Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Antigonish had been the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coastal community prior to European settlement.{{cite web|url=http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/micmac-tribe.htm|title=Micmac Locations|website=Micmac Tribe|date=9 July 2011 |publisher=Access Genealogy|access-date=27 May 2014}} The original definition of the name has been lost as the Mi'kmaq language has undergone many revisions over the last two centuries. The first European settlement took place in 1784 when Lt. Colonel Timothy Hierlihy of the Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment received a large land grant surrounding Antigonish Harbour.After the Raid on Charlottetown (1775), Hierlihy was the commander of the defence of Prince Edward Island (See [http://collections.stfx.ca/cdm/ref/collection/texts/id/6060 Timothy Hierlihy and his times] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409044219/http://collections.stfx.ca/cdm/ref/collection/texts/id/6060 |date=2018-04-09 }}) Hierlihy and his party founded the Dorchester settlement, named for Sir Guy Carleton, who was Governor General of Canada and subsequently Lord Dorchester. Shortly after, Sgt Nathan Pushee of the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment settled at Chedabucto (present-day Guysborough), eventually establishing present-day Amherst, Nova Scotia.{{cite web |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/pushee_nathan_7E.html |title = Biography – PUSHEE, NATHAN – Volume VII (1836–1850) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography}} In 1796 another settler named Zephaniah Williams (of which Williams Point just outside of town was named after), with the assistance of a First Nations guide, blazed a trail from Antigonish Harbour to Brown's Mountain, using the shortest route. This trail became a guide for travellers and eventually evolved into a winding Main Street. By the late 1820s, Dorchester was commonly referred to as Antigonish. In 1852, a newspaper, The Casket, began publication. It was recently purchased by Bounty Print in 2015.[http://www.thecasket.ca/about.asp The Casket] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219235630/http://www.thecasket.ca/about.asp|date=February 19, 2009}}

St. Francis Xavier University was established in Antigonish in 1855, having been founded in 1853 in Arichat, Cape Breton and originally called the College of East Bay after East Bay, Nova Scotia where an earlier institution had once existed (1824–1829). St.F.X. was originally a Catholic seminary and was granted full university powers in 1866 by an act of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. The town is also the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish.

The first hospital in Antigonish opened on June 10, 1906.

Antigonish is notable for having a social movement named for it, the Antigonish Movement, launched from St. Francis Xavier University in the 1920s by local priests and educators including Moses Coady and Jimmy Tompkins.

{{stack|{{Historical populations

|title=Historical populations

|align=none

|footnote=[http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1932-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1932/193201430105_p.%20105.pdf], Canada Year Book 1932{{cite web|url=http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1955-eng.aspx?opt%3D%2Feng%2F1955%2F195501660140_p.+140.pdf |title=Canada Year Book 1955 |access-date=2012-01-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606105957/http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1955-eng.aspx?opt=%2Feng%2F1955%2F195501660140_p.%20140.pdf |archive-date=2012-06-06 }}[http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1966-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1966/196602190191_p.%20191.pdf Census 1956–1961] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822231738/http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1966-eng.aspx?opt=%2Feng%2F1966%2F196602190191_p.%20191.pdf |date=August 22, 2016 }}{{cite web|url=http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt%3D%2Feng%2F1967%2F196702210189_p.+189.pdf |title=Canada Year Book 1967 |access-date=2014-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223151220/http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=%2Feng%2F1967%2F196702210189_p.%20189.pdf |archive-date=2014-12-23 }}[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census96/data/profiles/Rp-eng.cfm?TABID=1&LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=35782&PRID=0&PTYPE=3&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=1996&THEME=34&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=], 1996 Census of Canada: Electronic Area Profiles[http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1214002&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&Data=Count&SearchText=Antigonish&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=], Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada – Census Subdivision[http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table-Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=302&PR=12&S=51&O=A&RPP=25], Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses

|1901|1838

|1911|1787

|1921|1746

|1931|1784

|1941|2157

|1951|3196

|1956|3592

|1961|4344

|1981|5205

|1986|5291

|1991|4924

|1996|4860

|2001|4754

|2006|4236

|2011|4524

|2016|4364

|2021|4656

}}}}

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Antigonish had a population of {{nts|4656}} living in {{nts|2205}} of its {{nts|2675}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:4656-4364}}|4364|1}} from its 2016 population of {{nts|4364}}. With a land area of {{convert|4.98|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|4656|4.98|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000212 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nova Scotia | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=March 12, 2022}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2016}}

Antigonish is a service centre for the surrounding region that includes Antigonish and Guysborough Counties and many local businesses are based in the service sector. There are no major industrial operations located in the town or county. The workforce is primarily white collar with the largest employers being St. Martha's Regional Hospital and St. Francis Xavier University. Until 2011, Antigonish accommodated Canada Post's National Philatelic Centre, which provided mail-order services for worldwide collectors of Canadian stamps.

