Dingwall, Nova Scotia

For the community of the same name in Scotland, see Dingwall.

Dingwall in Nova Scotia

Coordinates: 46°53′41″N 60°28′13″W / 46.89472°N 60.47028°W / 46.89472; -60.47028

Dingwall Harbour in 2010

Dingwall is a coastal community of approximately 600 residents in Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated just off the Cabot Trail, 84.68 kilometers northeast of county seat Baddeck. The federal Electoral Riding is Sydney—Victoria.

Overview

Old Norse in origin, the name "Dingwall" comes from Ting (parliament) and Voir (valley)^[1]. Dingwall was originally known as "Young's Cove" until 1883. Among the first settlers and grantees for land was Walter Young in 1827. Later, in the late 1870s, a Mr. Robert Dingwall who owned the general store in town, made an application for a post office, and suggested to the government that the town be re-named Dingwall^[2]. By provincial statute, chapter 55 in 1883, the name of Young's Cove was thus changed to Dingwall^[3].

Located on northern Cape Breton Island, Dingwall has traditionally been a fishing community, which remains the town's primary industry, along with tourism. Dingwall is home to a resort called the Markland Coastal Resort, which is a popular tourist destination during the summer months. St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was opened in 1901.

Dingwall was once a somewhat booming industrial town in the 1940s and 50's when it was home to a gypsum quarry, the remnants of which are still quite prominent within the town. Once the gypsum boom had run its course, many residents moved elsewhere to find employment, but Dingwall survived almost exclusively as a fishing community from that time until the present day. One of the town's primary landmarks for decades were the large Irving Oil storage tanks situated on the harbour, which have since been disassembled and removed by the company.

The town was home to Dingwall Elementary School which closed in 2000 when a new school, North Highlands, was constructed in the neighboring community of Sugarloaf, housing the former students of both Dingwall Elementary and Highland Consolidated.

Dingwall is blessed with picturesque natural beauty. Located just north of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, it possesses lush forest areas and is framed by mountains to the north and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. In addition to the approximately 600 permanent residents, many seasonal residents come to Dingwall from the U.S. and Europe during the summer and leave during the winter.

Communications

• The Postal Code is B0C 1G0
• The Telephone exchange is 902-383-xxxx
• Internet - DSL provided by Aliant

Demographics

• Total Population 606
• Total Dwellings 303
• Total Land Area 85.3175 km²

External links

• Dingwall at Google Maps

References

1. ^ http://wreckhunter.ca/saintpaul/index.asp
2. ^ http://ca.epodunk.com/profiles/nova-scotia/dingwall/2003807.html
3. ^ http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NS-CAPE-BRETON/2001-10/1002636046