Peggy's Cove

History

The narrow cove was probably named after the wife of William Rodgers, an Irish immigrant to St. Margarets Bay (1770). In 1811, land was granted to five men who had been fishing from here since 1804. By 1827, seven families had settled around the picturesque inlet beside the rugged granite coastline.

On 2 September 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed six nautical miles off Peggy's Cove, killing all 226 passengers and crew. The community was deeply affected and received great admiration for its involvement in support, rescue and salvage operations. The memorial to the passengers of Swissair Flight 111 is near Peggy’s Cove.

Geology

Peggy’s Cove lighthouse rests on around 375-million-year-old granite. The iconic landscape, which has earned it national renown, is the result of the region’s geological history (see Geological History of Canada). The granite first formed from molten magma that cooled and crystallized several kilometres deep in the Earth’s crust (see Igneous Rock). The rocks were later exposed at the surface through erosion. Many thousands of years later, massive glaciers covered the granite until, around 12,000 years ago, the glaciers retreated for a final time, leaving behind the rock that they had polished smooth. The glaciers also deposited massive granite boulders across the landscape as they melted.

Culture

This unique sea-splashed rock formation perpetuates Peggy's Cove as a popular tourist attraction and artists' haunt. Although the lighthouse no longer beams its fishermen home, the location is an increasingly popular tourist attraction. The Fishermen's Monument, a large mural created on a granite boulder by local marine artist William deGarthe (1907-1983), celebrates the fishing family's relationship with their ocean.