In 2005, the provincial government approved the twinning of Highway 104 from Addington Forks Road easterly {{convert|15|km|mi}} to Taylor's Road.{{cite web |url=https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/ea/highway104.asp |title= Highway 104 at Antigonish|website=Government of Nova Scotia|date= April 2009|publisher=Environment|access-date=20 March 2018 }} In 2017, the provincial government announced that a further {{convert|38|km|mi}} from Sutherlands River to Antigonish would be twinned, thus creating an uninterrupted four-lane highway network from Halifax to Antigonish. The finished twinned highway was opened in July 2023.{{cite web |url= https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6913482 |title= Newly twinned stretch of Highway 104 opens, bringing hope it will save lives |website=CBC News|access-date=18 August 2023 }}

The Antigonish area experienced great deal of economic growth and retail development between 2004 and 2007 when the retail landscape of the town and county changed significantly. Much of the growth took place in the Post Road area, just outside town.

Other areas also saw growth. A multi-unit retail annex was constructed at the local shopping mall in the spring of 2006. This complex houses a new sporting goods store, and other businesses and services. The mall area also saw the construction of restaurants which opened in late 2006 and in February 2007.

File:StFX_Lower_Campus.jpg in Antigonish, Canada.]]

St. Francis Xavier University is located in Antigonish. Established in 1853, St. Francis Xavier has 4,267 full-time students and 500 part-time students. It was named as the best primarily undergraduate university in Canada by Maclean's magazine for five consecutive years (2002–2006). St. Francis Xavier is also well known for the X-Ring and the Coady International Institute.

The elementary and secondary schools in Antigonish fall under the jurisdiction of the Strait Regional School Board. Antigonish is home to three public schools: Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School, St. Andrew Junior School and the Antigonish Education Centre.

The annual Antigonish Highland Games have been held since 1863. The first games were held to raise funds for the construction of St. Ninian's Cathedral.

Year-round, the town has access to professional and community theatre through the Bauer Theatre on the StFX Campus. It is home to Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre and Theatre Antigonish.

• August Ames, pornographic actress
• Donald Chisholm, stockcar driver
• Mary-Colin Chisholm, stage, film and TV actor
• William Chisholm (b.c. 1778 - 1851), Roman Catholic priest from Glen Cannich in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, first Bishop of what is now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish, and strongman and folk hero in both Scottish and Canadian folklore.
• Mark Day (actor), film and TV actor
• Moses Coady, Catholic priest, adult educator, and leader of the Antigonish Movement
• Bill Gillis, member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1970 to 1998
• Eric Gillis, 2008, 2012, 2016 Olympian (athletics-10,000m, marathon)
• Captain Nichola Goddard, MSM, fallen Canadian soldier
• Max Haines, crime writer, columnist for the Toronto Sun
• Larry Lamb, English actor
• Edward Langille, university professor
• Allan The Ridge MacDonald (c.1794 - 1868), highly important and influential Canadian Gaelic poet from Lochaber and pioneer homesteader in both Cape Breton and Antigonish County.
• Craig MacDonald, former professional hockey player
• Garfield MacDonald, Olympic Athlete
• Shauna MacDonald, actress, also known as "Promo Girl" on CBC Radio One
• Allan MacEachen, Liberal MP, cabinet minister, Senator
• Ryan MacGrath, musician and painter
• Al MacIsaac, Vice President Chicago Blackhawks
• Paul MacLean, former head coach of the Ottawa Senators and former assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Carole MacNeil, television journalist, former co-host of CBC News: Sunday and CBC News: Sunday Night
• Stephen McHattie, stage, film and TV actor
• Robyn Meagher, Olympic runner
• Carroll Morgan, Olympic heavyweight boxer
• Archbishop James Morrison, Catholic Bishop 1912
• Aleixo Muise, medical researcher and physician
• Anne Simpson, poet
• Sandy Silver, Premier, Yukon
• Wendell Smith, actor
• Lewis John Stringer, Cross of Valour (Canada) Recipient, Wall of Valour{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=45545&t=3&ln=Stringer|title=The Governor General of Canada|first=The Office of the Secretary to the Governor|last=General|date=11 June 2018 }}
• The Trews, a rock band

