# Antigonish County

Antigonish County is a historical county and census division of Nova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, the Town of Antigonish, and by two reserves: Pomquet and Afton 23, and Summerside 38.

## History

The County of Sydney was created in 1784.
When St. Mary's Township was established in 1818 it was partly in Sydney County and partly in Halifax County. In 1822 that part of St. Mary's Township which had been in Halifax County was annexed to the County of Sydney.
In 1836 Sydney County was diminished in size when Guysborough County was established out of what had been part of it. In 1863 the name of the County of Sydney was changed to Antigonish County. The word Antigonish is of Mi'kmaq origin, possibly derived from Nalegitkoonecht meaning "where branches are torn off". It is said that there were bears in the area that broke down branches to get beech nuts.
In 1879, the province officially incorporated the County of Antigonish as a municipality.
In 2001, the Town of Antigonish applied to annex 1,600 hectares from the surrounding county so it could expand. The Municipality responded that the annexation would hurt its tax base so it instead applied for a total merger, or amalgamation. The issue was sent to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, and in 2005 it was decided that amalgamation of the Town and Municipality would better serve both parties. The board also ordered a plebiscite, promising to consider the results when making a final decision. The results were mixed, with 84% of Municipality residents voting yes to amalgamation and 74% of Town residents voting no. Voter turn-out was 45%. The board ultimately rejected the proposal for amalgamation, citing lack of public support.
The 2024 Boston Christmas Tree came from Mattie Settlement.

## Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Antigonish County had a population of 20,129 living in 8,711 of its 10,145 total private dwellings, a change of 4.3% from its 2016 population of 19,301. With a land area of 1,456.42 km$^2$ (562.33 sq mi), it had a population density of 13.8/km$^2$ (35.8/sq mi) in 2021.
Forming the majority of the Antigonish County census division, the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, including its Subdivisions A and B, had a population of 15,101 living in 6,371 of its 7,327 total private dwellings, a change of 3.5% from its 2016 population of 14,584. With a land area of 1,448.72 km$^2$ (559.35 sq mi), it had a population density of 10.4/km$^2$ (27.0/sq mi) in 2021.
| Census | Population | Change (%) |
| 2021 | 20,129 | 4.3% |
| 2016 | 19,301 | 1.5% |
| 2011 | 19,589 | 4.0% |
| 2006 | 18,836 | 3.8% |
| 2001 | 19,578 | 0.1% |
| 1996 | 19,554 | 1.7% |
| 1991 | 19,226 | 2.4% |
| 1986 | 18,776 | 3.7% |
| 1981 | 18,110 | N/A |
| 1941 | 10,545 | |
| 1931 | 10,073 | |
| 1921 | 11,580 | |
| 1911 | 11,962 | |
| 1901 | 13,617 | |
| 1891 | 16,114 | |
| 1881 | 18,060 | |
| 1871 | 16,512 | N/A |
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
| English only | 18,150 | 93.32% |
| French only | 585 | 3.01% |
| Non-official languages | 590 | 3.03% |
| Multiple responses | 130 | 0.67% |
| Ethnic Origin | Population | Pct (%) |
| Scottish | 9,265 | 49.5% |
| Canadian | 7,295 | 39.0% |
| Irish | 5,515 | 29.5% |
| French | 4,845 | 25.9% |
| English | 4,275 | 22.8% |
| German | 985 | 5.3% |
| Dutch (Netherlands) | 970 | 5.2% |
| North American Indian | 690 | 3.7% |
| Acadian | 480 | 2.6% |

### Census subdivisions

* Antigonish Subdivision A
* Antigonish Subdivision B

## Major highways

Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:

## Protected areas

* Arisaig Provincial Park
* Antigonish Landing
* Bayfield Provincial Park
* Beaver Mountain Provincial Park
* Eigg Mountain-James River Wilderness Area
* Pomquet Beach Provincial Park

## Notable residents

* Donald Chisholm, stockcar driver
* Mary-Colin Chisholm, stage, film and TV actor
* Moses Coady, Roman Catholic priest, adult educator, and leader of the Antigonish Movement
* Eric Gillis, long-distance runner and Olympian (2008, 2012, 2016)
* Max Haines, crime writer, columnist for the Toronto Sun
* Allan H. MacDonald, theoretical physicist
* Allan The Ridge MacDonald (1794–1868), local pioneer, and poet in Canadian Gaelic.
* Craig MacDonald, former professional hockey player
* Garfield MacDonald, Olympic Athlete
* John MacLean (d. 1848), local pioneer, poet and Seanchaidh. A highly important figure in both Scottish Gaelic literature and in that of Canadian Gaelic.
* Shauna MacDonald, actress, also known as "Promo Girl" on CBC Radio One
* Ryan MacGrath, musician and painter
* Al MacIsaac, Vice President Chicago Blackhawks
* Paul MacLean, assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs
* Carole MacNeil, television journalist, former co-host of CBC News: Sunday and CBC News: Sunday Night
* Stephen McHattie, stage, film and TV actor
* Robyn Meagher, Olympic runner
* Carroll Morgan, Olympic heavyweight boxer
* Archbishop James Morrison, Catholic Bishop 1912
* Anne Simpson, poet
* Lewis John Stringer, Cross of Valour (Canada) Recipient, Wall of Valour
* The Trews, a rock band