Antigonish County Gaelic:Siorramachd Antaiginis | |
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 Location of Antigonish County, Nova Scotia | |
| Coordinates:45°36′N61°54′W / 45.6°N 61.9°W /45.6; -61.9 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Nova Scotia |
| Municipality | Municipality of the County of Antigonish |
| Established as Sydney County | 1785 |
| Renamed | 1863 |
| Incorporated | 1879 |
| Electoral Districts Federal | Central Nova Cape Breton—Canso |
| Provincial | Antigonish |
| Government | |
| • Type | Antigonish County Municipal Council |
| • Warden | Owen McCarron |
| • MLA | Michelle ThompsonConservative Party of Nova Scotia)[1] |
| • MP (Central Nova) | Sean Fraser(L)[2] |
| • MP (Cape Breton-Canso) | Rodger Cuzner(L)[3] |
| Area | |
| • Land | 1,456.42 km2 (562.33 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 20,129 |
| • Density | 13.8/km2 (36/sq mi) |
| • Change 2011-16 |  4.3% |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (ADT) |
| Area code | 902 |
| Dwellings | 9,842 |
| Median Earnings* | $49,581 |
| NTS Map | 011F12 |
| GNBC Code | CBUCC |
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Antigonish County is a historical county andcensus division ofNova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by theMunicipality of the County of Antigonish, the Town ofAntigonish, and by two reserves:Pomquet and Afton 23, andSummerside 38.
The County of Sydney was created in 1784.
When St. Mary's Township was established in 1818 it was partly in Sydney County and partly inHalifax County. In 1822 that part of St. Mary's Township which had been in Halifax County was annexed to the County of Sydney.
In 1836 Sydney County was diminished in size whenGuysborough County was established out of what had been part of it. In 1863 the name of the County of Sydney was changed to Antigonish County. The word Antigonish is ofMi'kmaq origin, possibly derived from Nalegitkoonecht meaning "where branches are torn off". It is said that there were bears in the area that broke down branches to get beech nuts.
In 1879, the province officially incorporated the County of Antigonish as a municipality.[6]
In 2001, the Town of Antigonish applied to annex 1,600 hectares from the surrounding county so it could expand. The Municipality responded that the annexation would hurt its tax base so it instead applied for a total merger, oramalgamation. The issue was sent to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, and in 2005 it was decided that amalgamation of the Town and Municipality would better serve both parties. The board also ordered a plebiscite, promising to consider the results when making a final decision. The results were mixed, with 84% of Municipality residents voting yes to amalgamation and 74% of Town residents voting no. Voter turn-out was 45%. The board ultimately rejected the proposal for amalgamation, citing lack of public support.[7]
The 2024Boston Christmas Tree came fromMattie Settlement.[8]
As acensus division in the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Antigonish County had a population of20,129 living in8,711 of its10,145 total private dwellings, a change of4.3% from its 2016 population of19,301. With a land area of 1,456.42 km2 (562.33 sq mi), it had a population density of13.8/km2 (35.8/sq mi) in 2021.[9]
Forming the majority of the Antigonish County census division, the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, including its Subdivisions A and B, had a population of15,101 living in6,371 of its7,327 total private dwellings, a change of3.5% from its 2016 population of14,584. With a land area of 1,448.72 km2 (559.35 sq mi), it had a population density of10.4/km2 (27.0/sq mi) in 2021.[10]
| Mother tongue language (2011)[13]
| Ethnic Groups (2006)[14]
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Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:[15]
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