Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Ferguson's Cove is a community within the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia
on the western shore
of Halifax Harbour
between Purcell's Cove
and Herring Cove
along Route 253
. The first 3 digits of the postal code
in the area are B3V.
First settled in 1788 by William Glazebrook. It was initially known as Falkland, named after Lady Falkland
, wife of Lucius Bentinck Falkland
, one of the Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia. The Lynch family from Ireland
settled in 1803. Another of the earliest settlers was William Embley from Newfoundland, who served in the Royal Navy
. He relocated to Ferguson's Cove after being discharged in 1811.
The community was connected to Spryfield, a community further inland on the Chebucto Peninsula
, by a road which began at the foot of the steep hill just to the north of York Redoubt
, and ended in the Roach's Pond area of Spryfield. This is now a footpath which is seldom used, and slowly reverting back to a natural state - but still easily followed and well worth the time to hike. The Ferguson's Cove entrance is just south of an old quarry, while the Sprfield entrance is behind the sewer treatment plant at the end of Princeton Ave.
There were several slate
quarries in the community in the early 20th century, but none are active today.
Many of the men of the community in its early days made their living as harbour pilots. By the latter part of the 20th Century, however, it had become a "bedroom community" for Halifax.
It is still a sparsely-settled area, but much development has taken place in the past 30 years, especially on the upper end of the housing market.
, which has made much of the HRM region prone to greater forest fire damage than normal. It caused the closure of both Herring Cove and Purcell's Cove Roads, and forced the evacuation of almost 1500 people, mostly in the Ferguson's Cove area, where 8 houses were completely destroyed and a dozen others badly damaged. It burned about 600 acres (2.4 km²) in all, and was the worst fire in the area since 1964 when severe fires burned large portions of the forested area of Spryfield. Nobody was seriously injured in the blaze.
, is now a national historic site. It guarded the approaches to Halifax Harbour, and is now restored quite well. It is a well-known spot for picnics and family outings for people in the Halifax region. There are many old cannons there, as well as an observation post which has an excellent telescope which can be used to observe McNab's Island and communities on the other side of the harbour.
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 the western shore
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
of 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...
between Purcell's Cove
Purcell's Cove, Nova Scotia
Purcell's Cove is a community within the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia Canada on the west side of Halifax Harbour from the Northwest Arm to Ferguson's Cove along Route 253 . The first 3 digits of the postal code in the area is B3P.-References:...
and Herring Cove
Herring Cove, Nova Scotia
Herring Cove is a Canadian suburban and fishing community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Chebucto Peninsula, 15 kilometres south of Downtown Halifax...
along Route 253
Nova Scotia Route 253
Nova Scotia Route 253 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in the Halifax Regional Municipality and connects Armdale with Herring Cove.It is also known as the "Purcells Cove Road."-Communities:*Armdale*Jollimore...
. The first 3 digits of the postal code
Postal code
A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. Once postal codes were introduced, other applications became possible.In February 2005, 117 of the 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union had postal code systems...
in the area are B3V.
History
Amelia Cary, Viscountess Falkland
Amelia Cary, Viscountess Falkland was the youngest daughter of William IV of the United Kingdom and his mistress Dorothea Jordan. A granddaughter of George III, Amelia was named after her aunt Princess Amelia....
, wife of Lucius Bentinck Falkland
Lucius Cary, 10th Viscount Falkland
Lucius Bentinck Cary, 10th Viscount Falkland GCH, PC was a British colonial administrator and Liberal politician.-Background:Falkland was the son of Charles John Cary, 9th Viscount Falkland, and his wife Christiana...
, one of the Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia. The Lynch family from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
settled in 1803. Another of the earliest settlers was William Embley from Newfoundland, who served in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He relocated to Ferguson's Cove after being discharged in 1811.
The community was connected to Spryfield, a community further inland on the Chebucto Peninsula
Chebucto Peninsula
The Chebucto Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located in central Nova Scotia entirely within the Halifax Regional Municipality on the Atlantic coast....
, by a road which began at the foot of the steep hill just to the north of York Redoubt
York Redoubt
York Redoubt is a National Historic Site of Canada situated on a bluff overlooking the entrance to Halifax Harbour at Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, originally constructed in 1793. It was a key element in the defence of Halifax Harbour in the 19th and 20th centuries, and underwent many additions to...
, and ended in the Roach's Pond area of Spryfield. This is now a footpath which is seldom used, and slowly reverting back to a natural state - but still easily followed and well worth the time to hike. The Ferguson's Cove entrance is just south of an old quarry, while the Sprfield entrance is behind the sewer treatment plant at the end of Princeton Ave.
There were several slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
quarries in the community in the early 20th century, but none are active today.
Many of the men of the community in its early days made their living as harbour pilots. By the latter part of the 20th Century, however, it had become a "bedroom community" for Halifax.
It is still a sparsely-settled area, but much development has taken place in the past 30 years, especially on the upper end of the housing market.
Fire of 2009
A notable recent event in the community's history (other than the Hell's Angels having an informal "club house" in part of the ruined fortifications by the ocean at the end of the road which goes past York Redoubt - in the late 1970s and early '80s), was the fire of May 1 and 2, 2009. The fire started in the vicinity of Roach's Pond in Spryfield, and spread rapidly to the Ferguson's Cove area, aided by high winds and much dry debris from Hurricane JuanHurricane Juan
Hurricane Juan was a significant hurricane that struck the southern part of Atlantic Canada in late September 2003. It was the tenth named storm and the sixth hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Juan formed southeast of Bermuda on September 24, 2003 out of a tropical wave that tracked...
, which has made much of the HRM region prone to greater forest fire damage than normal. It caused the closure of both Herring Cove and Purcell's Cove Roads, and forced the evacuation of almost 1500 people, mostly in the Ferguson's Cove area, where 8 houses were completely destroyed and a dozen others badly damaged. It burned about 600 acres (2.4 km²) in all, and was the worst fire in the area since 1964 when severe fires burned large portions of the forested area of Spryfield. Nobody was seriously injured in the blaze.
Military presence
The high ground where York Redoubt (see below) is situated, is ideal for protecting the entrance to Halifax Harbor and has long been used for this purpose. In addition, there is a fire fighting training facility just south of the fort (which ironically, was severely threatened in the fire of 2009...), and a military training post just south of that. Accordingly, there has long been a large military presence in the community.Fort York Redoubt
A military fort (active until 1956) in the community, called York RedoubtYork Redoubt
York Redoubt is a National Historic Site of Canada situated on a bluff overlooking the entrance to Halifax Harbour at Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, originally constructed in 1793. It was a key element in the defence of Halifax Harbour in the 19th and 20th centuries, and underwent many additions to...
, is now a national historic site. It guarded the approaches to Halifax Harbour, and is now restored quite well. It is a well-known spot for picnics and family outings for people in the Halifax region. There are many old cannons there, as well as an observation post which has an excellent telescope which can be used to observe McNab's Island and communities on the other side of the harbour.