Fall River, Nova Scotia
| Fall River | |
|---|---|
| Suburban Community | |
 Fall River
|
|
| Coordinates: 44°49′34.75″N 63°36′29″W / 44.8263194°N 63.60806°WCoordinates: 44°49′34.75″N 63°36′29″W / 44.8263194°N 63.60806°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Nova Scotia
|
| Municipality | Halifax Regional Municipality |
| Community council | North West Community Council |
| District | 1: Waverley - Fall River - Musquodoboit Valley |
| Founded | Late 1700s |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.09 km2 (7.76 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 11,526 |
| • Density | 573.72/km2 (1,485.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
| • Summer (DST) | ADT (UTC-3) |
| Canadian Postal code | B2T |
| Area code(s) | 902 |
| Telephone Exchange | 576 860 861 |
| Website | www |
Fall River (2011 population: 11,526) is a suburban community in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located north-northeast of the Bedford Basin, northeast of Bedford and Lower Sackville and north of Waverley.
Fall River's name is derived from a stream running between Miller Lake and Lake Thomas which had a waterfall. These falls supplied water power for several mills during the 19th century as well as a local electrical utility during the early 20th century. The waterfall was demolished in the late 1950s as a result of the construction of the Bicentennial Highway leading to Halifax; the waterfall was located where the 4-lane expressway currently runs up the hill from the crossing of Lake Thomas to the interchange with Highway 118 at Miller Lake. Hydro-electric power is now generated by an underground tunnel that carries the water from Miller Lake which once flowed through this stream and down the waterfall. Turbines produce electricity for the main grid, during peak periods.
The Mi'kmaq Nation and its predecessors were known to have inhabited Fall River prior to European settlement, using the waterways for a portage route connecting with the Shubenacadie Valley. The Mik'maq reportedly used this waterway to attack the settlement at Halifax in its early days during a conflict with English settlers.
The first European people in the area arrived during the late 18th century, and some of these earliest settlers were German. In particular one German family named Muller (now anglicized to Miller), established themselves in Fall River, and some of their descendants remain in the area, with Miller Lake being named after them. The Miller brothers, Philip and John cleared the land on the east side of Lake Thomas and in 1828 built a dam to power their sawmill, the first in the area. George Taylor, another settler, had come to Fall River in 1829 and was Innkeeper of The Lakeside Inn, which was in operation as early as 1831.
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