The Municipality of the District of Chester is a Nova Scotia district municipality occupying the northeastern half of Lunenburg County, Canada.
Chester | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of the District of Chester | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: Nova Scotia's Treasure | |
 Location of the Municipality of the District of Chester | |
| Coordinates: 44°39′N 64°18′W / 44.65°N 64.3°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| County | Lunenburg |
| Incorporated | April 17, 1879 |
| Electoral Districts Federal | South Shore—St. Margaret's |
| Provincial | Chester-St. Margaret's / Lunenburg |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Council |
| • Municipal Seat | Chester |
| • Warden | Allen Webber |
| Area | |
| • Land | 1,122.11 km2 (433.25 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 10,693 |
| • Change 2016-21 |  3.7% |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (ADT) |
| Area code | 902 |
| Dwellings | 6,482 |
| Average Income* | $47,360 CDN |
| Website | Official website |
| |
The district boundary was originally drawn for court sessional purposes,[2] before the existence of elected local government. In 1879 it became a district municipality, to provide local government to the residents who live outside incorporated towns.[2] under the authority of the Municipal Government Act of 1998.[3]
The Municipality of the District of Chester is also a census division for Statistics Canada.[4]
Municipal Council
The Municipality of Chester has a town council that consists of 7 councillors and a warden who is appointed by the council, the municipal council was incorporated and founded in 1879. Elections to the council occur every four years unless there is a vacancy. If there is a vacancy in a district, a by-election occurs and the person who is elected will serve their term until the next scheduled election in the four-year cycle.[5]
Municipal Districts
- District 1: includes the communities Aspotogan, Bayswater, Blandford, Northwest Cove, Deep Cove, East River, and part of East Chester.
- District 2: Hubbards, Mill Cove, Fox Point, Simms Settlement, Mill Lake, and The Lodge.
- District 3: Chester village and part of East Chester.
- District 4: Chester Basin, Chester Grant, and part of Middle River.
- District 5: Gold River, Beech Hill, Western Shore, Martin's Point, and part of Martin's River.
- District 6: Seffernsville, Lake Ramsay, Forties, Franey Corner, and Fraxville.
- District 7: Windsor Road, Canaan, Sherwood, and Marriotts Cove.
Council Sessions
The current warden of the Municipality is Allen Webber, and the current deputy warden is Floyd Shatford[6]
| Party | District | Name |
|---|---|---|
| No Affiliation | 1 | Andre Veinotte |
| No Affiliation | 2 | Floyd Shatford |
| No Affiliation | 3 | Derek Wells |
| No Affiliation | 4 | Allen Webber |
| No Affiliation | 5 | Abdella Assaff |
| No Affiliation | 6 | Tina Connors |
| No Affiliation | 7 | Sharon Church |
*Following the 2021 Nova Scotia general election, District 3 councillor Danielle Barkhouse was elected as MLA to the riding of Chester-St. Margaret's. Following her election, she tendered her resignation from the municipal council, triggering a special election where Derek Wells was elected councillor, for the remainder of the 2020-2024 council session.[7]
| Party | District | Name |
|---|---|---|
| No Affiliation | 1 | Andre Veinotte |
| No Affiliation | 2 | Floyd Shatford |
| No Affiliation | 3 | Danielle Barkhouse |
| No Affiliation | 4 | Allen Webber |
| No Affiliation | 5 | Abdella Assaff |
| No Affiliation | 6 | Tina Connors |
| No Affiliation | 7 | Sharon Church |
Nova Scotian Municipal politics do not have party affiliations.[9]
Departments and services
There are four departments in the district:[10]
- Community Development & Recreation
- Corporate & Strategic Management
- Financial & Information Services
- Infrastructure & Operations
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Municipality of the District of Chester had a population of 10,693 living in 5,028 of its 6,482 total private dwellings, a change of 3.7% from its 2016 population of 10,310. With a land area of 1,120.61 km2 (432.67 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.5/km2 (24.7/sq mi) in 2021.[12]
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 10,145 | 95.40% |
| Other languages | 365 | 3.43% |
| French only | 110 | 1.03% |
| Both English and French | 15 | 0.14% |
Parks, playgrounds and open spaces
The municipality operates 46 kilometres (29 mi) of trail on the former railway from Martins River to Hubbards. The trails are open to walkers, off-road vehicles, cyclists and horseback riders.[14]
Parks and outdoor areas include Anvil Park in Chester Basin, East River Property, Village of Chester Gazebo, Wild Rose Park in Western Shore, a Green Gym Park in Chester Basin, Castle Rock in East River.[15] There are six beaches along the coast, public wharves and launches, and several islands preserved for public use (including four owned by the Municipality of Chester).[16]
The Municipality of the District of Chester also has two playgrounds; Croft Road Playground located in Chester Basin and Gold River Playground located at the former Gold River Elementary School.[17]
Within the Village of Chester there is a skate park that was opened in 2009 after five years of planning and fundraising.[18]
Schools
The Municipality of the District of Chester has five schools within its boundaries. All five are open to the public for community use.[19] These schools are Forest Heights Community School (FHCS)[20] in Chester Grant; Aspotogan Consolidated Elementary School (ACES) [21] in Mill Cove; Chester Area Middle School [22] in Chester; Chester District Elementary School [23] in Chester, and New Ross Consolidated School [24] in New Ross.
Economy
The Municipality identifies five sectors: arts, culture & recreation; business services; construction; green industries; and niche manufacturing.[25]
Arts, Culture & Recreation
The Municipality has a high concentration of arts, entertainment, and recreation workers with artist-in-residents programs, galleries, a theatre, golf courses, museums, marinas, and the first and only Nordic spa in Nova Scotia. Productions filmed in the Municipality include: