Wallace, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Wallace is a Canadian
rural community in Cumberland County
, Nova Scotia
.
Originally called Remsheg, meaning "the place between" in the Mi'kmaq
language. The homes of the Acadians who lived in the village were burned as part of the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
during the French and Indian War
. Wallace and near-by Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
were the first villages in Acadia to be burned because they were the gateway through which Acadians supplied the French Fortress Louisbourg.
Scottish immigrants followed. The village was re-named "Wallace" in honour of Scottish folk hero William Wallace
, as well as the first colonial treasurer of Nova Scotia, Michael Wallace.
The village is located at the mouth of the Wallace River where it meets Wallace Bay, a sub basin of the Northumberland Strait
. Wallace Harbour is deep and straight and at one time was well used by large ships hauling lumber, and quarry stone. The Wallace River is a major river in northern Cumberland County
and was once home to quarries and lumber mills and used to transport their products by sailing ships. Many of these ships were built in Wallace and surrounding areas.
Construction of the Montreal and European Short Line Railway Company began on the north shore of Nova Scotia in 1888, with the aim being to link Oxford
with Pictou
and onward to a superport under consideration for Canso
. The section between Oxford and Pictou opened in 1890 and was known as the "Short Line" - in reference to the shorter distance between New Brunswick and Pictou County, rather than following the main line south from New Brunswick to Truro. Wallace's importance as a shipping port, quarrying industries, and small-scale manufacturing, saw a spur line built from the Short Line at Wallace Station
, approximately 3 kilometres inland, to the south of the village.
By the post-war
years, Wallace's importance for marine traffic declined and its small shipping port had fallen into a state of disrepair - the Canadian Coast Guard
even began decommissioning its lighthouses along the harbour. The railway connection was removed and rail service in the area was completely abandoned in the mid-1980s. The village's primary mode of transportation is by automobile and the village is situated on Trunk 6 which hosts a scenic route named the Sunrise Trail
.
Wallace remains a small service centre for northeastern Cumberland County and has an elementary school, volunteer fire department, several stores and businesses, and a community hall. There is also an excellent recreation complex including a tennis court, basketball court, baseball field and outdoor ice rink.
There are Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church of Canada
Churches within the village. West of the village is the Wallace and Area Museum with many local artifacts and historic items on display.
Wallace is famous for its sandstone
quarries. Wallace sandstone has a unique olive colour and can be found in many buildings around the Maritimes
and eastern Canada. Originally used for everything from foundations and breakwaters to bridge abutments, today the sandstone is used mostly for a finishing material on buildings. Sandstone from Wallace has been used in the construction of legislature buildings in Charlottetown (Province House
) and Halifax (Province House
), and some buildings at Parliament Hill
in Ottawa
also contain Wallace sandstone. Despite many slow years, the quarry is still in operation, although on a much smaller scale than in the past.
Other local industries include: fishing, farming, and forestry.
Wallace is the birthplace of Simon Newcomb
, a famous astronomer and mathematician. It is the hometown of figure skater John Mattatall
and the retirement residence of 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics
co-winner Willard Boyle
who is credited with co-inventing the Charge-coupled device
, more commonly known as the CCD imaging chip found in digital cameras.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rural community in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The name Cumberland was applied by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton to the captured Fort Beauséjour on June 18, 1755 in honour of the third son of King George II, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, victor at...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
Originally called Remsheg, meaning "the place between" in the Mi'kmaq
Mi'kmaq language
The Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
language. The homes of the Acadians who lived in the village were burned as part of the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
The Bay of Fundy Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when the British ordered the Expulsion of the Acadians from Acadia after the Battle of Beausejour . The Campaign started at Chignecto and then quickly moved to Grand Pré, Rivière-aux-Canards, Pisiguit, Cobequid, and finally Port...
during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Wallace and near-by Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Tatamagouche is a Canadian village in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.Tatamagouche is situated on the Northumberland Strait 50 kilometers north of Truro and 50 kilometres west of Pictou. The village is located along the south side of Tatamagouche Bay at the mouths of the French and Waugh Rivers...
were the first villages in Acadia to be burned because they were the gateway through which Acadians supplied the French Fortress Louisbourg.
Scottish immigrants followed. The village was re-named "Wallace" in honour of Scottish folk hero William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
, as well as the first colonial treasurer of Nova Scotia, Michael Wallace.
