The story behind the name "BLUENOSE"
I was born, raised and educated in Nova Scotia (Latin for "New Scotland"), on Canada's Atlantic coast, and lived there for more than 40 years. This makes me a "Bluenoser", and is the reason I chose this name for my web server. Although I have moved 4500 Km west to British Columbia on the Pacific coast, I remain proud of my east-coast "Bluenose" heritage. Because I have always chosen to live near the ocean, it was quite easy to select the Internet domain name 'seafoam.net'.
Where did the name "Bluenose" originate?
This name has long been associated with Nova Scotia and has been around since the 1700's for various reasons:
- the growing and exporting of blue-skinned Irish bluenose potatoes in Nova Scotia ... this is considered by some historians to be the most likely reason.
- marks made on the faces of Nova Scotian fishermen when wiping their noses on blue-dyed mitts worn during winter fishing. (don't think about this too much! :-)
- the nickname given to Nova Scotian (British) troops who occupied Boston and New York during the American Revolution.
Who can claim to be a "Bluenoser"?
- Anyone born and raised in Nova Scotia can claim this highly-coveted distinction.
Where can evidence of the name "Bluenose" be found today?
- Anywhere in Canada
(and perhaps in the pockets of visitors to Canada) on the Canadian
10-cent coin, which bears an image of the famous fishing schooner
Bluenose:
- On the open seas as
"Bluenose II", an accurate full-size replica of the original
schooner Bluenose, built in the same shipyard as her predecessor.
She is owned by the Nova Scotia government, and her primary task today
is to act as an ocean-going ambassador for the Province:
A reflective moment in a calm harbour
(Photo by Maurice Crosby, courtesy of the Bluenose-II Preservation Trust)
In Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia
Want to know more about Nova Scotia and the Bluenose?
- Visit one of the many Province of Nova Scotia websites as a starting point for your virtual tour of the Province. (Hint: Click on the "About Nova Scotia" tab.)
- Learn a bit about the Story of the Bluenose from the Nova Scotia Museum's Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.
- Visit the Bluenose II Preservation Trust website and read about the Legacy of the Bluenose.
- Want to know where the Bluenose is at the moment? Track the Bluenose II (Note: Sometimes the position cannot be tracked or the site can be very slow to respond.)
- Of course, you can use your favourite Internet search engine to look for "Nova Scotia" and "Bluenose".