Louis the 14th writes the following “Canso is by all accounts the best and most convenient fishery in any part of the King’s dominion”.

Canso Islands National Historic Site of Canada.  More than 250 years ago, the Canso Islands were a key fishing settlement in Nova Scotia at a time when fish were plentiful, merchants ruled the seas and soldiers waged colonial battles.
Grassy Island Fort National Historic Site of Canada, located on Grassy Island, one of the Canso Islands, features features the ruins of 18th century fortifications and the remains of a colonial New England fishing station that are the reminders of a thriving community that was once the commercial heart of Nova Scotia.  The Canso settlement met its end quite suddenly in the summer of 1744. Shortly after the declaration of war between England and France, an expedition from Louisbourg attacked Grassy Island and burned the outpost to the ground. The following year, an army of New Englanders used the island as a staging point for their attack on Louisbourg. Today, the island remains a treeless, windswept memorial to the thriving fishery that contributed so much to the prosperity of 18th century New England.  Free boat service to the island is available from the Visitor Centre on the mainland.

Explore Whitman House Museum (also site of the Visitor Information Centre). Whitman House is a three story historical home, filled with relics from Canso’s past. The Museum features period furniture, art, photos and other treasurers. The museum illustrates the history of Canso Town and eastern Guysborough County, with exhibits from Canso Harbour. Guides will show you a bird’s-eye view of the town from the widow’s walk on the rooftop. Displays include panoramas of Canso by folk artist Mel Schrader, period furniture, photographs and other memorabilia.