Country Canada Highest elevation 42 m (138 ft) Population 1,219 (2006) Local time Tuesday 1:26 PM | Founded 1763 Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft) Province Nova Scotia Area code 902 | |
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Community council Harbour East - Marine Drive Community Council District 3 - Dartmouth South - Eastern Passage Weather 0°C, Wind S at 13 km/h, 62% Humidity Municipality Halifax Regional Municipality | ||
Cow Bay is a community within Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia on the Eastern Shore on Route 322 along the Marine Drive scenic route. It is also well-known as "The Land of the Cows".
Contents
Map of Cow Bay, NS, Canada
Geography and attractions
The community consists of 2 popular beaches, Rainbow Haven Beach, and Silver Sands Beach both are internationally known surfing locations and kayaking locations. Besides being an ocean community, Cow Bay also has 3 lakes, Bissett Lake, Cow Bay Lake, and Car Wash Lake. The Cow Bay River cuts through the centre of the community which consists of a number of small waterfalls before it enters Cow Bay Lake. Cow Bay is also famous for its jogging/walking/bicycle trails, the Salt Marsh Trail and Shearwater Flyer trail which follow an abandoned rail line known as the Dartmouth Eastern Railway. It is also unique in the Halifax region because horses are a common sight in the community because of the significant number of farms. Daily wildlife sightings in the community are pheasants, deer, bobcats, rabbits, bear, plus wide and varied species of birds. Cow Bay’s motto is “Cow Bay Attracting Visitors Since 1773”. In 1959 a large concrete moose statue by Winston Bronnum was constructed and still remains a landmark. Cow Bay is also famous for the annual 25 km "Moose Run", part of a running series in Nova Scotia which has had a growing number of participants because of the scenic views the run offers.
History
The community was named after Robert Cowie who, with Roger Hill, received a land grant in the area in 1763. In the 1840s, the latest known ancestors of Cow Bay are the Myers and the Moshers. The beach which extends for a kilometre and a half was a popular destination for people from Dartmouth area by 1850. In the 1930s, a dance hall and canteen were built. Over time, the Silver Sands Beach was destroyed by the removal of sand for construction of the container piers in Halifax Harbour and to build the runway at CFB Shearwater Airport. Removal of sand left the beaches vulnerable to the erosion of the tides until the Nova Scotia Government decided to step in and pass legislation to protect sand from beaches from being removed.