Truro, Nova Scotia

History

The area has been home to the Mi'kmaq people for several centuries. The Mi'kmaq name for the Truro area, "Wagobagitik" means "end of the water's flow". Mi'kmaq people continue to live in the area at the Millbrook and Truro reserves of the Millbrook – We’kopekwitk band.

Acadian settlers came to this area in the early 1700s. The Mi'kmaq name for the Truro area was shortened by the settlers to "Cobequid", and the bay to the west of the town is still named Cobequid Bay. By 1727, the settlers had established a small village near the present downtown site of Truro known as "Vil Bois Brule" (Village in the burnt wood). Many Acadians in this region left in the Acadian Exodus which preceded the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. In 1761, the British settled the area with Presbyterians of predominantly Ulster Scottish origin who came from Ireland via New England. They named the new settlement after the city of Truro in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Originally a small farming community, the construction of the Nova Scotia Railway between Halifax, and Pictou in 1858 caused the municipality to experience a fast rate of growth which increased even more when the railway connected to central Canada in 1872 and became the Intercolonial Railway. The Intercolonial, which later became the Canadian National Railway built a large roundhouse and rail yard in Truro. Further rail links to Cape Breton and to the Annapolis Valley through the Dominion Atlantic Railway in 1905 increased the town's importance as a transportation hub for Nova Scotia. The railway also attracted industries such as the Truro Woolen Mills in 1870 (which later became Stanfield's) and provincial institutions like the provincial Normal School (later the Nova Scotia Teachers College) and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. The town officially incorporated in 1875. Many figures from the town's past were featured in over 40 tree sculptures which were carved in tree trunks after Truro lost most of its Elm trees to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1990s. As of 2018, most of these sculptures were suffering from severe deterioration and were taken down. The history of the town and surrounding county is preserved at the Colchester Historical Museum (c.1900-1901), which is designated under the provincial Heritage Property Act.

History

Three areas of Truro contain many African Nova Scotian residents. The residents of Upper/Lower Ford Street (“the Marsh”) are descendants of Black Loyalists and Black Refugees. Young Street (“the Hill”) has people from a number of different cultural and ethnic diversities. Black Loyalist descendants make up the vast majority of people in the third area, West Prince Street (“the Island”). Many of Truro's black community has roots in the historically important Black Nova Scotian settlements of Guysborough County. Zion United Baptist Church, first founded in 1896 on Prince Street, has long been the spiritual heart of the community.

Truro is also the birthplace of world-renowned contralto, Portia White (1911–1968). To support herself while taking music lessons at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts she taught school in Africville and Lucasville. Her national debut occurred in 1941 at the Eaton Auditorium in Toronto, and her international debut came at the Town Hall in New York in 1944. She gave a Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of Confederation Centre in Charlottetown in 1964. A monument commemorating Portia White stands on the grounds of the Zion United Baptist Church.

A number of other prominent Black Canadians have roots in the town. One of Canada's most well known civil rights leader, Burnley Allan "Rocky" Jones, was raised in "the Marsh" neighbourhood of Truro. Art Dorrington, the first black hockey player to sign an NHL contract was raised in "the Island".

Infrastructure and attractions

Truro is known as the Hub of Nova Scotia as it is located at the junction between the Canadian National Railway, running between Halifax and Montreal, and the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway, running between Truro and Port Hawkesbury. Until the 1980s, Truro also hosted a junction between the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway's former Dominion Atlantic Railway line running through Windsor and down the Annapolis Valley to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

An important highway interchange is located just north of Truro in the rural community of Onslow where Highway 102 ends at Highway 104 - both four lane expressways. Secondary roads Trunk 2 and Trunk 4 intersect in the town. Important tertiary roads Route 236 and Route 311 end in the nearby communities of Lower Truro and Onslow respectively. Some of these roads also form part of the Glooscap Trail which is a scenic drive for tourists. Truro railway station is served by Via Rail's Ocean line.

Nova Scotia Power has several transmission line corridors in or near Truro; additionally Bell Aliant, EastLink and 360networks route most of the major telephone and data communications lines in the province through the town.

