# Portapique

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Portapique.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portapique
> Source revision: 1335874595
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/Nova_Scotia)
}}
'''Portapique''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɔːr|t|ə|p|ɪ|k}}) is an [unincorporated](/source/unincorporated_area) community in the Canadian province of [Nova Scotia](/source/Nova_Scotia), located in  [Colchester County](/source/Colchester_County%2C_Nova_Scotia). 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](/source/Minas_Basin), its economy is based mainly on farming and some forestry.

It was the site of an [Acadian](/source/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](/source/Expulsion_of_the_Acadians) in 1755, the community was resettled in the late 1760s and early 1770s by [Ulster Scots](/source/Ulster_Scots_people) families from the Londonderry Township settlement in nearby [Great Village](/source/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](/source/Alosinae) fishery, exporting thousand of barrels of pickled shad to the [Boston](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Portapique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portapique) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portapique?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.