Port Medway

Located along Nova Scotia’s scenic Lighthouse Route (Highway 103) on the South Shore in Queens County, Port Medway is a small coastal community, founded on a once-thriving shipping industry and fishery.

With one of the deepest sheltered harbours in the area, Port Medway historically attracted large ships, which brought enough traffic to the area to generate business for several hotels, shops, a dancehall, a blacksmith, several churches and a brothel.

Today, visitors to the area will find significantly less bustle - the community’s residents numbering less than 200, with common surnames including Baker, Conrad, Selig, Smiley and Whynot. The population increases slightly during the summer months, with an influx of international seasonal residents and visitors. Notably among the population, past and present, are Judith Comfort, cookbook author; Calvin Trillin, author, who occasionally writes about the community in publications like The New Yorker - see an article here; Rita Howell of Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues; Carroll Baker of Nashville country music fame; a member of the crew for There’s Something About Mary; Elinor Selig, self-published author/historian, and various other independent artists and musicians. Prince Charles is also known to have fished for salmon in the Medway River, which runs into the Port Medway harbour. EnlargePort Medway accommodationsSometimes known as "little" Peggy’s Cove, Long Cove is a stretch of shoreline in Port Medway known locally for expansive rock cliffs, an uninterrupted view of open Atlantic Ocean, Elinor’s Port Medway Museum, her “Dis and Dat Shop” (and formerly a school bus hostel) as featured on the British travel site, Quirky Guide and written by former resident, Beth Bowers. EnlargeElinor's Dis and Dat Shop, Long CoveCommunity events

During the 1980s a handful of motivated locals organized an annual lip sync competition for the youth of this and neighbouring communities, then seconded only by the Annual Mill Village Worm Race for regional children’s entertainment.

Social disorder

Significantly more antisocial, an annual guerilla event took place each year on Halloween night, when unidentified local youths traditionally cut down street signs and used them to make a bonfire in the community’s only intersection, blocking what scarce traffic travel the rural roads at night. Police began sending patrols to prevent the annual vandalism to the community, which otherwise continues to be devoid of police presence. The cat-and-mouse chase annually ended with each side claiming victory – the vandals for succeeding in setting a fire, and the police for succeeding in putting it out. No one was ever charged for the offenses.

Cemetery Beach

Aptly named Cemetery Beach can be reached via the community’s oldest burial site. Gothic stones that survived tragic bouts of vandalism and seasonal hurricanes line the narrow path to the silver sand beach, which is accessible only at low tide. Many stones bear the script, “Lost at sea”, several feature skulls bearing wings, and a particularly haunting example shows a hand holding chains, pointing downward.

Though sizable, the burial site was originally much larger – approximately twice its current area - until a severe hurricane struck the area during the late 1800s, washing approximately half the graves into the sea. As a result, the tide washed in evidence for decades to follow, in the form of smoothed chunks of limestone (broken gravestones) and small bits of skeletal remains. Citizens added a breakwater (a wall of boulders) to prevent more of the site from being washed out to sea.

Locals are not dissuaded from enjoying the beach, though there tends to be a strong undertow that calls for particular caution. Wild blueberry bushes grow above the remaining graves, providing a summer treat for local children.

The Government Wharf and social life

The government wharf serves as the unofficial centre of the community – an informal meeting place. Lobster fishing still provides seasonal income for many residents and boat captains and crew frequent the wharf to check their vessels and gear. During summer months, locals of all ages fish from the wharf for mackerel and pollock. Seals are populous and their presence near the wharf often indicates the arrival of schools of fish.

Local foods

Local delicacies include: periwinkles (or sea snails) steamed and dipped in butter or vinegar; clams (dug from local beaches) steamed or battered; mussels gathered from rocks during low tide (steamed); and, whole, unsplit lobster in the shell, served with nut crackers for crushing and butter for dipping. &nbsp