Dayspring is a community in the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

province 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 ...

, located on the banks of the

Lahave River The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean.

in the Lunenburg Municipal District in Lunenburg County. It is home to the traditional wooden shipyard, Snyder's Shipyard, builders of Theodore Too, among many other vessels, as well as The Riverview Enhanced Living Centre, Miller's Point Peace Park, the Municipal Activity and Recreation Complex and the

Bridgewater/Dayspring Airpark Bridgewater/Dayspring Airpark is an aerodrome located north of Bridgewater, 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 Atlanti ...

History

During the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, there were a number of

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 ...

and

Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

raids on the newly arrived Protestant settlers on the Lunenburg Peninsula. By the end of May 1758, many of those on the Lunenburg Peninsula abandoned their farms and retreated to the protection of the fortifications around the town of Lunenburg, losing the season for sowing their grain. For those that did not leave their farms for the town, the number of raids intensified. During the summer of 1758, there were four raids on the Lunenburg Peninsula. On 13 July 1758, one person on the

LaHave River The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean.

at "Dayspring" was killed and another seriously wounded by a member of the Labrador family.Bell, p. 510 Throughout the

Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid- 15th) to the mid- 19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the introduction of naval ...

Dayspring boasted three shipyards, a saw mill, associated blacksmiths, several general stores, 2 churches, a school, several fraternal lodges and number of large farms.

Modern

As with many rural villages today, both churches, the school and other local services have closed. Dayspring is now largely a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

of neighbouring

Bridgewater, Nova Scotia Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the LaHave River. With a 2021 population of 8,790, Bridgewater is the largest town in the South Shore region. Priding itself as "The Main Street of the So ...

References

Dayspring on Destination Nova Scotia
Communities in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia General Service Areas in Nova Scotia {{LunenburgNS-geo-stub