The LaHave River is a river in
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 ...
, Canada, running from its source in
Annapolis County
Annapolis County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located in the western part of the province located on the Bay of Fundy. The county seat is Annapolis Royal.
History
Established August 17, 1759, by Order in Council, Annapolis ...
to the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
["PHOTOS: 150 years along the LaHave River"]
''Chronicle Herald'', CYNTHIA MCMURRAY, January 29, 2018 Along its way, it splits the communities of
LaHave and
Riverport and runs along the Fairhaven Peninsula and bisects the town of
Bridgewater flowing into the LaHave River
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
. Tides affect water levels for about 20 km up the river.
There are a number of tourist attractions along the river,
and it is also well-used for recreational sailing. As well as two bridges at Bridgewater, the river can be crossed by a cable ferry at the Community of LaHave.
The river and various spots in the area were named after Cap de la Hève, in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, by
Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts in 1604. The name was later
anglicized
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...
to LaHave.
History
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 ...
, on March 18, 1780, the Lunenburg militia secured the American prisoners taken from the Kitty on the LaHave River. They took the vessel back to Lunenburg and sold it. A month later, on 15 April 1780, the Lunenburg militia (35 men) and the British brigantine John and Rachael captured an American Privateer
prize, also named Sally, off LaHave River,
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 ...
. During the seizure, the privateers killed the head of the Militia (McDonald) and wounded two of the crew members of the John and Rachael.
On 1 September 1780, The Brig Observer under the command of John Crymes ran two small American privateer schooners - Dolphin and Dispatch - into the shore at LaHave. The crew of both vessels escaped through the woods.
The river later became a major lumbering and shipbuilding centre. The many large vessels constructed along the river include the famous clipper ship ''
Stag''. The river has since become a popular area for
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...
, attracting fisherman from mid-May to early July.
According to estimates by the Province of Nova Scotia, there are 21,907 people resident within the LaHave watershed in 2011.
In 2017, biologists reported that the salmon fishery was being threatened because chain pickerel, an invasive species, were eating the salmon smolts.
In 2017, government funding totalling $12 million was allocated to improving the quality of the river water by improving the processing of sewage which was being piped into the river. However, in 2018, a broken sewage pipe in Bridgewater led to further contamination of the river.
"Broken pipe in Bridgewater dumping raw sewage into LaHave River"
''CBC News'', Emma Smith, Feb 17, 2018
Gallery
File:The Site Of Fort Point Museum.JPG, Fort Point Museum, LaHave, Nova Scotia
File:Sailboat on Creaser's Cove.jpg, An intrepid at rest in Riverport
File:Bridgewater NS king street postcard.jpg, A postcard showing King Street
See also
* List of rivers of Nova Scotia
References
External links
History of Bridgewater, NS"LaHve River Estuary"
''The Canadian Encyclopedia''
{{authority control
Rivers of Nova Scotia