Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia
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Peggys Cove (2001 population: approx. 50), also known as Peggy's Cove from 1961-1976, is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.
Geography
The community's geographic coordinates are 44° 29′ 34′′ north 63° 55′ 3′′ west. Peggys Cove is 43 kilometres southwest of Halifax and comprises one of the numerous small fishing communities located around the perimeter of the Chebucto Peninsula.
The community is named after the cove of the same name. Peggy is a nickname for Margaret, and the village may have taken its name from St. Margarets Bay upon which it is situated. Local folklore has several alternative origins for the name. Some people claim Peggy was an early settler, while others say she was a survivor from a shipwreck.
Tourism
Peggys Cove is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and is a prime attraction on the Lighthouse Trail scenic drive. The community's famous lighthouse marks the eastern entrance of St. Margarets Bay.
From its inception, the community's economy revolved around the fishery, however tourism began to overtake fishing in economic importance following the Second World War. Today, Peggys Cove is primarily a tourist attraction, although its inhabitants still fish for lobster, and the community still maintains a rustic undeveloped appearance. The regional municipality and the provincial government have very strict land-use regulations in the vicinity of Peggys Cove, with most property development being prohibited. Similarly there are restrictions on who can and cannot live in the community to prevent inflation of property values for year-round residents.
Peggys Cove has a classic red-and-white lighthouse, retired from active service by the Canadian Coast Guard. The light station is situated on an extensive granite outcrop at Peggys Point, immediately south of the village and its cove. This lighthouse is one of the most-photographed structures in Atlantic Canada and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world. The lighthouse now contains a small Canada Post office where visitors and residents mail letters which receive a special cancellation stamp.
Visitors may explore the granite outcrop on Peggys Point around the lighthouse; despite numerous signs warning of unpredictable surf, there are several incautious visitors each year who are carried off the rocks by waves, sometimes drowning. The "Sou'wester Restaurant" is located between the main part of the community and Peggys Point and provides parking for visitors, the "Sou'wester" is generally considered to have gone downhill however as it has cut corners in order to cater to the tourist crowd most of whom are not as discriminating when it comes to maritime fare.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
William deGarthe
Sculptor and painter William E. deGarthe lived in Peggy's Cove. A gallery exhibiting his work is open to the public between May 1 and October 31 each year. Outside the gallery, deGarthe carved a granite outcropping into "a lasting monument to Nova Scotian fishermen" depicting 32 fishermen, their wives, and children enveloped by the wings of a guardian angel. The William E. deGarthe Provincial Park is also located in the village, providing a picnic space.Swissair Flight 111
The Swissair Flight 111 Memorial is located at The Whalesback, a promontory approximately 1 km northwest of the village. It is one of two memorials built to commemorate the victims of the Swissair Flight 111 disaster, which saw the aircraft crash into St. Margarets Bay on September 2, 1998. The crash site is roughly equidistant between the Whalesback Memorial and another memorial at Bayswater, located on the Aspotogan Peninsula on the western shore of the bay, opposite Peggys Cove.
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