Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia)
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Shore is a region of Nova Scotia
Canada
. It is the Atlantic
coast running northeast from Halifax Harbour
to the eastern end of the peninsula at the Strait of Canso
.
The Eastern Shore is a scenic, yet sparsely settled area, hosting dozens of small fishing harbours and communities; in recent decades the region has become home to a growing number of cottages and recreational properties, given the amount of unspoiled sand beaches and dramatic coastlines. The shore also hosts the majority of Nova Scotia's small islands.
The western end of the Eastern Shore borders on the Dartmouth
side of the urban core of the Halifax Regional Municipality
(HRM) and which is experiencing urban sprawl
. The provincial scenic travelway, the "Marine Drive
", runs on Trunk 7, Trunk 16, Route 207
, Route 211
, Route 316
, Route 322
, and Route 344
through most centres along the shore.
The tourism industry is concentrated near popular beaches and provincial parks such as Lawrencetown, Clam Harbour, and Martinique, as well as the centrally-located service communities of Musquodoboit Harbour
, Sheet Harbour
, Sherbrooke
, Canso
, Guysborough
and Mulgrave
. Popular tourist attractions include the Liscombe Lodge resort and conference centre at Liscomb Mills
and the Historic Sherbrooke Village at Sherbrooke
.
The Battle at Jeddore
(1722) is one of the many historic events to occur along the shore.
Politically the Eastern Shore is part of three federal ridings: Cape Breton-Canso at the eastern end, Central Nova
, and Sackville—Eastern Shore
at the western end. The provincial ridings include Eastern Shore, Guysborough-Sheet Harbour, as well as several ridings in the eastern part of HRM's urban core (south and east of Dartmouth
).
In the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Eastern Shore is represented on Halifax Regional Council
as District 1 Eastern Shore - Musquodoboit Valley and District 3 Preston - Lawrencetown - Chezzetcook .
areas near Port Dufferin, Tangier, Sherbrooke, and Goldboro, as well as Nova Scotia's most historic seaport, the town of Canso
. Canso predates Halifax, Lunenburg and Annapolis Royal as one of North America's earliest settlement.
At Sherbrooke, the St. Mary's River empties into the Atlantic and is one of the province's famed Atlantic Salmon
runs. Numerous lumber mills operated here during the early 1900s as Nova Scotia entered the 'industrial revolution'.
A railway had been proposed during the 1880s to run east from Dartmouth, however the sparse settlement and lack of industrial economic activity saw the railway line swing north up the Musquodoboit River
at Musquodoboit Harbour to access the fertile agricultural district of the Musquodoboit Valley
. Another railway project was proposed to run between Pictou
and the village of Guysborough and on to Canso during 'the age of sail', when Canso rivaled Halifax as the most important first port of call in Nova Scotia for westbound trans-Atlantic vessels. (Canso is roughly the same distance by rail from the New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia border as Halifax).
A rail line was eventually graded and bridges constructed between Pictou and Guysborough during the 1930s, however tracks were never laid and the project was abandoned, leaving most of the Eastern Shore without rail service.
During the post-war
period, the provincial government upgraded local roads, resulting in the present Trunk 7 alignment. During the 1980s-1990s, when the rail line was abandoned, the controlled-access Highway 107
two-lane freeway
was built from Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth to Musquodoboit Harbour, to assist commuters and truck traffic travelling to the east of HRM and to Highway 102
via Highway 118
.
A 1970s regional development project saw the port of Sheet Harbour
redeveloped into an important regional deep-water port; the facility is most heavily used during the winter months when the Northumberland Strait
port of Pictou is iced in and industrial shippers from Pictou County truck shipments to Sheet Harbour. A large sawmill and industrial greenhouse
operation are also located near Sheet Harbour.
Beaver Harbour
is home to a trans-Atlantic cable station operated by Teleglobe.
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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 the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast running northeast from Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
to the eastern end of the peninsula at the Strait of Canso
Strait of Canso
The Strait of Canso , is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It divides the Nova Scotia peninsula from Cape Breton Island....
.
The Eastern Shore is a scenic, yet sparsely settled area, hosting dozens of small fishing harbours and communities; in recent decades the region has become home to a growing number of cottages and recreational properties, given the amount of unspoiled sand beaches and dramatic coastlines. The shore also hosts the majority of Nova Scotia's small islands.