Antigonish experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The highest temperature ever recorded in Antigonish was {{convert|37.8|C|0}} on 12 August 1944.{{cite web

| work = Canadian Climate Data

| publisher = Environment Canada

|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=%7C&dlyRange=1880-12-01%7C1947-12-31&mlyRange=1880-01-01%7C1947-12-01&StationID=6290&Prov=NS&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=1&searchMethod=contains&Month=8&Day=10&txtStationName=antigonish&timeframe=2&Year=1944

| title = Daily Data Report for August 1944

| date = 31 October 2011

| access-date = 11 November 2016}} The coldest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-35.6|C|0}} on 19 January 1925.{{cite web

| work = Canadian Climate Data

| publisher = Environment Canada

|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=%7C&dlyRange=1880-12-01%7C1947-12-31&mlyRange=1880-01-01%7C1947-12-01&StationID=6290&Prov=NS&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=1&searchMethod=contains&Month=1&Day=10&txtStationName=antigonish&timeframe=2&Year=1925

| title = Daily Data Report for January 1925

| date = 31 October 2011

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}

{{Weather box

|location = Southside Antigonish Harbour, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1880–present{{efn|Extreme high and low temperatures were recorded at Antigonish from December 1880 to December 1947 and again from July 1979 to December 1982, at Clydesdale from September 1990 to March 1995 and at Antigonish Harbour from January 1997 to present.}}

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 17.0

|Feb record high C = 16.7

|Mar record high C = 26.0

|Apr record high C = 29.7

|May record high C = 34.0

|Jun record high C = 35.6

|Jul record high C = 37.2

|Aug record high C = 37.8

|Sep record high C = 34.4

|Oct record high C = 26.7

|Nov record high C = 22.2

|Dec record high C = 17.0

|year record high C = 37.8

|Jan high C = -1.3

|Feb high C = -0.6

|Mar high C = 3.4

|Apr high C = 8.6

|May high C = 15.6

|Jun high C = 21.0

|Jul high C = 25.2

|Aug high C = 25.0

|Sep high C = 20.9

|Oct high C = 13.7

|Nov high C = 8.1

|Dec high C = 2.7

|year high C = 11.9

|Jan mean C = -5.8

|Feb mean C = -5.4

|Mar mean C = -1.3

|Apr mean C = 3.9

|May mean C = 9.8

|Jun mean C = 15.1

|Jul mean C = 19.4

|Aug mean C = 19.5

|Sep mean C = 15.3

|Oct mean C = 9.1

|Nov mean C = 4.1

|Dec mean C = -1.3

|year mean C = 6.9

|Jan low C = -10.4

|Feb low C = -10.2

|Mar low C = -5.9

|Apr low C = -0.7

|May low C = 4.0

|Jun low C = 9.2

|Jul low C = 13.5

|Aug low C = 13.9

|Sep low C = 9.8

|Oct low C = 4.4

|Nov low C = 0.2

|Dec low C = -5.4

|year low C = 1.9

|Jan record low C = -35.6

|Feb record low C = -35.0

|Mar record low C = -31.1

|Apr record low C = -21.1

|May record low C = -11.1

|Jun record low C = -6.7

|Jul record low C = 0.6

|Aug record low C = 0.0

|Sep record low C = -5.6

|Oct record low C = -10.0

|Nov record low C = -17.8

|Dec record low C = -27.2

|year record low C = -35.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 118.4

|Feb precipitation mm = 85.3

|Mar precipitation mm = 101.0

|Apr precipitation mm = 97.7

|May precipitation mm = 74.8

|Jun precipitation mm = 85.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 77.7

|Aug precipitation mm = 106.9

|Sep precipitation mm = 94.4

|Oct precipitation mm = 127.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 145.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 131.7

