Clark's Harbour

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Clark's Harbour
Town
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Clark's Harbour is located in Nova Scotia
Clark's Harbour
Clark's Harbour
Location of Clark's Harbour, Nova Scotia
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Country  Canada
Province  Nova Scotia
County Shelburne
Municipal district Barrington
Founded 1773
Incorporated March 4, 1919
Government
 • Type Town Council
 • Mayor Leigh Stoddart
 • MLA Sterling Belliveau (NDP)
 • MP Gerald Keddy (C)
Area[2]
 • Land 2.90 km2 (1.12 sq mi)
Elevation 2 m (7 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 820
 • Density 282.7/km2 (732/sq mi)
 • Change (2006-11) Decrease4.7%
 • Dwellings 407
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
 • Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Postal code(s) B0W 1P0
Area code(s) 902 (745)
Access Routes Route 330
Website clarksharbour.com

Clark's Harbour is a town on Cape Sable Island in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Barrington municipal district of Shelburne County.[3] The main industry is lobster fishing. Owing to this as well as the town's history as a fishing community, the town is noted as the birthplace of the Cape Islander fishing boat.

The community is the southernmost town in the province of Nova Scotia, and thus one of the southernmost towns in Canada, being located roughly on a parallel with Zaragoza, Spain and just north of Rome.

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1941 887 —    
1951 1,020 +15.0%
1981 1,059 +3.8%
1986 1,098 +3.7%
1991 1,076 −2.0%
1996 980 −8.9%
2001 944 −3.7%
2006 860 −8.9%
2011 820 −4.7%
[4]

Economy

The economy of Clark's Harbour and its surrounding areas is driven largely by the fishing industry, and in particular the seasonal lobster fishery. Shelburne County (in which Clark's Harbour is located) is generally accepted as the lobster capital of Nova Scotia (and a nearby sign boasts the claim that it is the Lobster Capital of Canada). The fishery has also given rise to various secondary and tertiary industries such as further seafood processing and packaging, and boatbuilding. Lobster that is trapped by Clark's Harbour fishers is exported around the world, but primarily to the New England market.

There are several other employers in Clark's Harbour, including a general store, a bank, two service stations, a pizza parlour, and a takeout restaurant. However, the economic impact of these businesses are generally small compared to the fishery.

Public library

File:Clarks library.jpg
Clark's Harbour Branch Library

Located at 2648 Main Street in Clark's Harbour, the Clark's Harbour Branch Library is one of the 10 branches of Western Counties Regional Library. It joined the Western Counties Regional Library in July 1971 but it did not have a physical location in Clark's Harbour until the first branch opened on March 4, 1974 . The branch was relocated to its present site as part of the Clark's Harbour Civic Centre on December 11, 2007.[7]

Stone Church

One of the more notable attractions in Clark's Harbour is the United Baptist Stone Church, which is a popular destination for visitors. It is noted primarily for its unique architecture,

The Stone Church was first started on September 5, 1921, by Lieutenant-Governor MacCallum Grant. The foundation is made of native granite, and three feet in thickness. The granite that was used was all cut by hand using chisels. The walls are made of cobble stones gathered from the shore and surrounding islands. This church is eighty-five feet by fifty-five feet, and has a seating capacity of five hundred. The inside of the church is decorated in rich wood, and the windows are stained glass.

Thomas Doucette was given the task of constructing the Stone Church from blueprints. The blueprints were designed by a Halifax architect named S.P. Dumaresq. Doucette began building the church, even though he could not read or write, and had the blueprints read to him only once. It took ten years to complete the erection of the church.

See also

References

External links

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