Pollett's Cove facts for kids
Pollett's Cove is a beautiful, wild place on the northwest coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. It's a special spot where a river meets the sea, called an estuary.
You can only get to Pollett's Cove by boat or by hiking. One way is a tough 10-kilometer hike from Pleasant Bay, which takes about 3.5 to 5 hours. Another way is an even longer and harder trek from Meat Cove, taking 2 to 4 days.
The cove has a long, sandy beach that stretches for 1,000 meters. It sits at the bottom of a stunning valley. Two streams, Pollett's Cove Brook and a smaller one, join together. They then flow through a grassy meadow down to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Pollett's Cove is a popular place for camping and hiking adventures. For about 100 years, it was also home to a fishing community.
History of Pollett's Cove
Pollett's Cove was first home to the Mi'kmaq people. The first written description of the area came during the American Revolution in 1780. An officer named S.W. Prenties wrote about being shipwrecked nearby. He was saved by the Mi'kmaq people.
European settlers first arrived in the cove in 1838. Donald McLean and his three sons from Scotland were the first. They spoke Gaelic. Around 1861, two of McLean's sons sadly drowned close to the cove. They left behind their wives and children. One of these sons, Duncan, received the first land grant in the cove in 1861.
Life in the Community
By 1887, six families lived in the cove. Nine years later, two more families joined them. In 1901, these eight families lived in seven houses. The community had a post office for 20 years, from 1896 to 1916. There was also a school and a "lobster factory." You can still find gravestones from this time in two old burial grounds.
By 1921, only one family remained in the cove. Another family lived there for a few years in the 1930s. After that, the community was likely left empty.
During World War II, Pollett's Cove had a telegraph wire. This wire connected it to the rest of Nova Scotia. It was used to warn about German U-boats entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In 1947, wildfires burned the abandoned buildings in Pollett's Cove.
Protecting Pollett's Cove
The land around Pollett's Cove is part of the Cape Breton Highlands. The province owns this land, and it is a protected wilderness area. However, a few hundred acres right next to the beach are privately owned.
In August 2007, the owners of the main private land decided to sell it. This happened after talks with the province about buying the land didn't work out. A group of citizens called "Friends of Pollett's Cove" was formed in September 2007. Their goal was to make sure people could still visit the cove. They also wanted to protect its natural environment. A Facebook group was also created to help connect people with the Friends of Pollett's Cove.
Today, Pollett's Cove is privately owned by someone from the nearby area of Red River.
