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Wedgeport is an unincorporated place in the Municipality of the District of Argyle in Southern Nova Scotia, Canada.

History

Wedgeport was settled in 1767 by returning Acadians who had been deported to the Boston area. The village of Wedgeport was formally called Tusket Wedge, and was also at one time called the "Chebec". In 1909 by an Act of Parliament, it was changed to Wedgeport.

In the 20th century, many famous Americans and Canadians traveled here due to large amounts of tuna in the area, including Babe Ruth, President Franklin Roosevelt, Kate Smith, Gene Tunney, Amelia Earhart, Ernest Hemingway, Jean Béliveau, Ethel du Pont, Thomas Gifford, Michael Lerner, Zane Grey and Tony Hulman. It is known as the "Historic Sport Tuna Fishing Capital of the World". Many of these famous Americans were taken on fishing trips by Captain Evée LeBlanc.

In 1937, the International Tuna Cup Match began with the participation of 28 different countries. In 1949, 72 Bluefin tuna were caught for a total weight of 30,161 pounds, the most tuna as well as the highest weight ever caught in a tournament to date. The tournament ended in 1976 due to a lack of tuna, but the tournament was revived in 2004. The 13th annual Wedgeport Tuna Tournament & Festival took place in August 2016.

Wedgeport hosts the annual Festival Acadien de Wedgeport each summer. The Festival celebrates Acadian heritage and includes concerts, variety shows, a parade, an Acadian pageant, traditional costumes, dances and a softball tournament.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wedgeport had a population of 1,071 living in 478 of its 534 total private dwellings, a change of 0.9% from its 2016 population of 1,061. With a land area of 9.64 km (3.72 sq mi), it had a population density of 111.1/km (287.7/sq mi) in 2021.

Government

In 1910, the community of Wedgeport was incorporated with Upper Wedgeport and Lower Wedgeport and became a town separate from the Municipality of the District of Argyle. In 1947, the town was dissolved and rejoined the Municipality of Argyle because the town's tax base became too small to support its obligations.

Mayors

There were ten mayors of Wedgeport during its incorporation.

• Jacques R. LeBlanc 1910-1913
• Joseph Pothier 1913-1914
• Jacques R. LeBlanc 1914-1916
• Pierre G. LeBlanc 1916-1918
• Jacques R. LeBlanc 1918-1920
• Alfred L. LeBlanc 1920-1921
• Pius Z. Boudreau 1921-1924
• J. Zébédée Cottreau 1924-1928
• Denis D. LeBlanc 1928-1936
• Willard O'Brien 1936-1943
• David Z. LeBlanc 1943-1946
• Walter D. Murphy 1946-1947

References

1. "Wedgeport". Geographical Names Board of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
2. Censuses 1901-1941
3. Censuses 2006-2011
4. Censuses 2011-2016
5. "Evee LeBlanc, dead at 100". Halifax Chronicle Herald. Halifax, NS. October 2, 1978. p. 23.
6. Tuna Tournament - About Wedgeport Tuna Tournament]
7. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
8. "Town of wedgeport fonds (1910-1947) [ATCHA]". www.argylecourthouse.com. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
9. d'Entremont, Clarence J. (1967). Histoire de Wedgeport: 1767-1967. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. ISBN 092144320X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
10. Town of Wedgeport fonds 1890-1948 Argyle Courthouse

43°44′23″N 65°58′48″W / 43.7398°N 65.9800°W / 43.7398; -65.9800

• Communities in Yarmouth County
• Populated places established in 1767
• Designated places in Nova Scotia
• 1767 establishments in the British Empire