Truro (2006 population 11,765 ;
urban areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
population 22,777
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=802&SR=26&S=0&O=A&RPP=25&PR=12&CMA=0, conglomeration area population 45,777
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=215__&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&Data=Count&SearchText=Truro&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=) is a
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
in central
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Truro (2006 population 11,765 ;
urban areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
population 22,777
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=802&SR=26&S=0&O=A&RPP=25&PR=12&CMA=0, conglomeration area population 45,777
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=215__&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&Data=Count&SearchText=Truro&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=) is a
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
in central
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Truro is the shire town of
Colchester CountyColchester County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The appellation Colchester was applied in 1780 to the district previously called "Cobequid," and was derived from the town of Colchester in Essex...
and is located on the south side of the
Salmon RiverThe Salmon River is a Canadian river in central Nova Scotia's Colchester County.Rising in the Cobequid Hills in the central-northeastern part of the county, the river descends through a broad glacial valley at the head of Cobequid Bay, the eastern extremity of the Bay of Fundy...
floodplain, close to the river's mouth at the eastern end of
Cobequid BayCobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The eastern end of the bay hosts the estuary of the Salmon River, whereas the west end of the bay is less well-defined, typically delineated by Burntcoat Head on...
.
History
The town was first settled in 1761 by Presbyterians of predominantly Ulster Scottish origin who came from
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
via
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
. It is named after the city of
TruroTruro is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population of 20,920. It is the only city in the county, and the most southerly city in Great Britain...
in
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Originally a small farming community, the construction of the
Nova Scotia RailwayThe Nova Scotia Railway is a historic Canadian railway. It was composed of two lines, one connecting Richmond with Windsor, the other connecting Richmond with Pictou via Truro....
between
HalifaxThe City of Halifax was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County, and was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, and
PictouPictou is a Canadian town in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
in 1858 caused the municipality to experience a fast rate of growth. It was officially incorporated in 1875. The Colchester Historical Museum (c.1900-1901) in Truro, Nova Scotia is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Infrastructure
Truro is known as the
Hub of Nova Scotia as it is located at the junction between the
Canadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway is a Canadian Class I railway operated by the Canadian National Railway Company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec....
, running between Halifax and
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
, and the
Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia RailwayThe Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a 392 km railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Port Hawkesbury/Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton....
, running between Truro and
SydneySydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. Until the 1980s, Truro also hosted a junction between the Canadian National and
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a Canadian Class I railway operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited. Its rail network stretches from Vancouver to Montreal, and also serves major cities in the United States such as Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City...
's former
Dominion Atlantic RailwayThe Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley....
line running through
WindsorWindsor is a small town located in central Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,778 and was at one time the shire town of the county....
and down the
Annapolis ValleyThe Annapolis Valley is a valley in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy.-Geography:...
to
Yarmouth, Nova ScotiaYarmouth is a town and major fishing and ferry port located on the Gulf of Maine in southwestern Yarmouth County Nova Scotia, Canada. It is sometimes referred to as "The Gateway to Nova Scotia".- History :...
.
An important highway interchange is located just north of Truro in the rural community of
OnslowOnslow is a small, unincorporated, Canadian rural community in central Colchester County, Nova Scotia. The community is located along the north bank of the Salmon River, opposite the town of Truro and is largely a farming area....
where
Highway 102Highway 102 is a north-south freeway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia that runs from Halifax to Onslow, near Truro. It is the busiest highway in Atlantic Canada....
(Veterans Memorial Highway) ends at
Highway 104Highway 104 in Nova Scotia runs from the New Brunswick border near Amherst to St. Peter's. Except for the portion on Cape Breton Island between Port Hawkesbury and St. Peter's, it is part of the Trans-Canada Highway....
