The Bridges of Annapolis County

Commercial shipping out of Bear River required constant dredging of the river, and a swing bridge, accomodating both highway and ship traffic. On occasion, the Bear River Bridge was closed because it got struck open.

Annapolis Royal had been the terminus of rail service in this part of Nova Scotia for a time, and had benefitted greatly from it. But when the five water courses between it and Digby had finally been bridged, Annapolis lost its commercial marine shipping importance.

Clementsport Train Bridge over Moose River, in service for ~ 100 years.

Watercourses defined the early development of Annapolis County. Fshing and shipping were important mainstays of the economy. A Mapannapolis storymap created by volunteers located and mapped the wharves of Annapolis County, many now no more than piles of stones, the wooden cribwork long-since gone.

A swing bridge also connected Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry, from 1921 to 1961. Previously, there had been ferry service. A causeway across the Annapolis River replaced the swing bridge in 1961.

Postcards from across Annapolis County offer a historical look at a different time in our history. Find the Mapannapolis postcard story map here.