Kentville, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia : K : KE : KEN : Kentville, Nova Scotia
Kentville (2001 population 5,610) is the largest town in Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Together with outlying localities such as the village of New Minas and town of Wolfville, over 30,000 people live in the area.
Kentville is one of the main towns in the Annapolis Valley, and it is the county seat of Kings County.
The area was first settled by Acadians, who built many dikes to keep the high Bay of Fundy tides out of their farmland. They were expelled from the area in 1755 by the British authorities because they would not swear allegiance to the British King. The area was then settled by New England Planters. Settlement was expedited by the United Empire Loyalists during the American Revolution.
The town was originally known as Horton's Corner, but was named Kentville in 1826 after Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, (brother of King George III and father of Queen Victoria), who visited the area in 1794.
When the Windsor to Annapolis railway (later Dominion Atlantic) established its headquarters in Kentville in 1868, and began shipping Annapolis Valley apples to British markets, the community began to thrive.
On the outskirts of Kentville lies Camp Aldershot, a military training base founded in 1904. At its peak during World War II, the Camp housed approximately 7000 soldiers.[link]
Agriculture, especially fruit crops such as apples, is a prominent industry in the Kentville area, and throughout the eastern part of the valley; the Apple Blossom Festival is held each May to celebrate the blossoming of local apple orchards. The Michelin tire company is a major employer, with a plant in nearby Waterville.
The Kingstec campus of the Nova Scotia Community College is located in the town. Kentville's Centennial Arena is thought to have hosted the first ever summer ice hockey school.
Sister City
The city of Kentville has a sister city named Camrose in Alberta.
External links
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