Amherst, Industrial town in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada
Amherst sits on elevated ground at the eastern edge of the Isthmus of Chignecto in Nova Scotia, close to the New Brunswick border. The town serves as a service hub for surrounding farm areas and hosts factories making plastics, telecommunications gear, and aerospace parts.
Yorkshire settlers founded the town in 1764 following the Acadian expulsion, with the community gradually shifting eastward toward a grist mill and tannery by 1850. These early industries laid the groundwork for its later rise as a manufacturing hub.
Victorian and Edwardian buildings line Victoria Street with local sandstone and brick that mark the town's industrial boom from the 1880s. These structures still shape how locals and visitors experience the downtown today.
The town is easy to reach by road and offers clear orientation with historic Victoria Street at its center. Plan your visit for warmer months when exploring on foot becomes more comfortable and the area feels more open.
Basketball reached Nova Scotia through the Amherst YMCA in 1894 when J. Howard Crocker brought the sport after learning it directly from inventor James Naismith. This connection gave the town an unexpected role in spreading the game across the region.
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