Town of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

New Glasgow is a beautiful riverside town of 9,455 residents, located in northern Nova Scotia, which serves as the commercial-service centre for the region of Pictou County with a population of 46,513. The Town has a detailed strategic plan with a focus on downtown revitalization, commercial development, tourism growth, enhanced communications and strong core services. The plan merges the pillars of commercial, environmental, tourism, heritage and social sustainability and growth for New Glasgow. 

Founded by Scottish settlers in 1784, the town was named after Glasgow, Scotland and more than 200 years later, New Glasgow still holds the position as the retail service centre for the region. Today’s New Glasgow offers an appealing way of life, a special quality of place and a rich multicultural mosaic that is reflected in the elected leaders on Town Council.

 Once a thriving shipbuilding centre, New Glasgow is now home to a dynamic retail and service sector, a growing customer service sector and strong financial and professional sectors. Since the Town’s very beginnings, New Glasgow’s people have created and carried on a legacy of excellence in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, education, social leadership, human rights, municipal, athletics, entertainment, music and all three orders of government.  Its people have a generosity of spirit, a commitment to excellence and a vision that enriches the community, the region and quite often the nation and even the world. New Glasgow is the birthplace of three Nova Scotia premiers, several provincial and federal cabinet ministers, and municipal leaders serving at provincial and national levels.

New Glasgow is proud to count among its own such prominent Nova Scotians as the late Dr. Carrie Best, human rights activist and journalist; Captain George MacKenzie, the father of Nova Scotia Shipbuilding; former Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm; Order of Canada actor Walter Borden; Canadian Minister of National Defence, Peter MacKay; George Durning one of the first Caring Canadian recipients and Doris Mason, internationally recognized musician and producer. Two of New Glasgow’s sons, Jon Sim and Colin White have brought the Stanley Cup home to New Glasgow on three occasions. NHLer Derrick Walser is a New Glasgow native and former NHLer Lowell MacDonald played his minor hockey in New Glasgow Stadium, while Lee Ann Dalling of New Glasgow is a reigning world-class power lifter. Of recent popular renown, are New Glasgow born Nashville Star runner-up George Canyon and INXS rock band front man JD Fortune.

The businesses acumen of New Glaswegians and Pictonians has also been responsible for the growth of this “merchant town” since the days of the area’s first trading post. The story of how the Presbyterian synod from New Glasgow and its missionaries shaped and changed the educational system in Trinidad and Tobago is a poignant example of how this leadership and caring has been felt internationally. This spirit of social consciousness is still embodied today by private citizens and the corporate community alike as they continue to live the values of selflessly lending a helping hand, whether it is close to home for a charity, a project close to the heart of the community or globally for causes such as the Tsunami Disaster Relief and Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.

The tree-lined streets of New Glasgow reveal impressive Victorian architecture with many beautifully crafted buildings and homes made of sandstone and brick. New Glasgow has quality educational facilities, a regional hospital, a performing arts theatre, a regional library, a full service marina, two groomed walking trails, several parks and playgrounds, franchised accommodations and a diverse selection of restaurants and entertainment as well as being home to Weeks Junior A hockey franchise. New Glasgow has a legacy of enterprise, a strong volunteer base, and a multitude of lauded festivals such as The Music Jubilee, the Johnny Miles Running Event, The Race on the River Dragon Boat Festival and the Festival of the Tartans. New Glasgow is also well known for being the host site for elite hockey events that have ranged from the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge to the Air Canada Cup and the Fred Page Challenge Cup and is home to the longest running Music Festival in Canada.

The Town of New Glasgow has been recognized with the top rating of Five Blooms in both 2008 and 2009 from the nationally known Communities in Bloom and has been sited by CIB for its environmental stewardship, riverfront revitalization, public space making, heritage preservation, tidiness, community involvement and Communities in Bloom Strategic Plan. New Glasgow has adopted the FCM Best Practices InfraGuide for core infrastructure, has embarked on a new energy savings program, is at the 4th milestone for Partners for Climate Protection and has also been recognized with environmental stewardship, health and municipal policy awards.