Colchester County, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Colchester County is a county
in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
.
previously called "Cobequid," and was derived from the town of Colchester
in Essex. The old name Cobequid was derived from the Mi'kmaq
word "Wagobagitk" meaning "the bay runs far up", in reference to the area surrounding the easternmost inlet of the Minas Basin
, a body of water
called Cobequid Bay
.
The District of Colchester, which was at first part of Halifax County
, was established as a county in its own right in 1835. In 1838 a distinct line of division between Cumberland County
and Colchester County was established. Two years later, in 1840, the Township of Parrsboro was divided and part of it annexed to Colchester County. In 1871, the boundaries
between the Counties of Hants
and Colchester and between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester were established. In 1880 the boundary between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester was revised. Eventually in 1897 a portion of the boundary between the Counties of Colchester and Cumberland was fixed and defined.
The question of the boundary between Colchester and Cumberland Counties was the subject of a Commission
of Inquiry established in 1946. The report was filed in the office of the Provincial Secretary
and in the office of the Department of Lands and Forests
in January 1959. Certified copies of it were sent to the Registrars of Deeds for the Counties of Colchester, Cumberland and Kings
.
, home to one of several Mi'kmaq First Nations
bands.
Town
s in Colchester County are Stewiacke
and Truro
. Each has its own local governing council
.
All other communities in the county are located within one of eleven geographically determined district
s, each of which provides a representative to County Council. Additionally, a mayor is elected for the whole county. The mayor also sits on county council.
For a list of communities in Colchester County, see List of Communities.
Mother tongue language (2006)
Ethnic Groups (2006)
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
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
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...
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...
.
History
The appellation Colchester was applied in 1780 to the districtDistrict
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
previously called "Cobequid," and was derived from the town of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
in Essex. The old name Cobequid was derived from the Mi'kmaq
Mi'kmaq language
The Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word "Wagobagitk" meaning "the bay runs far up", in reference to the area surrounding the easternmost inlet of the Minas Basin
Minas Basin
The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...
, a body of water
Body of water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water, usually covering the Earth or another planet. The term body of water most often refers to large accumulations of water, such as oceans, seas, and lakes, but it may also include smaller pools of water such as ponds, puddles or...
called Cobequid Bay
Cobequid Bay
Cobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The bay was carved by rivers flowing into the eastern end of the Bay of Fundy....
.
The District of Colchester, which was at first 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...
, was established as a county in its own right in 1835. In 1838 a distinct line of division between Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The name Cumberland was applied by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton to the captured Fort Beauséjour on June 18, 1755 in honour of the third son of King George II, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, victor at...
and Colchester County was established. Two years later, in 1840, the Township of Parrsboro was divided and part of it annexed to Colchester County. In 1871, the boundaries
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
between the Counties of Hants
Hants County, Nova Scotia
Hants County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia which was the home of Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Alden Nowlan and Noel Doiron. The county of Hants was created June 17, 1781, and consisted of the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport...
and Colchester and between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester were established. In 1880 the boundary between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester was revised. Eventually in 1897 a portion of the boundary between the Counties of Colchester and Cumberland was fixed and defined.
The question of the boundary between Colchester and Cumberland Counties was the subject of a Commission
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of Inquiry established in 1946. The report was filed in the office of the Provincial Secretary
Provincial Secretary
The Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils of British North America's colonial governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867...
and in the office of the Department of Lands and Forests
Department of Natural Resources
Many sub-national governments have a Department of Natural Resources or similarly named organization:Australia*Queensland Department of Natural Resources and MinesCanada*Natural Resources Canada*New Brunswick**New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources...
in January 1959. Certified copies of it were sent to the Registrars of Deeds for the Counties of Colchester, Cumberland and Kings
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....
.
Communities
Indian Reserves in Colchester County include Millbrook 27Millbrook 27, Nova Scotia
Millbrook 27 is a Mi'kmaq reserve located in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.It is administratively part of the Millbrook First Nation....
, home to one of several Mi'kmaq 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...
bands.
- Census Subdivisions
- Colchester, Subd. A
- Colchester, Subd. B
- Colchester, Subd. C
Town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s in Colchester County are Stewiacke
Stewiacke, Nova Scotia
-External links:* *...
and Truro
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
. Each has its own local governing council
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
.
All other communities in the county are located within one of eleven geographically determined district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s, each of which provides a representative to County Council. Additionally, a mayor is elected for the whole county. The mayor also sits on county council.
For a list of communities in Colchester County, see List of Communities.
Demographics
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 50,023 | 1.5% |
| 2001 | 49,307 | 0.1% |
| 1996 | 49,262 | 3.3% |
| 1991 | 47,683 | N/A |
Mother tongue language (2006)
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 47,560 | 96.05% |
| Other languages | 1,385 | 2.80% |
| French only | 530 | 1.07% |
| Both English and French | 40 | 0.08% |
Ethnic Groups (2006)
| Race | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 48,360 | 97.67% |
| Black | 705 | 1.42% |
| Asian | 325 | 0.66% |
| Other | 135 | 0.27% |
Access Routes
Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:- Highways
}
}
- Trunk Routes
}
}
}
- Collector Routes:
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
- External Routes:
}
See also
- List of communities in Nova Scotia
- Central Nova Tourist AssociationCentral Nova Tourist AssociationThe Central Nova Tourist Association is one of seven provincially recognized tourist associations that work directly with It is a membership based organization that is dedicated to promoting and supporting tourism in the Central Nova Scotia region .-Area Information:image:...
— Tourism Association Representing Colchester County.