Beaverbank, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Beaver Bank is a community northeast of Lower Sackville
on the Beaver Bank Road (Route 354
) within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
, Canada
. It is about 35 kilometres from the City of Halifax
. Beaver Bank has an estimated population (as of 2010) of 19,967.
from Boston
John Henry Barnstead (1764–1861) and his mother, Mary Brown Parcel Barnstead, arrived there. After the War of 1812
George and John Barrett, shopkeepers from Blackthorn, Oxford, England. In 1816, the Fultz family were granted a thousand acres (4 km²) of land. A museum bears their name in nearby Lower Sackville.
Other notable, long standing families of this area include;
Lively , descendants of Reuben Lively ( 1756-1826) member of the 96th District, American Loyalist from South Carolina, Granted 500 acres in the Rawdon Township after the American Revolutionary War in 1784.
Shunamon ( Schöenmann) Descendants of Carl Ludwig Schöenmann ( 1740-1820) of Eisfeld, Germany. Former Hessian soldier in the American Revolutionary War, First arrived in Beaver Bank prior to or during the year 1813.
Also among the oldest family names are Langille, Gilby, Peters, Woods and Nicholson.
, the first Chief Commissioner of the Nova Scotia Railway Company, the next step was to construct a station and freight shed. The Beaver Bank Station served the Sackville/Beaver Bank area until 1956, creating business opportunities for lumbermen by shipping to Halifax.
Daniel Hallisey, of County Cork, Ireland, was one of the builders of the original railway. He became the first Station Master. In 1856 he built a house/hotel next to the station, which many say served more as a tavern than anything. The house offered the new assets of a telegraph and post office, which ran for 99 years. Sir Robert Borden
was often present at this house for entertainment.
Today, the Beaver Bank Station building remains at the corner of the Beaver Bank Road and Windgate Drive (formerly known as the Windsor Junction Crossroad), and has been converted into a pub called the Black Crow (now closed).
Woodlands, the Grove residence, was built in Beaver Bank in 1847. The two Grove brothers lived on the property, profiting from saw-milling, brick-making, farming and box-making. In 1880 their sisters returned, and established the Grove School for Young Ladies in its place, which ran until destroyed by fire in 1943.
One or all of the Grove sisters is/are the writer(s) of what is thought to be the first piece of children's literature written in Nova Scotia, possibly even Canada, titled Little Grace or Scenes in Nova Scotia.
The sisters also are the main influence behind the construction of the first Anglican Church in Beaver Bank, in 1886: The Church of the Good Shepard. The Original church was sold in 1998 to a private buyer and removed from its foundation and its proper standing place. Today is it located in the township of Chester and used for private purposes. Frances Shunamon (McCarron)(nee Grove) donated the land in her newly developed "Shunamon Subdivision" to house the newer and current Church of the Good Shepard, which still stand today.
, located in Beaver Bank.
RCAF Station Beaver Bank was approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of Halifax-Dartmouth. The station sat on 430 acres (1.7 km²) with about a half a mile (800 m) separation between the domestic and the operations site; both sites being divided by the county line between Halifax County (domestic site) and Hants County (operations site).
The "22 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron" was the operational unit posted to the station, its colours having been created in 1953 and the unit made operational a year later in the fall of 1954. The radar unit itself was manually operated and reported to the Fredericton NORAD Sector at RCAF Station St. Margarets until September 1962 when this was changed to the Bangor NORAD Sector at Topsham AFS, Maine.
The 22 AC&W became SAGE-operational on January 1, 1964; however, this capability did not last long as the station was closed and the squadron disbanded four months later on April 1, 1964, following a NORAD realignment and increasing focus being placed on the DEW Line. After the closure of the base, it had been used briefly as a cement factory.
Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) Station Beaver Bank occupied a unique location in proximity to Canada's largest Atlantic seaport and its biggest naval base, making it an important early warning radar during the manual environment of the 1950s. Since manned bomber raids by the Soviet Union in the area were considered quite likely, it was felt that RCAF Station Beaver Bank fulfilled a critical role in the early days of Canada's and North America's air defence. The station was originally financed by the United States Air Force, although operational responsibility rested with the RCAF, until 1962 when the RCAF assumed financial responsibility as well. In the mid 1970s the base was converted for a short time to a cement plant. This was only used for a few years before the base was abandoned completely.
