Tignish

Tignish
Town of Tignish
Primary Tignish welcome sign, located on Western road (Phillip street)
Primary Tignish welcome sign, located on Western road (Phillip street)
Motto: 
"Cherishing Our Heritage"
Coordinates: 46°57′02″N 64°02′01″W / 46.95050°N 64.03356°W / 46.95050; -64.03356
CountryCanada
ProvincePrince Edward Island
CountyPrince County
ParishNorth Parish
TownshipLot 1
Founded1799
Village1952
Town2017
Government
 • TypeTown council
 • MayorAllan McInnis
Area
 (2016)[1]
 • Land5.87 km2 (2.27 sq mi)
Elevation
15 m (49 ft)
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total719
 • Density122.5/km2 (317/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (ADT)
Canadian postal code
Area code902
Telephone Exchange775 806 882
NTS Map21I16 Tignish
GNBC CodeBAEGT
Websitetownoftignish.ca

Tignish is a Canadian town located in Prince County, Prince Edward Island.[2]

It is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the city of Summerside, and 90 miles (140 km) northwest of the city of Charlottetown.[3] It has a population of 719.[1] The name "Tignish" is derived from the Mi'kmaq "Mtagunich", meaning "paddle".[4] The name is also believed to come from a Gaelic phrase meaning “Home Place”.[citation needed]

Tignish was founded in the late 1790s by nine francophone Acadian families, with further immigrants (mostly Irish) arriving in the 19th century and settling mostly in the nearby smaller locality of Anglo–Tignish (meaning "English Tignish"). Many of Tignish residents today are either of Acadian or Irish heritage.

One of the town's most popular and defining structures is the local Catholic church, St. Simon & St. Jude Catholic Church, which was among the first major structures built in Tignish, constructed between 1857 and 1860. Tignish was designated a community or village in 1952. It changed its status to a town in 2017.[5]

  1. ^ a b c "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Prince Edward Island)". Statistics Canada. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Municipal Councils and Contact Information" (PDF). Government of Prince Edward Island. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  3. ^ Government–sponsored `MapGuide` map of PEI. Retrieved on 28 March 2007.
  4. ^ "Tignish Tellings". www.islandregister.com. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  5. ^ Kevin Yarr (29 March 2017). "Tignish to become a town". CBC. Retrieved 25 December 2017.