Cape Forchu has historical significance for the Southwestern region of Nova Scotia. It was a landing spot for Samuel de Champlain in 1604 who named the area Cap Forchu, meaning “forked tongue of land”.  The light-station with its unique apple core-style lighthouse still works today, guiding sailors and fisherman, tourists and other visitors into the working Yarmouth Harbour since it was installed in 1839. Cape Forchu is a rugged, beautiful part of the world that means many things to many people.

Approximately 20 years ago, the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth (MoDY) took ownership of the Cape Forchu light-station and lands surrounding the station as a result of Federal divestiture processes. For the past 20 years we have benefitted from the dedication of the community, community groups and industy partners who have worked to preserve and promote these important historical assets.

And MoDY is committed to continuing this good work.

As one of Council’s six priorities, we have activated the creation of a Comprehensive Master Plan to develop Cape Forchu Heritage Site as a world class tourism destination and we will be doing this work in consultation with area residents and community stakeholders.

We know the master plan development will benefit from the input of the people who know the lands, who live, work and visit there often. The municipality and the organization tasked with development the master plan, EDM Planning Ltd, are committed to engaging broad groups of stakeholders in a variety of ways in order to build a locally relevant comprehensive master plan for Cape Forchu – and this work will get underway in January and continue into early spring.

Cape Forchu is a 19-acre site includes several buildings, trails and beaches. There are a few businesses to attend to tourists, a thriving fishing industry and several nearby residents. The beautiful lands and recent fanfare for the area have increased the number of tourists to the area. It is necessary to invest and upgrade Cape Forchu so that it continues to attract tourists and we are certain there is opportunity to develop and offer new visitor experiences in our community that will generate economic opportunities while preserving and promoting our heritage. The comprehensive master plan work is an investment that we expect will create opportunities for private sector businesses to offer new experiences that will keep the tourism sector growing.

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Have Questions?

If you have questions about the Cape Forchu master plan project please contact our project office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or by phone 902-307-3492.

Media inquiries: 

Media inquiries can be directed to:
Victoria Brooks, CAO
Municipality of the District of Yarmouth
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
902-742-7159