As some early texts such as newspapers spelled Beaver Bank as one word, many of the older residents still consider that spelling to be correct.
Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Lower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
on the Beaver Bank Road (Route 354
Nova Scotia Route 354
Route 354 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in the central part of the province and connects Middle Sackville at Highway 101 with Noel at Route 215...
) within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is about 35 kilometres from the City of Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. Beaver Bank has an estimated population (as of 2010) of 19,967.
History
The community of Beaver Bank dates back to 1776 when LoyalistsLoyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
John Henry Barnstead (1764–1861) and his mother, Mary Brown Parcel Barnstead, arrived there. After the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
George and John Barrett, shopkeepers from Blackthorn, Oxford, England. In 1816, the Fultz family were granted a thousand acres (4 km²) of land. A museum bears their name in nearby Lower Sackville.
Other notable, long standing families of this area include;
Lively , descendants of Reuben Lively ( 1756-1826) member of the 96th District, American Loyalist from South Carolina, Granted 500 acres in the Rawdon Township after the American Revolutionary War in 1784.
Shunamon ( Schöenmann) Descendants of Carl Ludwig Schöenmann ( 1740-1820) of Eisfeld, Germany. Former Hessian soldier in the American Revolutionary War, First arrived in Beaver Bank prior to or during the year 1813.
Also among the oldest family names are Langille, Gilby, Peters, Woods and Nicholson.
Beaver Bank Station
When the Canadian Railway reached Sackville in the mid-1850s under direction of Joseph HoweJoseph Howe
Joseph Howe, PC was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, and public servant. He is one of Nova Scotia's greatest and best-loved politicians...
, the first Chief Commissioner of the Nova Scotia Railway Company, the next step was to construct a station and freight shed. The Beaver Bank Station served the Sackville/Beaver Bank area until 1956, creating business opportunities for lumbermen by shipping to Halifax.
Daniel Hallisey, of County Cork, Ireland, was one of the builders of the original railway. He became the first Station Master. In 1856 he built a house/hotel next to the station, which many say served more as a tavern than anything. The house offered the new assets of a telegraph and post office, which ran for 99 years. Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
was often present at this house for entertainment.
Today, the Beaver Bank Station building remains at the corner of the Beaver Bank Road and Windgate Drive (formerly known as the Windsor Junction Crossroad), and has been converted into a pub called the Black Crow (now closed).
Grove Family
The Grove Family offers a rich contribution to Beaver Bank history. Originally from England, the siblings moved to Nova Scotia after living in Philadelphia for several years. The four Grove sisters quickly established a reputation in Halifax due to their prestigious finishing school in the Downtown area. They were described once as, "Those four English sisters whose ability and character influenced for good so large a number of young ladies of that generation."Woodlands, the Grove residence, was built in Beaver Bank in 1847. The two Grove brothers lived on the property, profiting from saw-milling, brick-making, farming and box-making. In 1880 their sisters returned, and established the Grove School for Young Ladies in its place, which ran until destroyed by fire in 1943.
One or all of the Grove sisters is/are the writer(s) of what is thought to be the first piece of children's literature written in Nova Scotia, possibly even Canada, titled Little Grace or Scenes in Nova Scotia.
The sisters also are the main influence behind the construction of the first Anglican Church in Beaver Bank, in 1886: The Church of the Good Shepard. The Original church was sold in 1998 to a private buyer and removed from its foundation and its proper standing place. Today is it located in the township of Chester and used for private purposes. Frances Shunamon (McCarron)(nee Grove) donated the land in her newly developed "Shunamon Subdivision" to house the newer and current Church of the Good Shepard, which still stand today.
Beaver Bank "Radar"
The RCAF Station Beaver Bank was a long-range Pinetree Line early warning radar station operated by the Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
, located in Beaver Bank.
RCAF Station Beaver Bank was approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of Halifax-Dartmouth. The station sat on 430 acres (1.7 km²) with about a half a mile (800 m) separation between the domestic and the operations site; both sites being divided by the county line between Halifax County (domestic site) and Hants County (operations site).
