Windsor, Nova Scotia is a town located in Hants County. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. Although not truly in the Annapolis Valley, Windsor is the gateway to the Valley and many do consider it to be a part. Windsor’s location,many attractions, rich history and active recreation department enables it to live up to its claim of being a great place to call home. Being a short drive to Halifax allows many of its residences to live in the more rural setting, but commute and work in the city.

Windsor’s first European settlers were the French who came to the region near 1685. The town was officially incorporated in 1878. One of Windsor’s most historical attractions is the blockhouse, remaining from Fort Edward. The Fort was used as a prison and major post during the expulsion of the Acadians.

For hockey fans Windsor is a special place. Around 1800 the game,which is now Canada’s favourite winter sport, was first played by students at King’s College. Windsor Hockey Heritage Society now operates the Birthplace of Hockey Museum to celebrate and preserve this important part of Canadian History.

Each year in October Windsor hosts the Pumpkin Regatta to celebrate the world famous Howard Dill Atlantic Giant Pumpkins.These pumpkins are the largest variety in the World. As of 2008 the record weight for these pumpkins was 1689 pounds.

Hants County Exhibition Grounds is the home of North America’s oldest Agricultural Fair, established in 1765. With more than 4 acres undercover in sprinkled buildings, visitors can watch the various events in the Horse Show Arena and stroll through the Exhibit and 4H Buildings. An excellent location for meetings and conventions.

There are many other fun and interesting things to do in Windsor for visitors and residences, no matter what the season.

Outdoor Activities:

Many great ways to spend some time outdoors in Windsor. Check out one of the many hiking trails, go canoeing or kayaking, try horseback riding, or enjoy some cross-country or downhill skiing at nearby Ski Martock.

Area Schools:

Windsor Elementary (P-6)
West Hants Middle School (7-9)
Avon View High School (10-12)

Upper Tantallon (pronounced ‘tan-TAL-en’) and St. Margaret’s Bay are two communities along the South Shore of Nova Scotia. There are an exciting variety of sights and attractions in the area, plus it is a short drive to Halifax (approx. 25 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 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 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, 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
Tantallon Jr. Elementary
Tantallon Sr. Elementary

The Shubenacadie River, Nova Scotia

Location, Location, Location

The Shubenacadie River has a meander of approximately 72 km from its source at Schubenacadie Grand Lake to its mouth at historic seaport village of Maitland on Cobequid Bay, the site of where ‘William D. Lawrence’,the largest wooden ship ever built was constructed.The river flows through part of northern Halifax County, forming the boundary with Hants County before forming the boundary between Hants and Colchester County. The Shubenacadie Valley hosts a diversified agricultural economy and is also experiencing a growth in suburban development, given its location in the Halifax-Truro transportation corridor.

Fun in the Mud!

There are plenty of activities to enjoy along the Shubenacadie River, one of the most popular activities could in involve you getting just a little bit muddy! People come from all over the world to experience the Tidal Bore rafting adventures. The lower 30 km of the river is tidal and the river experiences a tidal bore twice daily, with some bores reaching up to 3 meters in height at certain points along the river. Local tourism operators offer adventure seekers a chance to ride with the bore on high-horse power Zodiac Hurricanes. Besides getting to ride the tidal bore, adventure seekers can enjoy swimming in bath temperature waters and go sliding on some of the best mud banks in the Maritimes. In 2009, the ‘I Backpack Canada blog’ named the Shubenacadie one of the top five whitewater rivers in Canada.

Wildlife:

For wildlife and nature lovers, the Shubenacadie River offers regular sighting’s of Bald Eagles, thanks to an abundant food supply. For more guaranteed wildlife spotting there’s the Shubenacadie Wildlife
Park. Owned and operated by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

Sambro, Nova Scotia

Sambro is a rural fishing community on the Chebucto Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the head of Sambro Harbour, the community is immediately west of the entrance to Halifax Harbour. Sambro is located at the end of Route 306.

Sambro Island is located within the community southeast of the harbour and is home to the Sambro Island Lighthouse, the oldest operational lighthouse in the Americas (since 1758). It stands 62 feet on the top of the rocky island. The original lens from the lighthouse is on display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.

Three years after the founding of Halifax in 1752, 26 families settled and worked on Sambro Island after Governor Edward Cornwallis saw the need to populate the area with British settlers to prevent a French attack by sea. The community has evolved into a fishing and tourist community over the centuries, although many residents currently commute into Halifax for employment.

Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park is situated in Sambro Creek. Crystal Crescent Beach is a stretch of three white sandy beaches backing onto Nova Scotia Province parkland. This secluded stretch of sand offers a range of attractions for active visitors and residents and a crystal blue-green ocean vista for those who prefer relaxing on the shore.

Stroll along boardwalks on two of the beaches and hop over the rocks to the third. From the beach you can join a scenic and meandering hiking trail along the coastline. Pack some snacks and follow the trail all the way to Pennant Point, 6 miles (10 kilometers) away. Complete the full 8 mile (13 kilometer) trek that loops along the coast and features some diverse hiking terrain over beaches, boardwalks, stairs and rocks. Be sure to bring your own water, as this hike requires a full day.

Area Schools:

Sambro Elementary
Sambro-Ketch Harbour Elementary

Sackville, Nova Scotia

First settled in August 1749 by Captain John Gorham, acting on orders from Governor Edward Cornwallis to establish a military fort named Fort Sackville (The community was named after George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville. Lower Sackville is now one of the fastest growing communities in Nova Scotia, and contains a mix of residential and commercial development in the Sackville River valley, immediately north of the former town of Bedford.

Before amalgamation into the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996, Lower Sackville was an unincorporated part of Halifax County. This area of HRM experienced a 7% population growth rate between 1996-2001. In the 1950s and 60s it was a popular destination for Haligonians seeking entertainment at the drive-in theater, WW2 bomber plane ice cream attraction and Sackville Downs harness racing track which provided entertainment until it closed in 1986.

The community’s growth reflects its central location, near both Halifax and Dartmouth, with easy access to Highway 102, Highway 101 and Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Proximity to downtown Halifax and Burnside and Bayers Lake Industrial Parks gives the suburbs of Lower Sackville the advantages of employment opportunities and services of a larger city, and is typical of most commuter communities experiencing growth in North America.

Lower Sackville has experienced ribbon/strip-style commercial development since the 1960s. Current retail chains include Sobeys, Atlantic Superstore, Canadian Tire, Dollarama and Giant Tiger. There are numerous independent retailers located in this area as well. Most of the restaurants in the area are of the fast food or family dining variety, in addition to others offering Chinese-Canadian food and pizza.Lower Sackville has always displayed an abundance of community spirit, and excelled within the HRM as a strong leader of excellence in sports as well as academics.

Recreational pursuits in the community revolve around sports fields at local schools and parks, as well as the Sackville Sports Stadium, which is equipped with two swimming pools, gymnasium, curling rink, and one of Lower Sackville’s two ice hockey arenas. The majority of Lower Sackville’s suburbs were built in the 1970s on the southern edge of First Lake which offers outdoor recreational opportunities. The Bedford-Sackville Connector Greenway is a crushed gravel covered trail running beside the Sackville River from the intersection of Cobequid Road and Sackville Drive to Bedford Place Mall.

Local Schools:

• Sackville High School
• Cavalier Drive Elementary School
• Millwood Elementary School
• Sackville Heights Junior High School
• Sackville Heights Elementary School