Peggy Cove Lighthouse
Built in 1868, the first lighthouse at Peggy Cove consisted of a wooden house topped by a beacon, Each evening, the lighthouse keeper lit a kerosene oil lamp magnified by a catoptric reflector (a silver-plated mirror) creating the red light, which marked the eastern entrance to St. Margaret Bay. In 1914, an octagon-shaped lighthouse built of concrete and reinforced steel, standing nearly 15 m (50 ft.) high, replaced the old structure and is the very lighthouse you see here today. The old lighthouse keeper dwelling remained next to the current lighthouse until it was damaged by Hurricane Edna in 1954.
The lighthouse was manned until 1958, when it became automated. Several changes have occurred over the years, including the switch from a red to white lens, then to a green light in the late 1970s. During the summer months the lower level serves as the village post office from where visitors can send postcards and letters. Each piece of mail receives a special cancellation mark in the shape of the lighthouse.
The Cove
The village of Peggy Cove was founded in 1811 when the province of Nova Scotia issued a grant entitling six families to over 800 acres of land. Building their community around the Cove, the settlers relied on fishing as the mainstay of their economy, but also planted gardens where the soil was fertile and used the lands surrounding the village to pasture cattle.
In the early years many artists and photographers flocked to Peggy Cove, and as road travel improved, the number of visitor grew. Today the population is much smaller but Peggy Cove still remains a working fishing village as well as a favourite tourist destination.
The Great Atlantic
The rise and fall of the Atlantic tide varies between 1.5 and 2 m (4 an 6 ft.) while water temperature ranges between 10? and 15? C (50? to 60? F) in the summer and falls to between .5? and 4.5? C (33? to 40? F) in the winter. The ocean keeps our temperatures moderate year-round.
A combination of the shape of the ocean floor and various ocean current creates a rich diversity of marine life along the Atlantic Coast. Flowing south from the Arctic past Nova Scotia, the Labrador Current cools the water during the summer, while offshore, the Gulf Stream, traveling northwest from the Caribbean to northern Europe, warms our waters. This mixing of waters has brought unusual Arctic and tropical species to St. Margaret Bay. Regular visitors include bluefin tuna as well as white-sided and white-beaked dolphins. Whale are often sighted and endangered Atlantic leatherback turtles occasionally visit our waters.
Geology
This unique landscape has been shaped by the action of glaciers and the ocean. Approximately 20,000 years ago, an ice ridge moving south from Canada Arctic Region covered all of North America. This ice melted, shifted and scooped away large portions of rock, vegetation and topsoil. Over time rising sea levels filled these areas with water, forming coves and inlets. Large boulders, lifted by the ice, were carries many miles and deposited upon the landscape as the ice receded, leaving rugged barrens. The movement of the glacial ice and rocks also left scouring marks, or deep scratches in the bedrock that can still be seen today.
In an effort to preserve the unique beauty of the area, Peggy Cove has been declared a preservation area. Passed in 1962, the Peggy Cove Commission Act prohibits development in the lans surrounding the Village and restricts development within Peggy Cove. The area encompasses 2000 acres of land, stretching from Indian Harbour to West Dover. This environmentally sensitive area includes barrens, bogs, inland ponds and rocky coastline; please tread lightly.
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