The "22 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron" was the operational unit posted to the station, its colours having been created in 1953 and the unit made operational a year later in the fall of 1954. The radar unit itself was manually operated and reported to the Fredericton NORAD Sector at RCAF Station St. Margarets until September 1962 when this was changed to the Bangor NORAD Sector at Topsham AFS, Maine.
The 22 AC&W became SAGE-operational on January 1, 1964; however, this capability did not last long as the station was closed and the squadron disbanded four months later on April 1, 1964, following a NORAD realignment and increasing focus being placed on the DEW Line. After the closure of the base, it had been used briefly as a cement factory.
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) Station Beaver Bank occupied a unique location in proximity to Canada's largest Atlantic seaport and its biggest naval base, making it an important early warning radar during the manual environment of the 1950s. Since manned bomber raids by the Soviet Union in the area were considered quite likely, it was felt that RCAF Station Beaver Bank fulfilled a critical role in the early days of Canada's and North America's air defence. The station was originally financed by the United States Air Force, although operational responsibility rested with the RCAF, until 1962 when the RCAF assumed financial responsibility as well. In the mid 1970s the base was converted for a short time to a cement plant. This was only used for a few years before the base was abandoned completely.
Early entertainment
Residents of Beaver Bank in the 1950s had close access to the First Sackville Drive-In Theatre, and the Sackville Downs Raceway (now Downsview area, Sackville Drive).Spelling
Beaver Bank is often misspelled as "Beaverbank" as it was misprinted on provincial signs for much of the 1980s and 1990s. After the community rallied together in protest for many years, the province re-issued the signs with the correct spelling. There are still some signs in the province have not been fixed.As some early texts such as newspapers spelled Beaver Bank as one word, many of the older residents still consider that spelling to be correct.
Climate
| Beaver Bank Climatological Data | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature | |||||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | ||
| Record high | °C (°F) | 14 (58) | 17 (63) | 25 (77) | 26 (79) | 32 (91) | 33 (92) | 33 (93) | 35 (95) | 32 (91) | 25 (78) | 19 (66) | 15 (59) | ||
| Average high | °C (°F) | -1 (30) | -1 (30) | 3 (37) | 8 (47) | 15 (59) | 20 (68) | 23 (74) | 23 (73) | 18 (65) | 12 (54) | 6 (44) | 1 (34) | 11 (51) | |
| Mean | °C (°F) | -6 (21) | -5 (21) | -1 (29) | 4 (39) | 9 (49) | 15 (59) | 18 (65) | 18 (65) | 14 (57) | 8 (46) | 3 (37) | -2 (26) | 6 (43) | |
| Average low | °C (°F) | -10 (12) | -10 (13) | -5 (21) | -0 (31) | 4 (40) | 9 (49) | 13 (56) | 13 (56) | 9 (48) | 3 (38) | -0 (30) | -7 (19) | 1 (34) | |
| Record low | °C (°F) | -28 (-19) | -27 (-17) | -22 (-8) | -12 (8) | -4 (24) | 0 (33) | 6 (42) | 4 (39) | -0 (33) | -6 (19) | -13 (8) | -23 (-9) | ||
| Average Precipitation and Sunshine Hours | |||||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | ||
| Total | mm (in) | 149 (5.8) | 114 (4.5) | 134 (5.3) | 118 (4.6) | 109 (4.3) | 98 (3.8) | 102 (4.0) | 92 (3.6) | 103 (4.0) | 128 (5.0) | 146 (5.7) | 154 (6.0) | 1452 (57.1) | |
| Rainfall | mm (in) | 100 (3.9) | 69 (2.7) | 96 (3.8) | 96 (3.7) | 106 (4.1) | 98 (3.8) | 102 (4.0) | 92 (3.6) | 103 (4.0) | 126 (4.9) | 133 (5.2) | 114 (4.5) | 1238 (48.7) | |
| Snowfall | cm (in) | 54 (21.5) | 50.1 (19.7) | 41 (16.1) | 20 (8.2) | 3 (1.3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.9) | 14 (5.6) | 43 (17.2) | 230 (90.7) | |
| Sunshine | hours | 75 | 100 | 138 | 180 | 211 | 217 | 222 | 223 | 184 | 160 | 99 | 68 | 1876 | |
| Data recorded at Halifax International Airport Halifax International Airport Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, or Halifax Stanfield International Airport is an airport in Enfield, Nova Scotia and in Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada... by http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=Halifax&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=6358&. Data spans 1971 to 2000. |
|||||||||||||||
Convenience stores
- Yohanna's Variety Convenience Store - located on cross-section between Beaver Bank Road and Woodbine Drive (recently renamed Welkin Drive).
