Hantspire (Village)

Hantspire Village was a community in Nova Scotia established in 1899 by an advisor for Lord Hantspire. It was unincorporated in 1991 due to dwindling populations.

History

19th Century

The earliest records for settlers in this area show that the area was sparsely populated by farmers. For those who made their way inland this far, they were rewarded with bountiful crops from the rich soil. Due to being far from major villages and cities, there is little known about the early history of the area that would become Hantspire and Bishop Park. Those who lived in the area often did not leave any records of their lives except what remains of their houses and farmland. It wasn't until Lord Hantspire built his home in what would later become the Village of Hantspire that the area became more well known.

The village became briefly infamous due to a string of disappearances near what would one day be Bishop Park. Between 1892 and 1900 over 12 people went missing which created a stir in the nearby communities as word spread. One vaguely reported case from 1895 describes four businessmen who were looking for a place to establish a town that go missing after exploring the area. Locals at the time assumed they had gone home but records from Halifax indicate they never returned. Interestingly, once information spread about these cases, it led to an influx of settlers to the area, likely due to hearing about the rich land. Most accounts of this time period have concluded that the missing peoples were probably lost to the forest by either animal attack or by falling into streams while fetching water. No bodies were recovered at the time, and no remains have been found even today.

Founding

Not many records have survived from this time period but it is believed that the advisor who founded the village became the first council member as well. Later the village council would have up to 12 members at any given time. They oversaw the development of the village as population rose to accommodate the growing number of farmers. Later they would help manage the village during the boom caused by the Bishop Park Research Centre.

Early 20th Century

The village was home to Samuel Bishop who established Bishop Park in 1902. Originally sent under the rule of Queen Victoria, he later was granted funding by King Edward VII to conduct in-depth research into the area. Once Bishop passed away his research was claimed by the local council and held until claimed by the federal government when they established the Research Centre following the end of the Second World War. During this period of time the village grew slowly but steadily reaching an estimated population of 800 by 1939. The local population took a hit during WWII as many of the young men living there went overseas to fight and never returned. It became common for people to leave keepsakes representing the loss of their loved ones inside of Bishop Park and the tradition stuck for many years after the war.

Bishop Park Research Centre Era

• Main article: Bishop Park Research Centre

Following the Second World War and Newfoundland joining the confederation, the newly invigorated Canadian Government took a new interest in the rich ecosystem of the park and established the Bishop Park Research Centre. The research centre was operational from November 4th 1946 until it burned down due to a gas leak explosion on September 17th 1980. The Research Centre was a huge economic boom for the community and Hantspire seen its population soar into the thousands with many commuting into the village to work at the facility or the local businesses. During this time Hantspire gained many luxury installations such as a drive-in theatre and a public swimming pool.

After the Research Centre burnt down, and economic interest in the area began to dwindle, many businesses shut down and families began moving to larger cities such as Truro and Halifax. Those that stayed were left to run only a few essential businesses for the local population such as general stores and farmers markets.

Unincorporated

By the 1990's the village was sparsely populated with the population decreasing slowly every year. Many younger folks born to the area either moved out West or into major Nova Scotian cities. As a result of this exodus the average age of the village began to climb making it more of a retirement living spot. In 1991 the remaining 3 council members for the village voted to have control of the area released to the district of East Hants. Of the few citizens who showed up to the council meeting, none objected to this decision.

Interestingly this decision to disband the village opened up access to additional funding from higher levels of government and would eventually lead to the construction of the Hantspire Environmental Research Station.

Modern Hantspire

• Main article: Hantspire