Waverley, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Waverley is a community of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
, Canada
. It is located about 20 minutes from Downtown Halifax
, Nova Scotia. It has a rich history in gold mining
.
novels by Sir Walter Scott
. Allen's original land purchase included about 700 acres (2.8 km²) of land in 1847 for the price of 50 pounds. Although there have been extensive renovations since it was first built, his original house still stands today at 2550 Rocky Lake Drive as a "An Olde Manor House Bed and Breakfast" near the junction of Lakes Thomas and William. A nearby high school, Charles P. Allen High School
in the neighbouring town of Bedford carries his name.
Allen's son-in-law, Cornelius Blois, is often credited with discovering gold in Waverley. Two major gold mining periods ensued between 1866 through the early 20th century. Waverley became a boom town with highly skilled gold miners coming from Germany and England. Saloons, hotels, camp followers and the usual trappings of a gold town sparng up quickly, and there were even instances of murders and riots. A third attempt to restart the gold industry occurred years later in the 1930s, but it proved unprofitable and lasted only a few years. Other industries in Waverley have included millwork
and forestry
. It is also worthy of note that the Shubenacadie Canal
system runs through Waverley, between Lake William and Lake Thomas.
Many street names in Waverley reflect families that have been long established in the area. From the early 1930s until the mid 1980's, there existed in Waverley near the bridge, a service station operated and owned by Warren H. Isnor (deceased), and was up until the mid 1980's, the oldest existing service station with the same owner, in the province.
s, both of which have been torn down and will be replaced with one new school scheduled to open September 2010, a post office
, the Waverley Manor retirement home, the Waverley Heritage Museum; which is housed in the former St. John's Anglican church, Charles P. Allen House, and the Waverley Gold Mining Manager's House, which now operates as "The Adelaide Respite Care". There is a gravel quarry in the area, as well as the Nova Scotia Firefighters School. There is also the Cheema Aquatic Club; a canoe
and kayak
club which consistently produces high caliber National and Olympic Team athletes.
weekend, Waverley holds a celebration at a park known as "The Village Green" called 'Gold Rush Days', to commemorate its gold-mining history. Highlights include the Gold Rush Days Parade, karaoke, an arts and crafts show, fireworks
, and the Miss Waverley Gold Rush contest.
called Gold Rush Gus. Until the amalgamation of Waverley into the HRM in 1996, all fire appararatus of the Waverley Fire Department had a picture of him painted on the side. WFD vehicles also had the distinction of being the only ones in the local fire district at the time of being painted yellow; an homage to the village's gold mining history. Presently only those vehicles remaining in service from pre-amalgamation with their original yellow paint still carry Gus' image.
off the coast of Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Search and Rescue was charged with primary responsibility for all ground operations including military operations and other ground SAR teams. On November 5, 1998, 64 days later, volunteers had contributed 48,780 hours with 3,141 person days. The current headquarters of HRSR is located at 116 Lakeview Rd in the nearby community of Lakeview
just over 4 kilometers from their original location.
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...
. It is located about 20 minutes from Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
, Nova Scotia. It has a rich history in gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
.
History
Waverley was first settled by Charles Pillsbury Allen who established a chair factory in the area. Waverley was named after the WaverleyWaverley (novel)
Waverley is an 1814 historical novel by Sir Walter Scott. Initially published anonymously in 1814 as Scott's first venture into prose fiction, Waverley is often regarded as the first historical novel. It became so popular that Scott's later novels were advertised as being "by the author of...
novels by Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. Allen's original land purchase included about 700 acres (2.8 km²) of land in 1847 for the price of 50 pounds. Although there have been extensive renovations since it was first built, his original house still stands today at 2550 Rocky Lake Drive as a "An Olde Manor House Bed and Breakfast" near the junction of Lakes Thomas and William. A nearby high school, Charles P. Allen High School
Charles P. Allen High School
Charles P. Allen High School, is a senior high school located in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada.-Sports teams:CPA has teams that participate in:*Football*Golf*Baseball*Soccer *Cross Country Running...
in the neighbouring town of Bedford carries his name.
Allen's son-in-law, Cornelius Blois, is often credited with discovering gold in Waverley. Two major gold mining periods ensued between 1866 through the early 20th century. Waverley became a boom town with highly skilled gold miners coming from Germany and England. Saloons, hotels, camp followers and the usual trappings of a gold town sparng up quickly, and there were even instances of murders and riots. A third attempt to restart the gold industry occurred years later in the 1930s, but it proved unprofitable and lasted only a few years. Other industries in Waverley have included millwork
Millwork
Millwork is any woodmill-produced building construction interior finish components such as doors, window casing, baseboard, mantels, and crown molding....
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. It is also worthy of note that the Shubenacadie Canal
Shubenacadie Canal
The Shubenacadie Canal is a Canadian canal in central Nova Scotia, linking Halifax Harbour with Shubenacadie Grand Lake which drains into the Bay of Fundy by way of the Shubenacadie River. Currently small craft use the river and lakes, but no locks are fully operational...
system runs through Waverley, between Lake William and Lake Thomas.