Six large sections of the Berlin Wall are located along the Cobequid Trail, on the Agricultural Campus of Dalhousie University.

Education

Truro has two public high schools, Cobequid Educational Centre and the francophone École acadienne de Truro. Post-secondary institutions consist of a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, Jane Norman College (formerly the Institute of Human Services Education), and the Agricultural Campus of Dalhousie University in the neighbouring village of Bible Hill.

Sports

Truro has three ice hockey rinks: Deuvilles Rink, Rath Eastlink Community Centre, and the Colchester Legion Stadium. Truro is home to the Truro Bearcats, a Junior "A" ice hockey team who are four time MJAHL Champions. (Canadian) Football is also a popular sport in the town with all games being played on Friday night at the Truro Amateur Athletic Club (TAAC) grounds. Truro Raceway conducts harness races every Sunday. Truro is also home to a rugby club, which hosts the World Indoor Sevens Rugby Championships.

Truro also has a senior baseball team, the Truro Senior Bearcats, that play in the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League. Their home field is at the Truro Amateur Athletic Club (TAAC).

Lacrosse has become a very popular sport in Truro over the recent years. There is a minor lacrosse association, the Truro Bearcats Lacrosse Association, which allows youth to take part in organized lacrosse teams and games. As well, there is a junior A lacrosse team, the Mi'Kmaq Warriors, that plays in the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League. They play in the summer months out of the Colchester Legion Stadium.

Notable people

• Sir Adams George Archibald, Father of Confederation
• Jane Archibald, operatic soprano
• Nora Bernard, Mi'kmaq activist
• Cory Bowles, actor/dancer/musician
• David Brine, former NHL ice hockey player Florida Panthers
• Jenny Brine, retired CWHL ice hockey player
• Matt Brouwer, gospel singer guitarist
• Lyle Carter, retired National Hockey League goaltender (originally from Brookfield)
• Bob Champoux, retired National Hockey League goaltender
• Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, French language instructor who established the École acadienne de Truro, but was shot and killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre
• Glenn V. Davidson, Retired Naval Officer. Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws from University Kings College.
• Martin Henry Dawson, led pioneering research into DNA and penicillin, found the cure for Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis
• Fred Dickson, Harper appointed member of the Senate of Canada (originally from Glace Bay)
• J. Chalmers Doane, famous music teacher
• Melanie Doane, singer
• Art Dorrington, first Black hockey player to sign an NHL contract
• Jeff Douglas, actor (Joe of I Am Canadian) and broadcast presenter
• Johan Edlund, vocalist and guitarist of Tiamat (band)
• Dylan Ehler, missing boy who disappeared in 2020
• John Gray, playwright
• Harry Hampton, Scottish-American golf professional
• A. J. B. Johnston, historian and novelist
• Burnley "Rocky" Jones, political activist
• Jeremiah "Jerry" Jones, soldier
• Chet Koneczny, professional lacrosse player
• Brett Lauther, CFL player
• Mary Florence MacDonald, curator
• Lewis MacKenzie, retired Major-General
• Sandy MacKenzie, professional (ice) hockey player
• Greg Maddison, deputy Chief of the Defence Staff
• Jon McIsaac, professional (ice) hockey referee
• Leo McKay Jr., Novelist
• Justin Palardy, professional Canadian football player
• Doug Rogers, Olympian and flag bearer for Canada at the 1972 Olympics.
• Melissa Ann Shepard, Criminal
• Zach Sill, professional (ice) hockey player
• George Isaac Smith, 18th Premier of Nova Scotia (1967–1970); appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to the Senate of Canada (originally from Stewiacke, Nova Scotia)
• Barry Stagg, singer-songwriter/playwright/musician
• Robert Stanfield, politician
• Bill White, composer/politician/social activist
• Jack White, labour union activist / politician
• Portia White, singer
• William A. White, church minister and father to Bill, Jack and Portia
• Lenore Zann, actress and politician

