Guysborough

Guysborough is a community of about 900 people (2001) on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. It is on the western shore of Chedabucto Bay, fronting Guysborough Harbour, and is the administrative seat of the Guysborough municipal district. It is home to the Alder Grounds, Boggy Lake, Bonnett Lake Barrens, and Canso Coastal Barrens Wilderness Areas.

Understand

Guysborough Harbour

The community is named after Sir Guy Carleton (Guy's borough).

History

The Mi'kmaq (Aboriginal) name for the village of Guysborough was Chedabuctou.

The village of Guysborough was settled by Europeans in 1634. Isaac de Razilly built a fort named Fort St François à Canso at the entrance to the harbour. In 1655, Nicolas Denys, governor of the new St Lawrence Bay Province, built Fort Chedabuctou on Fort Point to serve as his capital. The fort was replaced and renamed Fort St Louis in 1682 by the Company of Acadia to protect the fishery.

In 1682, a permanent settlement was started by Clerbaud Bergier. A group cleared land and planted crops in 1683. The Acadians in this region left in the Acadian Exodus of 1749–1755, and those that remained were expelled by the British.

St Ann's Catholic Church

British settlers renamed the town Guysborough after Sir Guy Carleton, commander of the British forces and Governor General of Canada in the 1780s. After the American Revolution, Guysborough was settled by Black Loyalists and soldiers of the disbanded Duke of Cumberland's Regiment and King's Carolina Rangers.

The town's fine natural harbour led to its establishment as the administrative centre for the county, and despite the diminishing role of the harbour for transport links, forestry, fishing and agriculture remain of great importance to the area.

Get in

Guysborough is 63 km from Antigonish: east on the Trans-Canada Highway, then south on Route 16. Maritime Bus provides service to Antigonish from Halifax and Moncton.

The nearest international airport is 275 km away in Halifax.

See

Old Courthouse Museum Info Centre

• The Old Guysborough Court House Museum, 106 Church Street, ☏ +1 902 533-4008. Mid-Jun to Sep: M–F 9AM–5PM, Sa Su 10AM-4PM. The architectural style of the building (c. 1842 to 1843) is typical of early court houses, few of which remain in Nova Scotia. The building’s simple classic style and prominent site were chosen to reinforce its importance as the centre for justice and “to express the dignity and solemnity appropriate for the courts of law.” Numerous artefacts provide a glimpse of how people lived and made a living in the past. The museum has a large quantity of tools and handcrafts collected from the Acadian and Black settlements in the area and other items on exhibit that emphasize Guysborough County’s long marine, agricultural and lumbering history. Highlights include a diorama of the three French forts built on nearby Fort Point peninsula between 1634 and 1684, small exhibits of local historical interest and displays of photographs and maps of early Guysborough. (updated May 2019)
• Out of the Fog Lighthouse Museum, 21 Half Island Cove Rd, ☏ +1 902 358-2108. Mid-Jun to Sep: Th–M 10AM–6PM. Large collection of lighthouse artifacts from the past including lights, foghorns and lenses. See what life at a lighthouse was like. Descriptive signage in English, French and German. (updated May 2019)

Do

• Authentic Seacoast Properties, 80 Main Street, ☏ +1 902-533-2078. A collection of accommodations, dining, shopping and recreational properties in restored heritage buildings in the seacoast village of Guysborough. 
• Tor Bay Provincial Park, 650 Tor Bay Branch Rd, Larrys River. 13 ha. Picturesque picnic area on a rocky point looking out to the open Atlantic, 8 km (5 mi) south of Larry's River. Sweeping sand beaches; boardwalks and interpretive displays describing natural environment and the historical significance of this site as landing point for first trans-Atlantic cable. (updated May 2019)
• Osprey Shores Golf Resort. is a nine hole, oceanfront golf course on Chedabucto Bay. The course is 2,691 yards from the Blue tees, with one par 5, six par 4 and two par 3 holes. The resort also has a 10 room guest lodge, Clubhouse, and cove (Mussel Cove) with a boat dock. 

Eat

• Days Gone By Bakery, 143 Main Street, ☏ +1 902 533-2762. Daily 8AM-6PM. Home-style cooked meals, antiques and vintage items in the gift shop, and new home decor and gift items. Gluten-free choices available. (updated May 2019)
• Riverside Dining Room, 2884 Highway 7, Liscombe Lodge, toll-free: +1-800-665-6343. Breakfast, lunch $10-28, dinner mains $15-32. (updated May 2019)
• DesBarres Manor Inn, 90 Church Street, ☏ +1 902-533-2099. A 40-seat fine dining room that serves contemporary Canadian cuisine with an East Coast flair using ingredients from the Manor's gardens and local suppliers. 

Drink

• Rare Bird Pub & Eatery, 80 Main Street, ☏ +1 902 533-2128. The Rare Bird Pub and Eatery is a waterfront brew pub and restaurant on Nova Scotia's Marine Drive. The Rare Bird is home to the Chedabucto Bay Brewing Company which carries on Guysborough's brewing history started by Nicholas Denys in 1659, Atlantic Canada's first commercial brewery. The Rare Bird also has a live stage featuring East Coast music and a weekly Ceilidh during the summer. 
• Authentic Seacoast Distillery & Brewery, 75 Ferry Rd (Osprey Shores Golf Resort). Learn how their whisky, rum and craft beer are made, taste them in their tasting room. (updated May 2019)

Sleep

• DesBarres Manor Inn. A luxury historic inn built in 1837 for Supreme Court Justice J.W. DesBarres. This 10-room inn is on six acres of land in the heart of the village and was completely renovated in 2003. A unique feature of the inn are original maps from the Atlantic Neptune, prepared between 1774 and 1784 by J.W. DesBarres' grandfather J.W.F. DesBarres. These maps are on display in the Parlour Room. The inn also features gourmet dining in a fireside dining room. 
• Osprey Shores Golf Resort. A comfortable 10-room guest lodge that was renovated in 2006. The resort also has a range of outdoor recreational activities including golf, swimming pool, volleyball, bicycles, croquet, hiking and boat dock. 
• Boylston Provincial Park, 11131 Highway 16, Boylston. Open early June to early September. A wooded hilltop campground offers a spectacular view of Guysborough Harbour. 34 campsites, comfort station, beach access (unsupervised), Wi-Fi available, self-registration. (updated May 2019)
• Liscombe Lodge Resort, 2884 Highway 7, Liscomb, toll-free: +1-800-665-6343. 68 rooms. From $145. (updated May 2019)

Go next

Routes through Guysborough

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