Victoria County, Nova Scotia

Victoria County
County

Location of Victoria County, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 46°24′N 60°36′W / 46.4°N 60.6°WCoordinates: 46°24′N 60°36′W / 46.4°N 60.6°W
Country  Canada
Province  Nova Scotia
Founded 1851
Incorporated             April 17, 1879
Electoral Districts      
Federal

Sydney—Victoria
Provincial Victoria-The Lakes
Government
  Type Victoria County Municipal Council
  Warden Bruce J. Morrison
Area[1]
  Land 2,870.85 km2 (1,108.44 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1][2]
  Total 7,115
  Density 2.5/km2 (6/sq mi)
  Change 2006-11 Decrease6.3%
  Census Rankings
 - Census divisions
 Subdivision A
 Subdivision B
 - Reserves
 Wagmatcook 1


3,046 (979 of 5,008)
4,140 (784 of 5,008)

408 (3,294 of 5,008)
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
  Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Area code(s) 902
Dwellings 4,373
Median Income* $44,134 CDN
Unemployment rate 26.3%
Website www.victoriacounty.com
  • Median household income, 2005 (all households)

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

The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.

History

Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851. Cape Breton County was divided into two counties in that year, with Victoria County being subdivided at that time.

Geography

There are several distinctive geographic regions in Victoria county: north of Smokey Mountain, south of Smokey Mountain, St. Ann's Bay, Boularderie Island, Baddeck, Middle River and the Washabuck Peninsula. The county is 2,768 square kilometers in size, 80% of which is covered by forest and the remainder largely by water.

Demographics

Population trend[3]

Census Population Change (%)
2011 7,115 Decrease6.3%
2006 7,594 Decrease4.6%
2001 7,962 Decrease6.1%
1996 8,482 Decrease2.6%
1991 8,708 Increase0.0%
1986 8,704 Increase1.0%
1981 8,432 N/A
1871 11,346 N/A

Mother tongue language (2011)[4]

Language Population Pct (%)
English only 6,460 91.11%
French only 55 0.78%
Non-official languages 550 7.76%
Multiple responses 25 0.35%

Ethnic Groups (2006)[5]

Ethnic Origin Population Pct (%)
Scottish 3,955 52.7%
Canadian 2,280 30.4%
English 1,690 22.5%
Irish 1,545 20.6%
French 890 11.9%
North American Indian 615 8.2%
German 410 5.5%
Dutch (Netherlands) 305 4.%

The county's population has slowly declined over the last ten years and has also aged, with all age groups under the age of 65 experiencing net out-migration. Half of the county's labour force does not have a high school diploma, and only 5% have college educations.

Communities

Villages

Native reserves

Census Subdivisions

For a list of communities in Victoria County, see List of communities.

Economy

71% of the workforce is employed in the services sector. An additional 18% are employed in the primary resources industry, a category that includes both forestry and fishing. Just 11% are employed in manufacturing, less than half of the levels seen in the 1960s.

Government and politics

The county is administered by a county government which is incorporated as the Municipality of the County of Victoria. The county is governed by eight councillors and a warden who oversee the work of a Chief Administrative Officer.

The federal Electoral Riding is Sydney—Victoria.

Features

Victoria County contains the eastern half of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, as well as the Cabot Trail, whereas Inverness County contains the western half of these features. The county also contains St. Paul Island, known as the "Graveyard of the Gulf of St. Lawrence" for its many shipwrecks during the age of sail.

Access Routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:[6]

  • External Routes:
    • None

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Victoria County, Nova Scotia
  2. Statistics Canada Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data
  3. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
  4. Statistics Canada: 2011 census
  5. 2006 Statistics Canada Census Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada: Victoria County, Nova Scotia
  6. Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN 978-1-55368-618-7 Pages 26-27, 40-41, 56-57

External links

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