Kentville is a town in Kings County, Nova Scotia. It is one of the main towns in the Annapolis Valley,and it is the county seat of Kings County.
History:
Kentville owes its location to the Cornwallis River which downstream from Kentville becomes a large tidal river. Kentville was the limit of navigation of sailing ships and more importantly was the most accessible crossing place on the river. The ford and later the bridge at Kentville made the settlement an important crossroads for settlements in the Annapolis Valley.
Growth:
When the Windsor and Annapolis Railway (later named Dominion Atlantic Railway) established its headquarters in Kentville in 1868 and began shipping Annapolis Valley apples to British markets, the community began to thrive. The railway not only employed a large number of people, up to a third of the town’s population, but also attracted other industries such as mills, dairies, a large foundry, and a carriage works which even entered automobile production. A branchline of the Dominion Atlantic, the Cornwallis Valley Railway, was built north to Canning and Kingsport in 1889 furthering developing the apple industry and creating a suburban line for workers, shoppers and schoolchildren to commute to Kentville. The railway also attracted large institutional developments such as a large regional TB hospital, the Kentville Sanitorium, a federal agricultural research station, and an army training base at Camp Aldershot.
The town became a major travel centre highlighted by the large Cornwallis Inn built at the town’s centre by the railway. The town boomed during World War I and World War II with heavy wartime railway traffic on the Dominion Atlantic and the training of thousands of troops at Camp Aldershot.Many residents fought overseas in the local West Nova Scotia Regiment as well as other branches of service. A Royal Canadian Navy minesweeper HMCS Kentville was named after the town and her crew often took leave in Kentville.
Rails to Trails, Head of St. Margaret’s Bay
Run by The St. Margaret’s Bay Area Rails to trails volunteers association, this beautiful trail follows the route of the original railway line that served St. Margaret’s Bay’s communities, as well as it’s waterfront hotels that served as resorts for Haligonians in the late 19th and 20th centuries.Lumbering and sawmills were common, of which there is still visible evidence today. Ingramport Bay was a major base for tall ships that carried timber to distant countries.
Located just 30 minutes from downtown Halifax,this 33 Kilometer, multi-use trail winds its way from near the Hubley exit on Hwy 103 (exit 4) to Hubbards (exit 6).The trail is great for walking, cycling , horse riding amongst beautiful scenery
http://www.st-margaretsbay.com/rails_to_trails
The Train Station Bike and Bean Cafe
The Train Station Bike & Bean in Tantallon is a café and bike shop located in the historic French Village Train Station, circa 1901.The Bike and Bean Cafe is a hugely popular stop along the Rails to trails paths running between
Halifax and the South Shore. Open year round they serve:Italian style: Lattes, cappuccino, expresso, as well as a wide selection of teas and cold drinks accompanied by delicious panini, soups and sweets. Open year round it is the perfect place to rest and replenish.
Head of St. Margaret’s Bay is a community along the South Shore of Nova Scotia. There are an exciting variety of sights and attractions in the area, plus it is only a short drive to Halifax, (approx. 30 minutes) making for an easy commute to the city. Nature has blessed this area with sandy beaches, rugged shorelines and colourful gardens.
The bay’s shoreline is mostly rocky, although the head of the bay offers several beautiful, sandy beaches at Queensland, Black Point and Cleveland; another sandy beach exists on the western shore of the bay at Bayswater and there is a small sandy beach along the eastern shore on Micou’s Island. St.Margarets Bay is a cruising destination for sailing yachts as its picturesque shorelines offer protection in many natural harbours, as well as anchorages in coves and near small islands.
Local Amenities:
All Major hardware and grocery stores can be found a five minute drive away at Upper Tantallon along with:
• Tantallon Public Library
• Shear Indulgence Salon
• St. Margaret’s Bay Animal Hospital
• Rebel Space Indoor Playground & Cafe
Outdoor Activity:
The Halifax region offers outdoor activities to suit everyone – sea kayaking, biking, rock climbing,snow shoeing, kilometers of hiking, sailing, surfing, skiing, and golf, just to name a few.
Nearby, you can visit the St. Margaret Sailing Club or Shining Waters Marina, just two of the many nearby boating clubs, and at Hubbards you can indulge yourself with some dinner and dancing at the Shore Club, once of the last great dance halls.
