Orangedale is a Canadian

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...

community located in Inverness County,

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 ...

. Founded by Orangemen who settled in the vicinity of the Denys Basin of Cape Breton Island's

Bras d'Or Lake Bras d'Or Lake ( Mi'kmawi'simk: Pitupaq) is an irregular estuary in the centre of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It has a connection to the open sea, and is tidal. It also has inflows of fresh water from rivers, making the brackis ...

, Orangedale was a small farming and fishing community until 1886 when the

Intercolonial Railway of Canada The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways. As the railway was also completely ow ...

mainline from Sydney to Point Tupper was constructed. Orangedale became host to a Victorian-period 2-storey wooden railway passenger station, and it became the preferred stop for many passengers heading to and from northern Cape Breton Island. The community developed into a small railway service centre, with the majority of its residents being employed by the railway. The ICR was absorbed into the Canadian National Railways in 1918, and in 1993 CN sold the line to Sydney to the

Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a short line railway that operated in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. CBNS operated () of main line and associated spurs between Truro in the central part of the province to Point Tuppe ...

. Passenger rail service had already stopped following the January 15, 1990 budget cuts by

Via Rail Canada Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

. In 1988, a group of community volunteers formed to save the original ICR station from being demolished. Today it is part of an extensive

railway museum A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives ( steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic ...

The Rankin Family The Rankin Family (originally known as The Rankins) are a Canadian musical family group from Mabou, Nova Scotia. The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno Awards, four Society of Composers, Author ...

's song " Orangedale Whistle" pays homage to the community's role in Cape Breton Island's transportation history. In 2021, the

L'Arche L'Arche is an international federation of non-profits working to create networks of community where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together. Founded in 1964 by Jean Vanier, Raphaël Simi, and Philip Seux, L'Ar ...

community donated the

Boston Christmas Tree The Boston Christmas Tree is the City of Boston, Massachusetts' official Christmas tree. A tree has been lit each year since 1941, and since 1971 it has been given to the people of Boston by the people of Nova Scotia in thanks for their assist ...

References

External links

Orangedale Railway Museum - Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society website
{{coord, 45, 54, 06, N, 61, 05, 42, W, region:CA_type:city, display=title Communities in Inverness County, Nova Scotia General Service Areas in Nova Scotia