Pugwash Conference

Pugwash is a harbour village of about 750 people on the Northumberland Strait in northern Cumberland County. It offers warm saltwater beaches, a working harbour, and a history that reaches far beyond its size. The village has its own schools, a new health care centre and a real Main Street, so everyday life doesn't mean a drive to town.

Pugwash suits retirees looking for the shore, families who want small schools and open space, and anyone after a summer cottage on the Strait.

In July 1957, Pugwash-born industrialist Cyrus Eaton invited 22 scientists from 10 countries, from both sides of the Cold War, to his summer home on the harbour. They met at what is now called Thinkers' Lodge to confront the danger of nuclear weapons. That first meeting grew into the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which shared the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize. Thinkers' Lodge is now a National Historic Site.

Pugwash's other claim to fame lies underground. A salt mine has operated beneath the village since 1959 and is still run by Windsor Salt, one of the area's main employers.

Each time fire struck, the community rebuilt. That resilience runs alongside deep Scottish roots: street signs are posted in English and Gaelic, and every July 1 the Gathering of the Clans fills the waterfront with pipes and highland games.