{{Short description|Community in Nova Scotia, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Location map|Canada Nova Scotia |lon_dir=W|lat_dir=N |lat_deg = 45 |lat_min = 24 |lat_sec = 16.98 |lon_deg = 63 |lon_min = 42 |lon_sec = 11.5 |caption = Portapique in Nova Scotia }} '''Portapique''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɔːr|t|ə|p|ɪ|k}}) is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Colchester County. It has about 100 residents in winter and increases to 250 residents in summer.
Situated near the mouth of the Portapique River, which flows into the Minas Basin, its economy is based mainly on farming and some forestry.
It was the site of an Acadian settlement called ''Porcepic'' or ''Vil Port-au-pique'' named after porcupines in the area.<ref>{{Cite NSplaces |access-date=29 January 2026}}</ref> After the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, the community was resettled in the late 1760s and early 1770s by Ulster Scots families from the Londonderry Township settlement in nearby Great Village, joined by a later wave of Northern Irish settlers in the 1820s.<ref>{{cite book|first=S. F. |last=Creighton |title=Colchester County: An Illustrated History |publisher=Recreation Committee | location=Municipality of Colchester |date=1980 |pages=22–23}}</ref> In the 1840s, the small mixed farms of Portapique developed an important shad fishery, exporting thousand of barrels of pickled shad to the Boston fish markets. A unique regional boat suited to the tidal rivers of the area was developed around Portapique by boat builders such as William G. Hall. The commercial shad fishery collapsed in the 1920s, although a seasonal recreational fishery has remained popular.<ref>{{cite book|author=Colchester Historical Society |title=Historic Colchester: Towns and Countryside |publisher=Nimbus Publishing |date=2000 |pages=6–7}}</ref>
In April 2020, Portapique was one of the locations of the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks, the deadliest spree killing in Canadian history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/7c9a33ae52420e0ddbfb5275898a7e79|title=Gunman kills 16 in rampage, deadliest in Canadian history|date=April 19, 2020|first=Rob|last=Gillies|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=April 19, 2020}}</ref> 13 of the shooting's victims were in Portapique.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 24, 2020|title=Gunman's resemblance to police officer made chase dangerous and complicated, say RCMP|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mass-shooting-rcmp-investigation-press-conference-live-1.5542859|access-date=February 23, 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{NSColchester}} {{coord|45|24|16.98|N|63|42|11.5|W|name=Portapique, Nova Scotia|display=title|region:CA-NS_scale:100000}}
Category:Communities in Colchester County Category:Unincorporated communities in Nova Scotia Category:Populated places established in the 1760s
{{ColchesterNS-geo-stub}}