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.
