Welcome to the Town of Yarmouth
On the Edge of Everywhere
Culture & Heritage
Yarmouth's cultural legacy runs deep – from our thriving arts and entertainment community, to the architectural heritage that we find all around us. Here are just a few places where Yarmouth's history comes to life.
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
Nestled within a neighbourhood of historically significant Victorian houses, the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives draws thousands of visitors every year. See a lighthouse lens that weighs 3,300 pounds, a stone that may have been engraved by Vikings, and extensive displays on Yarmouth's shipping history.
In the museum are thousands of artifacts spanning centuries of Yarmouth history, the third-largest ship portrait collection in Canada, and one of the largest costume collections in Nova Scotia. The Archives are the largest non-institutional archives in Nova Scotia, with roughly 25,000 photographs, newspapers dating back to 1833, extensive genealogical records and a research library.
Firefighters' Museum
You don't have to be a firefighter to appreciate the Firefighters' Museum of Nova Scotia in Yarmouth. Antique auto enthusiasts especially enjoy the important collection of vintage equipment: the pumpers, hose wagons, and ladder trucks–not to mention the 1863 Amoskeag Steamer, one of the oldest surviving steamers in Canada.
The Yarmouth Firefighters' Museum also chronicles the fascinating history of firefighting in the province through photographs, recollections, and thousands of artifacts. You'll also find antique toy fire engines, uniforms, and a huge collection of shoulder crests, patches, and badges from fire departments around the world.
Sweeney Fisheries Museum
Step over the threshold and back in time at the W. Laurence Sweeney Fisheries Museum. Here you can explore our marine heritage through unique exhibits – a simulation of a traditional fishing wharf, complete with fishing, processing and ship repair sheds, wharf decks and even a coastal freighter.
About 90 percent of the material used in the museum is authentic, carefully preserved during the deconstruction of the original Sweeney Fisheries buildings and painstakingly reassembled to create a scaled-down reproduction of the working waterfront of Yarmouth's past. Walk across the authentic wharf planks, visit the buildings, and flip through the pages of history. Nothing is roped off in this interactive museum!
Sports Hall of Fame
The Yarmouth Town and County Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1997 by six Yarmouth locals interested in preserving the history and heritage of sports within the area. Since that time, the museum has thrived and expanded, with a permanent home at 435 Main Street. Exhibits and displays are always changing at the Hall of Fame, so stop by and explore Yarmouth’s sports heritage! You can find out more on the museum's Facebook page, on Twitter @yarsportsmuseum, or email yarmouthsportsheritage@live.com.
Public Fountains
Yarmouth has had a longstanding love of public fountains, which dates back to the 1800s. There are fountains located at each end of Main Street, established to provide drinking water for the local horses.
The fountain at the north end of Main Street was placed by Clara Killam in 1893. The fountain at the south end of Main Street was presented by Nathan B. Lewis and his wife in 1895, designed and built in New York. The fountain in Frost Park was as popular in the late 1800s as it is today. Mountain Cemetery on Parade Street has two beautiful fountains, the oldest being placed by William Law in 1897. The other is much newer but still just as beautiful.
Yarmouth Cenotaph
In November 1920, a banner headline in the Yarmouth Telegram read "Local Council of Women Urge War Memorial." The Town moved quickly, and in January the tasks of collecting the money for the construction and of collecting the list of names to be inscribed on the monument began.
At the time of the unveiling on June 9th, 1923, there were 173 names to be put on the monument and a sum of $10,272 had been collected. A record was made of every man in Yarmouth County who fell, which included the date and place he was born, where he enlisted and where he died, and the brigade in which he was serving at the time of his death. A copy of this record was kept in a vault at the Court House. The names of World War II and Korean War veterans were added later.
On the morning of Friday, September 22, 2023 the Yarmouth black soldiers of the No. 2 Black Construction Battalion finally received the fanfare they rightfully deserved more than 100 years ago, with the unveiling and dedication of a monument bearing their names and an interpretive panel bearing their story.
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Lost to the Sea Memorial
In the late 1800s, the shipping fleet from Yarmouth was the second largest in Canada, and its sea captains were renowned in seaports around the world. But like any large fleet, it had its share of misfortunes worldwide. A memorial for those Lost to the Sea commemorates all the sons and daughters of Yarmouth County who have died at sea. Visit Lost to the Sea Memorial to learn more.
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Fire Safety & Fire Prevention
Fire Inspections
The Town of Yarmouth employs a municipal fire inspector as required by the Fire Safety Act of Nova Scotia. The inspector carries out a system of inspections on the following occupancies:
- Assembly occupancies (churches, community halls, licensed establishments, restaurants, theatres, bowling alleys, arenas, rinks, gymnasiums, museums, indoor pools)
- Residential occupancies containing 4 or more dwelling units (apartments, motels, hotels)
- Business and personal service occupancies (offices, banks and service shops)
- Mercantile occupancies (stores, markets and retail outlets)
- Industrial occupancies (workshops, factories, warehouses, repair garages, gas stations)
- All registered fire safety complaints. Download a complaint for here.
