The Mi’kmaq people called it Keespongwitk (the land’s end). The French explorer Samuel de Champlain called it Cap-Fourchu (the forked cape) when he first mapped its coast in 1604. The first permanent settlement there was a small French Acadian fishing village named Tebouque that recorded a population of 50 in 1750. (There is even evidence, a runic stone housed in the county museum and archives, which suggests the Vikings visited there in the 11 th century). Some historians argue that its name today comes from a request made by a small group of New England Planters granted land there in 1759. They wanted their new settlement, a permanent British flag of sorts to be planted on one of Nova Scotia’s most southerly capes during the Seven Years’ War with the French, to be named after their former home in Massachusetts: Yarmouth. By the late-nineteenth century, Yarmouth was Canada’s second largest port of registry with the second largest registered tonnage in the young nation. It was a ship building centre and a hub of international commerce that inspired local entrepreneurs like John Patch, the inventor of the modern screw propeller. Yarmouth is still largely shaped by the sea. It’s the homeport of Canada’s largest lobster and herring fishing grounds; Lobster Rock Wharf and the Southwest Region together annually lands Canada’s largest herring catch. The Cat, operated by Bay Ferries, offers speedy passenger and vehicle service in the Gulf of Maine from Yarmouth Harbour to Portland, Maine. And its waterfront is currently proving to be the catalyst in a Renaissance in the Town of Yarmouth as Council pushes for more investment and land-use diversity in the area. Earlier this fall, Mayor Pam Mood, her Council advisor and Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Gushue, and Economic Development Officer Natalie Smith spoke with Spotlight on Business about drawing-in entrepreneurs and startups, the importance of getting involved, what it means to call Yarmouth home, and the event and festival culture in The Gateway to Nova Scotia.
By David MacDonald T he readers would love to hear a bit about each of you – a snapshot – and about what motivated your civic spirit. PM: I spent my childhood watching my Grandparents give to the community: my Grandfather was Mayor and my Grandmother volunteered in many ways to make the com- munity better. It was exciting to me. I also grew up with the mantra “Don’t complain – do something about it.” Now I’m humbled to be leading this amazing Town on what I call the best piece of real estate on earth. Giving back, being able to envision a better future and striving to do all it takes to get us there, it drives me every day. NS: When my family moved to Yarmouth County in 2008, we saw the bones of a great town, a great community of people that knew what needed to get done to bring the town back to not only its former self but something even better. I wanted to be a part of that, so I got involved as a volunteer in many community development initiatives. That’s really what’s lead me here working for the Town as their Economic Development Officer.
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NOVEMBER 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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