The area has been home to the Mi'kmaq people for several centuries. The Mi'kmaq name for the Truro area, "Wagobagitik" means "end of the water's flow". Mi'kmaq people continue to live in the area at the Millbrook and Truro reserves of the Millbrook – We’kopekwitk band.[3][4]
Acadian settlers came to this area in the early 1700s. The Mi'kmaq name for the Truro area was shortened by the settlers to "Cobequid", and the bay to the west of the town is still named Cobequid Bay. By 1727, the settlers had established a small village near the present downtown site of Truro known as "Vil Bois Brule" (Village in the burnt wood).[5] Many Acadians in this region left in the Acadian Exodus which preceded the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. In 1761, the British settled the area with Presbyterians of predominantly Ulster Scottish origin who came from Ireland via New England. They named the new settlement after the city of Truro in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Originally a small farming community, the construction of the Nova Scotia Railway between Halifax, and Pictou in 1858 caused the municipality to experience a fast rate of growth which increased even more when the railway connected to central Canada in 1872 and became the Intercolonial Railway. The Intercolonial, which later became the Canadian National Railway built a large roundhouse and rail yard in Truro. Further rail links to Cape Breton and to the Annapolis Valley through the Dominion Atlantic Railway in 1905 increased the town's importance as a transportation hub for Nova Scotia. The railway also attracted industries such as the Truro Woolen Mills in 1870 (which later became Stanfield's) and provincial institutions like the provincial Normal School (later the Nova Scotia Teachers College) and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. The town officially incorporated in 1875. Many figures from the town's past were featured in over 40 tree sculptures which were carved in tree trunks after Truro lost most of its Elm trees to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1990s.[6] As of 2018, most of these sculptures were suffering from severe deterioration and were taken down.[7] The history of the town and surrounding county is preserved at the Colchester Historical Museum (c.1900-1901), which is designated under the provincial Heritage Property Act.[8]
Three areas of Truro contain many African Nova Scotian residents. The residents of Upper/Lower Ford Street (“the Marsh”) are descendants of Black Loyalists and Black Refugees. Young Street (“the Hill”) has people from a number of different cultural and ethnic diversities. Black Loyalist descendants make up the vast majority of people in the third area, West Prince Street (“the Island”). Many of Truro's black community has roots in the historically important Black Nova Scotian settlements of Guysborough County. Zion United Baptist Church, first founded in 1896 on Prince Street, has long been the spiritual heart of the community.[9]
Truro is also the birthplace of world-renowned contralto, Portia White (1911–1968). To support herself while taking music lessons at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts she taught school in Africville and Lucasville. Her national debut occurred in 1941 at the Eaton Auditorium in Toronto, and her international debut came at the Town Hall in New York in 1944. She gave a Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of Confederation Centre in Charlottetown in 1964. A monument commemorating Portia White stands on the grounds of the Zion United Baptist Church.
A number of other prominent Black Canadians have roots in the town. One of Canada's most well known civil rights leader, Burnley Allan "Rocky" Jones, was raised in "the Marsh" neighbourhood of Truro.[10]Art Dorrington, the first black hockey player to sign an NHL contract was raised in "the Island".[11]
Infrastructure and attractions
Truro railyards at the junction of the CN & CB&CNSR lines, 2006.
An important highway interchange is located just north of Truro in the rural community of Onslow where Highway 102 ends at Highway 104 - both four lane expressways. Secondary roads Trunk 2 and Trunk 4 intersect in the town. Important tertiary roads Route 236 and Route 311 end in the nearby communities of Lower Truro and Onslow respectively. Some of these roads also form part of the Glooscap Trail which is a scenic drive for tourists. Truro railway station is served by Via Rail's Ocean line.
Nova Scotia Power has several transmission line corridors in or near Truro; additionally Bell Aliant, EastLink and 360networks route most of the major telephone and data communications lines in the province through the town.
Truro has three ice hockey rinks: Deuvilles Rink, Rath Eastlink Community Centre, and the Colchester Legion Stadium. Truro is home to the Truro Bearcats, a Junior "A" ice hockey team who are four time MJAHL Champions. (Canadian) Football is also a popular sport in the town with all games being played on Friday night at the Truro Amateur Athletic Club (TAAC) grounds. Truro Raceway conducts harness races every Sunday. Truro is also home to a rugby club, which hosts the World Indoor Sevens Rugby Championships.
Truro also has a senior baseball team, the Truro Senior Bearcats, that play in the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League.[13] Their home field is at the Truro Amateur Athletic Club (TAAC).
Lacrosse has become a very popular sport in Truro over the recent years. There is a minor lacrosse association, the Truro Bearcats Lacrosse Association, which allows youth to take part in organized lacrosse teams and games.[14] As well, there is a junior A lacrosse team, the Mi'Kmaq Warriors, that plays in the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League.[15] They play in the summer months out of the Colchester Legion Stadium.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Truro was 35.6 °C (96 °F) on 19 August 1935 and 15 August 1944.[16][17] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −38.3 °C (−37 °F) on 22 January 1934.[18]
Climate data for Truro, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1873–present[a]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Truro had a population of 12,954 living in 6,347 of its 6,658 total private dwellings, a change of 5.7% from its 2016 population of 12,261. With a land area of 37.52 km2 (14.49 sq mi), it had a population density of 345.3/km2 (894.2/sq mi) in 2021.[31]
^Climate data was recorded at Truro from January 1873 to August 1915, at Truro NSAC from January 1910 to April 2005 and at Debert from December 2003 to present.
References
Davis, Stephen A. (1997). Mi'kmaq. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus Publishing Limited. ISBN1551091801.
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on October 5, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Censuses 1981-2001
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