Canso Islands National Historic Site
1465 Union Street B0H 1H0 Canso, NS, Canada

Conflicts between the English and the allied French and Mi’kmaq throughout the 18th century meant Canso saw turmoil and combat, including when the homes of its English residents were burned during a French attack from Louisbourg in 1744. Edward How, who had a large property that was destroyed, submitted a claim for losses to the British government in 1748. From this document and archaeological evidence, we can uncover pieces of daily life from the How household in the 18th century.

Like so many places in Nova Scotia, the story of Canso and Grassy Islands is interwoven with different cultures and communities. Basque and French sailors, who crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of abundant codfish, first came ashore onto the land of L’nu, the Mi’kmaq, in places like this in the 1500s. The Europeans traded for furs with the Mi’kmaq, and archaeological evidence from the 1600s shows seasonal fishing camps ran on this site. In 1718, a new story began with the ...establishment of the English community. Codfish continued to be king, and by the 1720s between eight and ten million pounds of cod were produced and exported from Canso every year! www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/canso #RediscoverNovaScotia

We’re happy to announce that the visitor centre and exhibit area at Canso Islands National Historic Site will open on July 13. The ferry service to Grassy Islands will remain closed at this time. We’ve been working hard to ensure a safe environment for your visit. For more information to plan your trip to Canso Islands National Historic Site, visit https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ns/canso/visit/covid-19-info

Happy Canada Day! Today would normally mark the opening day of Canso Islands National Historic Site’s visitor season, but for the safety and security of our visitors, the site remains closed until further notice. If you’re still longing to get out on Grassy Island, you’ll unfortunately have to wait until the site reopens at some point in the future...but a short virtual tour of the island is available on our website. Please keep checking our Facebook page and website for the latest information, which we will share with you as soon as it becomes available. #WeMissYouToo

Did you know? Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day! Across Canada, Indigenous Peoples are celebrating and sharing their rich culture and traditions a little differently this year. As we continue to stay home as much as we can to keep ourselves and others safe, take a moment to learn about some of the Indigenous cultures celebrated at Parks Canada places! #NIPDCanada