Pugwash is a village in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It had a population of 736 as of the 2016 census.
The village is home to fishing, salt mining, and small-scale manufacturing and is situated on the Northumberland Strait at the mouth of the Pugwash River.
Pugwash takes its name from the native Mi'kmaq word, "Pagweak," meaning "Shallow Water", in reference to a reef near the mouth of the harbour, making navigation through the shallow waters difficult.
Pugwash sits atop a salt deposit measuring 457.2 metres thick and is home to the largest underground salt mine in Atlantic Canada, with shipments from its port, as well as by rail from a facility at Oxford Junction.