Chester is a village on the Chester Peninsula, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. The nearby waters of Mahone Bay and its numerous islands are well known for yachting and have made the Chester Yacht Club into a cruising destination. A provincial

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

from the village provides a schedule of daily trips to Big Tancook Island and Little Tancook Island.

History

The French had been present in

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and earl ...

since the early 1600s, but when the British expanded into the area in the 1700s, Acadian settlements on the South Shore were few and tiny. After the Expulsion of the Acadians the British wanted to repopulate vacated lands, and offered land grants to colonists from New England, which was experiencing a population explosion. In 1761, led by founders

Timothy Houghton Timothy Houghton (21 August 1727 – 10 May 1780) was the founder of Chester, Nova Scotia (1759). In the wake of the American patriot rebellion in the Siege of Fort Cumberland during the American Revolution, while Chief magistrate and Justice ...

and Rev.

John Seccombe Rev. John Seccombe (25 April 1708 – 27 October 1792) was an author, a founder of Chester, Nova Scotia and was “the best-known and most highly respected clergyman in Nova Scotia.” He was also the author of ''Father Abbey's Will'', which was p ...

New England Planter The New England Planters were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations by the lieutenant governor (and subsequently governor) of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, to settle lands left vacant by the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1 ...

s were granted lands in the Chester area, then called Shoreham. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

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 ...

was invaded regularly by American Revolutionary forces and

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

s, including the 1782 Raid on Chester. During this time some of the New England immigrants proved to be neither neutral nor loyal in the conflict, including founders

and

against whom criminal charges were brought for

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, esta ...

. Military officer Jonathan Prescott was also suspected of being an American Patriot sympathizer. During the 1800s Chester was an important site for coastal commerce, with economic activities including lumbering, shipbuilding, shipping, and fishing. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

, the American

was trapped off the shores of Chester. To avoid capture, a crew member scuttled the ship, killing most of the crew. In 1922 a statue was erected in memory of 54 soldiers from the area who were killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, cast by Scottish sculptor J. Massey Rhind. After the war the Women's Institute of Nova Scotia established the Zoé Vallé Memorial Library. In 2002 it was proposed to incorporate Chester as a town, thereby leaving the Chester Municipal District. Many residents fought the motion and won the right to a plebiscite, which led to the defeat of the motion in February 2003.

Schools

Chester has an elementary school, Chester District School (grades Primary–5) and a middle school, Chester Area Middle School or CAMS as it is known (grades 6–8). Forest Heights Community School brings together students from all of the Municipality of the District of Chester and Tancook Islands for grades 9–12.

Culture

The Chester Playhouse, is a charitable organization for the promotion of performing arts. The building is a cinema built in 1939 and converted in 1963. In 1987 the building was purchased by Christopher Ondaatje, who donated it to the Theatre Council. Its capacity is 176. The theatre has a year-round program with a variety of performance types, including local folk musician Old Man Luedecke. The Chester and Area Family Resource Centre provides support to new parents. Chester was a filming site for the TV series '' Haven'' and for parts of ''

The Curse of Oak Island ''The Curse of Oak Island'' is a multi-season reality television series that chronicles an eclectic team of treasure hunters and their search for legendary treasure on Oak Island, off the shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is an American televisio ...

''. Founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1906, the Chester Brass Band is a British-style brass ensemble based in Chester, Nova Scotia. The band is a non-profit volunteer organization, funded wholly by its membership, concert series, and local patrons. The Chester Brass Band's repertoire includes classical works, marches, hymns, popular melodies and original works written or arranged specifically for brass band. The band also includes smaller subgroups: a Dixieland band, stage band and small brass ensembles. The band has performed around Nova Scotia and across the world, often accompanying guest choirs, vocalists and instrumental soloists of distinction. On five occasions, Chester Brass was a top-three finisher at the International Brass Band Championships.

Attractions and recreation

There are a number of public boat launch sites around Mahone Bay. The waters are fine for kayaking and sailing. The Chester Yacht Club hosts Chester Race Week, where keelboats from all over the eastern coast of North America compete during the second week of August. For walkers and cyclists there is also the Chester Connector which is a municipal operated section of the previous rail line and which is shared with motorized recreational vehicles. In the last weekend of July there is the annual Chester Garden Show and the House and Garden Tour along with harbour tours. Also that weekend is the Bonnie Lea Lobster benefit. The Chester Municipal Heritage Society operates the Lordly House Museum and children's playground, they host an annual Antique Auction in early July, and an Annual House and Boat Tour after Race week, a Christmas Craft Fair and at the Train Station circa 1905 is an Oak Island Display and Visitors Information office. Winter is a time for events including "Sing! Choirs" in December and February's "Coldest Day of the Year", the Chester Drama Society fundraiser. Chester Golf Club on the eastern side of the front harbour has 18 holes and views of the harbour. "The Park" The Church Memorial Park is home to the Chester Tennis Club, Eleanor Pew Memorial Rink and Chester Curling Club, home club of curler Mary Fay (2015 Canada Games Silver Medal winner).

Notable residents

Desmond Piers Rear Admiral Desmond William Piers, (June 12, 1913 – November 1, 2005) was a rear-admiral in the Royal Canadian Navy. Born in Halifax and long-time resident of Chester, Nova Scotia, Piers served in the RCN from 1932 to 1967. In 1930, he wa ...

: (1913-2005) naval officer, retired to Chester * Donald Hebb: (1904-1985) psychologist, born and lived in Chester until age 16 * Summer or secondary residents are businessmen Christopher Ondaatje and

John Risley John Carter Risley (born April 26, 1948) is a Canadian billionaire businessman with interests in fisheries, food supplements, and communications. He is the co-founder of Clearwater Seafoods. Early life and career Risley was born on April 26, 1 ...

* Old Man Luedecke, Juno Award-winning Canadian folk musician

Gallery

File:Hogue1.jpg, , which trapped the

before the ship exploded (1813). File:ChesterNS.JPG, Front Harbour, Chester File:WIilliam G Ernst 5 2008.jpg, The passenger ferry MV ''William G Ernst'', departing the dock at Chester bound for Big Tancook Island and Little Tancook Island. The ferry is operated by the provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. File:Massey Rhind Nova Scotia.jpg, Nova Scotia Highland soldier by J. Massey Rhind File:Camp Norway, Chester, Nova Scotia.jpg, Camp Norway File:Wisteria Cottage House (former Blockhouse), Chester, Nova Scotia.jpg, Chester Blockhouse (present-day Wisteria Cottage House), during the Raid on Chester (1782) File:Chester Cannons, Chester, Nova Scotia.jpg, Chester Blockhouse Cannons, Chester Legion (1782)

References

External links

Chesterbound - Many local links
{{Subdivisions of Nova Scotia Communities in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Villages in Nova Scotia General Service Areas in Nova Scotia 1759 establishments in the British Empire