- Beaver Bank Guardian Pharmacy - located near Beaver Bank Pizza - 309 Beaver Bank road.
- Hartlen's Esso - located in Northern Beaver Bank, approximately three miles past Kinsac.
- Joey's Convenience & Video - located on the corner of Tucker Lake Road.
Restaurants
- Beaver Bank Pizza - located on the cross-section between Beaver Bank Road and Woodbine Avenue.
- Foosing Chinese Restaurant - located before the Beaver Bank Pharmacy.
Golf
- Lost Creek Golf Club: an 18-hole championship golf course within a residential community - located in Lost Creek Subdivision.
- Emerson Ridge Driving Range - Located across from the Beaver Bank Brown Hall and Yohanna's Variety Store on the Beaver Bank Road.
Facilities
- Beaver Bank Brown Hall - located across from Emerson Driving Range and beside Yohanna's Variety Store. Available to rent for activities. Visit the official website for more information on bookings.
- Beaver Bank Community Centre - located on the Beaver Bank Road beside the Beaver Bank Kinsac Volunteer Fire Department, in front of Beaver Bank Kinsac Elementary School. As a result of a fire, which cause has been classified as undetermined, the centre is closed. Residents intend to rebuild the centre with a planned reopening in spring 2012.
- Ivy Meadows Continuing Care Facility (formerly Scotia Nursing Homes Ltd.) - 51 bed nursing facility, located 15km on the Beaver Bank Road from Sackville Drive.
Emergency facilities
- Beaver Bank Volunteer Fire Department - located beside the Beaver Bank Community Centre, on the Beaver Bank Road.
- Beaver Bank Dispatch - located on the Beaver Bank Road; beside Beaver Bank Kinsac Volunteer Fire Department.
Camps/day care facilities
- Harold T. Barrett Fun Forest Camp (Booking site) - used for 2nd Beaver Bank Scouting and Girl Guides; available for rent - located on the Beaver Bank Road, past Kinsac. Beaver Bank Lake south of camp.
- First Memories Daycare - located on the Beaver Bank Road beside Woodbine Mobile Home Park.
- Peachtree Children's Centre - located at 971 Windgate Drive (formerly known as Windsor Junction Cross Road). Located inside of Peace Lutheran Church beside the Black Crow Pub.
Mobile home parks
- Woodbine Trailer Park - located on the Beaver Bank Road. Population of 2,512 (estimate). Roughly 628 trailers/mobile homes.
Subdivisions
- Greenforest Subdivision - located beside Barrett Lake and on the Beaver Bank Road.
- Barrett Subdivision - located near Harold T. Barrett Junior High School on the Beaver Bank Road.
- Monarch/Rivendale Subdivision - located near Beaver Bank Monarch Drive Elementary School and Majestic Avenue.
- Lost Creek Subdivision - located between Beaver Bank Road and Kinsac Road.
- Shunamon Subdivision - located between Grove Avenue and Barrett Subdivision
Elementary schools
- Beaver Bank - Kinsac Elementary School - Grades K-6
- Beaver Bank Monarch - Drive Elementary School - Grades K-6
High schools
- Lockview High School - In Fall RiverFall River, Nova ScotiaFall River is a Canadian suburban community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.It is located north of the Bedford Basin, northwest of Bedford, east of Lower Sackville and north and west of Waverley....
- Grades 9-12 - Sackville High School - In Lower SackvilleLower Sackville, Nova ScotiaLower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
- Grades 10-12 - Millwood High School - In Lower SackvilleLower Sackville, Nova ScotiaLower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
- Grades 10-12