, a part of the
Trans-Canada HighwayThe Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
. Trunk 2 and 4 intersect in the town as with the
Glooscap TrailThe Glooscap Trail is a scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in the central and northern part of the province around the Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay, sub-basins of the Bay of Fundy...
and
Route 236Route 236 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in Hants County and Colchester County, connecting Brooklyn at Route 215 with Truro at Highway 102/Trunk 2.-Communities:*Brooklyn*Union Corner*Scotch Village...
.
Notable natives and residents of Truro
- Sir Adams George Archibald
Sir Adams George Archibald, KCMG , PC was a Canadian lawyer and politician, and a father of Confederation. He was based in Nova Scotia for most of his career, though he also served as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1870 to 1872.Archibald was born in Truro to a prominent family in Nova...
, Father of Confederation
- Cory Bowles
Cory Bowles is a Canadian actor and choreographer.born in Montreal and raised in Truro, Nova Scotia. He is an African Nova Scotian with roots amongst Black Loyalists, Maroons and French Colonies....
, actor/dancer/musician
- Dave Brown
Dave Brown may refer to:*Dave Brown , cartoonist for The Independent in the UK*Dave Brown , rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters club in...
, drummer for world renowned hardcore band Career SuicideCareer Suicide is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. Effectively formed in 2001, the band's first live performance took place in January 2002, with first recorded output soon to follow. The band has gone on to record several full-length albums and singles on various international labels...
- Lyle Carter
Lyle Carter is a former professional hockey goalie, who played briely in the NHL. He was also an all-Canadian softball player....
, retired professional (ice) hockey goaltender (originally from BrookfieldBrookfield is a Canadian rural community located in southern Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Brookfield is a growing community in the heart of Nova Scotia, just forty minutes from the provincial capital of Halifax, thirty minutes from the Stanfield International Airport and ten minutes...
)
- Bob Champoux
Bob Champoux , is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He made his National Hockey League debut with the Detroit Red Wings on March 29, 1964 when he replaced an injured Terry Sawchuk in a 5–4 victory at Chicago Stadium that evened the semifinal series against the Blackhawks...
, retired National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
goaltender
- Jeff Douglas
Jeffrey Lloyd Douglas is a Canadian actor, known for his role as Joe Canada in Molson's ad The Rant...
, actor (Joe of I Am CanadianI am Canadian was the slogan of Molson Canadian Beer from 1994 until 1998 , and between 2000 and 2005 . It was also the subject of an extremely popular ad campaign centered on Canadian nationalism, the most famous examples of which are "The Rant" and "The Anthem"...
)
- John Gray
John MacLachlan Gray is a Canadian writer-composer-performer for stage, TV, film, radio and print...
, playwright
- Lewis MacKenzie
Major-General Lewis Wharton MacKenzie, CM, CMM, MSC and bar, O.Ont, CD is a retired Canadian general, author and media commentator...
, retired Major-General
- Leo McKay, Jr.
Leo McKay, Jr. is a Canadian novelist and short story writer from Stellarton, Nova Scotia.McKay's debut short story collection, Like This, was short-listed for the Giller Prize in 1995 and received the Dartmouth Book Award for fiction in 1996..His first novel, Twenty-Six, was published in 2003...
, Novelist, Literary Arts Teacher for Cobequid Educational CentreCobequid Educational Centre, most often spoken of in its abbreviated form, CEC, is a high school located in Truro, Nova Scotia.CEC serves not only the town of Truro but rural areas in Central and West Colchester County...
- Barry Stagg
Barry Stagg is a songwriter, playwright and musician from Montreal, Quebec. He graduated from the Université de Montréal, and recently moved to North Carolina from Nova Scotia.- Life and works :...
, singer-songwriter/playwright/musician
- Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
, former premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal government opposition
- Bill White
William Andrew White, III, OC was a Canadian composer and social justice activist, who was the first Black Canadian to run for federal office in Canada.-1949 Federal election:...
, composer/politician/social activist
- Jack White
Jack White was a Canadian labour union activist. He was the first elected black representative of the Ironworkers, and one of the first CUPE national staff representatives from a minority background....
, labour union activist / politician
- Portia White
Portia May White , was a singer who achieved international fame because of her voice and stage presence. As an African Canadian, her popularity helped to open previously closed doors for talented blacks who followed....
, singer
- William A. White
The Reverend Captain William Andrew White II, D.D. was an American-born Canadian missionary and World War I chaplain, the only black chaplain in the entire British Army during the war. He was the father of singer Portia White....
, church minister and father to Bill, Jack and Portia
- Lenore Zann
Lenore Zann is a politician as well as a screen, television, stage and voice actress who has appeared in a number of anime and films....
, actress and politician
- Stan (Chook) Maxwell, professional (ice) hockey player
- David Brine
David Brine is a professional ice hockey forward for the Florida Panthers organization of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, professional (ice) hockey player (originally from Bible HillBible Hill is a Canadian village in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.The village lies on the north bank of the Salmon River, opposite the town of Truro....
)
- Fred Dickson
Fred Dickson QC is a Canadian lawyer, politician, and a Conservative member of the Canadian Senate. He was appointed on the advice of Stephen Harper to the Senate on December 22, 2008....
, Harper appointed member of the Canadian SenateThe Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign and the House of Commons. The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister...
(originally from Glace Bay)
- Scott George, on-air radio personality FX 101.9 & 89.9 HAL FM
- Art Dorrington
Art Dorrington was a professional black ice hockey center. He became the first black hockey player to sign an NHL contract when he joined the New York Rangers organization in 1950. Despite putting up very good statistics in the minor leagues, he was never able to make it to the professional ranks...
, first Black hockey player to sign an NHL contract
- Bruce Lohnes
Bruce Lohnes is a Canadian curler from Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. He plays third for Mark Dacey's team....
, first local curler to capture a Canadian Men's Curling Championship (2004). Won Bronze medal at World Championship.
- Glenn V. Davidson
Glenn V. Davidson CMM, CD is a senior naval officer in the Canadian Forces.He joined the Naval Reserve in 1970 and transferred to the regular forces in 1974 after completing his university studies at the University of King's College in Halifax...
, Retired Naval Officer. Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws from University Kings College.
Other facts
- The neighbouring village of Bible Hill
Bible Hill is a Canadian village in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.The village lies on the north bank of the Salmon River, opposite the town of Truro....
is home to the Nova Scotia Agricultural CollegeThe Nova Scotia Agricultural College is a Canadian university college located in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, a village near the town of Truro. The NSAC was officially founded February 14, 1905. In the early years, the NSAC focused on educating farmers in aspects of field and animal husbandry...
, the only university-level agricultural institution in Atlantic CanadaAtlantic Canada, also known as the Atlantic provinces, is the region of Canada comprising four provinces located on the Atlantic coast: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
(it is operated by the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture).
- Bible Hill is also home to the Truro Mosque, the first mosque or masjid in Atlantic Canada. Next to the Truro Mosque is the Islamic Cemetery.
- Truro itself is home to a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College
The Nova Scotia Community College, commonly referred to as the NSCC, is a community college serving the province of Nova Scotia.The college delivers a diverse program of trades, technology, health, human services, applied arts, new media, business administration and adult education through a system...
, located on the campus of the former Nova Scotia Teachers CollegeThe Nova Scotia Teachers College is a former university that was located in the town of Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada.Founded as the Provincial Normal School, the college was established by an act of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, which received Royal Assent on March 31, 1854...
which was a normal schoolA normal school was a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose was to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
that had been operated by the Nova Scotia Department of EducationThe Nova Scotia Department of Education is a department of the Government of Nova Scotia responsible for overseeing education institutions in the province...
.
- The Salmon River
The Salmon River is a Canadian river in central Nova Scotia's Colchester County.Rising in the Cobequid Hills in the central-northeastern part of the county, the river descends through a broad glacial valley at the head of Cobequid Bay, the eastern extremity of the Bay of Fundy...
runs along Truro's northern boundary and is renowned for the natural occurrence of a tidal boreA tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current...
