One of Nova Scotia's 10 living history attractions, the Hector Heritage Quay Interpretation Centre relates the story of the Town of Pictou beginning on September 15th, 1773, the date on which the ship
Hector sailed into the Pictou harbor with 189 Scottish emigrants aboard, hoping to make a new life in Nova Scotia. This event represented the beginning of a huge migration of people from various areas of the United Kingdom to North America, a great many of them to Nova Scotia and to the Pictou area in particular.
The Hector Heritage Quay consists of a three story Interpretive Centre which contains a wealth of information on immigration, in particular Scottish immigration, and, docked at the wharf is the centerpiece of the museum, a replica of the ship "Hector". The centre was officially opened
by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal Lady Camilla on July 6, 1991.
In the centre are displays of information about the passengers, the ship and its voyage to the new world, a video documentary, a rigging and carving shop and a carpentry shop. Guided tours are available through the summer. Just East on Caladh Avenue is the center's gift shop, the company store.
Construction on the replica
Hector began in 1990. The keel of the ship was laid on August 19 and the “Rib Raising” ceremony took place in December. The ship's’ structural components were of American white Oak procured from Virginia and the Carolinas. The lower main mast, constructed in Lunenburg, was shipped to the site in 1994. Using native Nova Scotia pine, deck planking was begun in 1995. By 2000, the hull was ready for the anticipated launch, which was postponed from September 16 to September 17 due to high winds and lightning. On September 17, 2000 the
Hector slid down the ways and into Pictou Harbor to the cheers of 20,000 spectators.
On the waterfront to the west of the Hector Heritage Quay are a pair of historical markers, possibly more correctly named "Historical Stones". They appear to be a single large granite boulder cut in half, with text inscribed on the two cut faces. The two overlook the
Hector which rests by the wharf at the
Hector Heritage Quay. Texts from the pair follows. Note that the second stone bears the wrong date of launch of the replica
Hector, September 16, 2000, as opposed to the actual date, September 17, 2000. See
This Page.
On September 15, 1773, approximately two hundred Highland Scots arrived aboard the Ship Hector. This began a wave of Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia that would last for decades. The settlers' perseverance as they sought the freedom of possessing and thriving on their own piece of land made them a fundamental part of Canada's history. Against great odds they built communities and raised families. On hearing tales from the first settlers, thousands of Scottish immigrants soon followed to this land of New Scotland. The Hector Heritage Quay and Ship Hector Replica are a testament to their courage and Nova Scotia's ties to the culture of Scotland. It is fitting that this heritage be celebrated in Pictou, "The Birthplace of New Scotland."
In 1989 the Town of Pictou formed the Pictou Waterfront Development Corporation to manage an extensive revitalization of the Pictou Waterfront. Construction of a Ship Hector replica was a major component of this project. The original Hector was built in Holland and belonged to a class of vessel known as a Boot Ship. Reconstruction methods of the Ship Hector are in harmony with the ship building methods used on the original Boot Ships. The keel of the Ship Hector replica was laid in August 1990 and the vessel was launched on September 16, 2000.