The western end of the Eastern Shore borders on the Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
side of the urban core of the Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
(HRM) and which is experiencing urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
. The provincial scenic travelway, the "Marine Drive
Marine Drive (Nova Scotia)
The Marine Drive is a designated scenic route along Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. It closely follows the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and the Strait of Canso from the Canso Causeway to the junction of Route 322 and Highway 111 in Dartmouth....
", runs on Trunk 7, Trunk 16, Route 207
Nova Scotia Route 207
Route 207 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the Halifax Regional Municipality and connects Dartmouth to Porter on the Eastern Shore.-Dartmouth:...
, Route 211
Nova Scotia Route 211
Route 211 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in Guysborough County and connects Stillwater on Trunk 7 to Isaac's Harbour North on Route 316.-Communities:*Stillwater*Jordanville*Indian Harbour Lake*Port Hilford...
, Route 316
Nova Scotia Route 316
Route 316 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in Antigonish County and Guysborough County, connecting Lower South River at Highway 104 with Half Island Cove at Trunk 16.-Communities:*Half Island Cove*Upper Whitehead...
, Route 322
Nova Scotia Route 322
Route 322 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in the Halifax Regional Municipality and connects southeastern Dartmouth at Trunk 7 with Cole Harbour at Route 207....
, and Route 344
Nova Scotia Route 344
Route 344 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in Guysborough County and connects Auld's Cove at Trunk 4 with Boylston at Trunk 16.-Communities:*Auld's Cove*Mulgrave*Pirate Harbour*Steep Creek*Middle Melford...
through most centres along the shore.
The tourism industry is concentrated near popular beaches and provincial parks such as Lawrencetown, Clam Harbour, and Martinique, as well as the centrally-located service communities of Musquodoboit Harbour
Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia
Musquodoboit Harbour is a Canadian rural community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.The community is situated on the Eastern Shore at the mouth of the Musquodoboit River. the community lies 45 kilometres east of downtown Halifax...
, Sheet Harbour
Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia
Sheet Harbour is a small community on the eastern shore of the Halifax Regional Municipality, in Nova Scotia, Canada in the Musquodoboit/Sheet Harbour region of the Marine Drive on Trunk 7, 87.44 kilometers from Halifax.-History:...
, Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia
Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia is a Canadian rural community in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.Sherbrooke is nestled between Sherbrooke Lake and St. Mary's River...
, Canso
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
, Guysborough
Guysborough, Nova Scotia
Guysborough is an unincorporated Canadian community in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.Located on the western shore of Chedabucto Bay, fronting Guysborough Harbour, it is the administrative seat of the Guysborough municipal district....
and Mulgrave
Mulgrave, Nova Scotia
Mulgrave is a small town on the Strait of Canso in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada; immediately across from the town of Port Hawkesbury. As of 2006 the population was 879....
. Popular tourist attractions include the Liscombe Lodge resort and conference centre at Liscomb Mills
Liscomb Mills, Nova Scotia
Liscomb Mills is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough in Guysborough County.-References:*...
and the Historic Sherbrooke Village at Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia
Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia is a Canadian rural community in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.Sherbrooke is nestled between Sherbrooke Lake and St. Mary's River...
.
The Battle at Jeddore
Head of Jeddore, Nova Scotia
Head of Jeddore is a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality on Trunk 7 on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia 47.06 kilometers from Downtown Halifax.- Battle at Winnepang :...
(1722) is one of the many historic events to occur along the shore.
Politically the Eastern Shore is part of three federal ridings: Cape Breton-Canso at the eastern end, Central Nova
Central Nova
Central Nova is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997 and since 2004. Its population in 2001 was 73,722....
, and Sackville—Eastern Shore
Sackville—Eastern Shore
Sackville—Eastern Shore is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997...
at the western end. The provincial ridings include Eastern Shore, Guysborough-Sheet Harbour, as well as several ridings in the eastern part of HRM's urban core (south and east of Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
).
In the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Eastern Shore is represented on Halifax Regional Council
Halifax Regional Council
Halifax Regional Council is the governing body for the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia.In April 1996, the councils for the City of Halifax, the City of Dartmouth, Town of Bedford, and Municipality of the County of Halifax were dissolved when those municipalities were amalgamated into...
as District 1 Eastern Shore - Musquodoboit Valley and District 3 Preston - Lawrencetown - Chezzetcook .