Local Schools:
- St. Margaret’s Bay Elementary
- Five Bridges Junior High
- Sir John A. Macdonald High School
- Sir John A. Macdonald High
Rails to Trails, Head of St. Margaret’s Bay
Run by The St. Margaret’s Bay Area Rails to trails volunteers association, this beautiful trail follows the route of the original railway line that served St. Margaret’s Bay’s communities, as well as it’s waterfront hotels that served as resorts for Haligonians in the late 19th and 20th centuries.Lumbering and sawmills were common, of which there is still visible evidence today. Ingramport Bay was a major base for tall ships that carried timber to distant countries.
Located just 30 minutes from downtown Halifax,this 33 Kilometer, multi-use trail winds its way from near the Hubley exit on Hwy 103 (exit 4) to Hubbards (exit 6).The trail is great for walking, cycling , horse riding amongst beautiful scenery
http://www.st-margaretsbay.com/rails_to_trails
The Train Station Bike and Bean Cafe
The Train Station Bike & Bean in Tantallon is a café and bike shop located in the historic French Village Train Station, circa 1901.The Bike and Bean Cafe is a hugely popular stop along the Rails to trails paths running between
Halifax and the South Shore. Open year round they serve:Italian style: Lattes, cappuccino, expresso, as well as a wide selection of teas and cold drinks accompanied by delicious panini, soups and sweets. Open year round it is the perfect place to rest and replenish.
Harbourville is a picturesque fishing community located along the shore of the Bay of Fundy,in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Harbourville is centred on the mouth of Givans Brook which widens to a tidal harbour protected by two wharves. Harbourville is the terminus of Nova Scotia Route 360 which connects the community to Exit 15 of the Highway 101 and the town of Berwick to the south. Harbourville includes the rural areas near it as far as Burlington to the south, Turners Brook to the west and Canada Creek to the east.
As with the surrounding area, Harbourville was originally frequented by Mi’kmaq peoples for centuries prior to exploration by European settlers. It would have been a common destination during the summer months and most likely served as an access point to the Bay of Fundy and
its shores. During the settlement years, the area now known as Harbourville was originally granted to the Best family of New England Planters. They did not settle at Harbourville but logged the land which gained the location the name of Shingle Log Brook. The land around the brook was purchased by John Given and James Owens in 1824. They settled at the brook a few years later, built a pier and carried out logging as the area became known as Givens Wharf.The Hamilton family joined the settlement in 1829. The community became first a logging,then shipbuilding and trading centre exporting lumber and agricultural products from farms in the Berwick area of Annapolis Valley in the 1840s and 50s.
There are various events and Festivals held throughout the year, the most well known and widely attended being the High Tide Festival in August which has great music, food and (as seen below here the annual fish box tote races.
Hammonds Plains is Halifax’s version of country living with the added benefit of quick access to the downtown core. Hammonds Plains includes several subdivisions: Kingswood, White Hills, Westwood Hills, Haliburton Hills, Haliburton Heights, Highland Park, Maplewood, Uplands Park, and Glen Arbour.
For many people Hammonds Plains is a very favorable area in which to live. It is normally a 20 – 25 minutes commute to downtown Halifax and averages about 30 – 45 minutes during peak times.Access to the 102 highway is about 10-minutes from Hammonds Plains Road.
There are two main shopping areas at either end of the Hammonds Plains area. At the entrance of Kingswood there is a small strip mall with a small grocery store, pizza shop and a few other businesses.At the entrance of Westwood Hills across from Haliburton Hills is a larger shopping complex called Hubley Center. This complex has several stores including a Sobeys, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Piercy’sBuilding Supplies, Liquor Commission and a public library.
Also located in Hammonds Plains is Glen Arbour Golf Course, one of Atlantic Canada’s and Halifax premiere golf destinations. At 6800 yards in length, Glen Arbour Golf Course is not long by today’s standard but the combination of natural hazards, elevation changes and tricky bentgrass greens challenge players of all skill levels. The Course has played host to many celebrities with the highlight being the inaugural Wayne Gretzky and Friend’s Invitational and most recently the BMO Canadian Ladies Open in 2005.
Hatfield Farm is located in Hammonds Plains and boasts it is a traditional farm setting where you can experience genuine Maritime cowboy adventures and activities.They offer trail rides, pony rides, riding lessons, wagon and sleigh rides and a petting pen and playgrounds in addition to many cowboy adventures. Fort Clayton,the cowboy camp at Hatfield Farms, can accommodate groups of up to 400 people.
Adjacent to the Hubley Center Shopping Complex is recreational facility that offers an Arena with two ice surfaces, a swimming pool, a gymnasium and a new skateboard park.
Area Schools:
- Kingswood Elementary (PR-06)
- Madeline Symonds (07-09)
- Charles P. Allen (10-12)