|year precipitation mm = 1246.1

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 53.0

|Feb rain mm = 40.0

|Mar rain mm = 66.6

|Apr rain mm = 81.9

|May rain mm = 74.6

|Jun rain mm = 85.0

|Jul rain mm = 77.7

|Aug rain mm = 106.9

|Sep rain mm = 94.4

|Oct rain mm = 127.6

|Nov rain mm = 130.7

|Dec rain mm = 77.7

|year rain mm = 1016.1

|Jan snow cm = 64.1

|Feb snow cm = 46.6

|Mar snow cm = 33.5

|Apr snow cm = 15.6

|May snow cm = 0.2

|Jun snow cm = 0.0

|Jul snow cm = 0.0

|Aug snow cm = 0.0

|Sep snow cm = 0.0

|Oct snow cm = 0.0

|Nov snow cm = 12.6

|Dec snow cm = 56.6

|year snow cm = 229.2

|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 17

|Feb precipitation days = 11

|Mar precipitation days = 14

|Apr precipitation days = 16

|May precipitation days = 14

|Jun precipitation days = 12

|Jul precipitation days = 11

|Aug precipitation days = 14

|Sep precipitation days = 15

|Oct precipitation days = 19

|Nov precipitation days = 19

|Dec precipitation days = 16

|unit rain days = 0.2 mm

|Jan rain days = 8

|Feb rain days = 7

|Mar rain days = 10

|Apr rain days = 14

|May rain days = 14

|Jun rain days = 12

|Jul rain days = 11

|Aug rain days = 14

|Sep rain days = 15

|Oct rain days = 19

|Nov rain days = 16

|Dec rain days = 9

|unit snow days = 0.2 cm

|Jan snow days = 12

|Feb snow days = 6

|Mar snow days = 7

|Apr snow days = 4

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0

|Nov snow days = 5

|Dec snow days = 8

|source 1 = Environment Canada{{cite web

| work = Canadian Climate Data

| publisher = Environment Canada

|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_stations_e.html?searchType=stnName&timeframe=1&txtStationName=antigonish&searchMethod=contains&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&optLimit=specDate&Year=1880&Month=11&Day=10&selRowPerPage=25

| title = Antigonish, Nova Scotia

| date = 31 October 2011

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}{{cite web

| work = Canadian Climate Data

| publisher = Environment Canada

|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_stations_e.html?searchType=stnName&timeframe=1&txtStationName=antigonish&searchMethod=contains&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1980&EndYear=1980&Year=2016&Month=11&Day=11&selRowPerPage=25

| title = Antigonish 2

| date = 31 October 2011

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}{{cite web

| work = Canadian Climate Data

| publisher = Environment Canada

|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_stations_e.html?searchType=stnName&timeframe=1&txtStationName=clydesdale&searchMethod=contains&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&Year=2016&Month=11&Day=11&selRowPerPage=25

| title = Clydesdale

| date = 31 October 2011

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}{{cite web

| work = Canadian Climate Data

| publisher = Environment Canada

|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_stations_e.html?searchType=stnName&timeframe=1&txtStationName=south+side+harbour&searchMethod=contains&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&Year=2016&Month=11&Day=11&selRowPerPage=25

| title = South Side Harbour

| date = 31 October 2011

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}

|source 2 = The Weather Network{{cite web

| work = Statistics

| publisher = The Weather Network

|url=https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/forecasts/statistics/nova-scotia/antigonish

| title = Southside Harbour, Nova Scotia

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}{{cite web

|url=http://jimtown.ca/Monthly/201203.TXT

| title = Jimtown

| access-date = 11 November 2016}}

| date = November 2016

}}

File:Main Street Antigonish Summer.jpg|Main Street

File:AntigonishNovaScotia.jpg|Gaelic and English road sign

File:Antigonish_Harbour.jpg|Antigonish Landing Wildlife Area

File:Antigonish2005 78th citadel.jpg|Antigonish Highland Games

File:Anglican_Church_Antigonish.jpg|St. Paul the Apostle Anglican Church

File:North West Antigonish.jpg|Aerial view of North-west end

• List of municipalities in Nova Scotia

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last = Walsh

| first = Patrick

| title = The History of Antigonish

| publisher = Scotia Design Publications

| year = 1989

| location = Antigonish, N.S.

| page = 320

| isbn = 0-920147-02-X}}

{{Wikivoyage|Antigonish}}

• {{commons category-inline}}
• [http://www.townofantigonish.ca/ Town of Antigonish]

{{geoGroup}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre =Antigonish, Nova Scotia

|N =

|NE =Morristown, Nova Scotia
Livingstone Cove, Nova Scotia
Via {{jct|state=NS|Route|337}}

|E =Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Island
Via {{jct|state=NS|TCH|104}}
To {{jct|state=NS|TCH|105|Hwy|104|Trunk|19}}

|SE =

|S =Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia
Guysborough County
Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia)
Via {{jct|state=NS|Trunk|7}}

|SW =

|W =New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Truro, Nova Scotia
Via {{jct|state=NS|TCH|104}}

|NW =Malignant Cove, Nova Scotia
Via {{jct|state=NS|Route|245}}
To {{jct|state=NS|Route|337}}

}}

{{NSAntigonish}}

{{Subdivisions of Nova Scotia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated coastal places in Canada

Category:Populated places established in 1784

Category:Towns in Nova Scotia