---- Bear River is a small village situated at the head of the tidewaters of the Bear River. The river itself is the border between the

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

and Digby counties of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

and thus, splits the village so that half the village is in Annapolis County and the other half in Digby County. The village is adjacent to the

Bear River First Nation Bear River First Nation (Mi'kmaq: L'sɨtkuk) is a Míkmaq First Nations band government located in both Annapolis County and Digby County, Nova Scotia. As of 2012, the Mi'kmaq population is 103 on-Reserve, and approximately 211 off-Reserve. Bear R ...

which administers the

Bear River 6 Bear River 6 is a Mi'kmaq reserve located in Annapolis County and Digby County, Nova Scotia. It had a population of 138 individuals in 2016, an increase of 35.3% compared to 2011. It is administratively part of the Bear River First Nation Bear R ...

, 6A and 6B reserves.

History

Originally inhabited by the

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...

, the area was called "Eelsetkook", meaning "flowing along by high rocks." It was previously called "St. Anthony". It was also named "Imbert", after Simon Imbert, a Frenchman who commanded a relief ship for

Port Royal Port Royal is a village located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and co ...

in 1612. The name "Imbert" was gradually corrupted to "Bear". It is also occasionally referred to on maps as "Hillsburgh". This term is believed to be another corruption of "Imbert" or "Hebert", after Louis Hebert, an apothecary who accompanied

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...

in 1604. Bear River was an important

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

location in the late 19th century. One of many large vessels built in the village was the brigantine ''

Dei Gratia By the Grace of God ( la, Dei Gratia, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. For example in England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was fo ...

'', the vessel which discovered the famous mystery ship ''

Mary Celeste ''Mary Celeste'' (; often erroneously referred to as Marie Celeste) was an American-registered merchant brigantine, best known for being discovered adrift and deserted in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores Islands on December 4, 1872. The Cana ...

'' in 1872. The climate and soil conditions in the Bear River area are conducive to the growing of grapes and several vineyards have emerged. Bear River was home to the first solar aquatics waste water management facility in North America; the facility ceased to function when the Municipality of the District of Digby re-routed waste water to the Smith's Cove treatment facility. After a few years of disuse, the community has made it into a community greenhouse. The community is known for its thriving artistic community, the largest per capita in Nova Scotia. There are many artist studios, shops and galleries in the downtown and immediate area. Crafts produced include clothing, woodwork, pottery, quilts, fabric arts, and an assortment of painted media. The village is run by volunteers as there is no town government. The Bear River Board of Trade is the primary organization to pursue economic development and also maintains the waterfront park and Visitor Information Center. The Bear River Historical Society operates the Bear River Heritage Museum which is open through the summer and early fall with displays of historical photos, archival materials and artifacts of the rich history of the area. The Digby County Exhibition is held in Bear River each year. The village is working to become an eco-village in its determination to remain low-tech, with no fast food, malls or box stores, and the exploration of alternative energy sources.

Notable residents

William M. Jones Major William M. Jones (August 23, 1895 – 1969) was a Canadian soldier of World War I and World War II who served with distinction with the Yugoslav Partisans. Biography Jones was born in Bear River, Nova Scotia. His code name was "Lawrence ...

Bob Snider Bob Snider is a Canadian singer/songwriter. Snider grew up in Toronto and later moved to Bear River, Nova Scotia, Canada. Upon returning to Toronto in the 1980s, he befriended Bob Wiseman and other songwriters in the Toronto open stages at Fat ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

Bear River Board of Trade
Communities in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Communities in Digby County, Nova Scotia General Service Areas in Nova Scotia

History

Notable residents

References

Further reading

External links