South Shore (Nova Scotia)
Encyclopedia
The South Shore is a region of Nova Scotia
, Canada
. Although it has no formal identity and is variously defined by geographic, county and other political boundaries, it is generally understood as the Atlantic
coast running southwest from Halifax Harbour
to the end of Shelburne County. Some would define it as going as far around as Yarmouth
but that conflates all of Southwestern Nova Scotia or as it is colloquially called just "Southwest Nova". One reason some include Yarmouth is an historical sea tie to Bar Harbor, Maine
and Portland, Maine
which brought Americans to South Shore Nova Scotia in recent decades. However there is presently no regular ferry.
The South Shore is an important area for tourism in the province. It has a higher than average proportion of cottages, hotels, and tourist attractions. The provincial scenic travel way, the "Lighthouse Route
" runs on Trunk 3 through most centres along the shore. The tourism industry is concentrated in the towns of Lunenburg, Chester
, Mahone Bay
, Liverpool
, the five beaches surrounding Riverport
http://riverport.org, and the fishing community of Peggy's Cove. The largest community in the region is the town of Bridgewater
, which is the commercial and industrial centre, although not a major tourism draw. Shelburne
is second largest, with Liverpool and Lunenburg next. Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the host to several major music festivals and arts events, plus the Bluenose II
, is generally considered to be the cultural capital of the South Shore, with Bridgewater its industrial centre.
However, that is over-generalized, as several key industries, notably shipping and aerospace and software, have a presence in Lunenburg that exceeds that in Bridgewater.
, South Shore—St. Margaret's
, and West Nova
ridings at the federal level, or as the western rural part of the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and Queens County, Nova Scotia, and Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
. There were five MLAs elected from this region in recent Nova Scotia provincial elections, when the region shifted from the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia to the more left-leaning New Democratic Party of Nova Scotia. It is generally considered to be a "swing" region that has changed political leanings in the recent past, and a key target for campaigning.
South Shore St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy
is best known for handing out gigantic cheques with the Conservative Party of Canada logo on them, and printing almost-as-large (poster size) constituent updates to brag about it. In one such update letter he claimed (in huge type rivalling the size of tabloid newspapers) to have brought over C$20,000,000 in federal spending to the South Shore. Comedian Rick Mercer
satired this practice of Keddy's with himself playing the character "Checky the Giant Cheque", a big friendly cheque written for tiny amounts. Keddy won re-election in 2011 and previously in 2008 by under 1000 votes each time, with the vote badly "split" between the Liberal, NDP and Green candidates (the sum of any two of which in either election would have been sufficient to beat Keddy).
In part due to this national attention, the South Shore is not regarded for its high political integrity or open political processes. However, in recent years the rise of the NDP and Greens has kept most elections competitive. Lunenburg County for instance as of 2011 had a Conservative MP, a former provincial Liberal finance minister Don Downe
as Mayor, entirely NDP MLAs, and Councillors of all of these affiliations.
to be colonized by Europeans following the French settlement at Port-Royal
in 1605. The region, without good agricultural land, was only sparsely inhabited by the Acadians, although several settlements were established in present-day Shelburne County
and the Lahave River
valley. When the British took control of the region in 1713, they initiated a program of importing colonists from continental Europe, known as the Foreign Protestants
, mostly from Germany
and Switzerland
. To this day the South Shore retains many German place names and surnames as well as a distinct accent compared to the New England
settlers' influence in the Annapolis Valley
or the Highland Scots' influence in northeastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island
.
On Dec. 19, 1906, the Halifax and Southwestern Railway
opened between Halifax and Yarmouth, finishing a project that had begun in 1885, and bringing more reliable land transport to the region. Although the South Shore did not play a major role during the First World War, the area saw significant military activity during the Second World War and the ensuing Cold War
, as Shelburne and Mill Cove
became home to Royal Canadian Navy
bases, and a Pinetree Line
radar station was established by the Royal Canadian Air Force
at Baccaro
. In 1966, Canada's first satellite communications (SATCOM) earth station began operations at Mill Village
. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Highway 103
arterial highway was built.
During the 20th century, the South Shore became the centre of Nova Scotia's fishing industry, as fishermen in small boats operated from numerous tiny villages dotted along the coast. The larger communities also had fish plants and port facilities for larger off-shore trawlers, which began to see increased use following the Second World War. During the 1960s and 1970s the impact of offshore processing and increasingly larger trawlers was being felt in communities, and the way of life on the South Shore was altered. As in many parts of Nova Scotia, many South Shore fishing communities all but disappeared as residents moved to larger urban centres in search of new opportunities. The decline in the fishery coincided with growth in the service industry, and specifically tourism.
