Bridgewater (Nova Scotia)

Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada situated on the banks of the LaHave River. It is the largest city on the southern coast of Nova Scotia. While the bulk of the economy lives on the south coast of Tourism, Bridgewater is a commercial and industrial center. One of the main employers is a Michelin tire factory of the manufacturer.

While the majority of the smaller towns in Nova Scotia with a decline in economic and population figures are struggling, the city Bridgewater is one of the few vibrant cities that attract new residents. Thus, the population grew from 6,700 in 1991 to 7,944 in 2006 and 8,241 in 2011.

History

The first European settlers arrived in 1812 by the nearby settlements of Lunenburg and LaHave. The city was founded in 1899, shortly after a fire destroyed the city. The forestry and a large sawmill were long 20th century, the main employer. A period of decline followed when the sawmill closed, to Michelin in the early 1970s opened a work that offered employment for 1,000 people.

Since the 1990s, the city is looking for solutions to the problems of many communities in the Maritime Provinces of Canada: Economic decline and out-migration of the young population. Michelin remained the largest employer in the city, which helped stop the economic decline, but to keep the younger segment of the population, which moved away to attend universities, has so far been crowned with success. To compensate for that departure, the city marketed as a retirement home, not only for the elderly but also for residents of the nearby Halifax.

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Donald Sutherland, actor
  • Allan Blakeney, Canadian politician
  • Glen Murray, Canadian ice hockey player who grew up in Bridgewater.

Pictures of Bridgewater (Nova Scotia)

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