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Antigonish
(the Nish)
Ciamar a tha thu? (Kimmer uh ha oo?)  You're
as apt to hear the Gaelic "how are you" in in Antigonish as
in Cape Breton, especially during the world famous Highland
Games, held from July 11 to 20th.
Don't miss the popular 'Heavy Events', the original 'extreme sports'
that originated in Scotland. Watch the 'caber toss' where giant men
throw a 150 pound 'caber', a 'sheaf' and a Braemer Stone to compete
in the World Championships.
These competitions are some of the oldest in the world with the first
event being held in 1861. The Games established Antigonish as "Heart
of the Highlands" to the chagrin of some Cape Breton Scots.
Antigonish
is a Mi'kmaq word meaning 'where five rivers meet'. The town was resettled
by the French 1755 in the Pomquet & Havre Boucher areas. Thousands
of Highlands Scots arrived in the 1770's, followed by free blacks who
settled near Tracadie after the American Revolution in 1783. The following
year, 1784, Irish Loyalists established the first permanent settlement
in Georgetown, now Antigonish.
A delightful blend of cultures awaits you. Don't be surprised when everyone
says hello as tho' they're greeting an old friend. But wait. Before
we leave the Gaelic, if you happen to be greeted with "Ciamar a
tha thu?", simply answer "Tha gu math" (ha goo ma). "Fine".
They'll think you were born and bred.
 Antigonish
is also renowned for its excellent undergraduate university, St.
Francis Xavier. StFX alumni, many of them now famous, can be spotted
wearing their treasured X rings which they all wear very proudly.
Related
Features
Food
(with
Google maps)
Accommodations
Attractions,
Beaches
Culture
and Heritage
Sports
and Recreation
(golf, hiking, kayaking)
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