Cow Bay, Nova Scotia

Cow Bay
Community
Cow Bay
Coordinates: 44°37′15″N 63°25′32″W / 44.62083°N 63.42556°WCoordinates: 44°37′15″N 63°25′32″W / 44.62083°N 63.42556°W
Country Canada
Province Nova Scotia
Municipality Halifax Regional Municipality
Community council Harbour East - Marine Drive Community Council
District 3 - Dartmouth South - Eastern Passage
Founded 1763
Area
  Land 5.78 km2 (2.23 sq mi)
Highest elevation 42 m (138 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2006)
  Total 1,219
  Density 210.7/km2 (546/sq mi)
  From Stats Canada[1]
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
  Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Canadian Postal code B3G
Area code(s) 902
Canadian Census Tract 0121.03
GNBC Code CAIAU
Website bigthings.ca/scotia/cowbay.html
Part of a series about Places in Nova Scotia

Cow Bay is a community within Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia on the Eastern Shore on Route 322 along the scenic Marine Drive. The community consists of 2 popular beaches, Rainbow Haven Beach, and Silver Sands Beach both are internationally known surfing locations and kayaking locations. Besides being an ocean community, Cow Bay also has 3 lakes, Bissett Lake, Cow Bay Lake, and Car Wash Lake. The Cow Bay River cuts through the center of the community which consists of a number of small waterfalls before it enters Cow Bay Lake. Cow Bay is also famous for its jogging/walking/bicycle trails, the Salt Marsh Trail and Shearwater Flyer trail. It is also unique in the Halifax region because horses are a common sight in the community because of the significant number of farms. Daily wildlife sightings in the community are pheasants, deer, bobcats, rabbits, bear, and the occasional moose plus a wide and varied species of birds. Cow Bay’s motto is “Cow Bay Attracting Visitors Since 1773”. Cow Bay is also famous for the annual 25 km "Moose Run", part of a running series in Nova Scotia which has had a growing number of participants because of the scenic views the run offers.

History

The community was named after Robert Cowie who, with Roger Hill, received a land grant in the area in 1763. In the 1840s, the latest known ancestors of Cow Bay are the Myers and the Moshers. The beach which extends for a kilometre and a half was a popular destination for people from Dartmouth area by 1850. In the 1930s, a dance hall and canteen were built. Unfortunately, over time, the Silver Sands Beach was destroyed by the removal of sand for construction of the container piers in Halifax Harbour and to build the runway at CFB Shearwater Airport. Removal of sand left the beaches vulnerable to the erosion of the tides until the Nova Scotia Government decided to step in and pass legislation to protect sand from beaches from being removed.

Notable residents

References

External links