Pugwash, Nova Scotia Pugwash, Nova Scotia Pugwash (2012 population: 736) is a village in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The village is home to fishing, salt mining, and small-scale manufacturing and is situated on the Northumberland Strait at the mouth of the Pugwash River. Pugwash takes its name from the native Mi'kmaq word, "Pagweak," meaning "Shallow Water", in reference to a reef near the mouth of the harbour, making navigation through the shallow waters difficult. Pugwash sits atop a salt deposit measuring 457.2 m thick and is home to the largest underground salt mine in Atlantic Canada, with shipments from its port, as
Pugwash, Nova Scotia waters north of the Carolinas in the United States. The creation of pewter crafts and souvenirs is another important industry in Pugwash. The village has an elementary school, named after Cyrus Eaton, as well as a regional high school that draws students from around rural Cumberland County. Pugwash has a farmers market that runs on Saturdays during the summer months. The Pugwash railway station, designed by Sir Sanford Fleming and completed in 1892, is a registered historic site under the Heritage Property Act of Nova Scotia. Fisheries Pugwash sits on the dividing line between two fishing areas making it the