Peggy's Cove is 43 kilometres (27 miles) southwest of Downtown Halifax and comprises one of the numerous small fishing communities located around the perimeter of the Chebucto Peninsula.

[3] The village was founded in 1811 when the province of Nova Scotia issued a land grant of more than 800 acres (320 ha) to six families of German descent.

The community supported a schoolhouse, church, general store, lobster cannery and boats of all sizes that were nestled in the cove.

Today the population is smaller but Peggy's Cove remains an active fishing village and a favourite tourist destination.

In January 2021, the federal and provincial governments announced the construction of a $3.1 million accessible viewing platform at Peggy's Cove, to open in June 2021.

Today, Peggy's Cove is a major tourist attraction, although its inhabitants still fish for lobster, and the community maintains a rustic undeveloped appearance.

The regional municipality and the provincial government have strict land-use regulations in the vicinity of Peggy's Cove, with most property development being prohibited.

About 20,000 years ago, an ice ridge moved south from Canada's Arctic region covering much of North America.

Along with the ebb and flow of the glaciers, the ice ridge eventually melted and shifted and in the process scooped away and scoured large sections of rock, vegetation and topsoil.

The area comprised about 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) stretching from Indian Harbour to West Dover and includes barrens, bogs, inland ponds, and rocky coastline.

On September 2, 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed into St. Margaret's Bay approximately eight kilometres (five miles) southwest of Peggy's Cove with the loss of all 229 aboard.

Many of the CCGA volunteers that were first to approach the crash site were privately owned fishing boats that were operating out of Peggy's Cove and surrounding harbours.

[10] Some of the victims' family members were displeased with the plans for burial of unidentified remains, believing they should have been buried at the site of the memorial.