Life in Pictou County
Quality of Place
Miles of coast and expansive forest, field and watercourse scenery make our region a natural playground. From the warm, sandy beaches of the Northumberland Strait to the upland hills that distinctly mark passage to our region, Pictou County’s landscape is diverse in character and charm.
These characteristics shaped the original industries that first flourished here: fishing, forestry, mining and farming. The last century saw the addition of manufacturing as a major contributor to the region’s industrial and economic position. In recent decades, new facets have been tapped and today the region is home to a significant retail, tourism and service sector as well as a growing information technology and communications sector.
Measure the distance between work and play in minutes, not miles
Infrastructure investments in entertainment venues, recreation facilities and an alternative transportation network have enhanced our region’s natural assets. Pubs, restaurants, performing arts theatres, public beaches, trails and multi-sport facilities; whatever the preferred diversion from work, in Pictou County it is available in close proximity to where people work and live—often on their doorsteps. Perhaps this is what keeps us rooted in this place or anxious to return.
Our commercial service centre serves a population of 46,000 people and extended market of 100,000 people, giving Pictonians ample access to goods and services and a range of shopping experiences. Our commercial shopping districts range from quaint downtown shops to well-serviced malls with recognized brand names.
Pictou County is a safe place to raise a family with access to good educational, extra-curricular and recreational opportunities and modern health care facilities. With an abundance of available land and affordable real estate, Pictou County offers real opportunities to get a start—in work, family or business.
Cultural Diversity
The First Nations People of Nova Scotia are the Mi'kmaq and they remain today an important founding and cultural community of our region. In the 18th century, the first major wave of immigration from Europe took place, bringing settlers from Scotland that would come to shape the character of the region and inspire its name, Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland.
Another important cultural community immigrated to Nova Scotia during this same time. Between 1783 and 1785, more than 3,000 Black persons came to Nova Scotia as a direct result of the American Revolution. The Black Loyalists and subsequent settlers of African descent are the roots of today’s Black Nova Scotian community.
Today in Pictou County, these founding cultural communities are enriched and joined by people from all parts of the world. The cultures and regions represented include French Acadian, British, European (West, East, North and South), East and South Asian, Caribbean, Lebanese and Jewish.