Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia
| Sheet Harbour | |
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| Rural Community | |
West River Falls, where the West River empties in to the Northwest Arm.
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 Sheet Harbour
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| Coordinates: 44°55′N 62°32′W / 44.917°N 62.533°WCoordinates: 44°55′N 62°32′W / 44.917°N 62.533°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Nova Scotia |
| Municipality | Halifax Regional Municipality |
| District | 1 |
| Founded | 1784 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Regional Council |
| • Governing Council | Halifax Regional Council |
| • Community Council | Marine Drive Valley and Canal |
| Area | |
| • Total | 188.38 km2 (72.73 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 114 m (374 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | ~800 |
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
| • Summer (DST) | ADT (UTC-3) |
| Canadian Postal code | B0J 3B0 |
| Telephone Exchanges | 902 885 696 561 361 |
| GNBC Code | CBIKA |
| Highways |  Trunk 7 Route 224 Route 374 |
| Website | sheetharbour |
| Part of a series about Places in Nova Scotia | |
Sheet Harbour is a rural community on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the Halifax Regional Municipality and lies along the Marine Drive (Nova Scotia) on Trunk 7 approximately 117 kilometres (73 mi) northeast of Halifax. Sheet Harbour is the shopping, work and educational hub for around 5,500 people. The community is located along the shores of Sheet Harbour. The harbour has two arms: the Northwest Arm and the Northeast Arm. Two rivers flow in to the harbour: West River in to the Northwest Arm, and East River in to the Northeast Arm. A minor river also flows in to the Northwest Arm, Little West River, from which Grand Lake, a large lake west of Sheet Harbour empties in to the arm. Adjacent to the community is the Sheet Harbour Industrial Port, an important regional deep-water port. The majority of the land was granted in 1773 and the colony was established in 1784. A pulp mill was constructed beside the West River Falls, but was destroyed by Hurricane Beth in the 1970s.
There is a new bridge currently being built across the Northeast Arm. The community is centrally located in Nova Scotia, as Sheet Harbour is within a drive of 150 kilometres (93 mi) to four of Nova Scotia's major towns and cities (see distance chart). Route 224 and Route 374 both start/end in Sheet Harbour. Sheet Harbour has a hospital, named Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital (ESMH), which is connected to Harbourview Lodge. Sheet Harbour also has two schools: Sheet Harbour Consolidated School (SHCS) and Duncan MacMillan High School (DMHS). The community is located about 10 minutes northeast of Taylor Head Provincial Park. Tom McInnis, a Conservative Party politician, resides in Sheet Harbour.
Contents
Location[edit]
Sheet Harbour is a small rural community located on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, in the eastern third of the Halifax Regional Municipality.
It is the major community in the area, as it is the shopping, job and educational hub for about 5,500 people.[1] Sheet Harbour is located slightly inland compared to other coastal communities in the area, due to the shape of the harbour. The population of Census Tract 2050154.00, which includes Sheet Harbour, and a large amount of land that is not in Sheet Harbour's borders is 3,478 as of the 2011 Census.[2] The population of just Sheet Harbour is about 800.[3] Immediately west of Sheet Harbour is Sheet Harbour 36, a Mi'kmaq reserve.[4]
Geography[edit]
Sheet Harbour is located along the shores of Sheet Harbour, a saltwater harbour. The area around Sheet Harbour is heavily forested, with many lakes.[5] The coastline is also very rocky and eroded by the Atlantic Ocean, as is typical with much of the Eastern Shore.[6] Sheet Harbour has average tides of about four to five feet.[7]
Harbour[edit]
Sheet Harbour is located on the shores of Sheet Harbour (the harbour itself), a fork-shaped harbour with two arms.
