The celebration in 1923 of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the ship Hector in Pictou, Nova Scotia, with early Scottish immigrants aboard was a mammoth production. The spectacular array of activities, organized in only a year and a half by the specially-formed Scottish Pioneers’ Association, was extraordinary, given that there was no social media at the time.
During 15-21 July 1923, thousands of visitors from Canada, the United States, and beyond, poured into the town of Pictou to celebrate this historic anniversary, creating huge demands for transportation, accommodation, and catering. The event was billed at the time as “the greatest celebration ever held in the annals of Nova Scotia.”
Laurie Stanley-Blackwell and John Blackwell will give an illustrated talk, entitled “’All Joined in Pictou’s Triumph’: The Story of the 1923 Hector Anniversary Celebration,“ at the Ships to Shore 2023 Genealogy & Local History Conference at 11 am on Saturday, 10 September 2023, at the Pictou County Wellness Centre. Their presentation will survey the triumphs, fiascos, and controversies of that remarkable commemoration.