Secondary schools
- Duncan MacMillan High SchoolDuncan MacMillan High SchoolDuncan MacMillan High School is a secondary school in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada.Duncan MacMillan is the smallest high school in the Halifax Regional School Board, but it has the largest geographical area for bussing. Duncan MacMillan hosts Grades 7–12 and has about 251–263 students...
- Eastern Shore District High School
- Gaetz Brook Junior High School
- Lakeview Consolidated School (Elementary)
- O'Connell Drive Elementary School
- Sherbrooke Academy
History
The Eastern Shore is home to numerous historic gold miningGold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
areas near Port Dufferin, Tangier, Sherbrooke, and Goldboro, as well as Nova Scotia's most historic seaport, the town of Canso
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
. Canso predates Halifax, Lunenburg and Annapolis Royal as one of North America's earliest settlement.
At Sherbrooke, the St. Mary's River empties into the Atlantic and is one of the province's famed Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
runs. Numerous lumber mills operated here during the early 1900s as Nova Scotia entered the 'industrial revolution'.
A railway had been proposed during the 1880s to run east from Dartmouth, however the sparse settlement and lack of industrial economic activity saw the railway line swing north up the Musquodoboit River
Musquodoboit River
The Musquodoboit River is a Canadian river located in central Nova Scotia in the northeastern part of Halifax Regional Municipality. The river is approximately 97 kilometres in length....
at Musquodoboit Harbour to access the fertile agricultural district of the Musquodoboit Valley
Musquodoboit Valley
The Musquodoboit Valley is a Canadian valley and region in northeastern Halifax County Nova Scotia.Administratively located in the Halifax Regional Municipality's Musquodoboit Valley / Dutch Settlement planning area, the picturesque Musquodoboit River flows through the valley.The northeastern end...
. Another railway project was proposed to run between Pictou
Pictou, Nova Scotia
Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
and the village of Guysborough and on to Canso during 'the age of sail', when Canso rivaled Halifax as the most important first port of call in Nova Scotia for westbound trans-Atlantic vessels. (Canso is roughly the same distance by rail from the New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
- Nova Scotia border as Halifax).
A rail line was eventually graded and bridges constructed between Pictou and Guysborough during the 1930s, however tracks were never laid and the project was abandoned, leaving most of the Eastern Shore without rail service.
During the post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period, the provincial government upgraded local roads, resulting in the present Trunk 7 alignment. During the 1980s-1990s, when the rail line was abandoned, the controlled-access Highway 107
Nova Scotia Highway 107
Highway 107 in Nova Scotia runs through the eastern suburbs of the Halifax Regional Municipality, from the Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth to an intersection with Trunk 7 in Musquodoboit Harbour. It is long, and is mostly two lanes and controlled access....
two-lane freeway
Two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway is an expressway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise. The term super two is often used by roadgeeks for this type of road, but traffic...
was built from Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth to Musquodoboit Harbour, to assist commuters and truck traffic travelling to the east of HRM and to Highway 102
Nova Scotia Highway 102
Highway 102 is a north-south freeway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia that runs from Halifax to Truro. It is the busiest highway in Atlantic Canada....
via Highway 118
Nova Scotia Highway 118
Highway 118, in Nova Scotia, is a short suburban freeway connecting Victoria Road via Woodland Ave. in Dartmouth with Highway 102 at Fall River, to the north. The highway crosses the Historic Shubenacadie Canal. Running parallel to the highway from the Waverley Road to exit 14 is a portion of...
.
A 1970s regional development project saw the port of Sheet Harbour
Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia
Sheet Harbour is a small community on the eastern shore of the Halifax Regional Municipality, in Nova Scotia, Canada in the Musquodoboit/Sheet Harbour region of the Marine Drive on Trunk 7, 87.44 kilometers from Halifax.-History:...
redeveloped into an important regional deep-water port; the facility is most heavily used during the winter months when the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
port of Pictou is iced in and industrial shippers from Pictou County truck shipments to Sheet Harbour. A large sawmill and industrial greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
operation are also located near Sheet Harbour.
Beaver Harbour
Beaver Harbour, Nova Scotia
Beaver Harbour is a Canadian rural community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.It is located on the Eastern Shore along Trunk 7 east of Sheet Harbour.A Trans-Atlantic cable station is located in the community for the former CANTAT-2 cable ....
is home to a trans-Atlantic cable station operated by Teleglobe.
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