Gaspereau, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Gaspereau is a Canadian
rural community located in Kings County
, Nova Scotia
.
It is located about 3 km south of the town of Wolfville
on the Gaspereau River. The name "Gaspereau" is often used to refer to all of the communities throughout the 15 km Gaspereau Valley.
The name is derived from the Gaspereau fish, Alosa pseudoharengus,
which migrates up the river every spring. The fishing of Gaspereau has
been important to human settlement of the Gaspereau Valley for thousands
of years. When the Acadians came here around 1680, they named the
fish and the area, Gaspereau. There is still a commercial fishery
for
Gaspereau in the river.
Gaspereau is primarily an agricultural community, hosting dairy farms and apple orchards. In recent years many grape vineyard
s have been established and there is more than one winery
in the village. Gaspereau Vineyards
, opened in 2004, and L'Acadie Vineyards, opened in 2008, are both popular destinations in the village of Gaspereau.
The Gaspereau River is also known for its tubing, using an inner-tube and floating down through the beautiful river during the hot summer months when residents or visitors of the valley are over heated and the river is high.
Gaspereau is also home to a canal (referred to as "The Canal" or "The Gaspereau Canal" or "White Rock Canal). The 1.5 km long canal brings water from the White Rock reservoir to the hydroelectricity
generating station.
The canal is popular for swimming, but the canal is also the site for the yearly Duck Race in which rubber ducks are floated down the canal. People purchase tickets on a Duck and if their duck wins they get a $5000 gift certificate. The top 10 placing duck owners all receive prizes decreasing in value as you move down places.
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...
rural community located in Kings County
Kings County, Nova Scotia
Kings County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Kings County is located in central Nova Scotia on the shore of the Bay of Fundy with its northeastern part also forming the western shore of the Minas Basin....
, 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...
.
It is located about 3 km south of the town of Wolfville
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Wolfville is a small town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. As of 2006, the population was 3,772....
on the Gaspereau River. The name "Gaspereau" is often used to refer to all of the communities throughout the 15 km Gaspereau Valley.
The name is derived from the Gaspereau fish, Alosa pseudoharengus,
which migrates up the river every spring. The fishing of Gaspereau has
been important to human settlement of the Gaspereau Valley for thousands
of years. When the Acadians came here around 1680, they named the
fish and the area, Gaspereau. There is still a commercial fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
for
Gaspereau in the river.
Gaspereau is primarily an agricultural community, hosting dairy farms and apple orchards. In recent years many grape vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s have been established and there is more than one winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in the village. Gaspereau Vineyards
Gaspereau Vineyards
Gaspereau Vineyards is a small winery located in the Gaspereau Valley of Nova Scotia. The vineyard encompasses and is 3 kilometres from downtown Wolfville. It is one of ten wineries in Nova Scotia, representing a blooming industry in the province. The winery produces a number of red and white...
, opened in 2004, and L'Acadie Vineyards, opened in 2008, are both popular destinations in the village of Gaspereau.
The Gaspereau River is also known for its tubing, using an inner-tube and floating down through the beautiful river during the hot summer months when residents or visitors of the valley are over heated and the river is high.
Gaspereau is also home to a canal (referred to as "The Canal" or "The Gaspereau Canal" or "White Rock Canal). The 1.5 km long canal brings water from the White Rock reservoir to the hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
generating station.
The canal is popular for swimming, but the canal is also the site for the yearly Duck Race in which rubber ducks are floated down the canal. People purchase tickets on a Duck and if their duck wins they get a $5000 gift certificate. The top 10 placing duck owners all receive prizes decreasing in value as you move down places.