Halifax County East – Eastern Shore

The rural area east of Dartmouth is known as the Eastern Shore. The Eastern Shore is a scenic, yet sparsely settled area, hosting dozens of small fishing harbours and communities. In recent decades the region has become home to a growing number of cottages and recreational properties, given the amount of unspoiled sand beaches and dramatic coastlines. The shore also hosts the majority of Nova Scotia's small islands. The tourism industry is concentrated near popular beaches and provincial parks such as Lawrencetown, Clam Harbour, and Martinique. Communities along the Eastern Shore include Musquodoboit Harbour, Sheet Harbour, Sherbrooke, Jeddore, Clam Harbour, Petpeswick, Oyster Pond, Lake Charlotte and Meagher’s Grant.

The area is sparsely populated, and the decline in the fishing industry has meant an outflow of people to larger urban areas and to other fishing villages in the province. A railway had been proposed during the 1880s to run east from Dartmouth, however the sparse settlement and lack of industrial economic activity saw the railway line swing north up the Musquodoboit River at Musquodoboit Harbour to access the fertile agricultural district of the Musquodoboit Valley. During the post-World War II period, the provincial government upgraded local roads, resulting in the present alignment of Trunk 7. During the 1980s-90s, when the rail line was abandoned, the controlled-access Nova Scotia Highway 107 was built from the Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth to Musquodoboit Harbour, to assist commuters and truck traffic travelling to rural HRM and to Hwy. 102 via Hwy. 118.

 Schools

ELEMENTARY

1. Oyster Pond Academy: Grades PP – 9, including French Immersion

2. Marine Drive Academy: Grades PP – 12

JUNIOR HIGH

1. Oyster Pond Academy: Grades PP – 9, including French Immersion

2. Marine Drive Academy: Grades PP – 12

HIGH SCHOOL

1. Eastern Shore District High: Grades 10 – 12, including French Immersion

2. Marine Drive Academy: Grades PP – 12

 Recreation

Many museums can be found along the Eastern Shore with its rich history. There is a Fisherman's Life Museum in Oyster Pond. There is an interactive museum located in Sherbrooke, called the Historic Sherbrooke Village and it depicts life around the 1900s in the village. Musquodoboit Harbour is home to the Musquodoboit Railway Museum.

The Musquodoboit Trailway offers over 41 Km of non-motorized, world class hiking opportunities along the old railway line. The easy to walk Rail Trail will take you through the diverse, natural landscape that borders the Musquodoboit River. The Trailway is an anchor for 26 kilometres of backcountry trails that wind along the granite ridges of the White Lake and Ship Harbour-Long Lake wilderness areas.

The longest beaches on the Eastern Shore are Lawrencetown Beach, in Lawrencetown, Martinique Beach, near Musquodoboit Harbour and Taylor Head Beach, located in Spry Bay, within the boundaries of Taylor Head Provincial Park.

Musquodoboit Harbour’s beautiful new public library and recreation facility adds a boost to the community’s infrastructure.