The village is located at the mouth of the Wallace River where it meets Wallace Bay, a sub basin of the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
. Wallace Harbour is deep and straight and at one time was well used by large ships hauling lumber, and quarry stone. The Wallace River is a major river in northern Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The name Cumberland was applied by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton to the captured Fort Beauséjour on June 18, 1755 in honour of the third son of King George II, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, victor at...
and was once home to quarries and lumber mills and used to transport their products by sailing ships. Many of these ships were built in Wallace and surrounding areas.
Construction of the Montreal and European Short Line Railway Company began on the north shore of Nova Scotia in 1888, with the aim being to link Oxford
Oxford, Nova Scotia
Oxford is a town in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada east of Amherst. The town is directly serviced by Routes 104, 204, 301, and 321.-History:...
with Pictou
Pictou, Nova Scotia
Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
and onward to a superport under consideration for Canso
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
. The section between Oxford and Pictou opened in 1890 and was known as the "Short Line" - in reference to the shorter distance between New Brunswick and Pictou County, rather than following the main line south from New Brunswick to Truro. Wallace's importance as a shipping port, quarrying industries, and small-scale manufacturing, saw a spur line built from the Short Line at Wallace Station
Wallace Station, Nova Scotia
Wallace Station is a small farming community located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada.Wallace Station was established in 1887 after the Oxford & New Glasgow Railway built its line along the north shore of Nova Scotia from the Intercolonial Railway at Oxford Junction to Pictou...
, approximately 3 kilometres inland, to the south of the village.
By the post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years, Wallace's importance for marine traffic declined and its small shipping port had fallen into a state of disrepair - the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
even began decommissioning its lighthouses along the harbour. The railway connection was removed and rail service in the area was completely abandoned in the mid-1980s. The village's primary mode of transportation is by automobile and the village is situated on Trunk 6 which hosts a scenic route named the Sunrise Trail
Sunrise Trail
The Sunrise Trail is a scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located along the province's North Shore on the Northumberland Strait for from Amherst to the Canso Causeway.-Routes:*Trunk 4*Trunk 6*Route 245*Route 337*Route 366...
.
Wallace remains a small service centre for northeastern Cumberland County and has an elementary school, volunteer fire department, several stores and businesses, and a community hall. There is also an excellent recreation complex including a tennis court, basketball court, baseball field and outdoor ice rink.
There are Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
Churches within the village. West of the village is the Wallace and Area Museum with many local artifacts and historic items on display.
Wallace is famous for its sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
quarries. Wallace sandstone has a unique olive colour and can be found in many buildings around the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and eastern Canada. Originally used for everything from foundations and breakwaters to bridge abutments, today the sandstone is used mostly for a finishing material on buildings. Sandstone from Wallace has been used in the construction of legislature buildings in Charlottetown (Province House
Province House (Prince Edward Island)
Province House is where the Prince Edward Island Legislature, known as the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, has met since 1847. The building is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown; it is Canada's second-oldest seat of government.- History...
) and Halifax (Province House
Province House (Nova Scotia)
Province House is where the Nova Scotia Legislature, known officially as the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, has met every year since 1819. The building is Canada's oldest house of government...
), and some buildings at Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
also contain Wallace sandstone. Despite many slow years, the quarry is still in operation, although on a much smaller scale than in the past.
Other local industries include: fishing, farming, and forestry.
Wallace is the birthplace of Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb was a Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician. Though he had little conventional schooling, he made important contributions to timekeeping as well as writing on economics and statistics and authoring a science fiction novel.-Early life:Simon Newcomb was born in the town of...
, a famous astronomer and mathematician. It is the hometown of figure skater John Mattatall
John Mattatall
John Gordon Mattatall is a Canadian figure skater from Wallace, Nova Scotia who competed in both singles and pairs. He competed with pairs partner Mylène Brodeur from 2006 to 2011...
and the retirement residence of 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
co-winner Willard Boyle
Willard Boyle
Willard Sterling Boyle, was a Canadian physicist and co-inventor of the charge-coupled device. On October 6, 2009, it was announced that he would share the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics for "the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit—the CCD sensor".-Life:Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, he...
who is credited with co-inventing the Charge-coupled device
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
, more commonly known as the CCD imaging chip found in digital cameras.