New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
New Glasgow is a town in Pictou County, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the banks of the East River of Pictou, which flows into Pictou Harbour, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait.
The town's population was 9,471 in the 2021 census. New Glasgow is at the centre of the province's fourth largest urban area; the population of the New Glasgow census agglomeration in the 2021 census was 34,397. The New Glasgow census agglomeration includes the smaller adjacent towns of Stellarton, Westville, and Trenton as well as adjacent rural areas of the county.
History
Scottish immigrants, including those on the ship Hector in 1773, settled the area of the East River of Pictou during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.Deacon Thomas Fraser first settled the area at the head of navigation on the East River of Pictou in 1784. The settlement was officially named "New Glasgow", after Glasgow in Scotland, in 1809, the same year its first trading post was developed.
The discovery of large coal deposits in the East River valley during the early 19th century saw New Glasgow, at the head of navigation, quickly develop into a manufacturing and port community.
In 1829, a horse-drawn tramway was built using standard gauge rails from the settlement of Albion Mines to a wharf near New Glasgow. This was the first use of standard gauge rails in what would become Canada. On September 19, 1839, the Albion Railway was opened from Albion Mines to New Glasgow, hauling coal wagons behind steam locomotives such as the Samson along the west bank of the East River of Pictou. This was the second steam-powered railway in what would become Canada, and the first to use iron rails. The railway was extended north to a coal loading pier at Dunbar's Point on May 14, 1840.
In 1840, George MacKenzie started the town's first shipbuilding company, which eventually built or owned 34 vessels; hundreds of ships would later be built along the East River in New Glasgow. In 1861 the clipper ship Sebastopol was built.
In June 1867, the Nova Scotia Railway opened its "Eastern Line" from Truro through New Glasgow to its terminus at the passenger and cargo wharf in Pictou Landing. In 1882 the "Eastern Extension" of the Intercolonial Railway was opened from New Glasgow to Mulgrave on the Strait of Canso, placing New Glasgow on the mainline between Cape Breton Island and the North American rail network.
Economic development in New Glasgow was driven by the steel industry in neighbouring Trenton, shipbuilding and shipping in Pictou and Pictou Landing, and coal mining in Stellarton and Westville.
After World War I, the famous New York sculptor J. Massey Rhind was commissioned to make the Nova Scotia Highlander soldier cenotaph. In 1946, New Glasgow was the setting for an important civil rights case when Viola Desmond challenged racial segregation of New Glasgow's Roseland Theatre. New Glasgow became a service centre for the county during the late 20th century as shopping centres, retail and residential development was spurred by the construction of Highway 104.
Municipal amalgamation
Talk of amalgamating the six municipal units in Pictou County has increased in recent years. Among the reasons for this, small towns adjacent to New Glasgow are having a hard time coping financially on their own due to the declining economy. Also, Pictou County has the most politicians per capita in Canada. With the Government of Nova Scotia having already amalgamated Halifax County, Cape Breton County, and Queens County into regional municipalities, Pictou County residents feel it is only a matter of time before that concept is introduced in Pictou County. The two most often suggested scenarios involve amalgamating the entire county into a single regional municipality, or amalgamating the upper East River towns into a single larger town. After several months of public backlash a vote was held and the public spoke against amalgamation, effectively killing any possibility of a future merger.Geography
New Glasgow is located on Nova Scotia's north shore, northeast of Halifax, west of the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton and south of the Prince Edward Island ferry at Caribou. The town can be easily accessed from several exits off the Trans Canada Highway. It is in the Atlantic Time Zone, four hours behind UTC.New Glasgow is divided by the East River, a tidal estuary with brackish water. The three lane George Street bridge is the only vehicle crossing within town limits and is considered the main entrance into the downtown core on the east side of the river. The closest bridges out of town are the Trenton Connector to the north, the Trans Canada Highway to the south and Bridge Avenue also to the south.