Many street names in Waverley reflect families that have been long established in the area. From the early 1930s until the mid 1980's, there existed in Waverley near the bridge, a service station operated and owned by Warren H. Isnor (deceased), and was up until the mid 1980's, the oldest existing service station with the same owner, in the province.
Modern day and landmarks
Modern-day Waverley is mostly a bedroom community. Major landmarks included two elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, both of which have been torn down and will be replaced with one new school scheduled to open September 2010, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, the Waverley Manor retirement home, the Waverley Heritage Museum; which is housed in the former St. John's Anglican church, Charles P. Allen House, and the Waverley Gold Mining Manager's House, which now operates as "The Adelaide Respite Care". There is a gravel quarry in the area, as well as the Nova Scotia Firefighters School. There is also the Cheema Aquatic Club; a canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
club which consistently produces high caliber National and Olympic Team athletes.
Gold Rush Days
Each Labour DayLabour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
weekend, Waverley holds a celebration at a park known as "The Village Green" called 'Gold Rush Days', to commemorate its gold-mining history. Highlights include the Gold Rush Days Parade, karaoke, an arts and crafts show, fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
, and the Miss Waverley Gold Rush contest.
Gold Rush Gus
The mascot of Gold Rush Days is a cartoon character resembling Yosemite SamYosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam is an American animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The name is somewhat alliterative and is inspired by Yosemite National Park...
called Gold Rush Gus. Until the amalgamation of Waverley into the HRM in 1996, all fire appararatus of the Waverley Fire Department had a picture of him painted on the side. WFD vehicles also had the distinction of being the only ones in the local fire district at the time of being painted yellow; an homage to the village's gold mining history. Presently only those vehicles remaining in service from pre-amalgamation with their original yellow paint still carry Gus' image.
Halifax Regional Search and Rescue
Waverley is the original home to one of Canada's best search and rescue organisations. On September 3, 1998, the organisation undertook the largest Mutual Aid Search operation in Nova Scotia's history. With the crash of Swissair Flight 111Swissair Flight 111
Swissair Flight 111 was a Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 on a scheduled airline flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States to Cointrin International Airport in Geneva, Switzerland...
off the coast of Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Search and Rescue was charged with primary responsibility for all ground operations including military operations and other ground SAR teams. On November 5, 1998, 64 days later, volunteers had contributed 48,780 hours with 3,141 person days. The current headquarters of HRSR is located at 116 Lakeview Rd in the nearby community of Lakeview
Lakeview, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Lakeview is a small community located approximately 20 minutes outside of Halifax Nova Scotia. It consists of one street plus a small subdivision.While Lakeview is mainly residential, several organizations are located on the street...
just over 4 kilometers from their original location.
Communications
- First three digits of the postal code:
- B2T, B2R
- Area CodeTelephone numbering planA telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunications to allocate telephone numbers to subscribers and to route telephone calls in a telephone network. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, imposes a fixed total length to numbers...
:- 902Area code 902Area code 902 is the telephone area code in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, encompassing both provinces. The 902 area code was established in 1947 for all three Maritime provinces, with Newfoundland added shortly after it joined Canada; New Brunswick, along with...
- 902
- First three digits of telephone numberTelephone numberA telephone number or phone number is a sequence of digits used to call from one telephone line to another in a public switched telephone network. When telephone numbers were invented, they were short — as few as one, two or three digits — and were given orally to a switchboard operator...
s:- 861 - AliantAliantBell Aliant Inc. is a communications company providing services in various areas throughout eastern Canada, as Bell Aliant throughout Atlantic Canada, and under the NorthernTel, and Télébec brands in rural areas of Ontario and Quebec....
- 576, 861, 860 - EastlinkEastLink (company)EastLink is a Canadian cable television and telecommunications company. In 1970, EastLink was established in Amherst, Nova Scotia, when it was issued one of the first cable licences granted by the CRTC...
- 861 - Aliant
- Internet service providers:
- CableCable modemA cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high...
- EastlinkEastLink (company)EastLink is a Canadian cable television and telecommunications company. In 1970, EastLink was established in Amherst, Nova Scotia, when it was issued one of the first cable licences granted by the CRTC... - DSL - AliantAliantBell Aliant Inc. is a communications company providing services in various areas throughout eastern Canada, as Bell Aliant throughout Atlantic Canada, and under the NorthernTel, and Télébec brands in rural areas of Ontario and Quebec....
- Cable
Statistics
- Population (2001) - 1342
- Number of Dewellings - 509
- Total Land Area - 17.77 km²
External links
- Village of Waverley Official Site
- Charles P. Allen High School
- The Nova Scotia Firefighters School
- Explore HRM
- News For District 2 Of The HRM
Further reading
- Nancy Redmayne Ross, ed,. Diary of a Maritimer 1816-1901: The Life and times of Joseph Salter, St. John's: International Maritime Economic History Association, 1996. This work includes a description of the diarist's affiliation with the Rockland Gold Mining Company (1863-1870).