| Official Name: | Mushaboom |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Nova Scotia |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Nova Scotia |
| Coordinates: | 44.8514°N -62.5351°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Halifax Regional Municipality |
| Subdivision Type4: | District |
| Subdivision Name4: | 2[1] |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1818 |
| Leader Title: | Governing Council |
| Leader Name: | Halifax Regional Council |
| Timezone: | AST |
| Utc Offset: | -4 |
| Timezone Dst: | ADT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -3 |
| Postal Code Type: | Canadian Postal code |
| Blank Name: | GNBC Code |
| Blank Info: | CBAWU[2] |
| Blank2 Name: | Highways |
| Footnotes: | Part of a series about Places in Nova Scotia |
Mushaboom is a rural community on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a part of the Halifax Regional Municipality and lies along the Marine Drive on Trunk 7.The community is located about 13km (08miles) southwest of Sheet Harbour. and east of Taylor Head Provincial Park.[3] [4]
The name Mushaboom is likely a shortened form of the Mi'kmaq word Moosaboon-elagwaak which means "a pile of hair". Mi'kmaq legend says that fairies would play ball and run, pulling at one another's hair as they did so. They would pull so hard that locks of hair would come away and then the fairies would scatter the locks on the ground. An early name for the settlement was "Winchelsea Harbour", likely named for a ship on which the founders of Halifax arrived in 1749. The area was barren and unsettled in 1818, but by 1827, 14 families lived here and the community was referred to as '"Taylor's Bay" or "Chelsea Bay".
Mushaboom is located primarily on the eastern shore of Mushaboom Harbour. Taylor Head Provincial Park comprises the western shore of the harbour.[5] [6] Numerous islands are located in the harbour, the largest of which include Malagash Island and Boutilier Island.[7] [8] Various coves along the harbour indent the coastline of the community.[9] [10] A beluga whale sanctuary had been proposed between two islands south of the community, in a passage known locally as "The Gates". The sanctuary was declined by the public and has been relocated to Sherbrooke.[11]
Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist's song "Mushaboom" on her breakthrough album Let It Die was inspired by seeing a small house for sale in the area in the early 2000s.
Book: Scott, David. Nova Scotia Place Names. 2011. DESPUB. 978-0-9865370-1-1.