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Bridgewater, NS, incorporated as a town in 1899, population 8,790 (2021 census), 8,532 (2016 census). The town of Bridgewater is located at the head of navigation on the LaHave River, 16 km from its mouth. Bisected by the river, the town includes several bridges. Bridgewater is the largest town in the South Shore region of Nova Scotia — a region which also includes the nearby towns of Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, LaHave and Petite Rivière.
History
Pierre du Gua de Monts visited the area in 1604, and a small French settlement existed at the river's mouth from 1632–54. British colonization brought German and French-speaking Protestants to settle nearby Lunenburg in 1753. The actual founding of this community dates from 1874, when the lots were surveyed. As this was the main bridging point of the LaHave, it was called Bridgewater.
A pluralistic society slowly took form, growing in response to the demand for the area's timber. The Davison sawmill, one of the largest in Canada, employed some 350 men late in the 19th century. Shipping and the central railway yard were important from 1890 well into the 20th century.
A disastrous fire on 12 January 1899 destroyed the downtown area, and commercial development has replaced much of the town’s built heritage, but the remaining domestic architecture records New England and Victorian influences. The Wile Carding Mill is part of the industrial heritage of the town. The DesBrisay Museum is one of Canada's oldest historic museum collections. The collection dates from the 1880s, and the museum opened in 1902.
Economy
The lumber and pulpwood industry remains important, but a Michelin tire plant, established in 1969–70, is now the mainstay of the economy. Providing regional services to the more remote population also supports the town’s economy. Bridgewater has multiple shopping areas with stores such as Walmart, Canadian Tire, Staples and Sobeys. These provide goods to both the locals and the inhabitants of the many smaller towns in the region that lack some amenities. These large shopping complexes, however, have impacted local and small business owners.
Culture
Bridgewater is home to several cafés, a duck pond, several churches, a bookstore and a community centre which includes a public library. Part of a large local trail system, the 50-km-long Lunenburg County Rails to Trails passes through Bridgewater and is a part of the Trans Canada Trail.
Bridgewater is served by two weekly newspapers, the South Shore Breaker and the LighthouseNow Progress Bulletin. Country singer Carroll Baker was born in Bridgewater.
