Town of Kentville Online - Explore Kentville / Town History

The Land Tourism & Recreation Kentville Trail System Population Industry

Kentville, located only 103kms from Halifax, is today the most populous and increasingly growing town in all of the Annapolis Valley.

The recorded history of the Town of Kentville is one that dates back to the time of the first European settlers, the horse drawn carriage and the CP railway. This area of Nova Scotia, along the famous Bay of Fundy, was initially settled by the Mi’Kmaq Indians who were the first settlers in Canada, centuries before the Europeans found the land and claimed it as their own. The Mi’Kmaq referred to this area as Penook which meant “fording place,” because of its location at the bend in the Cornwallis River, a natural crossing point between Horton and Cornwallis townships.

The first European settlers were French Colonists, called Acadians and they settled here around the beginning of the 17th century. The Acadian French cultivated the rich land, and subsequently developed the area into a prosperous agricultural hub.

Life in this area was not always comfortable for the Acadians, as they were subjected to numerous hardships. Their lands were the object of a fierce battle, as Britain and France each tried to take control of North America, in all four of the French and Indian Wars. The land was maintained as neutral territory during much of this time.

The Acadians were French-speaking peoples, but lived in British territory and refused to swear allegiance to Britain or France. The British found this intolerable and in the year 1755, thousands of Acadians from all over Nova Scotia were expelled from their lands. They were dispersed among the British colonies to the south, from Massachusetts to Georgia, and overseas from England to France. Later, after the expulsion of the Acadians, between 1760 and 1800, the lands were won over by the British and soon 13 townships were established in the north western section of the province. These lands were allocated to those New Englanders known as the Loyalists, and they colonized them during the American Revolution, and well into the 1800’s.

The Loyalists, as their name suggests, were Americans who were loyal to the British crown. Therefore, they would not fight in the American Revolution for freedom from British rule. Many of these Americans fled north to Nova Scotia, to the free land and new life that awaited them. Many others came later, fleeing persecution from the victorious revolutionaries.

At the end of the 18th century, Kentville became the Shire Town of Kings County and, being at the junction of seven roads, grew into a commercial centre, serving agricultural villages throughout the Annapolis Valley. The town was named “Kentville” in 1826 as an honour to Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather, Prince Albert, the Duke of Kent, who had visited the area in 1794. When the Windsor to Annapolis railway (later Dominion Atlantic) established its headquarters here in 1868, and began shipping Annapolis Valley apples to British markets, the community began to thrive. Although the British fruit market collapsed with WW, and trucking of freight replaced rail transport, Kentville survived, and remains today as the area’s financial centre.

The Land

Kentville is located in the Annapolis Valley, which is considered one of North America’s richest agricultural districts. The terrain of this area is rugged and irregular, but more hilly than mountainous. The lowlands are suitable for farmers and are found around the shores of the Bay of Fundy and in the Annapolis Valley. Residents enjoy more sunny days per year than almost any other community in Nova Scotia. As the province is a peninsula and is nearly surrounded by the ocean, the climate is more temperate, cooler summers and winters less severe than in other part of Eastern Canada. The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current offshore, adds to the warmer winters.

History enthusiasts are lured to this area in search of the notable dykelands. These dykes were built by the Acadians in the early 17th century and are still used by farmers today. With the Bay of Fundy nearby, the area has the highest tides in the world, and therefore, the early Acadians built the dykes to protect their yearly crops from flooding. They were built by layering logs, sticks, straw and rocks with mud, and can be seen stretching for miles throughout the area.

Tourism and Recreation

Springtime in Kentville is always a celebrated season, as it brings renewed life, the promise of a bountiful harvest, and a beautiful lushness to the surrounding countryside.

While the rest of the world fell victim to the Great Depression of the 1930s, the first Apple Blossom Festival was celebrated in Kentville, during the spring of 1932. Great local music, a beauty pageant, a Blossom Ball, and a parade were featured and tens of thousands of people attended. The town recently celebrated its 72nd annual Apple Blossom Festival, which saw the attendance rise to over 60,000 people.

Kentville not only celebrates the beginning of the harvest season, but also the end. The annual Harvest Festival is held the beginning of each October and welcomes not only the world famous “Pumpkin People” by thousands of visitors who make the town a destination point, during their autumn tour of the province. Activities involve hay wagon rides, crafts, community bands, buskers, competitions, and lots of great things to eat.

Every Christmas season the towns’ people gather for the annual Torchlight Parade and Christmas party. This involves the lighting of the huge Christmas tree in the centre of town, a visit from Santa, a skating party of the local arena, entertainment and some delicious hot apple cider.

Kentville has much to be proud of. It has the highest per capita ratio of professionals than any other place in Canada; it plays host to national level sporting events in and on first class facilities; it has a delightful downtown core with renowned restaurants, pubs, cafés, a live theatre, museums and historic sites; and is the centre of commerce and medicine. Seen as a most desirable place to live and work, Kentville is poised on the brink of much commercial and residential development.

Kentville Trail System

In 1998, a major project was undertaken by the town, to add a wonderful new type of recreational amenity to its already impressive roster of facilities. This was a trail system, 7 kilometers long, and stretching from the Village of New Minas in the east, to the community of Coldbrook, in the west. This trail was laid on the former railway bed and offers cyclists, walkers, runners and skiers a variety of landscape ranging from wetlands, dykes, pastures and hardwood forests, to downtown businesses, to ball parks, golf courses, and residential. A bird sanctuary on the far western end of the trail offers glimpses of species in their natural habitat.

Population

Kentville has the highest year-round population of any residential centre in the Annapolis Valley. The population has been steadily increasing over the years, and recent projections are that future development of the town will see greater increases than ever before.

Industry

The history of industry in Kentville is rooted in agriculture. The town has played host to the traditional industries of the time such as coal, timber, dairies, bakeries, food processing and local fruit stands. Manufacturing industries began to bloom after the surge of the industrial revolution of the late 19th century.

The Town of Kentville is known for the production of the first automobile in Nova Scotia. In 1910, an automobile name the MacKay rolled out of the Carriage Factory on Cornwallis Street in Kentville. Four years later the factory had produced 200 cars.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Industrial Park, one of Kentville’s most active business centers, was opened in September of 1979 and covers approximately 200 acres. The park has over 40 businesses and industries and is considered the economical core for large business sectors.

In 1982, Michelin North America Inc. expanded its borders and developed a tire plant in Waterville. The plant manufactures large truck tires and employs approximately 1000 people.

The Kentville Research Station was established in 1911 to serve the apple industry of the Annapolis Valley. The station, which sits on 473 acres of land, operates with a staff of over 200 people. The initial purpose of the research station was to develop and implement certain strategies for growing fruit. The centre has enhanced its facilities by adding a plant pathology laboratory in 1924 as well as the chemistry and entomology laboratories in 1938 and 1952. The official opening on June 15, 1981, saw the present facility specializing in insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers, as well as fruit and vegetable genetics.

Now named, the Kentville Agricultural Centre, the facility, with almost ninety years of experience, is considered one of the most modern and sophisticated research centres in Canada and houses the offices of Agriculture Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing. It has received national and international recognition in many areas, and welcomes visitors.