Gaspereau, Nova Scotia
Gaspereau is a Canadian rural community located
in Kings County, Nova Scotia.
It is located about 3 km south of the town of Wolfville
on the Gaspereau River. The name "Gaspereau" is often used to refer to
all of the communities throughout the 15 km Gaspereau Valley.
The name is derived from the Gaspereau fish, Alosa
pseudoharengus, which migrates up the river every spring. The fishing of
Gaspereau has been important to human settlement of the Gaspereau Valley
for thousands of years. When the Acadians came here around 1680, they named
the fish and the area, Gaspereau. There is still a commercial fishery for
Gaspereau in the river.
Gaspereau is primarily an agricultural community,
hosting dairy farms and apple orchards. In recent years many grape vineyards
have been established and there is more than one winery in the village.
Gaspereau Vineyards, opened in 2004, and L'Acadie Vineyards, opened in
2008, are both popular destinations in the village of Gaspereau.
The Gaspereau River is also known for its tubbing,
using an inner-tube and floating down through the beautiful river during
the hot summer months when residents or visitors of the valley are over
heated and the river is high.
Gaspereau is also home to a canal (referred to
as "The Canal" or "The Gaspereau Canal" or "White Rock Canal). The 1.5
km long canal brings water from the White Rock reservoir to the hydroelectricity
generating station.The canal is popular for swimming, but the canal
is also the site for the yearly Duck Race in which ruber ducks are floated
down the canal. People purchase tickets on a Duck and if their duck wins
they get a $5000 gift certificate. The top 10 placing duck owners all receive
prizes decreasing in value as you move down places.
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