Lourdes, Stellarton Nova Scotia
Lourdes is a small neighbourhood located along the East River in the Town of Stellarton.
In 1774 five of the ‘Ship Hector’ passengers and their families, took up grants of land along the East River (the river was then known by the Mi’kmaq name Apchechkumoachwaakade, meaning Duckland) in the areas that we all know as Stellarton. Of those settlers Colin MacKay of Invernesshire, Scotland and his family settled 400 acres here at Lourdes.
In 1882, after clearing away a forested area, a new church was built, and by 1883, Holy Mass was offered in the church that became known as “Our Lady of Lourdes“, from which the neighbourhood took it’s name.
1884, a small school was built at Lourdes, and ran until around 1946 when it was dismantled and replaced by a modern three-storey brick school at the top of Jubilee Avenue, and eventually became referred to many locals as the “Old High School”.
Stellarton’s first steam powered generating power plant was built in 1884 near the railway station but later the station was burned down and replaced by the Albion Central Station.
Once there were two fire departments located in Stellarton, one located around where Sobeys Head Office is now located, to serve the Lourdes area due to the proximity of the Albion Mines) and the other in the central area of Town.
[Sources: Stellarton.ca / The History of Stellarton]
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