Fall River, Nova Scotia, is a suburban community nestled within the Halifax Regional Municipality in Canada. It is situated north-northeast of the Bedford Basin, northeast of Bedford and Lower Sackville, and north of Waverley. The community's name originates from a stream running between Miller Lake and Lake Thomas, which once had a waterfall that powered several mills in the 19th century and a local electrical utility in the early 20th century.
The Mi'kmaq Nation and its predecessors inhabited Fall River before European settlement, using the waterways as a portage route connecting with the Shubenacadie Valley. The first European settlers arrived in the late 18th century, including a German family named Muller (now anglicized to Miller), who established themselves in Fall River. The Miller brothers, Philip and John, cleared the land on the east side of Lake Thomas and built a dam to power their sawmill in 1828.
In the 1830s, Charles P. Allen operated a water-powered mill on the falls at Miller Lake, where he manufactured furniture. The Shubenacadie Canal, which connected Halifax Harbour to the Minas Basin, ran through Fall River by way of the lakes. Fletcher Lake was named after Robert Fletcher, who operated an inn and way station on the stagecoach road to Truro.
In the early 20th century, Fall River saw the installation of its first telephone and the operation of an early post office in Charles Carr's store. The Lake Thomas Ice Company was in operation in Fall River from 1921 until about 1948, operated by the Wilson family. In 1954, local resident Graeme Stuart founded Stuart Industries, a metal fabricating business that operated in Fall River until about 1982.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fall River had a population of 2,474 living in 812 of its 834 total private dwellings, a change of 5.9% from its 2016 population of 2,337. With a land area of 14.89 km2 (5.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 166.2/km2 (430.3/sq mi) in 2021.
Fall River has been expanding rapidly with the construction of a Sobeys and surrounding shopping centre, McDonald's, Subway, and Tim Hortons. Lockview High School opened its doors in 2000 to relieve strain on the aging Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford. Fall River also has two elementary schools, Holland Road Elementary School and Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary School, and one junior high: Georges P. Vanier.
There are four major subdivisions in Fall River, including The Schwarzwald, Fall River Village, Capilano, and three new subdivisions, St. Andrews West, Kinloch Estates, and Miller Lake West. An upscale development is also located on Guildwood Drive on the eastern shore of Miller Lake.
The Gordon R. Snow Community Centre/Fire Station 45, named after a former councillor and resident of the community, opened in October 2008. The skate park at the Rec Centre was opened in October 2008, and the Rec Center itself opened in February 2009.
Fall River and its surrounding communities of Wellington, Waverley, Windsor Junction, and Lakeview are home to many lakes. Lake Thomas and Lake Fletcher in Fall River form a section of the Shubenacadie Canal, which connects the Bay of Fundy with the Halifax Harbour. Other notable waterways include Soldier Lake, Johnson River, Third Lake, Kinsac Lake, Miller Lake, and German Creek.
All-day Halifax Transit service is provided by route 320, which services the Fall River Park and Ride at 49 Falls Run, off Perrin Drive. The route provides direct service to the airport (to the north) and to Dartmouth and Downtown Halifax to the south. The park-and-ride lot has 90 free parking spaces.
