Pictou County is a county in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1835, and was formerly a part of Halifax County from 1759 to 1835. Take a look below for 27 amazing and interesting facts about Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

1. It had a population of 43,748 people in 2016, a decline of 4.2 percent from 2011.

2. Furthermore, its 2016 population is only 88.11% of the census population in 1991. It is the sixth most populous county in Nova Scotia.

3. The origin of the name “Pictou” is obscure. Possible Mi’kmaq derivations include “Piktook” meaning an explosion of gas, and “Bucto” meaning fire, possibly related to the coal fields in the area.

4. It might also be a corruption of Poictou, an old province in France. Nicolas Denys named the harbour La rivière de Pictou in the 1660s.

5. Pictou was a receiving point for many Scottish immigrants moving to a new home in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island following the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

6. Consequently, the town’s slogan is “The Birthplace of New Scotland”; the first wave of immigrants is acknowledged to have arrived on September 15, 1773, on the Hector.

7. Pictou County includes the towns of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Pictou, Westville and Trenton.

8. It is bounded by the Northumberland Strait, Antigonish County, Guysborough County and Colchester County. Pictou Harbour and its three rivers played a vital role in the early days of settlement, as a port of entry, a means of transport and for the export of lumber and coal.

9. As a census division in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pictou County recorded a population of 43,748 living in 19,305 of its 22,525 total private dwellings, a change of -4.2% from its 2011 population of 45,643.

10. With a land area of 2,846.28 km2 (1,098.95 sq mi), it had a population density of 15.4/km2 (39.8/sq mi) in 2016.

11. Forming the majority of the Pictou County census division, the Municipality of the County of Pictou recorded a population of 20,692 living in 8,946 of its 11,178 total private dwellings in the 2016 Census of Population, a change of -2.8% from its 2011 population of 21,278.

12. With a land area of 2,797.25 km2 (1,080.02 sq mi), it had a population density of 7.4/km2 (19.2/sq mi) in 2016.

13. Pictou County is wholly within the federal electoral district of Central Nova.

14. The county has been represented federally by Conservative MPs since 1957, with the exceptions of 1993-1997 and currently (since 2015), when Liberal MPs have been in office.

15. The seat is currently held by Liberal MP Sean Fraser, who was elected in 2015.

16. Pictou County is divided into three provincial electoral districts, namely Pictou Centre, Pictou East and Pictou West. All three are currently held by PC MLAs in the Nova Scotia Legislature.

17. The towns of New Glasgow, Stellarton, Pictou, Westville and Trenton each have their own town councils.

18. The Municipality of Pictou County serves the remaining rural areas, including Pictou Island. Amalgamation of these six municipal units is occasionally considered.

19. Pictou County District Planning Commission provides planning, development and waste disposal services to all the communities in the county.

20. Pictou Landing First Nation has reserves at Pictou Landing, Fisher’s Grant and Merigomish Harbour.

21. Resource based industries include coal mining, forestry, fishing and agriculture. Manufacturing industries include Michelin Tire, Northern Pulp and Scotsburn Dairy. Web.Com operate a call center in New Glasgow. Tourism is an important part of the economy during the summer, and in 2006 employed 1,200 people and brought 45 million dollars to the economy.

22. Rail car manufacturer Trenton Works was closed in 2007 when owners Greenbrier moved production to Mexico. There are 2,400 small and medium-sized businesses that collectively generate more than 15,000 jobs.

23. The Pictou County Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy group that speaks as a united voice on behalf of the business community.

24. Two highways designated as part of the national Trans-Canada Highway system provide the only controlled-access roads in the county. They are Highway 104, which traverses the county from west to east, and Highway 106 the short north-south spur to the Northumberland Ferries Limited terminal at Caribou.

25. The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a freight line connecting Truro to Sydney, with spurs at Stellarton and Trenton serving local industries such as Trenton Generating Station. Via Rail Canada abandoned passenger rail service in the county on January 15, 1990, following nationwide budget cuts.

26. Maritime Bus provide motor coach service to New Glasgow.

27. Trenton Aerodrome is a private commercial airport owned and operated by Sobeys.