Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Cape Breton County, officially, County Cape Breton, is a county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
in the Canadian province of 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...
, on Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
.
Taking its name from Cape Breton, the most easterly point of the island which was called after the Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
s of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, this municipality has what is probably the oldest surviving European name to have been used to designate part of North America.
By proclamation of October 17, 1763 after termination of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
was formally annexed to Nova Scotia. For a time thereafter Cape Breton Island was part of Halifax County
Halifax County, Nova Scotia
Halifax County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The Municipality of the County of Halifax was the municipal government of Halifax County, apart from the separately incorporated towns and cities therein...
. On December 10, 1765, Cape Breton Island was set apart as a separate county.
From 1784 to 1820, Cape Breton Island was a separate colony with a Lieutenant Governor and a nominated Council, but without an elected house of assembly. Not until after Cape Breton was reannexed to Nova Scotia in 1820 did it receive representation in an elected legislature.
Although subdivided into three districts in 1824, Cape Breton County was co-extensive with Cape Breton Island from 1820 to 1835 when the county was divided into three separate and distinct counties - Cape Breton (Northeastern District), Richmond
Richmond County, Nova Scotia
Richmond County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Named in honour of Sir Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, who was Governor General of British North America 1818-1819, Richmond County was created in 1835....
(Southern District) and Juste au Corps (Northwest District) later called Inverness
Inverness County, Nova Scotia
Inverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its territory is almost contiguous with the Municipality of Inverness County, which only excludes the town of Port Hawkesbury and First Nation reserves.-History:...
.
In 1851, Victoria County
Victoria County, Nova Scotia
Victoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
was formed out of part of Cape Breton County and a year later, in 1852, the boundaries of Cape Breton County were redefined.
In August 1995, after the provincial government conducted a study that reported back to them that 60-some municipalities was too many for such a small province, the result was that the Municipality of the County of Cape Breton was amalgamated with other incorporated municipalities in the county to form a single municipal government. The resulting Cape Breton Regional Municipality's (CBRM) boundary includes all of Cape Breton County except for the Eskasoni
Eskasoni First Nation
The Eskasoni First Nation is a First Nation located in Nova Scotia, Canada.ReservesIt administers two reserves that have a combined area of :* Eskasoni 3* Eskasoni 3A* Malagawatch 4...
and Membertou First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. Also amalgamated was Halifax County
Halifax County, Nova Scotia
Halifax County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The Municipality of the County of Halifax was the municipal government of Halifax County, apart from the separately incorporated towns and cities therein...
and its municipalities into one single Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Following was the amalgamation of Queens County, the only difference was that Queens County chose to amalgamate, while Halifax and Cape Breton Counties did not.
Cape Breton County continues to exist as a county in Nova Scotia, however all municipal government and service delivery is provided by either the Regional Municipality or the First Nation reserves, with no additional county level government or administration.