Counties of Nova Scotia
LocationProvince of Nova Scotia
Number18
Populations7,373 (Guysborough) – 440,072 (Halifax)
Areas1,244.24 km² (Richmond) – 5,495.71 km² (Halifax)
Government
Subdivisions
Counties of Nova Scotia (1862) with township subdivisions

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia has a historical system of 18 counties that originally had appointed court systems to administer local governance prior to the establishment of elected local governments in 1879. The historical counties continue as census divisions used by Statistics Canada for statistical purposes in administering the Canadian census.

History

Prior to the establishment of rural municipalities in the form of county municipalities and district municipalities in 1879, local government within these historical counties was administered by appointed courts of sessions including justices appointed by the Crown with support from local proprietors selected to grand juries.[2] These courts of sessions met "in the counties to hear cases, make regulations, authorize assessments, and appoint local officers."[2] On April 17, 1879, the original non-elected courts of sessions were abolished in favour of elected councils when The County Incorporation Act came into force, which stated

The Inhabitants of every County and Sessional District in this Province ... shall be a body corporate under the name of the Municipality of the respective county or district, as the case may (be), ...[2]

As a result, 12 county municipalities were established, while the remaining 6 counties, which were previously divided into districts for court sessional purposes, were established as district municipalities.[2] Today, 9 of the original 12 remain incorporated as county municipalities, with 3 eventually becoming regional municipalities in 1995 and 1996,[3] while Statistics Canada uses all 18 historical counties as census divisions for statistical purposes in the Canadian census.[4] County municipalities and district municipalities provide local government to the residents of the historical counties living outside of incorporated towns and regional municipalities.[2][3]

Nova Scotia's 18 counties by government structure.

List

County[5] County seat[6] Established Organization of county Population
(2021)[4]		 Population
(2016)[4]		 Change
[4]		 Land area
(km²)[4]		 Population
density[4]
AnnapolisAnnapolis Royal1759County municipality21,252 20,591 +3.2%3,183.236.7/km2
AntigonishAntigonish1785County municipality20,129 19,301 +4.3%1,456.4213.8/km2
Cape BretonaSydney1765Regional municipality98,318 98,722 −0.4%2,457.2140.0/km2
ColchesterTruro1835County municipality51,476 50,585 +1.8%3,627.5014.2/km2
CumberlandAmherst1759County municipality30,538 30,005 +1.8%4,275.777.1/km2
DigbyDigby1837District municipality17,062 17,323 −1.5%2,512.286.8/km2
GuysboroughGuysborough1836District municipality7,373 7,625 −3.3%4,037.161.8/km2
HalifaxbHalifax1759Regional municipality440,072 403,390 +9.1%5,477.5380.3/km2
HantsWindsor1781District municipality45,140 42,558 +6.1%3,049.1814.8/km2
InvernessPort Hood1835County municipality17,346 17,235 +0.6%3,817.614.5/km2
KingsKentville1759County municipality62,914 60,600 +3.8%2,120.3129.7/km2
LunenburgLunenburg1759District municipality48,599 47,126 +3.1%2,906.4716.7/km2
PictouPictou1835County municipality43,657 43,748 −0.2%2,844.1015.4/km2
QueenscLiverpool1762Regional municipality10,501 10,351 +1.4%2,393.444.4/km2
RichmondArichat1835County municipality8,914 8,964 −0.6%1,246.087.2/km2
ShelburneShelburne1784District municipality13,704 13,966 −1.9%2,462.585.6/km2
VictoriaBaddeck1851County municipality7,441 7,089 +5.0%2,836.192.6/km2
YarmouthYarmouth1836District municipality24,947 24,419 +2.2%2,121.6411.8/km2
Total counties — — — 969,383 923,598 +5.0% 52,824.71 18.4/km2

a county boundaries contiguous with those of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
b county boundaries contiguous with those of the Halifax Regional Municipality.
c county boundaries contiguous with those of the Region of Queens Municipality.


See also

References

  1. ↑ County government has been defunct since 1879 for 6 counties now administered by district municipalities, and since 1995/1996 for 3 counties now administered by regional municipalities.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Establishment of Elective Rural Municipal Government in Nova Scotia" (PDF). Government of Nova Scotia: Department of Municipal Affairs. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Nova Scotia Annual Report of Municipal Statistics for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014" (PDF). Department of Municipal Affairs. 2014. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Population and dwelling count highlight tables, 2021 Census". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ "History of County Boundaries". Province of Nova Scotia: Department of Municipal Affairs. October 8, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  6. ↑ Foster Stockwell (2004). A Sourcebook for Genealogical Research: Resources Alphabetically by Type and Location. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 205. ISBN 9780786484386. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.