Lower Sackville, a suburban community of the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada, has a rich history. Before European colonization in 1749, the Mi'kmaq people had lived in this area for thousands of years. In August 1749, Captain John Gorham, acting on orders from Governor Edward Cornwallis, established a military fort named Fort Sackville. The community was named after George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Lower Sackville was a popular destination for Haligonians seeking entertainment at a drive-in cinema, a harness racing track (Sackville Downs), and a World War II bomber-plane ice cream parlour. However, Sackville Downs closed in 1986.
The community experienced intensive suburban development from the 1970s onward due to new highway connections and a major development scheme by the Nova Scotia Housing Commission, later the Nova Scotia Department of Housing. This suburbanization contributed to a decline in agriculture in the community.
Before amalgamation into the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996, Lower Sackville was an unincorporated part of Halifax County. On 1 April 1996, Halifax County was dissolved, and all of its places became communities of a single-tier municipality named Halifax Regional Municipality. Today, Lower Sackville is a bedroom community of Halifax, home to many established businesses, parks, and places of interest.
According to the 2013 Halifax Regional Municipality Urban Forest Master Plan, Lower Sackville covers approximately 566 ha (1,400 acres) of land area. The community is located east of Lucasville, north-north-east of Bedford, south-east of Middle Sackville, and south-west of Windsor Junction. It is approximately 18 km (11 mi) from Downtown Dartmouth, 27 km (17 mi) from Downtown Halifax, and 25 km (16 mi) from Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Lower Sackville is divided into several districts, each with its unique geographical location and/or main road. These include Cobequid, Downtown, East Sackville, Industrial Park, North Sackville, Olde Sackville, Sackville Estates, Seawood, South Sackville, Stonemount, Sunnyvale, West Sackville, and the Walker Area. Some neighbourhoods are also known by their tendency to use street names starting with the same letter, such as the "C" Section, "L" Section, "N" Section, "P" Section, "Q" Section, "R" Section, and "S" Section. Other streets are named after the Fathers of Canadian Confederation.
Lower Sackville offers a variety of recreational facilities, including the Sackville Community Arena and the Sackville Sports Stadium. Community centres include the Acadia Centre, Kinsmen Community Centre, and Sackville Heights Community Centre. The community also houses the Sackville Public Library and the Fultz House Museum. Parks include Acadia Park and Sackville Lakes Provincial Park. Trails include the Bedford-Sackville Connector.
The only demographic information that pertains to Lower Sackville is provided by Halifax Regional Council, and pertains to District 15 (Lower Sackville). District 15 (Lower Sackville) has 21,379 people living within its boundaries. However, the community itself does not have any recent demographic information.
Lower Sackville is located northwest of the Halifax-Dartmouth urban core. Highways 101, 102, Route 354, and Trunk 1 (called Sackville Drive within Lower Sackville) connect the community to the rest of the urban area, or beyond. Lower Sackville is serviced by many Halifax Transit routes, with two transit terminals in the community: Cobequid Terminal in the south, and Sackville Terminal in the north.
