Judique, Nova Scotia

Judique is a small community located in Inverness County on the Ceilidh Trail (Trunk 19) on the western side of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Early Settlement

The first permanent European pioneers of Judique were mainly of Scots Highland descent and they moved to the west coast of Cape Breton Island from Prince Edward Island, Pictou, Guysborough, and some walked the distance from Parsborough. The ‘Judique Shores’ stretched from Long Point in the south to the Little Judique River just on the boundary of Port Hood, in the north. The name is considered to be either French or Mikmaq.

Tradition has it that in 1775, poet and sea captain Michael mor MacDonald of South Uist/PEI, who attended the Glenaladale emigration to PEI, spent the winter near the Grand Judique River. He encountered Mi’kmaq during his stay. The ice came in before he had a chance to leave and he spent the winter there. His Gaelic song about the event, "O, Is Àlainn an t-Àite (pronounced: oh, iss ah-lin un t-ah-chuh) "O, Fair is the Place", is thought by many to be the first Scots Gaelic song composed in North America.

Among the early Scottish settlers were Michael MacDonald of South Uist, Robert Innes, Hugh MacEachern, wife and family of Moidart, and Allan Ban MacDonnell of Glengarry. Michael, Robert, and Allan Ban married, about the same time, daughters of Hugh MacEachern, and became the very first settlers of Judique. This settlement took place in 1787. Prior, however, to this date, Michael MacDonald had frequently landed on the coast, partially explored it, and finally mason, of Blair-Athole, Indian Point, in the north end of Judique, is now a protected archeological site.

Origins of the Name

The origins of the name Judique have evoked many an opinion. A great majority of the people of Judique hold that it is a First Nations (Mi'kmaw) word meaning water. However, according to Thomas J. Brown's "Place Names of the Province of Nova Scotia", the name is said to mean a river or stream where the water turns swiftly forming eddies, and is of French origin.

Another story relates to Nicholas Denys who had fishing stations along the coast of what now is Inverness County. One of Denys's sea captains, on a return trip to Arichat with a cargo of fish, was reading Scripture from the Book of Judith. It was a beautiful day and as he was passing along the coast of what is now Judique, he was overcome by the rolling hills and greenery of the area. It is said that it was recorded in his log with the name "Judic" which in course of time was written "Judique."

A more recent insight came through some visitors from Quebec who stood at Indian Point and told those gathered that “jou-jeu” is known as a small toy in Quebec that twirls and moves around like a spinning top, the colloquialism for such a child’s game is jou. “Dique,” they said, “ is ‘dike’ and it’s easy to see where dikes of land exist around Indian Point. The name fits this place "exactement"."

Judique Today

Population: ca. 700Households: ca. 340Coverage Area: Graham's on the Shore Road in the north, Beaton's on Hwy 19, and the boundary between Long Point and Craigmore to the South. St. George's Bay on the east and General Line Road to the west.

Once a fully active farming-fishing community, Judique still has vestiges of those times but people now also work in forestry, lumbering, and cultural industries or provide personal business services in the village or are employed in the near-by service town of Port Hawkesbury.

Wharves: Baxter's Cove,Pig Cove, Little Judique Harbour
Community Services: Judique and Area Development Association, Judique & District Volunteer Fire Department,St. Andrew's Parish, Judique Men's Club
Recreation: Judique Recreation Grounds: Weight & Training Romm & running Track; Judique Flyer Trails Assc.,
Community Centre: Judique Community Centre Development Association
Schools: Bayview (in Port Hood) K-8; Dalbrae (in Mabou) - 9-12
Historical: Storyteller's Gallery, Suidaig al an Ular Society
Cultural: Celtic Music Interpretive Centre Society
Stages: 3 indoor, 2 outdoor
Annual Festivals and Events (all sponsored by non-profit community organizations) : Judique on the Floor Days, Kintyre Farm Family Concert, Fall Fair, Buddy MacMaster School of Fiddling, Celtic Colours International Festival, Remembrance Day Ceremony,Celtic Classic Golf Tournament, St.Andrew's Parish Bazaar, July 1 Celebrations
Communcations: JUMP TV out of Port Hood, partial coverage; Judique DOTCOM Society C@P Site
General Business Services: A & D Service Station, Wayne's Variety Store, CanadaPost RPO and NSLC Outlet, Inverness Funeral Home, Canada Post Rural Mail Delivery and PO Box Delivery
Tourism: Denys Mountain B& B, Inn on the Intervale, Island Boat Tours
Horticultural: Tartan Garden Society
Main Routes and backroads: Highway 19, Shore Rd, Baxter's Cove Rd, Wlaker's Cove Rd, Centennial Road, River Denys Rd, Campbell's Rd, Hillsdale Rd, Gussieville Rd, MacLean's Road, Chisholm Rd, Mabou Rd, Judique Intervale Rd, Beaton Rd, St. Ninian
Distances (approximate) : Port Hawkesbury: 40 kilometers (25 mi) , Antigonish, 90 km ( 60 mi), Hlaifax, 300 km (180 mi); Sydney 200 km, (120 mi); Inverness 80 km (40 mi)

St. Andrew's Catholic Church, a large stone structure, was built in 1924 and the parish is the oldest Catholic parish developed by Highland Scots on Cape Breton Island.

Judique is surrounded by many other villages, including Long Point, Craigmore, and Creignish to the south, and northerly, Port Hood, Mabou, Inverness, Margaree and Cheticamp.

Lying on the Ceilidh Trail (Trunk 19), the village sits on the edge of St. George's Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Here is the "sunset side" of Cape Breton Island with some of the most spectacular colours ever viewed over western waters. Christy's Look-off is half-way between the Canso Causeway and Judique where you can get a spectcular view of the waterway to the Strait of Canso. Waters are warm for swimming in July and August. In spring you can witness the lobster fishermen (and women) coming and going from the three harbours in the area.

Judique Village Market

The Judique & Area Development Association has initiated a weekly market at the local fishing wharf, Baxter's Cove, which is being held every Saturday from 10 am until 1 pm rain or shine.

At the market you will find locally grown produce, locally made crafts, as well as flea market items and baked goods.

The market is on the harbour with spectacular views, next to the Trans Canada Trail, and offers daily sightings of Bald Eagles!

The market began in on June 16, 2007 and will run until the 15th of September.Second season will begin in June 2008.

http://www.geocities.com/buildingjudique/market

Notable People

Buddy MacMaster - Cape Breton Fiddle Icon

Dan R. MacDonald - Cape Breton Fiddler/Composer

[Andrea Beaton, fiddler]
[Natalie MacMaster, fiddler, JCHS]
[Glenn Graham, fiddler, JCHS]
[Ashley MacIsaac, fiddler, JCHS]
[Stephanie Wills, fiddler, JCHS]
[Wendy MacIsaac, JCHS]
[Michael MacDonald, settler, songwriter]
Amy Cotton - Olympian 2004 Athens - Judo

Andrew MacDonald - AHL Bridgeport Tigers Defensemen (New York Islanders farm team)

[http://www.dwaynemaceachern.ca/ Dwayne MacEachern - Green Party of Canada - Federal Candidate (Nominated) for the riding of Cape Breton - Canso]

Related Links

[http://www.judique.ca/ Judique.ca Forums]

[http://www.danrory.com/ Book/Website about Dan R. MacDonald]

[http://www.geocities.com/judiquecommunitycentre/ Judique Community Centre Website]

[http://www.geocities.com/buildingjudique/ JADA Website]

[http://www.tartangardens.com/ Tartan Gardens]

[http://www.celticmusicsite.com/ Celtic Music Interpretive Centre]