Middle River of Pictou facts for kids

The Middle River of Pictou is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada. It flows through Pictou County.

This river is about 37 km (23 mi) (23 miles) long. It starts at Dryden Lake near Glengarry Station. The river then flows into Pictou Harbour. This harbour is part of the larger Northumberland Strait. The area of land that drains into this river is about 213 km² (82 sq mi) (82 square miles).

For a long time, a big part of the river was an estuary. An estuary is where a river meets the sea. Saltwater and freshwater mix there. Now, only a smaller part of the river near its mouth is still an estuary.

River History and Coal Mining

The valley around the Middle River of Pictou has a long history. It was important for some of Canada's first industries. In 1798, coal was found in the area. This led to the start of coal mining.

Large-scale underground coal mining began in 1827. This happened in the nearby East River of Pictou valley. Mining continued for many years. It stopped in 1992 after an accident at the Westray Mine. Smaller open-pit mining has continued since then.

The community of "Acadia Mine" was later renamed Westville. Coal mining took place there from the 1860s to the 1970s. This mining was entirely within the Middle River's watershed. A watershed is all the land that drains water into a specific river.

Two coal mining companies used to ship coal from piers on the Middle River. These piers were active until the mid-1900s. One pier was in Granton. The other was at Abercrombie Point in Abercrombie. Trains brought coal from the Westville mines to these piers.

Changes to the River

The Middle River of Pictou changed a lot in the late 1960s. This was due to new industries and roads.

Building a Reservoir

In 1965, the government of Nova Scotia made an agreement. They would provide a lot of water to a new paper mill. This mill was to be built in Abercrombie.

To get enough water, a large dam was built across the river. This dam created a big lake, called a reservoir. The reservoir is about 6 km² (2.3 sq mi) (2.3 square miles) in size. It is about 5 m (16 ft) (16 feet) deep.

Building the reservoir meant moving the CN Rail line. About 6 km (3.7 mi) (3.7 miles) of track had to be moved. Some properties in Sylvester were abandoned. The new rail line crossed the river on top of the dam. It was used until 1986.

The Harvey A. Veniot Causeway

Another big change happened in 1968. A large causeway was built across Pictou Harbour. A causeway is a raised road or railway across water. This one connects Abercrombie Point and Brown's Point.

This causeway carries Nova Scotia Highway 106. It is named the "Harvey A. Veniot Causeway." It honors a local politician, Harvey Veniot. The causeway has special gates called tidal sluice gates. These gates help control the water flow.

However, the causeway has caused some debate. It has made it harder for water to flow freely in the harbour. It has also made a large part of Pictou Harbour less navigable for boats.

River Landscape

Most of the land around the Middle River of Pictou is covered in forests. However, there is a section about 8 km (5.0 mi) (5 miles) long. This section goes through Union Centre and Rocklin. Here, some land has been cleared for small family farms.

Communities Along the River

Here are the communities found along the Middle River of Pictou, listed from its source to its mouth:

• Glengarry Station
• Concord
• Rocklin
• Union Centre
• Pleasant Valley
• Hamilton Road
• Westville
• Alma
• Sylvester
• Granton
• Loch Broom
• Abercrombie