Climate

Truro has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) similar to the vast majority of The Maritimes with warm, wet summers and cold, snowy winters.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Truro was 35.6 C on 19 August 1935 and 15 August 1944.{{cite web | access-date = 20 March 2016|date = 2011-10-31}}{{cite web | access-date = 20 March 2016|date = 2011-10-31}} The coldest temperature ever recorded was -38.3 C on 22 January 1934.{{cite web | access-date = 20 March 2016|date = 2011-10-31}}

| Jan record high C = 17.2 | Feb record high C = 17.0 | Mar record high C = 20.0 | Apr record high C = 27.2 | May record high C = 30.6 | Jun record high C = 33.0 | Jul record high C = 33.9 | Aug record high C = 35.6 | Sep record high C = 33.1 | Oct record high C = 26.5 | Nov record high C = 22.2 | Dec record high C = 17.8 |year record high C = 35.6 | Jan record low C = -38.3 | Feb record low C = -35.6 | Mar record low C = -31.1 | Apr record low C = -23.9 | May record low C = -7.2 | Jun record low C = -4.4 | Jul record low C = 0.0 | Aug record low C = -1.1 | Sep record low C = -7.2 | Oct record low C = -12.2 | Nov record low C = -21.1 | Dec record low C = -34.4 |year record low C = -38.3 | access-date = 12 April 2015|date = 2011-10-31}}{{cite web | access-date = 27 June 2016|date = 2011-10-31}}{{cite web | access-date = 27 June 2016|date = 2011-10-31}}{{cite web | access-date = 27 June 2016|date = 2011-10-31}}

Demographics

|1762|120 |1871|2114 |1881|3461 |1891|5012 |1901|5993 |1911|6017 |1921|7592 |1931|7901 |1941|10272 |1951|10756 |1956|12250 |1961|12421 |1971|13047 |1976|12840 |1981|12552 |1986|12124 |1991|11683 |1996|11938 |2001|11457 |2006|11765 |2011|12059 |2016|12261 |2021|12954

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Truro had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 37.52 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Notes

References

Works cited

References

1. (February 9, 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census Truro, Town [Census subdivision], Nova Scotia". [[Statistics Canada]].
3. {{Cite cgndb
4. "Mi'kmaw Bands in Nova Scotia".
5. {{Cite NSplaces
6. [http://www.truro.ca/committees/truro-tree-committee/tree-sculpture-project.html "Tree Sculpture Committee", Town of Truro]{{Webarchive. link. (2013-01-01)
7. "Remaining wood sculptures in Truro coming down".
8. {{CRHP. 2165. Colchester Historical Museum. November 17, 2010
9. "Marking African Heritage Month at Truro's Zion Baptist Church {{!}} The Chronicle Herald".
10. (31 January 2002). "Treason of the Black Intellectuals? For Burnley A. ('Rocky') Jones (1937-)". University of Toronto Press.
11. "Art Dorrington: A hockey pioneer {{!}} Truro News".
12. "SaltWire".
13. "Rosters".
14. "Truro Bearcats Lacrosse Association powered by GOALLINE.ca".
15. "Mi'Kmaq Warriors Jr A Lacrosse : Website by RAMP InterActive".
16. "Mi'Kmaq Warriors Jr a Lacrosse powered by GOALLINE.ca".
17. Geyer, Charles. (30 May 2019). "Soprano Jane Archibald: Meeting Challenges, Owning The Role". [[La Scena Musicale]].
18. [http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1942-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1942/194201570095_p.%2095.pdf], Censuses 1871-1941
19. [http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1955-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1955/195501710145_p.%20145.pdf], Census 1941-1951
20. [http://estat.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm 1762 Census] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-03-07)
21. [http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1932-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1932/193201410103_p.%20103.pdf], Censuses 1871-1931
22. [http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1966-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1966/196602190191_p.%20191.pdf Census 1956-1961]
23. [http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1967/196702210189_p.%20189.pdf], Census 1961
24. "Archived copy".
25. [http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E], Census 2006
26. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nova Scotia". [[Statistics Canada]].
27. (December 6, 2010). "Community Profiles from the 2016 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision". 2.statcan.gc.ca.
28. (October 6, 2010). "Aboriginal Peoples - Data table". 2.statcan.ca.