St. Peter's: At the Historic St. Peters Canal

In St. Peter's, the St. Peters Canal, maritime engineering history, and the photographic legacy of Wallace MacAskill come together. The St. Peters Canal National Historic Site is located in the community along Route 4. If you’re looking for hotels in St. Peter's, these themes can help guide your choice of destination: Would you like to focus mainly on the canal, photography, or the wider region?

St. Peter's and the Canal

The St. Peters Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean with Bras d’Or Lake. At 800 metres long, this tidal lock canal is considered the oldest in North America. Here, the geographic connection between two bodies of water and the lock system come together in one place—an especially appealing focus for travellers interested in waterways and engineering structures.

The canal’s history also spans several periods. In the wider destination of Richmond County, the St. Peters Canal is associated with a French trading post and settlement, as well as a British fort on a hill. This places the waterway in context not only geographically, but also as part of the region’s history.

Wallace MacAskill and Photography

The MacAskill House was built around 1870 and was the birthplace of photographer Wallace MacAskill. The MacAskill House Museum includes more than one hundred of his photographs, his books, and several pieces of handicraft art that he designed and made. The Wallace MacAskill Museum displays more than 100 photographs by Wallace MacAskill and an extensive camera collection.

For your trip planning, this theme offers a different focus from the canal: here, a historic house and MacAskill’s photographic work take centre stage. The collections range from photographs and cameras to books and handicraft art. If photography or an artist’s life story is of particular interest to you, this is another factor to consider when choosing where to stay.

Jerome Point Lighthouse

Jerome Point Lighthouse is located in Battery Provincial Park. It was originally built in 1883 as a wooden, pyramid-shaped tower just under 11 metres tall, with an attached keeper’s dwelling. In 1956, it was rebuilt without the dwelling. The dwelling was therefore part of the original structure, not the rebuilt one. These two dates and the design give the lighthouse’s history a distinct architectural dimension.

More to Explore in Richmond County

The wider destination of Richmond County also encompasses a variety of natural and landscape features. Isle Madame is known as the “Isle of 1,000 coves.” Point Michaud Nature Reserve consists mostly of bogs and poorly drained forests dominated by black spruce. Rare wetland plants such as New Jersey rush grow in the bogs.

Lennox Passage offers two kilometres of trails and two kilometres of shoreline; it is also home to an operating lighthouse. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are possible there in winter. Park services and access may vary seasonally. The guided driving and walking tour “Guiding Lights of Isle Madame” visits historic lighthouses. If you plan to take this tour, confirm that it is operating and check the dates before your trip.

Richmond County also offers cultural experiences: St. John's Centre for the Arts is located in the former St. John's Anglican Church in Arichat, celebrates local talent, and regularly hosts events. The Richmond Artists Alliance Art Gallery showcases works by visual artists from across the county through exhibitions and learning opportunities. These regional themes complement the local focus on the canal, lighthouse, and MacAskill.

Explore more destinations: Arichat, D'Escousse, West Arichat.

See the overview of the wider destination: Richmond County.