The west and wider arm is the Northwest Arm. The eastern and smaller arm is referred to as the Northeast Arm. The two arms connect just below Church Point, southeast of where West River meets the Northwest Arm. The harbour continues southeast-ward, then southward toward the Atlantic. The Northwest Arm is the wider arm. It extends northwest until it meets the mouth of West River at the West River Falls. The Northeast Arm is the shorter and narrower arm. It extends north, then curves northeast under the East River Bridge, until it meets the head of the East River.[8]
The harbour from Church Point, where the two arms meet, to Sheet Rock is referred to as Sheet Harbour. It is wider than both of the arms. It gradually widens as it flows southward the Atlantic Ocean. After Church Point, It flows southeast-ward past the Sheet Harbour Industrial Port and west of the community of Watt Section. It then curves and flows southwest-ward/southward toward the Atlantic, passing southeast of Mushaboom, northwest of Sober Island and east of Taylor Head Provincial Park, where it meets Sheet Rock and then empties in to the Atlantic Ocean.[8]
Rivers[edit]
Two major rivers, one minor river and several small streams empty into the harbour. West River flows into the Northwest Arm, and East River empties into the Northeast Arm.[8]
Northwest Arm[edit]
West River, formally West River Sheet Harbour, begins near the Musquodoboit Valley. Several smaller streams flow into the river as it progresses southeast-ward toward Sheet Harbour. For the majority of its length, the river follows a similar path to Route 224. It gradually widens as it progresses toward Sheet Harbour. Lake Alma flows into West River via the Union Dam Flowage. A while downstream, the river flows in to Sheet Harbour Lake. Sheet Harbour Lake ends just before the West River Bridge, where Trunk 7 passes over the West River, just before the West River Falls. West River Bridge provides a great view of the falls. The falls carry water from 22 metres elevation down to sea level. The river then empties into the Northwest Arm.[8]
Grand Lake, a large lake west of Sheet Harbour, also empties into the Northwest Arm via West Lake and Little West River in West Sheet Harbour.[9]
Sheet Harbour was the first community in North America to use a lime doser to lower acid rain levels, starting in September 2005 in the West River. It was successful in lowering the acid levels in the river.[3][10]
Northeast Arm[edit]
East River, formally East River Sheet Harbour, originates in the extreme northwest of Guysborough County, then flows southwest-ward into the Halifax Regional Municipality. Similar to West River, several small streams merge with the river as it flows downstream. Also similar to its more westward counterpart, it closely follows Route 374, but not as closely as West River to Route 224. Lake Mulgrave and Governor Lake both flow into East River via streams. The river flows through the Liscomb Game Sanctuary. Immediately after exiting the Sanctuary and simultaneously flowing under Route 374, East River flows into the Marshall, Malay Falls and Ruth Falls flowages, first through last, respectively. After exiting the Ruth Falls Flowage, the river flows past the Ruth Falls Power Plant, a hydro generating station. It narrows back into a river for a short while, then flows into the head of the Northeast Arm.[8]
History[edit]
Almost all of the current land area of Sheet Harbour was granted in 1773,[11] and the settlement began in 1784,[11] by Loyalist refugees and British veterans of the American Revolution and became a prosperous centre for the lumber industry.
Sheet Harbour was named "Port North" on the Royal Navy Chart that was published in 1778. Alternate names for the settlement were Campbelltown and Manchester.[11] Campbelltown would have been named after Lord William Campbell, who was a Captain General as well as a Governor-in-Chief in 1776–1773.[11] It was decided that "Port North" was not descriptive enough so its name was changed to Sheet Harbour because of a white, flat rock that looks like a sheet (named Sheet Rock). Sheet Rock can be found at the entrance of the harbour.[12] Sheet Harbour for about two decades was known as Cambell Town, this name fell into disuse and became known as Sheet Harbour.[13] In October 1885, the Halifax Wood Fibre Company located the first sulphide pulp mill in Canada at East River, Sheet Harbour. The site is now occupied by the Wildlife Centre and a campground. A stone monument commemorates the pulp mill. Later on October 5, 1925 a ground-wood pulp mill owned by the American Pulp and Wrapping Paper Co. of Albany, New York began operation on the West River at the head of the Northwest Arm of Sheet Harbour.[14] This pulp mill replaced a saw mill owned by Rhodes and Currie, which AP&W had purchased from Rhodes and Currie in 1923 and which remained in operation through a number of different owners until destroyed by Hurricane Beth in the 1970s.[15] A steel arch bridge was built in the 1950s over the Northeast Arm. It was named the East River Bridge. It is currently being replaced by a new bridge.[16]
Industry[edit]
The economy of Sheet Harbour is primarily based fishery and forestry, as well as tourism, to a lesser extent.
Sheet Harbour has a Chamber of Commerce. They were formed more than 75 years ago. They were formerly known as the Sheet Harbour Board of Trade.[17] They comprise of most of the businesses in Sheet Harbour and they operate a Visitor Information Centre at the MacPhee House situated on the site of the ground-wood pulp mill just east of the West River Bridge, where Trunk 7 crosses the West River at the entrance to Sheet Harbour. The MacPhee House Community Museum has a collection interpreting "Life before plastic".[18] In the 1990s, the Government of Nova Scotia built a common user deep water dock and industrial park 5 minutes west of Downtown Sheet Harbour, named the Sheet Harbour Industrial Port. It was purchased by and is currently operated by the Halifax Port Authority. It currently ships wood chips for the pulp industry and imports wind turbine segments, which are then transported across Nova Scotia and to the rest of North America. The port was used to service the Sable Offshore Energy Project with natural gas pipes processed at coating plant therefore making them suitable for placement on the ocean floor. The docking area is 152 metres (499 ft) long and 36.5 metres (120 ft) wide. It also has 10.3 metres (34 ft) of draught, which is connected to a concrete pad.[19]
Activities[edit]
- Seaside Festival: Hosted by the local Lions Club every year in August. It includes a parade, baseball tournament, fireworks and much more.