Climate
classifies New Glasgow's climate as humid continental, with rainy and snowy cold winters and warm humid summers. The highest temperature ever recorded in New Glasgow was on 10 August 2001. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 2 February 1961.Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, New Glasgow 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.Mother tongue language
| Language | Population | Pct |
| English only | 8,980 | 97.66% |
| Other languages | 120 | 1.31% |
| French only | 95 | 1.03% |
| Both English and French | 0 | 0.00% |
Neighbourhoods
;South EndThe southeastern part of the town is located on the east bank of the East River, immediately north of the unincorporated community of Plymouth and west of the unincorporated community of Priestville. It is largely commercial and centred upon East River Road.
The Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow business park, New Glasgow Police headquarters, North Nova Education Centre and the Aberdeen Shopping Centre are situated here as well as a residential area.
;Downtown
Located on the east bank of the East River and centred on the George Street Bridge, the downtown core has a central business district along Provost Street and Archimedes Street. Banks, insurance companies, law firms, accounting firms, engineering companies, restaurants and independent retailers are located in historic buildings along these streets.
Formerly industrial, the downtown area along the river has undergone a waterfront revitalization in recent decades as factories and foundries closed and were replaced by a performing arts centre, office buildings and a marina. Currently, only one foundry and several warehouses and a cement plant remain along the rail corridor in this area.
;East Side
The east end is the area east of downtown and is bordered on the east by the unincorporated communities of Frasers Mountain and Linacy. It is largely residential.
;North End
The northeastern part of the town stretches along the east bank of the East River from the downtown to the border with Trenton.
;West Side
The west side of the town is located on the west bank of the East River, consists of a residential area north of George Street through to the unincorporated community of Abercrombie.
The area of the West Side southwest of George Street along Westville Road is a commercial area and includes the Highland Square Mall as well as a district of big box stores. This part of the town borders the town of Stellarton to the south and the Town of Westville to the southwest. Westville Road leads to the town of Westville, about beyond Exit 23 at the Trans Canada Highway.
Economy
Major employers in the area include the Aberdeen Hospital, a Michelin tire plant in nearby Granton and the headquarters of Sobeys, a national grocery chain, in nearby Stellarton. However, New Glasgow and Pictou County have suffered the closure of many large employers, including Convergys, the Northern Pulp Nova Scotia pulp mill in nearby Abercrombie.New Glasgow's historic downtown core is home to several shops and services. Including restaurants, pubs, cabarets, clothing stores, gift shops, furniture department stores, a marina on the riverfront, government offices and banks. A major revitalization plan was recently announced for the downtown core. A large sum of the funds will be provided by the federal government. Among the projects are a walking bridge that will connect the riverfront marina with the Samson Trail on the west side, improvements to the historic town hall, an updated and possibly expanded library, and beautification of public spaces and storefronts. New Glasgow is the commercial hub of northeastern Nova Scotia.
The Westville Road/Highland Square Mall area has seen significant commercial growth in recent years. A new Walmart opened next to Highland Square in early 2007, replacing the smaller location in the mall. Canadian Tire relocated to Walmart's old location in the spring of 2008, making it the second-largest Canadian Tire store in Nova Scotia. Winners opened in Spring 2009, in Canadian Tire's former location. Future Shop has built a new store next to the new Canadian Tire, which opened in Spring 2009 but has since closed. SportChek opened a new store inside the mall in Fall 2009.
About a minute away from the Westville Road commercial district, on the opposite side of the Trans Canada Highway in Stellarton, a new business park is currently being developed. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Stellarton – New Glasgow was the first confirmed business for the park. It officially opened on July 25, 2008.
The New Glasgow Farmers Market expanded into an additional, heated facility in November 2015 with the financial assistance of ACOA, The Market is now open every Saturday from 9am until 1pm and boasts more than 70 vendors and more than 1,800 weekly visitors during the peak season from May until October. On July 1, 2017, the New Glasgow Farmers Market will unveil a new community garden project titled The Giving Garden. The project was completed by Market volunteers with the financial grants from the province's Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage through the 150 Forward Fund and a Wellness grant from the Pictou County Health Authority.