The Cornwallis River is in Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It has a meander length of approximately 48 kilometres (30 mi)[1] through eastern Kings County, from its source on the North Mountain at Grafton[2] to its mouth near Wolfville on the Minas Basin. The lower portion of the river beginning at Kentville is tidal and there are extensive tidal marshes in the lower reaches. In its upper watershed at Berwick, the river draws on the Caribou Bog while a longer branch continues to the official source, a stream on the North Mountain at Grafton.
The original peoples of the area, the Mi'kmaq, knew it as The Narrow River, or Chijekwtook.[3] There are also references to the Mi'kmaq calling the river Jijuktu'kwejk (pronounced, "Gee-gee-wok-tuk").[4][5] The river served as part of the Mi'kmaq travel route between the Minas Basin and the Annapolis Basin.[5]
The river was named Riviere St. Antoine[6] by Samuel de Champlain after his arrival in the New World in the early 17th Century. Later it was called the Riviere des Habitants[7] by the Acadians, who built a series of settlements around its mouth including the village of Grand-Pré and a smaller settlement further up the river at New Minas.[8] The Acadians also built extensive dykelands in the area, although there is no clear evidence that the running dykes beside the river were built by them.[9]
Following the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, the area was settled by New England Planters in 1760 who named the river after the townships established along its banks. The river became known as the Horton River.[10] after Horton Township, the major Planter settlement at the mouth of the river, named after the ancestral home of George Montagu-Dunk, the official in charge of English settlement in Nova Scotia. However, in the 19th century, settlement and commercial growth moved upriver to the Kentville area in Cornwallis Township,[11] named after Edward Cornwallis, first governor of Nova Scotia. As a result, the river assumed the name Cornwallis River by 1829.[12]
AVFN Band Council Resolution, May 3, 2011, regarding reverting river name to Jijuktu'kwejk
The Mi'kmaq of Annapolis Valley First Nation in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, voted unanimously in 2011 to have the name revert to what they consider to be the original, historical Mi'kmaw name for the river, the Jijuktu'kwejk.[13] Annapolis Valley First Nations Chief Brian Toney wants the name of the Cornwallis River changed. He said band members have to cross it every day and are reminded of Gov. Edward Cornwallis.[14] Cornwallis put a bounty on the scalps of natives, including women and children in 1749 during the frontier warfare that followed the founding of Halifax. The proposal has led to a debate about renaming and the portrayal of history.[15][16]
Transportationedit
The river was an important early transportation route, connected by a portage trail through the Berwick area to the headwaters of the Annapolis River that was originally established by the Mi'kmaq.[5] Coastal schooners used landings and wharves along the river as far as Kentville[17] while larger sailing vessels and later steamships used Port Williams for agricultural and timber exports. The Cornwallis Valley Railway, a branch line of the Dominion Atlantic Railway, was named after the river in 1889, when it was built, crossing the river at Kentville.
Ecologyedit
The Annapolis Valley is an important agricultural district in Nova Scotia and depends on the river for irrigation and drainage. However heavy agricultural runoffs as well as municipal sewage have created severe pollution problems in the river. It was designated as one of Canada's ten most endangered rivers in 2002 and labelled as "little more than a farm sewer". A number of initiatives are currently underway to improve farm use of the river and upgrade municipal sewage systems along the river.[18] The communities of Wolfville, Port Williams, Kentville and Berwick all have sewage treatment facilities that discharge effluent into the river.
^. Cornwallis Headwaters Society. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015.
^Dr. Watson Kirkconnell, (likely sourced from Silas Tertius Rand): Ed, Coleman (March 9, 2015). "Cornwallis River — Why Not Change The Name?". Kings County News.
^"Letter to Minister of Natural Resources from Daniel Paul". Daniel Paul. as well as in a map published by the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council."Map of Mi'kmaqi". Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council.
^ abcDawson, Joan (2022). Nova Scotia's Historic Inland Communities. Halifax, NS: Nimbus Publishing. p. 47. ISBN978-1-77471-062-3.