- Winter Parade: It is held in December, near Christmas.
- Annual Fish Derby: Held annually by the Sheet Harbour Ground Search and Rescue. It is hosted in Malay Falls, Nova Scotia, a community 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Sheet Harbour, in early June.
- The area has many ATV and walking trails.
- Sheet Harbour's Rockets Field, which is the only baseball field in Sheet Harbour.
- Taylor Head Provincial Park - a nearby day-use Provincial Park with extensive hiking trails. Main article: Taylor Head Provincial Park[6]
- Liscombe Lodge Resort and Conference Centre is located 56 km (35 mi) northeast on Trunk 7 toward Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia in Liscomb, Nova Scotia.[20]
- Spry Bay Campground: A campground located near Taylor Head Beach, just a minute west of the park.[21]
- The 2610 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps is based in Sheet Harbour. This corps has put Sheet Harbour on the map in cadet circles because they have won the Strathcona cup 5 times.[22]
Transportation[edit]
The community is situated at the junction of Route 374 and Route 224 with Trunk 7. The community has sidewalks that run from West River Bridge to East River Bridge, through the main part of Sheet Harbour. They were opened in 2010,[23] and cost $2,895,040.[24] The roads in the area are a mixture of both paved and unpaved roads. There are also many ATV trails/hauling roads in the area. There are no 100-series highways that run through or near Sheet Harbour.
New East River Bridge[edit]
A new bridge is under construction to replace the East River Bridge, which is nearing the end of its life span.
The current East River Bridge was built in the 1950s. Minor repairs were originally proposed, but the Department of Transportation decided that building a new, 183-metre long bridge would be more cost-effective. Construction began in late 2014. There will also be road modifications because of the new bridge. The majority of these will take place on the Sheet Harbour side of the bridge; the other side is located in Watt Section. The bridge, along with surrounding road modifications, is expected to be completed in late 2015. The old bridge is scheduled to be demolished shortly after completion. There will be barges brought in to safely dismantle the bridge; they are not allowed to let the pieces simply fall into the water because it would severely contaminate the water because the bridge is rusting. The new bridge is expected to have a lifespan of 75 years.[16]
Distance chart[edit]
The following is a collapsable distance chart with all distances measured through Google Maps.
Amenities[edit]
Sheet Harbour has a Home Hardware store[26] a Nova Scotia Liquor Commission liquor store[27] a post office, run by Canada Post,[28] a public library, which is owned and operated by Halifax Public Libraries,[29] a convenience store, a small park, a takeout, a police station, which is run by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,[1] a fire station,[30] and three churches. Sheet Harbour also has a Ground Search and Rescue.[31] Sheet Harbour also hosts one apartment building, two gas stations, operated by Irving Oil and Wilson Fuel (Wilsons Gas Stops) respectively,[32] a Foodland grocery store[33] and two banks, operated by Scotiabank[34] and Credit Union[35] respectively. Just west in Spry Bay, Nova Scotia is a Dept. of Transportation and Public Works, owned and operated by the Nova Scotia Government[36] The Sheet Harbour Industrial Port is located 5 minutes west of Sheet Harbour. It is run by the Halifax Port Authority.[19] Sheet Harbour has 2 motels: Fairwinds Motel and Restaurant[37] and the Sheet Harbour Motel.[38] There is a campground located along the East River, named East River Lodge Campground and Trailer Park.[39]
Eastern Shore Cartage serves Sheet Harbour and its surroundings.[40] Watts Wind Energy, Inc. built a wind turbine in Watt Section, a small community just east of Sheet Harbour, in 2010. It was the outcome of favourable wind data that was obtained by a meteorological tower near the future site of the wind turbine. It was up and running in October 2011. It produces about 1.5MW of power and powers approximately 375 households. It stands 85 metres (279 ft) tall.[41] Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital is a hospital located in Sheet Harbour. It is owned and operated by the Nova Scotia Health Authority. It has 16 beds for patients. There is a war monument and gardens in front of the site where Duncan MacMillan Nursing Home once stood. The hospital offers quite a few services. It is connected to Harbourview Lodge, a nursing home, by a corridor. Harbourview Lodge was built in 2011 to replace DMNH, which was nearing the end of its life span.[42] Just 10 minutes west of Sheet Harbour on Trunk 7 in Spry Bay, Nova Scotia is Taylor Head Provincial Park. It has two beaches. The entire park is located on a peninsula which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Hunting and firearms are forbidden in the park. The park contains over 22 km (14 mi) of walking/hiking trails, and over a kilometre (0.62 mi.) of beaches. It is open from May–October each year.[6]
Education[edit]
There are 2 schools in Sheet Harbour: Sheet Harbour Consolidated Elementary School (SHCS), and Duncan MacMillan High School (DMHS).
