Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

Bridgewater
A postcard showing King Street
Nickname: 
Main Street of the South Shore
Bridgewater
Location of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°22′12″N 64°31′12″W / 44.37000°N 64.52000°W / 44.37000; -64.52000
CountryCanada
ProvinceNova Scotia
CountyLunenburg County
Founded1812
Incorporated13 February 1899
Government
 • BodyBridgewater Town Council
 • MayorDavid Mitchell
 • CAOTammy Crowder
 • MLABecky Druhan (PC)
 • MPRick Perkins (C)
Area
 (2021)[1]
 • Total13.63 km2 (5.26 sq mi)
Elevation
22.11 m (72.54 ft)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total8,790
 • Density644.9/km2 (1,670/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−3 (ADT)
Postal code
B4V
Area code902 & 782
Telephone Exchange212, 298, 521, 523, 527, 529, 530, 541, 543, 553
Highways Hwy 103
Trunk 3
Trunk 10
Route 331
Route 325
Median Earnings*$57,200
NTS Map21A7 Bridgewater
GNBC CodeCAFBR[2]
Websitewww.bridgewater.ca
  • Median household income, 2020 ($) (all households)

Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The LaHave River runs through the town. Bridgewater is the largest town in the South Shore region. A lot of the South Shore's economy is based on tourism. Bridgewater is also a commercial and industrial center. One of the main employers is a Michelin tire plant. The town was named after the bridge built over the LaHave River.

The first house in Bridgewater was built in 1812 by Ralph Hotchkiss.[3] The town was incorporated in 1899.[4] This was shortly after a fire in Bridgewater which burned the entire downtown area. For much of the 20th century, the town's economy depended on forestry. There was a large wood mill in the center of town. The Nova Scotia Central Railway and later the Halifax and Southwestern Railway had a central hub at Bridgewater. The "Acadia Marine Engine Company" was based in Bridgewater. It made engines for fishing boats.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Census Profile, 2021 Census Bridgewater, Town [Census subdivision], Nova Scotia". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  2. "Bridgewater". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  3. "Town History and Background". Town of Bridgewater. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  4. "Bridgewater". Historica Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.

Other websites

Media related to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia at Wikimedia Commons