Caribou River, Nova Scotia
Caribou River Geography
- Official Name: Caribou River
- Gaelic Name:An Abhainn Charibou
- Geographic Feature Type Category: Populated Place
- Geographic Feature Type: Community
- Latitude / Longitude: 45.754601, -62.831291
Caribou River Maps
- 1:50k Topographic NTS Map: 011E15
- 1879 Pictou County Atlas Map: Section 2
- Nova Scotia Land Grant Map: NS Land Grant map 092
- Nova Scotia 1:10k Topographic Maps: 1045750062800 (Caribou River)
- Other Maps:
Caribou River is a rural coastal community located on the Northumberland Strait. along NS Trunk 6 (Sunrise Trail) between Toney River and Three Brooks.
The name Caribou was chosen because early settlers saw a herd of caribou out along the east point of Caribou Island which they then named Caribou Point. Four rural communities in this area now share similar names; Caribou, Caribou Island, Caribou River, and Central Caribou.
Considerable damage was done to the area by a forest fire in July, 1849.
A new school was built at Lower Caribou River in 1870.
A post office was established at Caribou River, August 1, 1883. A sawmill had been erected at the head of the harbour by John Harris, in 1803.
Caribou Rivers Nature Reserve is located on the estuary where the Big and Little Caribou Rivers meet and flow into Northumberland Strait. A mixed forest of red maple, aspen and black spruce borders on a 1.2 km stretch of rich river estuary. The reserve also contains part of a large shrub bog. It is home to shorebirds and nesting eagles.
[Source: Nova Scotia Place Names – T. Brown / Places of Nova Scotia – C. Bruce Fergusson / NovaScotia.ca ]
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