, one of the largest in North America, and a direct result of the power of the tides of the Bay of FundyThe Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
.
- Truro features unique wooden sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
s created from the stumps of elmElm leaves are alternate, with simple, single- or, most commonly, doubly-serrate margins, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at the apex. The genus is hermaphroditic, having perfect flowers which, being wind-pollinated, are apetalous. The fruit is a round wind-dispersed samara...
trees which were lost due to Dutch Elm diseaseDutch elm disease is a fungal disease of elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native populations of elms which had not had the opportunity...
. The tree sculptures are located throughout the downtown core. These tree sculptures have led to Truro now being known as "the tree sculpture capital of Nova Scotia"
- Victoria Park
Victoria Park is a spectacular urban park in the town of Truro, Nova Scotia.-Geography:Situated along a hill occupying the southern edge of the Salmon River valley near the town's southeastern boundary, the park is dominated by Lepper Brook, which joins the Salmon River downstream from the park...
is a 160 hectare (400 acre) urban park which contains a protected forest on the southern boundary of the town. It contains a section of Lepper Brook below the town's reservoir; the brook has two waterfalls that may be enjoyed from several walking trails.
- Truro is home to one of Canada's last remaining successful textile
A textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands...
mills, Stanfield's LimitedStanfield's Limited is a Canadian garment manufacturer based in Truro, Nova Scotia.-History:The company traces its history to 1856 when Charles E. Stanfield and his brother-in-law Samuel E. Dawson founded Tryon Woollen Mills in Tryon, Prince Edward Island...
. Stanfield's is known throughout Canada for its t-shirts, socks and undergarments. Other products manufactured in Truro include carpeting, Crossley Carpet Mills, woven/coated/film plastic products [Intertape Polymer Group], and molded plastics.
- Truro is also known to locals as 'Hubtown' as its center location in the province results in many visiting travelers and tourists.
- The town and surrounding area have a variety of cultural events throughout the year, including a bike race held by Hub Cycle.
- Five sections of the former Berlin Wall
|-||-||-||-||}The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier erected by the German Democratic Republic completely encircling West Berlin, separating it from East Germany, including East Berlin. The longer inner German border demarcated the border between East and West Germany...
are displayed in an empty lot (once occupied by a ZellersZellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise department stores, with 282 locations in communities across Canada. Zellers is headquartered in the Toronto suburb of Brampton, Ontario, and is a subsidiary of Hudson's Bay Company ....
store), on Prince Street, in the central business district.
- The neighboring unincorporated community of Salmon River
Salmon River, Nova Scotia may refer to one of four places:*Salmon River, Colchester County, Nova Scotia**Salmon River , a river in Colchester County*Salmon River, Digby County, Nova Scotia*Salmon River, Richmond, Nova Scotia...
on the town's eastern boundary was named HockeyvilleKraft Hockeyville is a Canadian reality television series developed by CBC Sports and sponsored by Kraft Foods in which communities across Canada compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of ice hockey....
in a national competition held in the Spring of 2006.
- In 2007, Truro's mayor and council caused controversy, accusations of intolerance and cancelled tourism visits by refusing requests to raise the Gay Pride flag at town hall and opposing the local Gay Pride parade.
- Truro's Victoria Park is named after Victoria Gardens in Truro
Truro is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population of 20,920. It is the only city in the county, and the most southerly city in Great Britain...
, EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
- Truro is home to the Truro Bearcats
----The Truro Bearcats are a Tier-II Junior "A" team based out of Truro, Nova Scotia. The Bearcats are one of six Nova Scotian teams in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League.-History:...
, a Junior "A" ice hockey team who are two time MJAHL Champions
See also
- Central Nova Tourist Association
The Central Nova Tourist Association is one of seven provincially recognized tourist associations that work directly with It is a membership based organization that is dedicated to promoting and supporting tourism in the Central Nova Scotia region .-Area Information:image:...
— Tourism association representing Cumberland County and Colchester County, including Truro.
External links