History
The area was originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, who had seasonal settlements on the coast of Chedabucto Bay at Cooks Cove and Canso. The Mi'kmaq extensively used the waterways feeding into Chedabucto Bay as trade and travel routes.
The area was first visited by European fishermen in the early 16th century, and the first attempt at settlement was made in 1518 at Canso. Canso became a centre for fishing and fur trading activity in the region.
French Settlement
The French established control over the area in the early 17th century. A Catholic mission was established at present day Guysborough (called Chedabuctou by the French) in 1629, with a fort first being constructed in 1632. In 1654, Nicolas Denys expanded on the previous fort and made an attempt at settlement. In 1682, a permanent settlement was established by Clerbaud Bergier and the Company of Acadia. Fort St. Louis was built to establish control over the region and it's fishery.
Following Queen Annes War, the area was contested between France and Britain. The British expelled the French from Canso and destroyed Fort St. Louis in 1718 and built Fort William Augustus in 1720, and Canso was raided by the French numerous times until France's final expulsion from the region during the French and Indian War. The Acadian population at Chedabuctou left in the early 1760's.
British Settlement
British settlers began arriving shortly after the departure of the Acadians. A large influx of settlers arrived in the form of Loyalists and former British soldiers in the aftermath of the American Revolutionary War. The community of Guysborough was established by the Loyalists, named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton. [3]
The area was originally part of Sydney County, from which Guysborough County was split in 1836. In 1840, Guysborough County was subdivided into two districts for court sessisonal purposes – Guysborough and St. Mary's. In 1879, the two districts were incorporated as district municipalities.
Recent History
In a plebiscite held on July 12, 2008, residents of the Town of Canso narrowly voted to amalgamate the town with the Municipality of the District of Guysborough. On January 19, 2012, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board granted the town's application to dissolve. On July 1, 2012, Canso became part of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough had a population of 4,585 living in 2,220 of its 3,043 total private dwellings, a change of -1.8% from its 2016 population of 4,670. With a land area of 2,115.25 km2 (816.70 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.2/km2 (5.6/sq mi) in 2021. [4]
Population trend [5] | Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|
| 2016 | 4,670 | revised boundaries | | 2011 [6] | 4,189 |  10.6% | | 2006 | 4,681 | 9.4% | | 2001 | 5,165 | 13.1% | | 1996 | 5,942 | 7.0% | | 1991 | 6,389 | N/A | | Mother tongue language (2021) [1] | Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|
| English only | 4,345 | 96.20% | | Other languages | 70 | 1.80% | | French only | 90 | 1.80% | | Both English and French | 10 | 0.21% | |
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