JEDDORE is actually made up of four communities – Head of Jeddore, East Jeddore, West Jeddore and Jeddore Oyster Pond. Salmon River Bridge separates Oyster Pond from the other three.
Jeddore was originally known as "River of Theodore". It was given this name by the French explorer, Nicholas Denys who visited the area in 1672. The name eventually became known as Jeddore.
Jeddore Harbour (jeh-DOR), inlet (7 mi/11 km long, 3 mi/5 km wide) of the Atlantic, S N.S., Canada, 30 mi/48 km ENE of Halifax; 44°45'N 63°01'W. At head of bay is Head of Jeddore
SALMON RIVER BRIDGE gets its name from the salmon who come there to spawn each year. The first bridge was built over the river in 1853. The Mi'maq called the area "Wineboogwechk", roughly translated as "a crooked, ugly, flowing river". The first two land grants were issued in 1786 to Hugh Dunnegan, and Corporal Joseph Langley.
OYSTER POND was originally known as “Pajedoobaack” – a Mi’kmaq word meaning ”wave washed” – it obtained its local name of Oyster Pond due to the oysters found there. However, three Mitchell brothers, Andrew, John and David operated a sawmill in the area. They built a dam across the mouth of Oyster Pond to provide power for their mill. Because this action prevented the salt water from entering at high tide, the oysters were killed off.
CLAM HARBOUR was originally knows as "Asegadich", a Mi"kmaq word for "clam gathering place". Then it became known as Clam Cove. It eventually became known as Clam Harbour after a dredging operation made it easier for boats to access it. Clams are still plentiful on the beach
Clam Harbour, a natural sand beach on Nova Scotia's rugged eastern shore, was absorbed by the provincial government in 1977. The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service began supervision of Clam Harbour in 1978 and in 1979, a three storey lifeguard tower was erected to the back of the beach area to provide full and clear surveillance during busy days. In 1980 The Department of Lands and Forests (now the Department Natural Resources) added a full concession and interpretive centre, a 300 car parking lot and board walks. Due to declining populations, supervision of Clam Harbour was reduced to weekends only in 1991, and in 1998, the lifeguard tower was reduced to a one storey storage hut. Despite it's many cutbacks, Clam Harbour continues to draw large populations on the weekends.
Clam Harbour is a large 3km long beach which is one of the most scenic and beautiful beaches in Nova Scotia. Clam Harbour is often characterized by its fine sand and large number of foggy days. Each August, Clam Harbour is host to the annual Sand Castle Sculpture Contest. Depending on conditions, Sand Castle Day is usually the single most busy day of all N.S.L.S. supervised beaches throughout the summer, drawing tens of thousands to the beach.
OSTREA LAKE was originally settled by descendants of the German Protestants who came to Halifax with Cornwallis. Some of the first land grants were issued in 1786 to Matthew Lexon and John Turple. Patrick Williams arrived with his family in 1808. They were of Irish descent who had originally settled in Newfoundland. The came from Newfoundland to Chezzetcook, but eventually settled in Ostrea Lake. They even gave the area the name of Williams Settlement for a while. The next family to arive were the Bowser's in the 1830's.
FRANCES NOSE A small cemetery is located on a tiny island across the harbour fromOstrea Lake. The island was a land grant to a Mi'kmaq chief named Francis Nose and is still known as Nose's Cemetery.
Francis Nose Island is one of the islands of the Martinique Islands. It is located approximately thirty kilometers northeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Francis Nose Island Nature Preserve consists of 842 acres including 400 acres of Intertidal Zone. It is situated within the mouth of the Musquodoboit Harbour - a system of diverse habitat types including old growth coastal coniferous forests, salt marshes and mudflats and barrier beaches. The upland habitat of the Martinique Islands, including Francis Nose, provides nesting habitat for bird species such as the Great Blue Heron, Common Goldeneye, Osprey and the Bald Eagle. The intertidal marshes and mudflats surrounding the islands provide vital staging and feeding areas for waterfowl, including Canada Geese and American Black Ducks.
MUSQUODOBOIT HARBOUR was called "Mooskudoboogwek", a Mi'kmaq
word meaning "suddenly widening out after a narrow entrance at the
mouth". One of the first land grants was issued to the family of
Michael Brown. In the 1780's, more were issued to the Mackay,
Taylor, Guild, Jones, Rowlings, Stoddard, Bonn, and Stevens families,
Loyalists all.
The area offers several points of interest to the public including the
Railway Museum - a restored 1918 Canadian National Railway Station,
complete with a train's engine, flat car and caboose. Recently, local
residents have put some of the old railway tracks to good use and
created The Musquodoboit Trailways Association. This section of the
Trans Canada Trail extends for 17.5Km and provides some absolutely
gorgeous scenery and is completely open to the public and mostly
wheelchair accessible.
The intertidal wetlands of Nova Scotia play an essential role in the survival of many waterfowl species. Large numbers of birds flock to this region each year to feed and rest before the long migration. The Musquodoboit Harbour’s 1925 hectares of ecologically significant habitat achieved international recognition in 1987 when it was designated a Ramsar Site.
The area surrounding Musquodoboit Harbour is zoned for multi-use purposes. Therefore, their ecological integrity is threatened by housing, hotel and cottage development. To ensure long-term protection of this significant coastal and estuarine habitat, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Energy and the Canadian Wildlife Service, have made a commitment to work with willing landowners in securing and managing this significant nature preserve.
LAKE CHARLOTTE was named in honour of Princess Charlotte, Augusta of Wales, who died in 1817 shortly after the area was settled. Approximately fifty kilometers south east of Dartmouth, the settlement was once a part of the Sheet Harbour district but boundary changes established it as a community. At one time it was also a part of a chain of lakes, with the communities known as Upper and Lower Lakeville on opposite ends of the lake. This was too confusing for the postal service, so in 1864, Lower Lakeville was renamed Ship Harbour Lake for a short period of time, eventually being changed to Lake Charlotte.
Among the first to arrive at Lake Charlotte were several Loyalist families, including four Webber brothers, the sons of John George Webber of nearby Clam Harbour. John Webber and his wife Elizabeth Doull had arrived with four hundred families to settle in Nova Scotia. Their ship, however, landed in South Carolina where they settled until the American Revolution drove them north in 1785. Upper Lakeville was settled by the families of George and Andrew Siteman (Sideman) in 1814 and Patrick O'Bryan (O'Brian) an Irishman in 1815.
By 1904, there was a population of 160, one hotel, and a general store. Work was found in the lumbering industry since logs could be floated across the lake in summer months and hauled out of the woods by horse and sleigh in the winter. In 1937, by an Act of Legislature the name of Ship Harbour Lake was officially changed to Lake Charlotte.
UPPER LAKEVILLE was originally settled by the Siteman's and
Patrick O'Bryan in 1815. Because logs could easily be floated across
the lake in summer, or drawn by horse and wagon in winter, a
lumbering industry soon developed.