Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
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| Part of a series about Places in Nova Scotia |
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| Towns of Nova Scotia | |
| Town of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia | |
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| Community statistics | |
| Area | 13.61 km² |
| Population | 7,944a |
| Population density | 583.7/sq kma |
| Earnings | $44,228b |
| Latitude | 44° 37' N |
| Longitude | 64° 52' W |
| Elevation | 22.11 Meters |
| Government | |
| Mayor | Carroll Publicover |
| Governing body | Bridgewater Town Council |
| Founded | 1812 |
| Incorporated | February 13, 1899 |
| Other information | |
| Website | http://www.bridgewater.ca/ |
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
| Postal code | B4V |
| Telephone Exchange | 902 212, 298, 521, 523, 527, 529, 530, 541, 543, 553 |
| Footnotes | |
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a According to StatCan Census Year 2006 [1] |
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Bridgewater (2006 population 7,944; ) is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the LaHave River. It is the largest town in the South Shore region. While the majority of the South Shore's economy is based upon the tourist trade, Bridgewater is more a commercial and industrial centre and attracts far fewer visitors. One of the primary employers is a Michelin tire plant.
While most smaller centres in Nova Scotia have experienced economic and population declines in the last 30 years, Bridgewater is one of the few that has been able to remain vibrant and attract new residents. The town's population increased from 6,619 in 1986 to 7,944 in 2006. It was the fastest growing location in Nova Scotia greater than 5,000 people between the period 2001 and 2006.
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[edit] History
[edit] Founding
The first European settlers of the town came from the nearby settlements of Lunenburg and LaHave, constructing the first house in 1812 on the west bank of the river (although the first house in what is now the town was built before 1803). The town was founded in 1899, shortly after suffering a fire which devastated the entire downtown area. For much of the 20th century, the town's economy depended on forestry and a large wood mill in the center of town, as well as the railway, for which the town acted as a central hub for the South Shore region. After the wood mill closed, a period of bust followed until a new Michelin plant opened within town limits in the early 1970s, providing employment for some 1,000 people. The downtown railway station burnt to the ground in the early 1980s and shortly after that, train service was discontinued and rail tracks removed.
[edit] Recent History
Since the 1990s, the town has tried to come up with solutions for problems that have crippled other areas of the Maritime provinces: economic decline and the outmigration of its younger population. Michelin remains the town's largest employer by far and has helped to stem any economic decline, but the town seems unable to keep its younger population, with many moving away to obtain a university education and never returning. To counterbalance this, the town is now marketing itself as a retirement destination not only for older citizens from the area, but also for residents of near-by Halifax Regional Municipality. Much of the population growth in the past decade has been driven by two rapidly-growing upscale manufactured housing communities, LaHave Heights [2] and Eisenhauer Place [3], which cater especially to senior citizens. There has also been migration from Europe to the town and surrounding areas, as well as from Halifax, where Bridgewater is increasingly seen as a remote suburb rather than an entirely disconnected town.
Erosion of the commercial tax base has been a significant problem for the town in the past 15 years; three of the department stores within the town closed during that period and instead of shopping in the remaining businesses, many residents chose to spend their money in Halifax, a one hour drive away. Since 2004, some businesses have started to pick up on this trend and have responded by opening outlets in the town. Many other new business (in particular, a Wal-Mart and largely-expanded Canadian Tire), have decided to open in a new development just outside of town limits in an area they have dubbed Osprey Heights, after the nearby Osprey Ridge golf course. Many other businesses already located within the town have followed suit and relocated to Osprey Heights.
Replacing this tax base will be a huge challenge for the town in the upcoming years. The main commercial district continues to be the Bridgewater Mall, located along the LaHave River. However, it has been impacted by the new Wal-Mart development. The Bridgewater mall located in the southern area of the town, Is almost half vacant. With 15 shut down stores, while the South Shore Mall, located in the northern part of the town, once home to a movie theater, a grocery store, a department store and clothing shops, has been completely abandoned and is slated for demolition. One of the town's major goals has been to keep businesses in the historic King St. shopping district (located across the river from the Bridgewater Mall), although many areas tend to be a "revolving door" for new small businesses.
[edit] Geography and Demographics
| Town of Bridgewater Population by year [4] |
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| 1981 | 6,669 | - |
| 1986 | 6,619 | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 7,248 | 9.5% |
| 1996 | 7,351 | 1.4% |
| 2001 | 7,621 | 3.7% |
| 2006 | 7,944 | 4.2% |
Bridgewater is split in two by the LaHave River, with the majority of the town's land area situated on the western bank of the river. The town spans the LaHave River Valley and is dominated by hills that lead down to the river. Elevation ranges from 5 metres above sea level (at the river), to nearly 110 m at the highest point at the Old Towne Golf Course on the southwestern limit of the town. The surrounding area is characterized by rolling drumlins formed during the last glacial period, some of which reach 150 m above sea level. There are also several streams which empty into the river. The LaHave River is traversed by two bridges in the centre of the town, and a 103 highway overpass and a foot bridge (formerly a railway crossing) towards the northern limits.
The western bank of the river was the area first developed more than 200 years ago. Today it remains the most heavily populated part of the town and is home to the Bridgewater Industrial Park (where Michelin is located) and most other civic amenities. The eastern bank of the river was home, for many years, to a large lumber yard and train station. This area developed rapidly in the last quarter of the 20th century with the arrival of the Bridgewater Mall and a large subdivision. Today, this area remains the commercial heart of the town and the centre of population growth, particularly in the manufactured home communities.
The median age of the town is 41.3 years, more than two years older than the population of Nova Scotia in general (38.8 years). 22.5% of the population is under 19 years of age (compared to 24.9% in Nova Scotia as a whole), while 18.8% is over age 65 (versus 13.9%). English is the primary language of nearly 96% of the population, while 98.8% of the population is Caucasian. Nearly 54% of the population is female, a figure two percent higher than the province as a whole. [5]
[edit] Attractions
Bridgewater has grown more recently than its older more established neighbours such as Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. Tourist attractions include the Wile Carding Mill and the DesBrisay Museum. The South Shore Exhibition, also known as the Big Ex(soon to be shut-down), one of Nova Scotia's largest agricultural fairs, is held during the last week of July every year, attracts some 50,000 people. The town is also the boyhood home of actor Donald Sutherland, as well as NHL player Glen Murray.
