Chance Harbour, Nova Scotia
Chance Harbour Geography
- Official Name: Chance Harbour
- Mi’kmaq Name: Menpekwijk – meaning erosion
- Geographic Feature Type Category: Populated Place
- Geographic Feature Type: Community
- Latitude / Longitude: 45.671267, -62.605953
Note: The name Chance Harbour also refers to the hydrographic feature: Harbour. A sheltered body of water near the coast partially covered by land, often ideal for boats to be docked.
- Official Name: Chance Harbour
- Geographic Feature Type Category: Hydrographic Feature
- Geographic Feature Type: Harbour
- Latitude / Longitude: 45.672496, -62.573633
Chance Harbour Maps
- 1:50k Topographic NTS Map: 011E10
- 1879 Pictou County Atlas Map: Section 14
- Nova Scotia Land Grant Map: NS Land Grant map 092
- Nova Scotia 1:10k Topographic Map: 1045650062500 (Chance Harbour)
- Other Maps:
About Chance Harbour
Chance Harbour is a coastal community (and a prominent harbour) found along the Northumberland Strait located between the communities of Pictou Landing and Little Harbour. The Mi’kmaq name Menpekwijk—meaning “erosion”—reflects the area’s dynamic shoreline.
The name dates back at least to 1829 and was selected by sailors because navigation into its shallow and unprotected waters was always somewhat risky. Entrance to the harbour is about half between Roaring Bull Point and Black Point (formerly Evans Point).
Chance Harbour has a well‑documented settlement history, Land was granted to members of the disbanded 82nd Regiment in 1785 and settlement was begun by 1838. A school house was built here in 1886, and postal way office in 1914.
Following the First War the areas sandy beaches attracted numerous summer cottagers, and by the end of the Second World War much of the coastal area was occupied up by summer homes.
A breakwater was built in 1965 to aid lobster fishermen.
Chance Harbour remains a scenic coastal community defined by its beaches, dunes, and long maritime history.
For more history see …
Along the shore of Little Harbour by Marie Cullen, Shirley Aikens, & Margaret Forbes, is a great resource for stories and history of Little Harbour and surroundings area (Anderson Mountain, Black Point, Boat Harbour, Chance Harbour, Kings Head, Little Harbour and Woodburn).
It provides details about many of the families that first settled the area, businesses, industry, hard ships, churches, schools, fire stations, and more. This book is now available to read online.
Streets and Roads located within the community of Chance Harbour include:
- Beach Road
- Beachcomber Lane
- Birch Lane
- Bluff Trail
- Campbell Road
- Casablanco Court
- Chance Harbour Road
- Chance Harbour Wharf Road
- Fifth Avenue
- Forest Trail
- Fraser Lane
- Goble Lane
- Johnsons Lane
- Lake View Drive
- Lewis Road
- MacDonald Drive
- Murray Lane
- Ocean Breeze Way
- Oceanview Road
- Otter Pond Road
- Pictou Landing Road
- Reef Road
- Roaring Bull Point Lane
- Rose Lane
- Seaside Drive
- Shady Lane
- Sinclair Road
- Sugarberry Lane
- Sumac Drive
- Tutty Drive
- Wendys Lane
- Wharf View Drive
Other Official Place Names located within the community of Chance Harbour include:
- Powells Head
- Mackenzie Head
- Chance Harbour Lake
- Chance Harbour
- Fergusons Pond
- Chance Harbour Beach
- Sinclairs Island Beach
- Sinclairs Island
- Roaring Bull Point
- Roaring Bull
[Sources: Nova Scotia Place Names – T. Brown / Places of Nova Scotia – C. Bruce Fergusson / Along the shore of Little Harbour – Marie Cullen, Shirley Aikens, & Margaret Forbes]
1879 Chance Harbour Map
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