^. Town of Kentville. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
^Coleman, Ed. . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
^Town Plot - Starrs Point October 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
^Coleman, Ed. . Archived from the original on May 22, 2014.
^"Haliburton's 1829 History of Nova Scotia". archive.org. Joseph Howe.
^Ed Coleman, "How Kentville Became the Shiretown", Kings County News, May 22, 2015
^William MacKay, "A New Map of Nova Scotia compiled from the latest surveys" (1829) published in The Mapmakers Legacy, Joan Dawson, Halifax: Nimbus (2007), p.4
^"Governor Edward Cornwallis". www.danielnpaul.com.
^"Mi'kmaq want river renamed". The Halifax Chronicle Herald. October 8, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
^Starratt, Kirk (February 14, 2015). "Protest Held In Kentville". Kings County News.
^Slipp, Marke. "Righting The Wrongs of Our Common Past". Halifax Media Co-op. Media Co-op. Leo J. Deveau, "Judge wrongs of history in context — and don’t erase names", Halifax Chronicle Herald, April 2, 2015
^Louis V. Comeau, Historic Kentville Halifax: Nimbus Publishing (2003) p.83
^Sara Keddy, "Cornwallis headwaters watershed group looking out for Upper Cornwallis improvements " Archived September 10, 2012, at archive.today, Kings County Register, June 24, 2008.
External linksedit
Natural History of Nova Scotia, Vol. I Nova Scotia Museum (1997)
Christian Perry-Giraud, Thirty Year Assessment of the Cornwallis Estuary Evolution, Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership, 2005.
cornwallis, river, kings, county, nova, scotia, canada, meander, length, approximately, kilometres, through, eastern, kings, county, from, source, north, mountain, grafton, mouth, near, wolfville, minas, basin, lower, portion, river, beginning, kentville, tida. The Cornwallis River is in Kings County Nova Scotia Canada It has a meander length of approximately 48 kilometres 30 mi 1 through eastern Kings County from its source on the North Mountain at Grafton 2 to its mouth near Wolfville on the Minas Basin The lower portion of the river beginning at Kentville is tidal and there are extensive tidal marshes in the lower reaches In its upper watershed at Berwick the river draws on the Caribou Bog while a longer branch continues to the official source a stream on the North Mountain at Grafton Cornwallis RiverLocationCountryCanadaProvinceNova ScotiaPhysical characteristicsSource locationNorth MountainMouth locationMinas Basin elevationsea levelLength48 km 30 mi Cornwallis River near low tideCornwallis River near high tide Contents 1 History 2 Transportation 3 Ecology 4 Communities 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory editThe original peoples of the area the Mi kmaq knew it as The Narrow River or Chijekwtook 3 There are also references to the Mi kmaq calling the river Jijuktu kwejk pronounced Gee gee wok tuk 4 5 The river served as part of the Mi kmaq travel route between the Minas Basin and the Annapolis Basin 5 The river was named Riviere St Antoine 6 by Samuel de Champlain after his arrival in the New World in the early 17th Century Later it was called the Riviere des Habitants 7 by the Acadians who built a series of settlements around its mouth including the village of Grand Pre and a smaller settlement further up the river at New Minas 8 The Acadians also built extensive dykelands in the area although there is no clear evidence that the running dykes beside the river were built by them 9 Following the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755 the area was settled by New England Planters in 1760 who named the river after the townships established along its banks The river became known as the Horton River 10 after Horton Township the major Planter settlement at the mouth of the river named after the ancestral home of George Montagu Dunk the official in charge of English settlement in Nova Scotia However in the 19th century settlement and commercial growth moved upriver to the Kentville area in Cornwallis Township 11 named after Edward Cornwallis first governor of Nova Scotia As a result the river assumed the name Cornwallis River by 1829 12 nbsp AVFN Band Council Resolution May 3 2011 regarding reverting river name to Jijuktu kwejkThe Mi kmaq of Annapolis Valley First Nation in Cambridge Nova Scotia voted