Historic Nova Scotia ship that led to wave of Scottish immigrants relaunched
After a restoration and public fundraising effort that began in 2019, the rebuilt hull of the Hector was eased into the water sideways during a colourful ceremony on the town's scenic waterfront.
During the launch, the vessel was guided down seven ramps, known as launchways, after supporting wedges were removed — a process master shipbuilder Vern Shea described as a sight to see.
'It's kind of nerve-wracking,' Shea said in a recent interview. 'I've witnessed quite a few launches in my career, and you always get the hair on the back of your neck rising and the goosebumps every time you see it.'
Shea was instrumental in the original build of the Hector replica, which was not fit for sailing, and was installed 25 years ago, next to the interpretive centre and outbuildings of the Hector Heritage Quay.
The wooden vessel was built from the original designs, using traditional methods and materials, Shea said. Over the years, the vessel wasn't properly maintained and fell into disrepair before the Ship Hector Society bought it for a few dollars in 2010 from the town of Pictou.
The society has spearheaded a $4 million fundraising effort for the latest restoration, which required an extensive rebuild to transform the Hector into a fully working sailing vessel.
'It was the vision to sail it. It's been my hope all this time,' said Shea. 'It's becoming a reality, which is very fulfilling.'
Shea, who also worked on the engineering drawings for the rebuild of Nova Scotia's iconic schooner Bluenose II, said the latest rebuild of the Hector required all of the hull planking above the ship's waterline to be removed and replaced because of rot. The ship was then covered in fibreglass for added protection.
'We replaced all of the rotten planks up to the main deck with Douglas fir planking and then we filled the seams with pine and then used two layers of fibreglass,' Shea said.
Inside the hull are two cramped compartments built as they would have been in 1773, when 189 men, women and children made the harrowing 11-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Smallpox claimed 18 lives during the journey.
'It would have been disgusting, there's no two ways about it,' said Shea.
On its website, the Ship Hector Society says those who arrived aboard the Hector made 'enormous cultural, political, intellectual and industrial contributions that shaped Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada.'
Saturday's launch was attended by several dignitaries, such as Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, federal Attorney General Sean Fraser and Chief Tamara Young of the Pictou Landing First Nation.
Young said the arrival of Scottish settlers in northeastern Nova Scotia in 1773 changed the course of history for 'everyone who calls this land home.'
'For us as Mi'kmaq, our story does not begin with that ship. It began long before with thousands of years of life, culture and knowledge,' she said. 'The launch of this new ship, Hector, gives us an opportunity not just to commemorate the past, but to shape a better future.'
Now that the ship is in the water and as more funding becomes available, the next phase of the project will begin, such as installing electric motors, masts and sails. It's hoped the refurbished Hector will be ready for harbour tours by 2027, said society chair Wes Surett.
He said just over $2 million in public funds had been raised so far for the project, with another $1.8 million to go to finish the ship.
On Saturday, that effort got an added boost with a donation of $1.25 million, announced by David Sobey from the Sobeys grocery chain and co-chair of the Hector capital campaign.
Surett said the interpretive centre opened last month after an extensive revamp through funding from the federal and provincial governments.
Future plans for the site also include the addition of a sailing program, along with a wooden shipbuilding school.
Surett said a Hector that can finally set sail will be the real money-maker.
'We really see it (the ship) and that sailing experience generating the revenue to sustain the attraction long-term,' he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
— By Keith Doucette in Halifax
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Off the grid and reachable only by unpaved roads, the center features an amphitheater and eastward lookout for sunrise ceremonies led by the Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes, known collectively as the 'people of the dawn.' The vista stretches over land the tribes traversed for thousands of years. The other side faces Katahdin, which at 5,269 feet (1,606 meters) is Maine's tallest peak. Inside, exhibits and artwork teach visitors about birch bark canoes, ancient fishing techniques, the night sky and local wildlife, with translations in Wabanaki languages. Floor tiles reveal an intricate map of tributaries to the Penobscot River, which flows past the island home of the Penobscot reservation to the ocean. The welcome center has opened amid President Donald Trump's campaign to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives nationwide, including by issuing an executive order aimed at 'restoring truth and sanity to American history' that prompted Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to order a review of signs, memorials and statues. While the Trump administration's moves have created some unease, a formal management agreement between the federal government and the tribal nations involved should protect the center's focus on the Native Americans who were stewards of this land for centuries, said Quimby's son, Lucas St. Clair, who marshaled his mother's effort to have the land donated to the National Park Service. 'We can do better about teaching the real history of the United States,' and the welcome center attempts that, he said. 'It's not an insult to America. We're not trying to talk badly about America,' he said. Pivoting the focus When Quimby began buying the land in the 1990s, she was inspired by Thoreau's travels through the region, which included an 1857 journey led by a Penobscot guide, Joe Polis, that he chronicled in 'The Maine Woods.' But the focus began to shift in 2014 when her son joined a group led by tribal leaders that retraced Thoreau's lengthy travels on the 150th anniversary of that book's publication. St. Clair realized there was a richer story to tell. St. Clair began consulting with the tribes, only to be humbled two years later, after President Barack Obama's interior secretary traveled to Maine to celebrate the land's designation as a national monument . A tribal leader chided St. Clair because no tribal members were invited to speak. The omission had revealed a cultural blind spot: 'It just felt like, oh my gosh, I missed the boat on this one,' St. Clair recounted. Another pivotal moment came after the unveiling of the first welcome center design, which Neptune said was inspired by a New England farmhouse-style structure that once served loggers in the area. Tribal representatives felt the design smacked of colonialism and oppression, Neptune said. Lawyers were brought in to protect tribal heritage and intellectual property, while the non-natives involved made deeper efforts to understand Wabanaki culture, and the architect collaborated with an expanded tribal advisory board on a new design evoking a moose's antlers, inspired by a story of a tribal hero. James Francis, the Penobscot Nation's tribal historian, hopes this collaboration serves as a template for future projects involving Native Americans. 'The real achievement of this project was the connection to Maine and how it was done — bringing in the Wabanaki people and giving them a voice,' he said. Would Thoreau approve? Quimby said the original design was beautiful, but the discussions with tribal members were eye-opening. 'The more we went along with it, the more we realized that they could make an enormous contribution,' Quimby said. According to the tribe, Thoreau made a major contribution to Penobscot history by documenting their place names, and once wrote in a journal that 'the Indian language reveals another wholly new life to us.' Thoreau would approve of Quimby's steps to conserve land for future generations, said Will Shafroth, former president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, which raises money to assist the National Park Service. 'You have to believe that Thoreau would basically sit on the side of the river and thank God she and her family did this,' Shafroth said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . 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