Colchester County, Nova Scotia

Colchester County
County
Municipality of the County of Colchester[1]
Flag Seal
Motto: "We Prosper From Our Resources"
Location of Colchester County, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 45°24′N 63°18′W / 45.4°N 63.3°WCoordinates: 45°24′N 63°18′W / 45.4°N 63.3°W
Country	Canada
Province	Nova Scotia
Towns	Stewiacke / Truro
Villages	Bible Hill / Tatamagouche
Established	1835
Incorporated	April 17, 1879
Electoral Districts       Federal	Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley
Provincial	Colchester North / Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley / Truro-Bible Hill
Government
• Type	Colchester County Municipal Council
• Mayor	Bob Taylor
Area[2]
• Land	3,627.69 km^2 (1,400.66 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2][3]
• Total	50,023
• Density	13.8/km^2 (36/sq mi)
• Change 2001-06	1.5%
• Census Rankings  - Census divisions  Subdivision A  Subdivision B  Subdivision C  - Towns  Truro  Stewiacke  - Reserves  Millbrook 27	3,525 (892 of 5,008) 19,297 (195 of 5,008) 13,312 (278 of 5,008) 11,765 (317 of 5,008) 1,421 (1,659 of 5,008) 703 (2,565 of 5,008)
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
• Summer (DST)	ADT (UTC-3)
Area code(s)	902
Dwellings	22,951
Median Income*	$42,782 CDN
Website	colchester.ca
Median household income, 2005 (all households)

Colchester County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

History

The appellation Colchester was applied in 1780 to the district previously called "Cobequid," and was derived from the town of Colchester in Essex. The old name Cobequid was derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Wagobagitk" meaning "the bay runs far up", in reference to the area surrounding the easternmost inlet of the Minas Basin, a body of water called Cobequid Bay.

The District of Colchester, which was at first part of Halifax County, was established as a county in its own right in 1835. In 1838 a distinct line of division between Cumberland County and Colchester County was established. Two years later, in 1840, the Township of Parrsboro was divided and part of it annexed to Colchester County. In 1871, the boundaries between the Counties of Hants and Colchester and between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester were established. In 1880 the boundary between the Counties of Halifax and Colchester was revised. Eventually in 1897 a portion of the boundary between the Counties of Colchester and Cumberland was fixed and defined.

The question of the boundary between Colchester and Cumberland Counties was the subject of a Commission of Inquiry established in 1946. The report was filed in the office of the Provincial Secretary and in the office of the Department of Lands and Forests in January 1959. Certified copies of it were sent to the Registrars of Deeds for the Counties of Colchester, Cumberland and Kings.

Communities

Incorporated communities

• Towns
  • Stewiacke
  • Truro
• Villages
  • Bible Hill
  • Tatamagouche
• First Nations reserves
  • Millbrook 27
• Census Subdivisions
  • Colchester, Subd. A
  • Colchester, Subd. B
  • Colchester, Subd. C

Towns in Colchester County are Stewiacke and Truro. Each has its own local governing council. All other communities in the county are located within one of eleven geographically determined districts, each of which provides a representative to County Council. Additionally, a mayor is elected for the whole county. The mayor also sits on county council.

For a list of communities in Colchester County, see List of Communities.

Demographics

Population trend[4] Census Population Change (%) 2006 50,023 1.5% 2001 49,307 0.1% 1996 49,262 3.3% 1991 47,683 5.7% 1986 45,093 4.3% 1981 43,244 N/A 1871 23,331 N/A

Mother tongue language (2011)[5] Language Population Pct (%) English only 48,580 96.34% French only 560 1.11% Non-official languages 1,065 2.11% Multiple responses 225 0.45%

Ethnic Origin (2006)[6] Ethnic Origin Population Pct (%) Canadian 20,510 41.4% Scottish 19,455 39.3% English 16,060 32.4% Irish 11,155 22.5% French 5,880 11.9% German 4,085 8.3% Dutch (Netherlands) 2,480 5.0% North American Indian 2,100 4.2%

Access Routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:^[7]

Highways Hwy 102 Hwy 104 (TCH)

Trunk Routes Trunk 2 Trunk 4 Trunk 6

Collector Routes: Route 224 Route 236 Route 246 Route 256 Route 289 Route 311 Route 326 Route 336

External Routes: Route 277

See also

• List of communities in Nova Scotia
• Central Nova Tourist Association — Tourism Association Representing Colchester County.
• Black Lake listings within Nova Scotia.

References

1. Municipality of Colchester
2. 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Colchester County, Nova Scotia
3. Statistics Canada Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data
4. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
5. Statistics Canada: 2011 census
6. 2006 Statistics Canada Census Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada: Colchester County, Nova Scotia
7. Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN 978-1-55368-618-7 Pages 52-53, 67-69

External links

• County of Colchester website