As far back as Alexander Graham Bell, famous people have been using Nova Scotia for their retreat. There were plenty of private jets landing in Nova Scotia prior to COVID-19. Many visitors are heading to Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs in Cape Breton to golf the world class courses. Others are heading to the exclusive seaside gated resort Fox Harb’r. Who’s landing at theses exclusive resorts is kept pretty hush hush but there is one Hollywood Star who we know spends about a month in Nova Scotia every summer on his private island.
“I have friends in Nova Scotia, and often visited them, one of whom was an older woman who could no longer take care of her island,” he said. “She asked if I would buy it. A closet in Manhattan costs more than an island in Nova Scotia. So I answered yes. And I’m happy I did.” said Hawke in a 2013 Reddit Ask Me Anything.
Hawke, his family and then wife, Uma Thurman purchased an island in Tracadie Harbour, east of Antigonish back in 2002.
Ethan recently played the role of Maud Lewis’ husband, Everett in the flick, Maudie. It’s about Nova Scotian and world famous artist Maud Lewis, who was played by Sally Hawkins. He was also Academy Award nominated for his role in Training Day and starred in Dead Poets Society. Ethan still gets away to his summer paradise and is one of the locals in the community known friends with local lobster fishermen
His island is 3.6 hectares and has road access from a 60 meter land bridge. When purchased in 2002, it was home to two cottages. The first is a farmhouse summer kitchen built in the 1860’s and hauled across the ice to the island in 1940. The other is a newer cottage, built in 1990.
Hawke is also a big supporter of the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq community. He supported their call for the moratorium of offshore drilling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
His daughter, Maya, is a star of her own, playing Robin in season 3 of Stranger Things on Netflix. Hawke posted on Instagram, “Some of you may have missed her in last year’s BBC production of Little Women,” the proud dad proclaimed “Some of you may have missed her work at Juilliard. I know many missed out on numerous high school productions — heck I even missed a few and I’m her father.”
Maybe we should be paying more attention to Maya as she might be the next big celebrity to vacation in Nova Scotia. Ethan posted on Instagram “But Ladies & Gentleman, get to know MAYA HAWKE,” he wrote. “She’s the real thing.”