LaHave

LaHave, NS, Unincorporated Place. LaHave is located at the mouth of the LaHave River, 11 km southwest of LUNENBURG. The MI'KMAQ called it Pijelooeekak ("having long points"). In 1604 Pierre Du Gua de MONTS gave the name La Hève to the nearby cape. In 1632 Isaac de RAZILLY brought with him from France several families to settle the area. Fort Sainte Marie-de-Grâce was built to protect the settlement; a school, said to have been the first ACADIAN school, was established. The settlement was later transferred to PORT-ROYAL, though a few families remained behind.

By the 1760s an English fishing base had been established at the former Acadian settlement. The 19th century saw industries connected with the fisheries, such as shipbuilding and sawmills, become an important part of the LaHave River economy, while farming remained a support industry. At this time the centre of development shifted upriver to BRIDGEWATER. Most of the early industries are gone, replaced with tourism including cottages for rent near sandy beaches. A cable ferry (in service since 1832) takes passengers and vehicles across the river to East LaHave. The Fort Point Museum, previously a lighthouse keeper's home, stands on the site of the French fort and settlement (designated a national historic site in 1924). Today, many of the residents are of German descent.