The inspector is responsible to ensure compliance with the National Fire Code of Canada and is available to provide information on fire safety and fire emergency planning.
Fire Safety Planning
The National Fire Code of Canada requires that certain buildings develop and maintain a Fire Safety Plan. To assist owners/occupants in the development and/or maintenance of these plans, templates are provided below.
The following occupancies are required to have a formal fire safety plan:
- Assembly occupancies(any building in which persons gather including restaurants, halls, gymnasiums, libraries, churches, clubs, bowling alleys);
- Every building is required to have a fire alarm system including sprinklered buildings;
- Demolition and construction sites where hazardous processes and operations are present;
- Areas used for bulk storage;
- Areas where flammable or combustible liquids are stored or handled;
- Areas where hazardous processes or operations occur.
If your building falls within one of the categories listed above, you are required to have a fire safety plan. For more information, please call or visit the Fire Inspector at Fire Services Department, 221 Pleasant Street, Yarmouth Tel: 902-740-5706.
Template Downloads
pdf
Fire Safety Plan Template 2021 PDF
(530 KB)
document
Fire Safety Plan Template 2021 MS Word(176 KB)
Other Downloads
pdf Food Truck Fact Sheet(278 KB)
Disclaimer
In no event will the Town of Yarmouth be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect general, consequential, incidental, exemplary or special, arising from the use of this template.
Backyard Fire Permit
Apply for a Backyard Fire Permit
In 2021, Council approved the Open Air Burning Bylaw The bylaw allows property owners to apply for a permit to have backyard fires when the proper conditions are met.
To apply for a permit, please follow these steps:
- Download, print and complete the form by hand, or by filling in and submitting by email/online. A copy of the PDF form is below.
- Complete the Plot Plan to show the location of the fire pit. Please show all distances from the proposed fire pit to your home, deck, and garage and to any trees (including overhead), hedges or shrubs. The minimum distance is 15 feet (4.6 metres)
- Take a photograph of the completed fire pit in its location and email it to yarmouthfiredept@townofyarmouth.ca or attach it to your application.
- If you print and fill it in by hand, please bring the completed application to Yarmouth Town Hall, 400 Main Street. Online submissions can be signed at the time of the site visit.
- Within 3-5 days an official from the Yarmouth Fire Department will contact you to arrange a site visit to finalize your permit application and receive final signatures.
Before you apply, it is recommended that you read the bylaw to ensure your property is appropriate. You MUST be the property owner to apply. pdf Download a copy of the by-law.(190 KB)
Recreational Burn Permit Application Form
Please note: if you wish to submit this application online, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF application installed. You may download Acrobat for free.
After clicking the link to the permit below, click the download button in the top right corner of your browser. Choose where to save the application, then open the file from that location. To submit the form through email, fill in the details and then click the "Email Application Now" button at the bottom of the application. A window will pop up, click continue.
If you wish to complete it by hand, simply download the PDF file and print it.
pdf Recreational Burn Permit Application Updated 2026(865 KB)
FAQs
Q: Do I need to be the property owner for the civic address I'm applying for?
A: Yes, you must be the property owner.
Q: Do I need a permit to use my propane fire pit?
A: No, this permit is for the burning of seasoned wood (not waste) in approved fire pits with a screen arrestor. You do not need a permit for propane appliances.
Q: Can I locate the fire pit anywhere on my property?
A: The fire pit must be located in your backyard. It also needs to be a minimum of 15 feet (4.6 meters) away from your house, deck, outbuildings, trees, and other combustibles.
Q: Can I burn at any hour I want? What restrictions are in place for burn times?
A: Open-air burning must not be started any earlier than 7:00 pm Monday to Friday, and not earlier than 2:00 pm on weekends or holidays, or such other time as determined by the Fire Chief, and be extinguished by 12:00 am (midnight).
Q: Are there days I cannot burn? How will I know if there is a ban on burning?
A: No burning will be allowed when Environment Canada or Nova Scotia Environment have issued an Air Quality Advisory applicable to the area, or when it's foggy. The Fire Chief or Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry may declare a burn restriction such as a Fire Ban or No-Burn Day against outdoor burning when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous. Daily notifications are posted at approximately 2 pm whether a burn restriction is in effect on the Town of Yarmouth website home page (scroll down to the news feed area on the home page. Also, no burning is allowed when wind speeds are 20km/h or higher.
Q: What else do I need to know about fire bans and restrictions?
A: Daily Restrictions: The Fire Chief or Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry may declare a burn restriction such as a Fire Ban or No-Burn Day against outdoor burning when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous, including the discharge of fireworks. The public shall be notified daily, whether a burn restriction is in effect on the Town of Yarmouth website, and such other means as the Fire Chief may deem advisable.
Please Note: restrictions published on the Nova Scotia Fire Restrictions website supersede the time allowances specified in the town's bylaws. When no burning or a burn ban is in effect for the County, it equally applies within the town's jurisdiction. Burning restrictions are updated at 2:00 pm daily on the province's page.
Q: How long is my permit good for?
A: Permits issued expire on December 31st and must be renewed annually.
