The Community

The Community. . Following the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, the Government of Nova Scotia distributed grants of land in an effort to populate the province with British subjects., Located 75 miles (115 km) east of Halifax, on Highway 7, the community of Sheet Harbour is situated on the scenic Eastern Shore, along Nova Scotia’s Marine Drive. The area has a population of approximately 2500 people., The Mi'kmaq name for this area was “Weijook” meaning “flowering wildly” or “running crazily,” and probably referred to East and West Rivers that flowed into the harbour. The name "Sheet Harbour" came into common use in the early nineteenth century. Documented in an 1818 booklet written by Anthony Lockwood, the area was named after a large blank cliff on a rocky island, located at the entrance of the harbour, that looked like a sheet spread to dry., Settled in 1784 by Loyalist soldiers and refugees of the American Revolution, the area became a prosperous lumbering and shipbuilding centre in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Sheet Harbour is also famous as the home of Canada’s first sulphite pulp mill, which operated on the East River in the late nineteenth century., Apart from its rich history, Sheet Harbour is home to a rugged landscape of forestland, lakes, rivers, not to mention the Atlantic Ocean. The East and West Rivers are famous for salmon and trout, while the nearby Liscomb Game Sanctuary provides haven to a variety of waterfowl, birds, moose, and deer within its 200 square miles. Canoeing and sport fishing within the Sanctuary are also popular pastimes with both visitors and residents., Still a vital part of the shipping and lumbering industry, Sheet Harbour has an active Industrial Port, and provides lumber for various Nova Scotia sawmills as well as wood chips for the pulp and paper industry. The industrial park, small business sector, and tourism are also important to this active community., (photo captions) , . Ruth Falls, headworks. [MacPhee House Museum, Sheet Harbor] , . Showing Lumber on River. [Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management] , . White-tailed Deer. [Tourism Nova Scotia] , . Ring-necked Pheasant. [Tourism Nova Scotia] , . Four-masted schooner Herbert L. Rawding docked at East River. [MacPhee House Museum, Sheet Harbor]