Sheet Harbour Consolidated School is a feeder school of DMHS. In 2014, there were 98 students enrolled in the school. The school offers Intensive French. SHCS teaches grades primary through six. The school was built in 1957.[43] Duncan MacMillan High School (DMHS) is the only high school in the Sheet Harbour area. Because of that, it has 3 feeder schools: SHCS, Lakefront Consolidated School, which is located in Tangier and Eastern Consolidated School, which is located in Moser River. The school offers Intensive French for all grades. DMHS teaches grades seven through 12. There were 185 students enrolled in the school in 2014. The school was built in 1963.[44] A plan is in the works for the Halifax Regional School Board to close and possibly demolish all three of the DMHS feeder schools and replace them with a larger, more modern grade P-12 school somewhere in Sheet Harbour. This new school would teach about 350 students and would serve a large area around Sheet Harbour.[45]
[edit]
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Marinette, Nova Scotia Upper Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia Musquodoboit Valley Via Route 224 |
Malay Falls, Nova Scotia New Glasgow, Nova Scotia Via Route 374 |
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Watt Section, Nova Scotia Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia Via Trunk 7/Marine Drive |
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| Mushaboom, Nova Scotia Tangier, Nova Scotia Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Via Trunk 7/Marine Drive |
Sober Island, Nova Scotia Atlantic Ocean |
Notable residents[edit]
- Tom McInnis, politician[46]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "RCMP Sheet Harbour Detachment". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Census Profile". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Sheet Harbour". Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce & Civic Affairs. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Census Profile - Map : Sheet Harbour 36, Indian reserve (Census Subdivision), Nova Scotia". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
- ^ "Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area". Nova Scotia Government. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ a b c "Taylor Head Provincial Park" (PDF). Nova Scotia Parks. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour Tide Chart". Tide-Forecast. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Google Maps". Google. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "Little West River". Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ^ "West River Sheet Harbour - lime doser support". The Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d Scott, David. Nova Scotia Place Names, p. 235–236. ISBN 978-0-9865370-1-1
- ^ "Sheet Rock Light". Marinas.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Found in Sheet Harbour: A Local History by James E. Rutledge written in 1954, page 9–10. Howard Coady; Sheet Harbour History, Lancelot Press Ltd. 1988 Hantsport N.S.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour" (PDF). Nova Scotia Government. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour Waterfront Site Plan: Final Report" (PDF). Ekistics Planning & Design. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ a b "East River Bridge Replacement Project". Nova Scotia Government. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ "Welcome". Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "MacPhee House Community Museum". Nova Scotia Department of Tourism. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Port of Sheet Harbour & Industrial Park". Nova Scotia Business Inc. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- ^ "Liscombe Lodge Resort & Conference Centre". Nova Scotia Department of Tourism. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "Spry Bay Campground & Cabins". Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "#2610 Cadet Corps". Sheet Harbour Army Cadet Corps #2610. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "Grand Opening Sheet Harbour Sidewalk/Streetscape Project". Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Revised Area Rate and Project Funding for Sheet Harbour Streetscape Phase 1" (PDF). Halifax Regional Municipality. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ All distances and subsequent routes in this chart are courtesy of Google Maps' "Directions" feature.
- ^ "Gammon Brothers Home Hardware Building Centre". Home Hardware Inc. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour NSLC". Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "CanadaPost - Post Office: SHEET HARBOUR PO, Nova Scotia (mail, package delivery, courier) - Location & Hours". mystore411. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour Public Library". Halifax Public Libraries. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Fire Stations". Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour & Area Ground Search & Rescue". Sheet Harbour & Area Ground Search & Rescue. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Irving". yellowpages.ca. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Foodland in Sheet Harbour - Store Details". StoreLocate.ca. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Scotiabank". yellowpages.ca. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "East Coast Credit Union – Sheet Harbour Branch". Credit Unions Atlantic Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Area Offices". Nova Scotia Department of Transportation. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Fairwinds Motel & Restaurant Nova Scotia". Fairwinds. Retrieved 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour Motel & Restaurant". yellowpages.ca. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "East River Lodge Campground & Trailer Park". Nova Scotia Department of Tourism. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Eastern Shore Cartage". Eastern Shore Cartage. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ "The Watts Wind project". Watts Wind Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ "Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital". Nova Scotia Health Authority. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ "Sheet Harbour Consolidated Elementary". Halifax Regional School Board. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ^ "Duncan MacMillan High". Halifax Regional School Board. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ^ "School Review Committee Response - Sheet Harbour Consolidated Elementary - January 2013" (PDF). Halifax Regional School Board. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ "Thomas Johnson McInnis - Conservative Party of Canada". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
External links[edit]
- Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce Website
- Community website
- Sheet Harbour Ancestry website
- Tourist attractions
- East River Bridge Replacement Article
- DMHS Website
- SHCS Website