unanimously in 2011 to have the name revert to what they consider to be the original historical Mi kmaw name for the river the Jijuktu kwejk 13 Annapolis Valley First Nations Chief Brian Toney wants the name of the Cornwallis River changed He said band members have to cross it every day and are reminded of Gov Edward Cornwallis 14 Cornwallis put a bounty on the scalps of natives including women and children in 1749 during the frontier warfare that followed the founding of Halifax The proposal has led to a debate about renaming and the portrayal of history 15 16 Transportation editThe river was an important early transportation route connected by a portage trail through the Berwick area to the headwaters of the Annapolis River that was originally established by the Mi kmaq 5 Coastal schooners used landings and wharves along the river as far as Kentville 17 while larger sailing vessels and later steamships used Port Williams for agricultural and timber exports The Cornwallis Valley Railway a branch line of the Dominion Atlantic Railway was named after the river in 1889 when it was built crossing the river at Kentville Ecology editThe Annapolis Valley is an important agricultural district in Nova Scotia and depends on the river for irrigation and drainage However heavy agricultural runoffs as well as municipal sewage have created severe pollution problems in the river It was designated as one of Canada s ten most endangered rivers in 2002 and labelled as little more than a farm sewer A number of initiatives are currently underway to improve farm use of the river and upgrade municipal sewage systems along the river 18 The communities of Wolfville Port Williams Kentville and Berwick all have sewage treatment facilities that discharge effluent into the river Communities editKentville New Minas Port Williams Berwick Grand Pre Wolfville Cornwallis SquareSee also editList of rivers of Nova ScotiaReferences edit Columbia Gazetteer Archived July 1 2004 at the Wayback Machine Cornwallis River Headwaters map Cornwallis Headwaters Society Archived from the original on August 13 2015 Dr Watson Kirkconnell likely sourced from Silas Tertius Rand Ed Coleman March 9 2015 Cornwallis River Why Not Change The Name Kings County News Letter to Minister of Natural Resources from Daniel Paul Daniel Paul as well as in a map published by the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council Map of Mi kmaqi Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council a b c Dawson Joan 2022 Nova Scotia s Historic Inland Communities Halifax NS Nimbus Publishing p 47 ISBN 978 1 77471 062 3 Kentville Virtual Tour Town of Kentville Archived from the original on October 29 2018 Retrieved May 11 2015 Coleman Ed The Chijekwtook River Why Not Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Town Plot Starrs Point Archived October 11 2009 at the Wayback Machine Coleman Ed Dykeing The Cornwallis Early Attempts Archived from the original on May 22 2014 Haliburton s 1829 History of Nova Scotia archive org Joseph Howe Ed Coleman How Kentville Became the Shiretown Kings County News May 22 2015 William MacKay A New Map of Nova Scotia compiled from the latest surveys 1829 published in The Mapmakers Legacy Joan Dawson Halifax Nimbus 2007 p 4 Governor Edward Cornwallis www danielnpaul com Mi kmaq want river renamed The Halifax Chronicle Herald October 8 2011 Retrieved May 11 2015 Starratt Kirk February 14 2015 Protest Held In Kentville Kings County News Slipp Marke Righting The Wrongs of Our Common Past Halifax Media Co op Media Co op Leo J Deveau Judge wrongs of history in context and don t erase names Halifax Chronicle Herald April 2 2015 Louis V Comeau Historic Kentville Halifax Nimbus Publishing 2003 p 83 Sara Keddy Cornwallis headwaters watershed group looking out for Upper Cornwallis improvements Archived September 10 2012 at archive today Kings County Register June 24 2008 External links editNatural History of Nova Scotia Vol I Nova Scotia Museum 1997 Christian Perry Giraud Thirty Year Assessment of the Cornwallis Estuary Evolution Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership 2005 45 6 5 N 64 21 54 7 W 45 10139 N 64 365194 W 45 10139 64 365194 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cornwallis River amp oldid 1191542100, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
