Colchester County, Nova Scotia

This article is about the county in Nova Scotia. For the grammar school in Colchester, Essex, see Colchester County High School.
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°W / 45.4; -63.3Coordinates: 45°24′N 63°18′W / 45.4°N 63.3°W / 45.4; -63.3
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 km2 (1,400.66 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2][3]
  Total 50,023
  Density 13.8/km2 (36/sq mi)
  Change 2001-06 Increase1.5%
  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 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 Increase1.5%
2001 49,307 Increase0.1%
1996 49,262 Increase3.3%
1991 47,683 Increase5.7%
1986 45,093 Increase4.3%
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]

See also

References

  1. Municipality of Colchester
  2. 1 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

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