Hantsport, Nova Scotia, an unincorporated area in the West Hants Regional Municipality, is a community rich in history and culture. Nestled at the western boundary between West Hants Regional Municipality and Kings County, Hantsport is situated along the west bank of the Avon River's tidal estuary. This community is renowned for its former industries, including shipbuilding, a pulp mill, and a marine terminal that once loaded gypsum, mined near Windsor. Hantsport is also the final resting place of Victoria Cross recipient William Hall.
The area surrounding Hantsport was known to the Miꞌkmaq as Kakagwek, meaning "place where meat is sliced and dried." Today, the town is home to a small Miꞌkmaq community known as the Glooscap First Nation or Pesikitk.
Hantsport's history is deeply intertwined with the Acadian parish of Paroisse de Sainte Famille, established in 1698. Although no Acadians are known to have lived within the boundary of Hantsport proper, the area was part of this parish. The region of Piziquid, formed after the Expulsion of the Acadians, was granted to New England Planters and officers of the British army.
Edward Barker, a British soldier, purchased the Hantsport lots in 1789, marking the beginning of the settlement initially known as "Halfway River." The 19th century saw the emergence of shipbuilding as a major industry, with the town producing a large number of wooden sailing vessels and some steam vessels before the decline of wooden shipbuilding in the late 1800s.
The arrival of the Windsor and Annapolis Railway in 1869 stimulated local manufacturers, providing some relief from the demise of shipbuilding. A cluster of small factories and fruit warehouses grew around the Hantsport station. Gypsum exports emerged as a major employer in the 20th Century, followed by the pulp mill and paper factory of the Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company established by the Jodrey family in the 1920s.
Artifacts from the town's history are preserved at Churchill House, Hantsport, the restored mansion of the Churchill shipbuilding family, which serves as a community centre and museum.
Sports have been a significant part of the atmosphere in Hantsport. The Hantsport Hawks junior high team won the regional banner in 2015 and 2016. The Hantsport Shamrocks are one of the most well-known baseball clubs in Nova Scotia. The Hantsport Bruins are a dynasty in the Hants County Hockey League, winning 8 Howard Dill Cups since 1998. Some say that sports in Hantsport are "the glue" that holds the town together.
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Hantsport, Nova Scotia, is a community that has evolved over the centuries, from its early days as a Miꞌkmaq settlement to its growth as an industrial hub. Today, it stands as a testament to the resilience and spirit of its people, offering a unique blend of history, industry, and community spirit.
