Bear River, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°34′20″N 65°38′38″W / 44.57222°N 65.64389°W Bear River is a small village situated at the head of the tidewaters of the Bear River. The river itself is the border between the Annapolis and Digby counties of Nova Scotia and thus, splits the village so that half the village is in Annapolis County and the other half in Digby County.
The village is adjacent to the Bear River First Nation which administers the Bear River 6, 6A and 6B reserves.
Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the area was called "Eelsetkook", meaning "flowing along by high rocks." It was previously called "St. Anthony". It was also named "Imbert", after Simon Imbert, a Frenchman who commanded a relief ship for Port Royal in 1612. The name "Imbert" was gradually corrupted to "Bear". It is also occasionally referred to on maps as "Hillsborough". This term is believed to be another corruption of "Imbert" or "Hebert", after Louis Hebert, an apothecary who accompanied Samuel de Champlain in 1604.
Bear River was an important shipbuilding location in the late 19th century. One of many large vessels built in the village was the brigantine Dei Gratia, the vessel which discovered the famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. The climate and soil conditions in the Bear River area are conducive to the growing of grapes and several vineyards have emerged. Bear River is home to the first solar aquatics waste water management facility in North America; the facility is still functioning well and is now being expanded. The community is known for its thriving artistic community, the largest per capita in Nova Scotia. There are many artist studios, shops and galleries in the downtown and immediate area. Crafts produced include clothing, woodwork, pottery, quilts, fabric arts, and an assortment of painted media.
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