The culture and economy along the South Shore gradually changed as the scenic area became a more common tourist destination. As more tourists came to appreciate the beauty and culture of the region, coastal land prices rose, small businesses catering to the industry sprouted up, and a vibrant art community took root.
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...
. Although it has no formal identity and is variously defined by geographic, county and other political boundaries, it is generally understood as 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 southwest 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 end of Shelburne County. Some would define it as going as far around as Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
but that conflates all of Southwestern Nova Scotia or as it is colloquially called just "Southwest Nova". One reason some include Yarmouth is an historical sea tie to Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
and Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
which brought Americans to South Shore Nova Scotia in recent decades. However there is presently no regular ferry.
The South Shore is an important area for tourism in the province. It has a higher than average proportion of cottages, hotels, and tourist attractions. The provincial scenic travel way, the "Lighthouse Route
Lighthouse Route
The Lighthouse Route is a scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It follows the province's South Shore for from Halifax to Yarmouth.-Numbered:*Trunk 3*Highway 103*Route 309*Route 329*Route 330*Route 331*Route 332*Route 333...
" runs on Trunk 3 through most centres along the shore. The tourism industry is concentrated in the towns of Lunenburg, Chester
Chester, Nova Scotia
Chester is an incorporated Canadian village located in and part of Nova Scotia's Chester Municipal District in the southeastern part of Lunenburg County.-History:...
, Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
Mahone Bay is a town located on the northwest shore of Mahone Bay along the South Shore of Nova Scotia in Lunenburg County.- History :...
, Liverpool
Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality which is the local governmental unit that comprises all of Queens County, Nova Scotia...
, the five beaches surrounding Riverport
Riverport, Nova Scotia
Riverport is a charming community, surrounding the fairhaven of Ritcey's Cove, situated beautifully at the end of the LaHave River in Nova Scotia, Canada. Settled in 1754, the harbour, free from shoals, and in which marine craft are safe from every wind, is one of the finest in North America...
http://riverport.org, and the fishing community of Peggy's Cove. The largest community in the region is the town of Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the LaHave River. It is the largest town in the South Shore region. While the majority of the South Shore's economy is based upon the tourist trade, Bridgewater is more a commercial and industrial centre and...
, which is the commercial and industrial centre, although not a major tourism draw. Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
is second largest, with Liverpool and Lunenburg next. Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the host to several major music festivals and arts events, plus the Bluenose II
Bluenose II
Bluenose II is a replica of the fishing schooner Bluenose which serves as Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador. Bluenose II was launched at Lunenburg on July 24, 1963, built to original plans and by many of the same workers. The original Bluenose captain Angus J. Walters took the helm of the new...
, is generally considered to be the cultural capital of the South Shore, with Bridgewater its industrial centre.
However, that is over-generalized, as several key industries, notably shipping and aerospace and software, have a presence in Lunenburg that exceeds that in Bridgewater.
Politically defined
Politically, the South Shore is sometimes defined as part of the Halifax WestHalifax West
Halifax West is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2006 was 88,756.-Demographics:From the 2006 census Ethnic groups:*White: 90.8%...
, South Shore—St. Margaret's
South Shore—St. Margaret's
South Shore–St. Margaret's is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. It covers the South Shore region of Nova Scotia....
, and West Nova
West Nova
West Nova is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....
ridings at the federal level, or as the western rural part of the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and Queens County, Nova Scotia, and Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Shelburne County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Shelburne County was founded in 1784 shortly following the influx of Loyalist settlers evacuated from the newly independent United States of America...
. There were five MLAs elected from this region in recent Nova Scotia provincial elections, when the region shifted from the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia to the more left-leaning New Democratic Party of Nova Scotia. It is generally considered to be a "swing" region that has changed political leanings in the recent past, and a key target for campaigning.
South Shore St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy
Gerald Keddy
Gerald Gordon Keddy is a Canadian politician. Keddy is a former Christmas tree grower, and offshore drill operator. He is currently serving as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Canada. His wife, Judy Streatch, is a former Nova Scotia MLA and cabinet minister.-Life...
is best known for handing out gigantic cheques with the Conservative Party of Canada logo on them, and printing almost-as-large (poster size) constituent updates to brag about it. In one such update letter he claimed (in huge type rivalling the size of tabloid newspapers) to have brought over C$20,000,000 in federal spending to the South Shore. Comedian Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
satired this practice of Keddy's with himself playing the character "Checky the Giant Cheque", a big friendly cheque written for tiny amounts. Keddy won re-election in 2011 and previously in 2008 by under 1000 votes each time, with the vote badly "split" between the Liberal, NDP and Green candidates (the sum of any two of which in either election would have been sufficient to beat Keddy).
In part due to this national attention, the South Shore is not regarded for its high political integrity or open political processes. However, in recent years the rise of the NDP and Greens has kept most elections competitive. Lunenburg County for instance as of 2011 had a Conservative MP, a former provincial Liberal finance minister Don Downe
Don Downe
Donald Richard Downe is a farmer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Lunenburg West in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 2003 as a Liberal member....
as Mayor, entirely NDP MLAs, and Councillors of all of these affiliations.
History
The South Shore was one of the first areas of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to be colonized by Europeans following the French settlement at Port-Royal
Habitation at Port-Royal
The Habitation at Port-Royal was the first successful French settlement of New France in North America, and is presently known as Port-Royal National Historic Site, a National Historic Site located on the northern side of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada...
in 1605. The region, without good agricultural land, was only sparsely inhabited by the Acadians, although several settlements were established in present-day Shelburne County
Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Shelburne County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Shelburne County was founded in 1784 shortly following the influx of Loyalist settlers evacuated from the newly independent United States of America...
and the Lahave River
LaHave River
The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its way, it splits the communities of LaHave and Riverport and bisects the town of Bridgewater flowing into the LaHave River estuary .The river and various spots in the area...
valley. When the British took control of the region in 1713, they initiated a program of importing colonists from continental Europe, known as the Foreign Protestants
Foreign Protestants
The "Foreign Protestants" were a group of immigrants to Nova Scotia in the mid-18th century and the ethnonymical basis behind the name "New Brunswick", as well as support behind naming "Prince Edward Island" for a representative of the Braunschweiger dynasty....
, mostly from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. To this day the South Shore retains many German place names and surnames as well as a distinct accent compared to the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
settlers' influence in the Annapolis Valley
Annapolis Valley
The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy.-Geography:...
or the Highland Scots' influence in northeastern Nova Scotia and 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....
.
On Dec. 19, 1906, the Halifax and Southwestern Railway
Halifax and Southwestern Railway
The Halifax and Southwestern Railway was a historic Canadian railway operating in the province of Nova Scotia. The H&SW was created in spring 1901 when William Mackenzie and Donald Mann approached the provincial government with plans to finish the abortive plans for a railway from Halifax to...
opened between Halifax and Yarmouth, finishing a project that had begun in 1885, and bringing more reliable land transport to the region. Although the South Shore did not play a major role during the First World War, the area saw significant military activity during the Second World War and the ensuing Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, as Shelburne and Mill Cove
Mill Cove, Nova Scotia
Mill Cove is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Chester Municipal District on the Aspotogan Peninsula on the Lighthouse Route...
became home to Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
bases, and a Pinetree Line
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD , over half were manned by United States Air Force...
radar station was established by the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
at Baccaro
Baccaro, Nova Scotia
Baccaro is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Barrington Municipal District.Baccaro Point has a weather station - Station ID WCP-External links:*...
. In 1966, Canada's first satellite communications (SATCOM) earth station began operations at Mill Village
Mill Village, Nova Scotia
Mill Village is a Canadian rural community in the Region of Queens Municipality, Nova Scotia.Located inland from the Atlantic coast, Mill Village was the site of Canada's first satellite earth station constructed in the 1960s...
. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Highway 103
Nova Scotia Highway 103
Highway 103 is an east-west highway in Nova Scotia that runs from Halifax to Yarmouth.The highway follows a route of approximately 300 km along the province's South Shore region fronting the Atlantic coast. The route parallels its predecessor, local Trunk 3...
arterial highway was built.
During the 20th century, the South Shore became the centre of Nova Scotia's fishing industry, as fishermen in small boats operated from numerous tiny villages dotted along the coast. The larger communities also had fish plants and port facilities for larger off-shore trawlers, which began to see increased use following the Second World War. During the 1960s and 1970s the impact of offshore processing and increasingly larger trawlers was being felt in communities, and the way of life on the South Shore was altered. As in many parts of Nova Scotia, many South Shore fishing communities all but disappeared as residents moved to larger urban centres in search of new opportunities. The decline in the fishery coincided with growth in the service industry, and specifically tourism.
The culture and economy along the South Shore gradually changed as the scenic area became a more common tourist destination. As more tourists came to appreciate the beauty and culture of the region, coastal land prices rose, small businesses catering to the industry sprouted up, and a vibrant art community took root.