The Prospect Genealogical Website

Landscapes of Prospect

View of Prospect village from Coolen's Hill: Along the road to Prospect (once called "Upper Prospect") one can get a breathtaking panorama of the village and the sheltering offshore islands. On the left is the Barasois where aquaculture is practiced; at the end of the road is the red-roofed former convent; beyond is green Redmond's Island, and in the left distance are the bare cliffs of Burnt Island, Shannon Island, and Marr's Island (at Lower Prospect). Forested Betty Island is in the right distance. This is a composite image assembled from three take in 1999. © Douglas Grant 2000.

View of Prospect village from Coolen's Hill: This photograph provides another view of the entire village from Coolen's Hill. This photograph, however, is much older than the previous and its date is unknown.

View of the Village from Indian Point: A view of the church between the perched glacial boulders on Indian Point near Sandy Cove (a favorite swimming hole). © Douglas Grant 1996.

View to Redmond Island and Prospect Bay from "Kiley's Hill": This photo was taken at a small, rocky hill at the end of the road in the village. The photo shows the eastern tip of Redmond Island, which was once the site of a single house. It also shows the far side of Prospect Bay which was never settled and remains a wilderness. © Douglas Grant 1999.

Stone wall bordering Arthur's Field: On the barrens west of the village several acres were cleared for farming. More recently the area was used as a sports field. The stones were removed to build incredibly wide and long walls. At the entrance is an old house foundation. © Douglas Grant 1997.

Norm Gray's stage and store: This photo illustrates a typical small wooden wharf and storehouse built by inshore fishermen. © Douglas Grant 1996.

The Cove: The sheltered inner reach of Prospect's Harbour is a classic view of a typical Nova Scotia fishing village. Its largely intact architecture has made it a favourite among artists, photographers and movie makers. Respect for history and heritage has not been sacrificed to modern preferences and needs. Viewers may recognize that photos of this spot have been featured in several books and tourist publications. © Douglas Grant 1995.

Coolen's stage and store: This timeless scene at the head of Prospect's Harbour is a perennial favourite of painters and cinematographers. While the boat may be a Cape Islander rather than a dory, and the traps may be made of wire instead of wood and twine, this way of life has changed little since the village was established in the late 1700s. © Douglas Grant 1997.

Calm before the storm: This calm, sunny and sultry day was followed shortly by a raging hurricane that raised sea level above the road, destroyed fish traps, and carried birds and insects in from the Carolinas. © Douglas Grant 1997.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church as seen from Saul Island: This view of the church from the outer rim of the harbour was taken on the western end of Saul Island - actually on a separate small rock knob called Clarks Island. On the left of the church are the former rectory and convent; on its right is the church hall. The grassy knoll in the harbour is White Island, once the site of a large warehouse where schooners from the Caribbean would offload sugar and rum and take on salt cod. © Douglas Grant 1998.

Postcard: This photo is a postcard that was sent from a Prospect resident in 1975.

Postcard: This is another postcard of Prospect. The date is unknown. Contributed by Susan Coolen.

Christmas Postcard: This postcard offers a wintry look at the church in Prospect. Contributed by Susan Coolen.

Photo from National Geographic: This photograph was used in the March 1975 issue of National Geographic (Vol. 147, No. 3). It was featured in a section called Nova Scotia, the Magnificent Anchorage . Contributed by Susan Coolen.

Aerial view of Prospect, about 1983: "This close-up aerial view of the lower half of the village appeared in a calendar dated 1983 (photographer unknown). When compared to other photographs and to existing houses, it gives some idea of the changes that have occurred in the village in recent years, albeit they appear to be slight" - Ed Rogers. Scanned and repaired by Douglas Grant.

Complete aerial view of Prospect village, 1987: "I consider this photograph to be one of the nicest I have seen as it shows the entire village" - Ed Rogers. The photographer, Jocelin d'Entremont, of Ship to Shore Photography, kindly gave permission to reproduce it for the web (digitized by Douglas Grant).

Aerial shot, circa 1980: This aerial shot of the village was taken from a calendar in the 1980s. Contributed by Clifford O'Laughlin.

Aerial before and after: This is an aerial comparison of the present day Prospect to an older aerial view. The date of the older photo is unknown, but if you look closely you can see buildings that no longer exist. Also, there appears to be a noticeable amount of erosion of the coastline. Contributed by Susan Coolen.

Hearn Island: Hearn Island is located to the south of Prospect Harbour. It is one of the larger islands in the Harbour and it effectively conceals a beach that is located on the eastern side. Hearn Island was named after the first known settlers of the island William Hearn, who was living on the island as early as the 1780s.