Town of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

It's more than a “Twinship” - it’s a “Kinship” with Glasgow, Scotland

The Town of New Glasgow enjoys a long-standing kinship with the City of Glasgow, Scotland that dates back to the town’s very beginnings. One of New Glasgow’s early settler’s Donald MacKay is given credit in some old records with bestowing the lovely hamlet with its name. Some other records suggest it was James Carmichael that named New Glasgow when he and George Argo opened the first store- a trading post, in 1809. The story goes that the name New Glasgow was chosen because of the resemblance this settlement or “clachan” on the East River bore to the City of Glasgow, which is situated on the River Clyde.

The New Glasgow of the 21st century has continued to preserve the historic relationship and heritage ties with its kindred City of Glasgow. In May of 2006, Mayor Ann MacLean was an official guest of the Lord Provost Liz Cameron, Chief Magistrate of the City of Glasgow. Business meetings in Glasgow opened up many opportunities for the Town of New Glasgow to study and review best practices of the city, which has become a cultural and heritage leader in the United Kingdom and Europe. It offered the ability for the New Glasgow representatives to meet Glasgow government officials and economic development, tourism and marketing professionals regarding the economic development, marketing/ branding, downtown and waterfront revitalization, heritage, architectural preservation and tourism of Glasgow while also ensuring the heritage relationship between the two "Glasgows" remains active and healthy.

Mayor MacLean said she especially appreciated viewing and learning about the City of Glasgow's work on the growth of the city core and the regeneration of its waterfront district along the River Clyde.  “Revitalization of our Downtown centre with a focus on heritage and historic architecture is one of the key elements of New Glasgow's Strategic Plan and the work which has been implemented in Glasgow will be a useful model to learn from and inspire us as we work towards our own Downtown revitalization," says Mayor MacLean. " Much of the historic architecture of New Glasgow's downtown is reflective of our community's strong Scottish roots and its Scottish architectural design. Our citizens have clearly indicated they wish us to preserve and celebrate our heritage and celebrating the connections with the Scottish ancestry of New Glasgow is an important part of that goal. Our Strategic Plan also calls for us to work towards enhancing New Glasgow's role as a commercial service centre while exploring tourism growth opportunities and branding New Glasgow's unique identity."

Mayor MacLean also explained that the City of Glasgow transformed itself from an industrial base to one of the top cities in Europe, lauded for it architecture, recreational focus and cultural accomplishments. Glasgow re-introduced itself to the world with its innovative new brand, “Glasgow: Scotland with Style”, and it was very helpful to study this as well.

New Glasgow's Marketing & Communications Director Kim Dickson, whose areas of responsibility for the town include heritage and tourism as well as marketing and communications, joined Mayor MacLean. Ms. Dickson commented that the business visit by town officials as well as the long standing partnership New Glasgow and old Glasgow both received media coverage in the City of Glasgow’s media reaching 600,000 people and was an occasion to tell the story of the historic ties between the two communities to the people of Glasgow and a forum to showcase New Glasgow and Pictou County.

Pictou Regional Development Commission's Executive Director Lisa MacDonald also travelled to Glasgow on behalf of PRDC for the meetings on economic development, tourism and downtown revitalization and is also planning to explore immigration opportunities. Ms MacDonald said the connection between New Glasgow and Glasgow, Scotland will enable PRDC to leverage opportunities for Pictou County. From the Hector Heritage Quay to the Festival of the Tartans, the Hector Festival, the Hector Centre and the Carmichael Stewart House Museum as well as the work of the Pictou County Roots Society and the Pictou County Genealogical Society, the Scottish roots of Pictou County as the Birthplace of New Scotland are very important.  PRDC is also the lead agency assisting New Glasgow with its plans for revitalization of the Downtown and Ms. MacDonald also found great value in reviewing Glasgow's waterfront, economic, and marketing transformation.

Mayor MacLean visited the City of Glasgow in 1999 and in 2005; the Deputy Lord Provost of Glasgow Baillie Christine Devine visited the Town of New Glasgow during the Festival of the Tartans.  Benefits for the town from the relationship have included such projects as the establishment of the official New Glasgow tartan, which was designed from the City of Glasgow's tartan. This arrangement took place during Mayor MacLean's visit in 1999 and permission was granted for the New Glasgow tartan, enabling it to be in place for the town's 125th anniversary celebrations of its incorporation and for the millennium in 2000. Former New Glasgow Mayor Jack MacLean made several trips to the City of Glasgow during his term as mayor and during these visits the Town of New Glasgow was able to have its coat of arms officially registered and also was given permission to officially incorporate the motto- Let New Glasgow Flourish, which comes from the Glasgow motto Let Glasgow Flourish, on the town's coat of arms.